That was when she realized the whole thing was very wrong. There was something sick, something evil, about it all. She wanted to skip the gatherings, but she was too frightened by then. She learned they were completely serious about everything. The more she learned, the more horrified she became. But she was trapped.

She smiled and nodded and went along when she was with them, but the whole time, she was desperately plotting. She was not stupid. She couldn’t trust anyone in Middleton, obviously. She had to get word to someone outside the town. It was obvious: she had to tell Danny and Carrie and the others.

Eventually, she had an idea. She thought of a loophole. He’s right, she did think she was clever. Hailey was prevented from telling anyone about the plan, but Regan wasn’t. So she told Regan to do it.

She had her daughter write, in her clearest block printing, the words on the invitations, and sent them off to Danny, Carrie, Eric, and Alana.

She should have left town the second after she put the envelopes in the mail.

But some small part of her believed they would show up just in time, like they did before. Some small part of her believed that it could be made right, like it used to be. Because, deep down, that’s all she really wanted. She wanted it all to go back like it was.

And she never thought her ex would let them hurt Regan.

She’s an idiot. She knows that now.

“Regan,” she shouts. “Get your shoes on. We have to go. Now.”

Hailey runs through the house, grabbing what she can. There is an envelope full of cash, barely three hundred dollars, that she keeps in the junk drawer.

She calls for Regan. Nothing. She checks the front door. Still locked. But Regan isn’t here. She calls for her again, almost shrieking.

She hears the sound of her daughter’s feet in her room, above. She runs to get her, taking the stairs two at a time.

Regan stands by her bed, trying to grab as many stuffed animals as she can, her arms already overloaded. Hailey yanks her clean off her feet, causing them all to spill.

Regan begins to scream and kick. “Mommy, no! Those are my friends! They need to come too!”

Her shoe catches Hailey right in the gut, but Hailey barely feels it as she rushes out the door. “It’s all right,” she says. “Mommy will buy you new presents. Mommy will buy you all new presents.”

She looks outside. The sun is gone. There’s no light. Damn it. Of course he called after dark. When it would be too late.

She carries Regan to the garage, goes to the car and throws her inside.

She gets behind the wheel. “Regan, strap and snap,” she says. Regan always dawdles with her seat belt.

“Mommy, what’s going on?”