She Handed Me Her Dead Child

The mother standing in front of me was a single mom. As the final dismissal bell rang and kids filed out toward the parking lot, her eyes were bloodshot and raw, begging me for a favor.

I opened my mouth, about to say yes.

Then, a raspy, horrific whisper scraped against the inside of my mind.

"Don’t you dare agree to this! The child is gravely ill—she’s dying!"

"The second you take her, she’ll pin the girl’s death on you. She’ll claim you abused her to death!"

"The school board will throw you to the wolves just to kill the scandal!"