P R O L O G U E

"How much longer?" A young Scout Wiley grumbled as her mother washed the dishes in the kitchen.

It was a quiet evening in Virginia and the sun was just starting to set, shining golden rays into the house. It was cold out but not unbearable, the wind played as a reminder that summer was soon ending and the start of fall rounded the corner.

Harper Wiley glanced at the clock, "Not yet, they've still got a few minutes before they can come out."

Scout pouted and continued to stare at the oven, face almost pressing against the glasses. The only thing stopping her was the burning hear from the appliance, if only she could reach in and grab them. Chocolate smells encapsulated the house, a fragrance that made her stomach growl in longing.

"Scout, what did I tell you?" Her mother scolded, turning off the water and crouching down to the little girl's level.

"To not ask again." The messy haired girl whispered, almost speaking in a spiteful tone. She huffed and sat down on the floor, back pressed again the cabinet and burning holes into the oven.

Harper continued to clean the dishes and glancing between the clock and her daughter on the floor. Time was going by slowly and her husband should've been home by now. The sound of the door knocking brought the mother out of her thoughts.

"Wait here." She said sternly and opened the front door.

Scout peered between the legs of her mother, curious as to who was at the door but not enough to move from her spot. After all, the cookies were more important.

A tall man with a dark shadow stood in front of her mother. He looked as if he had never smiled before according to the lines on his face. Scout could hear her mother gasp in fear before shaking down to the knees of the man. Her soft sobs brought Scout out of the kitchen and in the perspective of the man.

Scout pushed away his presence and leaned towards her mother, "Can we eat the cookies now?"

But no one responded.

Instead, they were left to burn to a crisp.

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