Chapter 1: The Stranger in Red

Our cupboards were mostly empty—just dusty cans of beans, stale Wonder bread, and maybe a sack of shriveled potatoes from the last church food drive. In our corner of Appalachia, meat was a legend, a thing to brag about if you ever got some. I remember seeing a neighbor’s kid gnawing jerky like it was gold—meat meant luck, and luck never stuck around long.

My older brother, Derek, wanted meat so bad he snuck off to the old abandoned church and caught two fat raccoons. He was always braver, never cared much for rules. The church was just a rotting shell, windows busted, half the roof gone. Derek set his traps behind the altar and came back before dawn, grinning like he’d robbed a bank, two heavy raccoons slung over his shoulder.

He stripped the hides with a hunting knife, then tore into the meat, grease shining on his chin like he’d won the lottery. The kitchen reeked of burnt fur and wild game. He barely waited for the meat to cool, hunching over the counter as he ate. The wet sound of his chewing made my stomach turn, but I watched anyway—hunger did that to you.

The next day, an exceptionally beautiful woman came to our house. She didn’t look like anyone from around here. She was tall and fine-boned, with hair dark as river mud and eyes that caught every bit of gray morning. She wore a faded red dress, the kind you might find at a thrift store, and stood on our porch with a sadness that made the whole place seem quieter.

Tears streamed down her face as she said she had lost her two sons and was searching for them. Her voice was soft, almost musical, but desperate. The words came out rehearsed, like she’d told this story to every stranger on the road.

Momma noticed how pretty she was and got sly. She fussed over the woman, set out her best chipped bowls, and ladled out two steaming servings of soup—only I caught the bitter scent of pills from the medicine cabinet. I watched, stomach knotted, as Momma ladled out the soup. Part of me wanted to warn the woman, but fear kept me rooted to the spot. When the stranger slumped over, Momma called for Derek and dragged her limp body toward his room, barely looking at me.