A New Fear Read Free Page A

scissors. She opened and closed them several times. The tinny sound set Nora’s teeth on edge. “It is for the best. We cannot have you pulling your hair out by the roots. We cannot have you hurting yourself.”
    “I will never do it again,” Nora promised, backing away.
    Martha slipped the scissors into the pocket of her uniform and held out her arms. “Give me your son. I’ll put him to bed.”
    I could run, Nora thought frantically. I could dart between Martha and the doctor before they know what I have in mind. I could be out of this room, down the stairs, and away from the asylum before anyone caught me.
    And if they grab me? Nicholas might get hurt, she realized. Martha might accidentally stab him with the scissors. Or I might drop him.
    He is innocent. I must protect him. Now is not the time to fight. But the time to fight will come.
    Defeated for the moment, Nora tenderly placed her son in Martha’s arms. She watched Martha return the baby to his cradle.
    “Now, move closer to the hearth, so I can see what I am doing,” Martha snapped.
    Nora walked to the hearth and sank to the floor. Folding her hands in her lap, she waited.
    Martha grabbed a fistful of Nora’s hair and yanked it up. Nora bit her lip to stifle a cry of pain.
    The scissors snipped. The tinny sound grated on Nora’s nerves. A lock of her long, dark hair fell into her lap. Daniel loved my hair, Nora thought numbly.
    She stared into the fire as the weight on her head lightened. Martha jerked her head as she cut, but Nora would not complain.
    How would Nora escape now? Without her long hair, she would never be able to weave another rope. And soon they would come to take her son away.
    Nora lifted her eyes and stared at the doctor. He stared back, his eyes cold, his face expressionless. Nora knew tears and pleading would have no effect on him. He would not help her keep Nicholas.
    The cold steel scissors touched her scalp and Nora shivered. She did not dare reach up to see if she had any hair left.
    Martha gathered her shorn hair and tossed it into the fire. The flames in the hearth hissed and crackled. Smoke drifted into the room. The odor of singed hair stung Nora’s nostrils.
    “I hope you learned your lesson,” Martha said. “You are without power here. Cause us any more trouble, and you will regret it.”
    Nora held back her tears until she heard Martha and the doctor leave the room, locking the door behind them.
    Then she bowed her head and released a wail of despair. I must find a way to escape before insanity claims my mind, she thought.
    Against her will, her fingers touched the bristly remains of her hair. How could anyone look at me now and not see a madwoman? she wondered as she buried her face in her hands. When will this nightmare end?
    Harsh voices in the hallway woke Nora. She rose from the floor, tiptoed across the room, and pressed her ear against the hard oak door.
    “She probably cried herself to sleep,” a scratchy voice murmured. Nora recognized the voice of the doctor.
    “What will we do when Nora tells people?” another voice asked.
    “Who will believe her? We will simply explain she killed the baby and we buried him. Who do you think they will believe? An insane woman? Or a respected doctor?”
    Nora backed away from the door. She glanced around the barren room. She had no weapons, no way to protect Nicholas.
    She walked to his cradle and lifted him into herarms. “Our journey to safety will begin soon, Nicholas. I don’t know how we will manage it, but we will find a way to escape.”
    He gurgled and smiled at her. Tears stung her eyes. He trusted her. She would not disappoint him.
    She walked to the window. Holding Nicholas close, she waited.
    Sweat popped out on her forehead. She wiped it away impatiently. She heard the key go into the lock.
    “They’re coming,” she whispered. “They’re coming.”
    Nicholas cooed. She tightened her hold on him. “I must convince them we don’t belong here,” she