Chapter 60: Lurking shadows

Hardy's Pov

My next memory…I was seven years old, playing under the sink, surrounded by the comforting sounds of dripping water and creaking pipes. I loved it there, where the world outside seemed far away and the only thing that mattered was the toy soldier and the bad guy

"Die! Die!" I screamed as the bad guy pounced on the soldier, kicking the hell out of him.

I made kicking sounds with my mouth. I was engrossed in my game, only looking up when Rommy squatted down from the laundry she was doing to talk to me.

"The soldier is supposed to win, Hardy" she said, her hand dripping with foamy water.

"Why? The bad guy is stronger" I told her.

She picked up the soldier and placed him on top of the bad guy.

"Sometimes, the good guys win too Bitsy"

I watched her, concentrating on her bouncy brown hair I loved playing with before shrugging, Rommy was ruining my favorite game.