Anika:
My chest tightens at the sight of Isabel’s tears.
“Bel, sweetheart, talk to mummy. What did you see?” I whisper, brushing her damp cheeks.
She stiffens as the sobs break off into shaky breaths.
Slowly, she pulls away from my embrace. A few tears still trail down her face.
“You.. you..” she gulps. “You were stabbed by a big scary man.”
My heart skips a beat.
“W..what?”
“He.. he was so scary, mum.” she stammers through muffled sobs. “He a..ppeared when I was playing with you, and dragged me away from you. Then, he..” another gulp. “He.. stabbed you.”
I shut my eyes close, not wanting to even imagine that.
My heart is pounding so loudly in my chest now.
After a few seconds, I open them. Then, I lean in towards her. “Did you… see his face?”
“No,” she nods. “He wore a mask. A
