Chapter 4: Secrets in the Shadows

After a long silence, Pastor Ray turned to me. "Aubrey, go lift the white sheet covering your sister-in-law."

His voice was barely more than a whisper, as if he feared the dead might overhear. My hands shook so badly it took three tries to grab the sheet’s edge.

I braced myself, then lifted it. Her belly—flat that morning—was now grotesquely swollen, stretched tight like a drum.

The sight churned my stomach. Her skin was taut, as if something unnatural pressed out from within. I bit my lip until I tasted blood, fighting not to faint.

Pastor Ray stumbled back two steps. He forced out a few words through clenched teeth: "Some things can be forgiven; some things you bring on yourself."

His hands shook as he crossed himself, eyes wide with fear. For a second, confusion and anger flared in me—what was he talking about? Why was he blaming us?

My mother tried to speak, to explain, but Pastor Ray waved her off. "Don’t say another word. I absolutely won’t get involved in this."

His words slammed down like a gavel. Mom’s mouth worked, her eyes glassy with unshed tears, but she pressed her lips tight and nodded. The room felt suddenly colder.

Then he turned to me. "Aubrey, walk me out."

His voice was flat, no room for argument. I nodded, too numb to speak, and followed him out into the muggy night.

The screen door banged shut behind us. I gulped the cool air, trying to steady myself. Crickets chirped, and somewhere a neighbor’s dog barked at nothing—a familiar sound on uneasy nights in Maple Heights.