Chapter 6 - The Siren
From the next room, a sound pierced the heavy, toxic atmosphere.
It started as a low, wet, sniffling gurgle.
Then, it escalated rapidly into a high-pitched, desperate wail.
Baby Leo was awake.
The sound was frantic.
It was the demanding, hungry cry of a child who expected immediate sustenance and comfort.
Elara’s head snapped up from her knees.
Her eyes were red-rimmed, wild, and entirely hollowed out by betrayal.
She scrambled to her feet, her movements jerky and entirely uncoordinated.
She didn't even glance at Martha as she bolted past the dining table.
Her hip caught the edge of the counter, knocking a plastic cup to the floor.
It bounced across the linoleum, rolling into a corner, completely ignored.
Elara disappeared into the dim shadows of the narrow hallway.
The wailing intensified, raw, grating, and demanding.
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Martha rolled her eyes toward the ceiling.
She slowly picked up the bills to count them a third time, licking her thumb once more.
