With a final, surge of strength, I yanked the seatbelt with both hands; the mechanism gave way, and my body finally broke free.
Before I clawed my way toward the surface, I reached for the phone still clutched in Peter’s stiffening fingers. I pried it loose and turned to the door, trying to replicate the escapes I’d seen in movies, but the crushing pressure of the water made it impossible to budge. I shifted, bracing my back against the seat and kicking the shattered windshield with everything I had. On the third try, the glass gave way.
I drifted out of the wreckage, my vision wavering as I fought toward the moonlight. When I finally breached the surface, I gasped in a lungful of freezing air that felt like needles.
I swam blindly for the shore, dragging my body onto the fine sand of the bank whatever this dark, forgotten place was.
The silence of the night was quickly replaced by the violent tremors of hypothermia. My head throbbed into a deep, agonizing pulse and every movement felt like wading through lead.
I forced myself to stand, my gaze fixed on the dark ripples where the car had vanished. The thought of jumping back in, of trying to haul Peter’s body from the depths, clawed at my conscience.
I stumbled back into the water until it reached my waist, the current tugging at me like a ghost. I stood there, shivering and broken, knowing that if I went under again,I wouldn't come back up.
I could die. I really could die right here.
A sharp, stabbing pain blossomed in my chest, and I finally broke. The tears came in a violent rush as I scrambled out of the water and began the agonizing trek along the dark road. Every inch of my body screamed in protest. The cold was no longer a sensation; it was a blade, cutting through me. My arm throbbed with a rhythmic, sickening heat, as if it were about to detach from my shoulder.
After what felt like an eternity of wading through the frost, the flickering lights of a gas station appeared like a mirage. I stumbled into the convenience store, my appearance a wreckage of silk and lake water.
I approached the attendant, my voice a mere rasp as I asked for a coin for the payphone. He looked me up and down, his expression shifting from shock to a profound, silent pity. Without a word, he pressed the coin into my trembling hand.
What phone number do I even know by heart?
I fought the fog in my brain, the excruciating pressure in my skull feeling like it was frying my nerves. I dialed, my fingers clumsy. When Sarki answered, the dam broke again. I couldn't find the words, only sobs.
"I don't know... I don't know where I am..." I gasped when she pressed for a location. I managed to squint at a mileage sign visible through the window and read it to her.
"Stay as warm as you can. We’re coming for you," she promised, her voice a lifeline.
I hung up and stood there, my arms wrapped tightly around my shivering frame.
"Do you need anything else?" the attendant asked softly.
"Someone is coming for me. It’s fine... I just crashed my car, that’s all." I lied, the words feeling heavy on my tongue. He nodded tentatively and handed me a thin, scratchy blanket. I thanked him and sank to the floor, my strength entirely spent.
I watched him through heavy eyelids, wondering if he was debating whether to call the police. I probably looked like a crime scene. But as the shivers continued to rack my body and my head pulsed with a blinding ache, I felt myself slipping away. I fell asleep right there, curled up on the cold tiles of a gas station in a ruined winter gown.
I woke to the sound of someone calling my name—or rather, shouting "Kitty" with a desperation that cut through the fog in my brain. I forced my eyes open to find Kelsey’s face inches from mine, her pupils dilated with terror.
She was saying things I couldn't quite grasp, her voice a blur of commands and sobs. She threw her heavy coat over my shoulders and gathered me into her arms as if I weighed nothing. I blinked, catching a fleeting glimpse of Vanessa handling the gas station attendant, before the car heater’s warmth finally embraced me like a shroud.
When I woke again, the sensation was visceral; I felt as though I had been hit by a freight train. I opened my eyes slowly, and for a second, I was certain I was in a hospital.
The medical equipment was there, but the ornate, historical decor of the room told a different story. My head throbbed, my body was a map of bruises, and my shoulder felt like it was being pierced by a hot iron.
"Hey, hey... don't move, baby," Sarki murmured, her hand gentle as she stroked my hair. Someone was squeezing my hand, and Itried to turn my head too quickly to see who it was. My vision blurred instantly, the room spinning.
"Calm down, Kitty. You’re safe. Stop trying to get up."
"You’re back at the mansion," another voice explained. "Kelsey had a private medical suite set up for you here. You’re not going to a public hospital."
"Peter..." My voice was a jagged rasp, sounding as if I’d swallowed stones. As my vision began to steady, Lisa appeared at Sarki’s side, her expression uncharacteristically somber.
"He’s gone, Megs. He didn't make it," she said softly, her eyes searching mine. "It wasn’t your fault. The ice, the river... it was an accident."
A single, involuntary tear traced a path down my cheek, followed by a silent, racking sob. Kelsey immediately moved to the bed, lying down beside me and carefully pulling my head to rest against her chest.
"Be careful with your shoulder, my love," she whispered into my hair, her heart beating a steady rhythm against my ear. "Everything has been taken care of. The phone, the police, the story... it's all handled. Just rest. I’ve got you."
