Prologue
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"Mamma! Mamma, look what I found!" a young girl, about eight or nine, squealed happily through the empty house, holding up a dirt-covered figurine. The girl came trotting down the hall, searching for her mother. "Mamma?" Suddenly, a scream shook the old and empty house.
"Help! Call the police! He-" the scream was cut off by a choking and ripping sound.
"Mamma!" The little girl cried, and raced through the hall. She came upon her mother's bedroom, and saw a masked figure cutting her mother's throat with a knife. The little girl was so horrified, she didn't even realize that she had tackled the man, ripping the knife of of his hands. She punched his face continually, only stopping when she realized that he wasn't breathing. She ran to her mother, who was slowly bleeding out. "Mamma, are you gonna be alright?!" she sobbed, tears running down her rosy pink cheeks.
"No... baby. Mamma's not going to be OK." her voice rasped, and she coughed up a small string of blood. The girl slowly held up a small, winged figure covered with dirt.
"I found this, Mamma. I wanna give it to you," the child managed to speak. She held out the figure, and her mother slowly lifted a hand to take it. Grasping the figure, she unclasped the necklace she always wore.
"Your... Father gave this.... To me... Take it, Ruth. Take it and don't ever take it off..." her mother's deep green eyes bore into Ruth's blue ones, and Ruth hugged her mother tight. "I love you, Ruth..."
"I love you too, Mamma."
