There they were.
The bottles.
Unmarked.
Suspicious.
“Lord, please help me,” she whispered.
She picked up one container filled with thick pink liquid.
From her apron, she pulled out a tiny empty jar she had saved.
Her hands shook violently as she poured in a sample.
If anyone caught her…
Everything would be over.
Still, she hid the sample and quietly left.
That afternoon she called her cousin Daniel.
He worked at a medical lab downtown.
“It’s urgent,” Martha whispered, nearly crying. “Please help me.”
Then came three unbearable days.
Every minute dragged.
Meanwhile Sophie grew worse.
She barely ate.
Barely spoke.
She only stared at Martha…
As if she somehow knew Martha was fighting for her.
And Vanessa…
Vanessa had started watching.
Constantly.
Her eyes followed Martha through every room.
“Everything alright with Sophie?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Are you sure?”
Martha could feel the danger building.
Like thunder before a storm.
Then on the fourth day…
Her phone rang.
She answered with trembling hands.
“Hello?”
For a moment, silence.
Then Daniel spoke.
His voice was low.
Shaken.
“Where did you get that sample?”
Martha’s blood ran cold.
“What is it?”
A long pause.
Then:
“Poison.”
The world seemed to stop.
“What?”