Chapter 29 (Macy)

                                        

                                              
This chapter contains depictions of child endangerment, substance abuse, and a child being physically injured. It includes scenes of a parent under the influence of multiple drugs behaving erratically and dangerously around their child, resulting in accidental harm during a rescue situation. Readers who may be sensitive to themes involving children in distress, drug abuse, or physical injury may wish to proceed with caution.
A Note to Readers: The rescue is complete, and while there will still be challenges ahead as this family heals, the tone of the 온라인카지노게임 now shifts toward recovery, growth, and hope. The most traumatic events are behind us.
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The knocking was loud—and heavy. I could swear I felt my bed move against the wall.
The scratchy bedspread had been annoying me. I wasn't even watching the cartoons on in the background, but I was scared to say anything. Mom seemed like she could get mad at any second, so I decided to just stay quiet. I'll just wait for Dad to come get me.
Sitting and waiting, I could hear Mom mumbling to herself. Not to me—to herself. 
"I know, I know," she'd whispered to herself. "But I can't let them take her."
I don't know why she's acting so weird. She wasn't always like this. I remember when I was little, she used to sit behind me on the couch and braid my hair. She liked to hum. When she met Brad though, things became about him and less about me. I thought of all the times she would nap when she came home from work. That didn't start until the last year ... I think. I squeezed my eyes closed. How long until my dad gets here?
And then, I heard bang, bang, bang! "Jessica Jensen, this is the police. Open up!"  
Mom's eyes flew open. She sat up so fast it looked like it hurt, her hair all messy from the pillow. Her face went completely white, but then she looked toward the window and nodded like someone was telling her what to do.
"They're here," she whispered.
"Police! We need you to open the door, ma'am!"
"I KNOW!" Mom suddenly screamed at the door. Then she looked at me with wild, unfocused eyes. "Macy, they found us. Somehow, they figured out we left."
I sat up on the bed, scared. "Mom, what's happening?" I thought my dad was coming. 
She scrambled, stumbling out of her bed—falling to her hands and knees. Her movements seemed crazy and scary. "They want to take you back to him. Back to that house. To her." She started frantically digging through her purse. "I need... where the hell are my pills? I need them. Just one to help me think straight!"
Items were falling from her purse as she searched—scattering across the carpet. "Just give me a second!" she yelled at the door, then immediately back to her purse.
"Got 'em!" As she pulled a bottle from her bag, she tried to open it. I saw all kinds of pills scatter across the carpet. She dropped down and tried to pick them up. There were white ones and a couple blue.
"Mom, you're scaring me."
"It's fine, honey. Everything is fine. I took some an hour ago." She was looking between me and the carpet as she tried to pick them all up. "It just wasn't enough. I should have known that. It'll be okay though." She found a pill and dry-swallowed it. Then another. 
I kept looking at the carpet. It had weird red and green swirls all over. Someone had left a chip bag right near where my mom's foot was. I thought about the pills my mom was taking, wondering if there was dirty stuff on them now. Why would she want to take them? What about the police?