“You can give up and die right here in this field, but you best bet it’s going to be your fault that I die right here beside you. Or we can go get you some help. Either way, it’s going to end tonight.”

Pa made another swipe for the knife, causing me to slice through the skin of my forearm. The sting drew my attention long enough for him to snatch the knife out of my hand. I lunged for him as Pa added another wound to his arm, knocking us both sideways. It was like wrestling a drunk bear. We rolled to sitting, our hands locked around the hilt of the knife. I knew Pa was stronger than me and that he could very well kill us both, but I was willing to accept that if it meant finally being able to put an end to the downward spiral our lives had taken on.

The vortex of destruction that began way before I was old enough to recognize it whipped through the field on a mighty roar. The wind picked up and a rumbling vibrated the ground.

“Let go,” I cried out in frustration as beads of sweat dripped into my eyes, causing more discomfort.

Pa’s lips snarled in response and he yanked so hard my shoulder popped, but I still refused to let go of that dang knife. We somehow managed to climb to our feet only to stumble. My hip smacked hard against the unforgiving ground. A flume of dust enveloped us. A tiny part of my mind wondered if this was how Jacob felt when he wrestled with God.

Choking on dirt and panic, I realized I’d lost my grip on the knife. I watched Pa crouch to pick it up. I sprang to my feet and charged like a crazed bull, shoving Pa with all my might. It caught him off guard and so I took him down with surprising ease. The momentum of his fall brought me with him, but the knife was all mine. He made no move to get up. I gripped the knife tighter as I scrambled to my feet and took off in a dead run, cutting through the decaying field and then the small patch of woods that led to Foxy’s.

I banged on the door and screamed, “Help! I need help!”

A dizziness slammed into me as soon as the door opened. In a skipping reel, I barely recalled Foxy picking up the phone. Another skip and I was following Jinx through the woods. Blinking, my bloody fingers were pointing at the dark, unmoving body between two rows of tobacco. Was I too late?

Another blink.