Keep Me Safe

Chapter Fourteen

The entire family met them in the driveway.

"What the hell happened?" Mama yelled as she rushed to the truck. She gasped when she saw both girls smeared with blood and Lottie slumped over Agnes.

Papa lifted Lottie out of the truck, cradling her like a baby in his arms. He shoved past Daryl and Floyd, who were standing, stunned, on the porch.

Mama grabbed Agnes' hands and began frantically examining them. "Baby, what happened?"

"I got into a fight."

"I know that." She put down her hands and began looking at her face. "The girls came back saying some stranger was coming at y'all. Are you hurt? Whose blood is this?"

Agnes blinked. "I don't know." She felt... out of it. All of her thoughts had to go through a thick layer of jelly before they could be processed by her brain, and the world in front of her was moving in slow motion. It took her much longer than normal to even blink.

Franny came around the side of the house and began hollering at Ethyl and Meredith when she saw the scene in front of her. "Girls, go up to your rooms now and don't come down until I tell you to! Don't argue with me!"

Meredith and Ethyl, who had been peeking through the front door, didn't put up a fight. They quickly disappeared back inside. Their eyes were massive; it wasn't uncommon for Agnes to get into fights, but they didn't usually involve this much blood.

Mama turned her attention to Abel, since it was obvious Agnes wasn't going to be much help. "What the hell happened out there?"

"I caught the end of it, ma'am," he mumbled, wiping his hands nervously on his overalls. "I heard yelling and when I looked, your daughter was on some stranger's back trying to stab him. They pulled her off, tried to corner the guy, he punched Sheriff Williams in the face, and then ran of into the sunset. Then Agnes got to yelling with Williams and punched him in the face again. Neither of them looked like they were doing too good, so I drove them back."

Franny gave him a hug while Mama gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. "Thank you so much for bring my girls home," she said with a sigh. "Right now I'm just at a loss for words."

"I got Agnes!" Darryl hollered as he scooped her up. 

Agnes wasn't fond of being carried, but she remained quiet and limp. It was all she could do.

Floyd followed behind Darryl. They stopped on the porch and Floyd hollered, "Everyone, come on in! I think we all know what this is about."

"Abel, honey, head on home," Franny said, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"No," Mama said, putting her foot down. "Abel, come inside with us. You might as well know what's going on. He can be trusted, right?"

"You know I didn't marry a blabbermouth."

"Of course. Come on in."

Everyone filed into the living room. Agnes and Lottie were placed together on the couch, and Darryl went to riffle through the hallway closest for the medical kit. Mama was sitting on the arm of the armchair and leaning against Papa. Floyd paced behind them. Everyone was silent.

Darryl entered the room a few moments later, and, before he could even approach Agnes, Floyd snatched the kit out of his hands. Darryl crossed his arms and glared at his older brother, but didn't say anything.

"Agnes," Floyd said gently as he kneeled in front of her, "can you please show me where you're bleeding?"

She stared at him a second before opening her right palm to reveal the gashes. "My hand slipped on the knife."