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She claws at his arm. Scratches his face. The cop curses and shoves me sideways, reaching across me to grab her.

Hazel fights like a woman with nothing left to lose. For one instant, I think maybe we can do it. Maybe both of us can break free. Maybe the gun is still within reach.

Until—

A flash of silver catches my eye. I go rigid with fear.

“No!”

Hazel sees it too. Our eyes meet.

Time is suspended for a moment. Thank you, I want to say to her. Thank you for trying to help me. Thank you, thank you, thank you…

Then blood spurting as the cop slashes her throat.

A wet, violent tear through flesh.

Blood spills over her hands, over the console, over the seat, over me.

It hits my face.

My mouth.

My chest.

My wrist.

My glass bracelet.

For one second, the bracelet catches the cruiser lights, red smeared across clear blue glass like something beautiful has been drowned.

Hazel makes a sound I will hear forever.

A soft gasp.

Confused.

Almost childlike.

Then she collapses against me.

And I scream.

The dark room smells like mold. I’m still covered in Hazel’s blood. Still covered in the dirt we buried Audrey under.

Blood has dried on my face, tightening my skin. It’s crusted in my hair. It stains the front of my uniform.

A sob tears out of me.

I clamp both hands over my mouth, but it breaks through anyway.

I curl forward on the floor, knees to my chest, trying to disappear into myself. My wrists ache where the zip ties cut me earlier before someone removed them. My head throbs from where the cop hit me. Every breath tastes like blood.

I still see Hazel’s face. Her kind and knowing eyes as the life drained out of her.

I told her to come with me. Her fate rests with me.

I killed her.