Chapter 1 New Beginnings
A Piece from the Past
Holding her newborn close to her chest, Addison Grace stepped onto the late-night train bound for Millersville, a quiet town nestled between sleepy streets and aging houses.
The train rumbled through the dark, carrying its passengers. Its wheels screeched against the tracks. A restless cry cutting through the stillness of the night.
Addison’s eyes softened as she caressed her daughter’s cheek with slender fingers. The child moved towards the touch, and her eyes fluttered open.
Innocent grey eyes stared at the brown ones with curiosity. Her hand froze mid-stroke at the sight of grey eyes.
The warmth in her eyes vanished, replaced by something cold. She looked away, jaw clenched as if the colour of her daughter’s eyes burned her.
Three hours later, the train stopped, and passengers got off one by one. Carrying her bag in one hand and the baby in the other, Addison stepped onto the quiet platform.
At this hour, the station was nearly empty. No one noticed her. No one asked questions. Outside, she flagged a cab and gave an address a few houses short of her destination.
A new beginning waited ahead. Unseen. Unheard. Exactly how she wanted it.
Present
The darkness was spreading like a virus as the cars moved from one road to another. Sirens from the police car disrupted the peace, making people curious.
Heads stuck out of the windows and balconies, some even dared to come out of their doors to witness the unfolding events.
Two policemen jumped out of their vehicle as soon as the car stopped and knocked on the door of the house.
No answer.
Another knock with a warning.
No answer.
The cops exchanged a glance and stepped away from the door.
“On the count of three,” one said, and the other nodded.
“1... 2... 3...”
Both men moved towards the door with full force. Nothing happened.
Again, with as much force as they could, they kicked the door. The hinges went loose, and the door gave way.
They entered the house, stance alert, guns in hands. They spotted a woman standing in the far corner, her trembling hands holding a gun.
The cops pointed their guns towards the woman.
“Miss Grace please, put the gun down.”
“No!” Her breath hitched, eyes darting around in panic.
“Drop it now or we’ll have no choice but to act,” the officer warned her.
“You can’t take her away,” she shook her head as her trembling hands pulled the trigger.
The gun fired with a loud bang, and the bullet rushed towards the man in uniform. His survival instincts kicked in. He jumped away before the bullet could pierce his flesh.
The other man moved fast and took advantage of the woman's shock. He kicked the gun from her hands and cuffed her.
“Sam? You okay?” The cop called out, glancing over his shoulder while keeping a firm hand on Addison as she struggled to escape.
“Yeah,” Sam assured his friend as he stood up from the floor.
“God, she’s crazy. Hold her tight. I’ll check the rest of the house.” Sam went away.
Addison screamed and thrashed behind him. “She needs to stay here. Please. You can't take her.”
Sam exhaled sharply and checked every room. The house wasn't big, so it didn’t take him long.
A locked door grabbed his attention. He broke the door and stepped down toward the basement.
A single bulb dangled from the ceiling, flickering like it, too, wanted to escape the room. The air was damp and stale, heavy with the scent of mold and something metallic. Aside from a narrow bed shoved against the wall, there was a small cupboard.
A worn-out doll was lying near the foot of the bed. And right beside it, curled up on the floor, was a frail, unconscious girl lying just like her ragged doll.
He called the rescue team and ran toward the girl. He checked her pulse, and the girl whimpered in pain.
Sam saw the bruises on every exposed part of her body, some fading yellow, others angry red. He didn’t need to guess what lay beneath the fabric. He'd seen enough to know.
“You are safe now. Everything’s going to be okay,” he whisperd in a soothing voice. He didn’t know if the girl could hear him, but he kept murmuring words of reassurance.
Minutes later, the rescue team came. When Addison saw her daughter being pulled into the ambulance, she thrashed like a wounded animal.
“Lily! Lily! Let me go! She needs me... please, I have to be with her!” she screamed in desperation.
The neighbors watched in stunned silence as Addison was dragged toward the police car. But Addison wasn’t going to let Lily go that easily. She set herself free from the cop’s hold and ran after the ambulance.
With hands still restrained in cuffs, she was unable to match the speed of the vehicle. Within a minute, flashing lights disappeared into the night.
Addison’s steps faltered, and she sank to the floor, mumbling. “I’ll get her back... I have to keep her safe.”
The siren wailed into the distance.
Inside the ambulance, the girl lay motionless beneath the harsh fluorescent lights, her chest rising and falling in ragged rhythm. A paramedic glanced at the monitor, his jaw tightened.
“She’s fading.”
---
