The Sign of Fear Read Free

step.
    â€œChristina Davis! What are you doing out of bed?” her aunt shrieked.
    Christina raced into her room and slammed the door behind her. Do something! she ordered herself. Do something!
    Christina picked up her dressing-table chair. Can I use it to block the door?
    Aunt Jane’s heavy footsteps thundered down the hall.
    In another moment, she’ll be here!
    Christina whirled around. She flung the chair through her bedroom window with all her strength. Glass shattered. Jagged shards flew through the air.
    Aunt Jane uttered a high, shrill scream of outrage.
    Christina threw herself across the windowsill. Jagged glass bit into her arms as she dragged herself forward. Thank goodness her bedroom was on the first floor.
    She could see Aunt Jane’s vegetable garden beneath her. One more shove and I should make it. One more shove and I’ll be free.
    She hurled herself forward with all her might.
    Then Christina’s body jerked to a stop. Her aunt’s cold, bony fingers wrapped around her ankle.

Chapter
4

    C hristina screamed. She slammed her free leg backward. Aiming for her aunt.
    Missed.
    Aunt Jane yanked Christina back across the windowsill. Shards of glass stabbed into her stomach.
    â€œNo!” Christina shouted. She kicked and squirmed, fighting to free herself. “I won’t let you! No!”
    â€œYou can’t stop me,” Aunt Jane panted. “You’re not strong enough.”
    â€œI’m stronger than you think I am,” Christina cried. She grabbed the windowsill with both hands, pulling herself forward. She felt warm blood flowing from both palms. But she didn’t care. She had to escape.
    Aunt Jane grabbed Christina’s calf with her free hand. She grunted with exertion. Using all her strength to pull Christina back inside.
    Christina could feel her leg growing numb. She dug her fingernails into the wood of the window frame.
    â€œGive up!” Aunt Jane demanded.
    Christina felt her fingers slipping. One of her fingernails tore free. Pain shot up her arm.
    I can’t do this! Christina thought. She is too strong. So much stronger than I am. She let her body go limp.
    Aunt Jane struggled to pull Christina’s dead weight back into the house.
    I have one chance left, Christina thought. One chance.
    Slowly she bent her free leg up as far as she could.
    Now I have to distract her. Christina did the last thing her aunt would expect. She lifted her head and looked back at Aunt Jane. Defiantly.
    Aunt Jane’s eyes blazed with fury. Her face turning brick red. “Wretched creature,” she gasped. “Spiteful, hateful girl. You have been nothing but trouble since the day you were born. But you won’t trouble me much longer now!”
    Christina shoved her bent leg straight back. Her heavy shoe caught Aunt Jane squarely in the throat.
    With a strangled cry, Aunt Jane collapsed on the floor.
    Christina plunged forward. She landed headfirst in her aunt’s vegetable garden. Dirt clogged her mouth. She sat up, gagging and choking.
    She shoved herself to her feet and ran with all the strength she possessed. I did it! I’m free!
    â™¦Â â™¦Â â™¦
    She ran into the woods until she could run no longer. Until her breath rasped in her throat and her legs felt as heavy as cannonballs.
    Don’t stop. Keep going, Christina told herself.Stumbling with weariness, she forced herself to continue on.
    Sweat rolled down her face, stinging her eyes. Her long skirt snagged on a bush, slowing her down.
    Traveling on the road itself would have been easier. And faster. But it was too dangerous. Anyone could see her. Anyone.
    Aunt Jane will not come after me. Will not, will not, will not. Christina chanted to herself with the rhythm of her footfalls. She wants me dead. Dead, dead, dead. She will not come after me.
    Sharp pain jabbed into Christina’s side. It hurt each time she tried to take a deep breath. I have to slow down for a little