“Maddie!” Kaitlin's voice follows behind me, but it feels distant. Like she’s underwater and I’m somewhere else entirely.
Cars honk as I sprint across the street, barely registering the vehicles speeding past me. I don’t look both ways. I don’t stop to think. I just need to know if I’m right.
The blue Camaro sits parked along the curb, my chest tightening as I approach it. Looking into the passenger window, I see the one thing that causes the world around me to disappear.
No. It can’t be. It’s beenyears. It’s fucking impossible.
The tear in the leather, in the exact same place.
I remember the fight so vividly. My parents’ voices echoing through the house while I stood frozen in the hallway, too scared to move. My father was furious, and I didn’t understand why. I only understood the way his voice changed when he was angry. The way my mother cried as she begged him to stop. I heard him say he was going to kill him, but I didn’t know who “him”was. I only knew I was terrified, so I ran. I hid behind the bushes near the garage, my little hiding spot. It was my safe place. I was so small back then, no one ever thought to look there.
And from that spot, I watched. I watched my father storm out of the house, the screen door slamming against the wall behindhim. I watched him walk toward his blue Camaro. Mom stood on the front steps, tears streaming down her face.
“Please stop,” she begged.
But he didn’t listen. He never listened. He climbed into the driver's seat and slammed the door shut. For a moment, he just sat there. Then his fist collided with the steering wheel. Again, and again, and again. Until finally, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his knife.
I remember holding my breath, watching him stare at the blade, watching the anger in his eyes. Then he turned toward the passenger seat and drove the knife straight into the leather. The sound of the blade tearing through the material still haunts me.
A hand touches my shoulder, and I react before I can stop myself. I jerk backward, my body moving on instinct, nearly knocking Kaitlin away. The fear disappears the second I see her face. The hurt and shock painted there causes my stomach to drop.
“I-I’m sorry,” I stammer, my voice breaking. “I just…the car…I-”
I can’t finish. Because he’s not dead. He’s here, and he’s fucking with me.
The realization hits so hard, my body starts to betray me. My teeth grind together as I squeeze my eyes shut, trying desperately to force myself to calm down. But I can’t. I have no control.
The panic crashes over me all at once. My chest tightens, my breathing becoming shallow. The tears come before I even realize I’m crying. I’m fucking losing it.
“Oh fuck. Holy fucking shit, Maddie!” Kaitlin's voice sounds terrified. “Maddie, breathe! You need to breathe!”
I don’t even realize my knees have given out until I feel her catching me.
When did I get on the ground?
She pulls me onto her lap, one hand gripping my shoulders while the other taps my cheek.
“Maddie, look at me.”
I try. I really do. But everything is becoming blurry. The sounds around me start fading.
“Maddie!” Kaitlin's voice cracks.
I feel her searching through my pockets before pulling out my phone.
Who is she calling?
I hear people around us panicking. Someone asks if they should call 911, but Kaitlin immediately refuses.
“No. No, I know who to call.”
Then she’s speaking into the phone.
“Miles? Miles, it’s Kaitlin. Maddie needs help.”
My heart clenches at the sound of his name.
“We’re at the coffee shop down the street from the school. Please hurry.”
