THE SECRETS BURIED BENEATH THE FLOORBOARDS OF THE SUBURBAN HOUSE WE CALL HOME

The heavy brass poker whistled through the damp air of the hallway, connecting with a sickening crunch against Mark’s shoulder and sending him sprawling backward onto the wooden porch planks with a sharp cry of pain. The two hulking guards hesitated for a fraction of a second, caught off guard by Martha's sudden, ferocious assault, before lunging forward to grab her arms.

"Get off me!" Martha screamed, kicking out with her rubber-soled slipper and catching one of the guards squarely in the shin, forcing him to stumble against the doorframe.

Behind them, Sarah let out a raw, uninhibited shriek of agony as the second twin’s head finally cleared the birth canal. The intense pressure in her lower abdomen instantly gave way to a searing rush of relief followed by the immediate, fragile wail of a second newborn infant echoing off the polished oak floorboards.

"She's here!" Martha panted breathlessly, ignoring the heavy hands of the guard who had finally managed to pin her shoulders against the interior wall. "Sarah, reach down! Grab your second baby before they take her!"

Sarah’s trembling hands fumbled blindly against the gray leggings, her fingers brushing against the slippery, warm skin of the newborn. With a desperate burst of adrenaline born from pure maternal instinct, she scooped the tiny infant into her arms, pulling the crying baby tightly against her bare chest beneath the damp white t-shirt.

"Got her," Sarah sobbed, pressing her face against the baby's crown while glaring with venomous hatred at Mark, who was struggling to pull himself up from the porch floor.

"You stupid bitches," Mark hissed, his face twisted in rage as he massaged his bruised shoulder. He motioned frantically to the second guard, who had now bypassed Martha and was advancing directly toward the sofa with a heavy canvas sack in his massive hands. "Put the kids in the bag. We're running out of time before the highway patrol sweeps the sector."

The guard loomed over Sarah like a menacing shadow, his gloved fingers reaching down to snatch the newborn from her arms. Sarah screamed, kicking upward with all her remaining strength and catching the man squarely in the chest, but he didn't even flinch, his grip closing inexorably around the baby's blanket.