No? Okay, maybe that’s too cynical, but I did always believe my mother’s stubbornness would outlast my life. I would die before ever getting her to see the truth. I believed it, and now here I was... going home.
I halted at the stop sign, looking up and down the three-way stretch of road cutting through the dark and shifting forest. On one side was more forest, but on the other were the cliffs, and the sea.
What do I say to her when I see her?I turned right, taking the final street that spilled out onto the Kim Estate’s private road.Do I bring up the past? Do I ask if she finally believes that I had nothing to do with that evil prank?
I sped along the natural bend in the road.
Or do I just thank her for making a real gesture and welcoming me bac—
A deer shot through the trees, racing out onto the street.
“Ahhh!” I slammed on the brakes.
Bang!
The last thing I saw before the deer’s body flew to meet me, was the steering wheel rising to meet me first.
Chapter Three
Ring, ring, ring.
Ring, ring, ring.
A heavy, crusted lid peeled open, letting in the darkness.
Ring, ring, ring.
Discordant jangling rattled in my pounding brain, dragging me groaning out of the fog.
Slowly, achingly, I scraped myself off the steering wheel—flopping back onto the seat.
Ring, ring, ri—
The noise finally stopped, allowing silence to give way to the screaming in my head.
“Aghh.” A shaky hand rose to my temple.
It came away tacky with blood.
“S-Sue?” I croaked. I blinked through the blood, straining to see through the dark, dark, and more crushing dark. “Sue? Are... you o-okay?”
The noise started up again, making me cry out.
Cellphone,my sluggish brain supplied.It’s my phone. Call for help.
“Need help—” I turned my head, and screamed.
Wide, unseeing eyes stared at me through a red mask... even though her body faced the other way.
“Ahhhh! Ahhhhhhhhh!” I shoved against the car door, screaming, pounding, and pulling until the latch popped free—spilling me out onto the forest floor. I crawled a single inch before showering the dirt in gas station potato chips and diet soda. “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God,” I cried, crawling farther still.
Sue’s eyes followed me the whole way.
Sobs wretched my throat. I cut ever more slices into my skin, clutching my face with clawing hands.
Sue was dead.
I didn’t need to check. I didn’t need to question. No one survived after gaining the sudden and tragic ability to tap their spine with their chin.
