Daddy's Gone a Hunting

94

Kate stirred. She felt a slight bump as whatever she was riding on got caught on something.

Where am I? she asked herself. Am I dreaming?

“The corner room,” a voice was saying. “Number six.”

Kate began to remember. She had met Gus in the parking lot. They had gone into the museum.

I smelled gas, she thought. I yelled at Gus to get out. It blew up. The museum blew up. Something heavy fell on us. I dragged him out.

Was Gus all right?

Why had he acted so nervous when I asked him to meet me there?

I think I’m in a hospital. My head hurts. I have tubes in my arms. I’ve been having the nightmare again over and over. Why?

She tried to open her eyes but could not. She fell back into a deep sleep…

The nightmare came back. Only this time she knew how it ended.

He caught me as I tried to run down the stairs. He grabbed me. I screamed, “You’re not my daddy! You’re not my daddy!” He covered my mouth with his hand and carried me into the bedroom. I was kicking him. I was trying to get away from him.

He threw me on the bed and said, “Watch this, Kate, watch this.” Then he punched the mirror over Mommy’s dresser and the glass went all over and his hand was bleeding. And he said, “That’s what I will do to you if you ever say that again.”

He picked me up and shook me hard. “Now tell me, what is it that you must never, never say again?”

“ ‘You’re not my daddy.’ ” I was crying. I was so scared. “I promise. I promise. I won’t say it again.”

But I know I did say it again, Kate thought. I told him that when he was leaning over me after I got hurt and they brought me here. Then I heard him tell Hannah that I said that I was sorry about the explosion. But he was lying. I didn’t say that.

I said, “You’re not my daddy.”

I have to tell Hannah. But I can’t wake up. I’m trying but I can’t wake up.