Chapter FifteenKami
I was shaking.
My whole body was trembling, and there was nothing I could do to calm down.
I had seen the bodies of my classmates. I’d seen them murdered in cold blood. My school had become a living hell… And the carnage was my fault.
But who’s going to be alone now, Kamila? You. Because I’m going to kill everyone you love right in front of your eyes. And then I’ll finish you off. Because you don’t deserve to live after what you did to me. If I can’t have you, then no one can.
I’m going to kill everyone you love.
I’m going to kill everyone you love.
I’m going to kill everyone you love.
I couldn’t stop hearing those words over and over in my head, and each time I felt reality closing its grip around my throat. I felt my stomach turn and the overwhelming urge to vomit.
I rested my hands on the floor and tried to breathe.
I was alone.
And there was no one I could ask for help.
Would my classmates hand me over?
Would they do it, knowing that would mean certain death?
Of course they would. Who wouldn’t, knowing that this entire nightmare was my fault?
But it’s not YOUR fault!a voice in my head shouted.
You were nice to him! You were his friend! He was the one who betrayed your trust! He was the one who invaded your privacy! He was the one who manipulated your little brother to steal your things!
I took a deep breath and looked down the hall.
The two killers had turned the corner heading toward the cafeteria. Julian had to be in the principal’s office to use the PA system, which meant for the moment, I was out of danger…
Was this my chance?
Going to look for my brother would be impossible with those two murderers roving the halls. All I could do was pray that Cameron had gotten away or found somewhere to hide. He had a talent for that—when I played hide-and-seek with him, I could almost never find him—and I prayed he’d found somewhere safe until I could come for him.
I had no idea where to go, but I needed to move: there, under the stairs, I was exposed with nowhere to run to if anyone saw me.
Terrified, walking softly, I headed toward the library.
I tried not to think, tried not to look at the dead bodies along the way, but I couldn’t help it; I needed to know if I’d lost any of my friends, to make sure Taylor wasn’t lying there, or Thiago, or Ellie…
It felt like miles from the stairs to the library, walking past the classrooms and feeling my heart pounding out of control. I don’t know how I did it, how I even managed to move with that fear that had seeped into every fiber of my being, dense and overwhelming. And every ounce of adrenaline in my body was pumping through my veins to keep my feet on the move.
When I arrived at the library, I tried to push the door, but it wouldn’t budge.
Hearing muffled voices, I knew there were students inside.
“Let me in, please!” I said as loudly as I could, given the circumstances.
I heard murmurs, bodies moving, and for the first time since this nightmare had begun, I felt a slight sense of relief.
“Kami?!”
