Chapter Thirty-Five: Drowning in Sorrow:

2001 was a rough year for me. Miranda grew more vicious. Most of our old neighbors were either dying or moving away. Ms. Doris’ son was killed in a car accident. Then there was my grandma. Now, she was a healthy woman. Even as she got older, she felt like she was in her twenties. There was never a day when Grandma wasn’t active in the community. Because of this, I was worried that Miranda would target her next.

“Please tell me that you will be okay,” I pleaded with her. Grandma would pat me on the head.

“Don’t you worry, dear,” she said. “I will be fine.” I wished that I could believe her.

Then my worst fears were confirmed.

Shortly after Christmas, my grandma fell and broke her hip. I think she was trying to put something away in her room or something. (I was too upset to listen to the details at the time.) I was sound asleep in my bed when it happened. It took Doris to wake me up.

“Kinsey! Kinsey!” she shouted as she shook me on the shoulder. “Kinsey! Get up! Get up right now!” I mumbled as I turned my head. Doris had a worried look on her face.

“Kinsey, it’s your grandma,” she said. “She fell this morning. We had to take her to the hospital.” I sat up with big eyes.

“What?!” I cried. “What happened?! Is she okay?!” Doris grabbed onto my shoulders.

“Listen to me, okay,” she said in a low voice. “Your grandma was trying to take out a gift for one of the neighbors. I don’t really know what happened. The ladder was standing still in front of the closet and… and…” She didn’t need to finish the sentence for me to put it all together.

“Where is Grandma now?” I asked.

“They took her to the hospital,” Doris explained. I jumped out of bed and ran to my closet.

“Kinsey?” she asked. No. She will not hurt her! Miranda already killed Dr. Sherman and now she was going after my Grandma? I will not let her! Doris knocked on my bathroom door.

“What?!” I shouted.

“Take it easy, honey,” she said.

“I can’t!” I wailed. “She’s going to kill her! She’s going to kill her! I just know it!”

“Nobody is going to die today,” Doris told me. “Your grandma is too tough to go down like that. She’ll probably be staying in the hospital for a while but she will out by next month.” Out by next month? Out by next month? I dropped to my knees.

“I’m scared,” I whimpered.

“I know you are,” Doris said. “But you have to stay strong for your Grandma.” I shook my head.

“I don’t know how much I can take of this anymore,” I muttered. I could hear Miranda laughing at me again. When did she turn so mean? Doris knocked on the door again.

“Kinsey, honey,” she said. “Just come out and talk to me.” I shook my head again.

“I can’t do it,” I muttered. “Please leave me alone, Miranda. You made you point. I don’t know what you want from me. Please just stop this.”

“No,” I heard her hiss in my ear. I dropped my head on my knees and cried like a baby. I don’t know how long I stay in that bathroom like that. But I didn’t care. This had to stop but I didn’t know how. I had no idea that help was on the way.