Chase pulls me close, wrapping his arms around me, whispering into my ear.
“You don’t have to know. I promise you I’ll save you and Noah and Goldie. If it’s the last thing I do, I will save the people you love. Do you hear me?”
I’m sayingI’m sorryover and over, but Chase isn’t listening.
“Promise me, you will only think about yourself and live. Just live, Evie. For me.”
A smile blooms over my face as I shake my head, and my eyes glisten. I was thinking about everyone else, and he was only thinking about me. Even back then.
It’s my turn to save you.
“Evie,” Goldie presses, so I look at her.
“No,” I level calmly. “I can’t tell which one’s real ... but I know what can ...”
I lift the crossbow and fire to the north.
She shrieks as the sound clicks and whizzes, her shoulders jumping. Noah pulls her face to his chest, but I’m staring straight at my arrow.
A loud thud, followed by a white fog that dusts the air, giving away that it’s fake. The dummy falls to the ground.
“Boathouse, now.”
We run. The all-too-familiar sound of our feet pounding the ground echoes around the false night. Our labored breaths mingle as we race down over the dirt and grass.
Noah yells “Four minutes” behind me, but I can’t move any faster, so I stretch my arm out, giving him my crossbow like a baton, letting him pass me.
Someone has to get there.
The sound of my panted breaths echoes inside my head, the only thought beingPlease, god, be there.
My feet are slowing on their own as I watch Noah sprint. But suddenly my eyes shutter, everything happening in slow motion as my mind tries to process and act at the same time.
There’s a click in the distance, followed by a sharp explosive sound. And it sounds like it’s slicing through the air.
My mouth falls open, eyes growing wide as terror takes over my body, because my sister screams.
Noah looks back, screaming her name. But I can’t move as my entire body shakes, trembling and in shock.
Because Goldie drops to the ground.
Noah scrambles over the ground, back to her side, dropping the crossbow. As he immediately presses a hand to her shoulder.
I can’t make out what he’s saying, because he’s sobbing through his words. Screaming for her to keep her eyes open.
I’m trying to say her name but I can’t.
Red begins to bleed through her shirt and my eyes fix to it.
She’s been shot. The thought is chanted in my head as time begins to speed up along with my breath as reality kicks back in.
Noah cradles her in his arms. “Baby,” he shouts, but she’s limp.
My hands cover my cries as I fall to my knees, digging my hands and nails into the dirt to crawl to her, but Noah looks at me, bellowing, “Evie ... go! Go, go, go ...”
I don’t want to leave her.
“No,” I rush out, crying as I reach for her, but her tearstained face lifts, her voice weak.
