Chapter 37

　　Patricia

　　Startled, I stumble backward, dropping my mother's severed head with my eyes bulging out of their sockets. Shudders are running up my spine, and the brisk wind does nothing to calm my nerves. I watch the head drop and land in the grass, and then I stare at it until an icy hand is placed on my shoulder.

　　My first bone-deep instinct is to prepare for a fight, but Alice's concerned eyes make me relax. Even with Tiffany back in town, I consider Alice to be my best friend. I trust her a lot.

　　"What happened?" Alice asks in a soft tone. "I thought I heard you scream, or did I imagine that?"

　　I don't even remember screaming—that's how shaken I am. My body isn't working, and my mind is running in circles. Yet I lift my hand and point at the wrapped package in the garden.

　　"T-That was placed on the porch…" I stammer. I'm not sure if this is a dreadful nightmare. It seems like one, and I would do anything to wake up from it.