Chapter 7

Eric stumbled home, lost and hollow. It took every ounce of courage to open that video. On the screen, I was sprawled on the floor. The white carpet was soaked with my blood. I was so weak, unable to move, the pain draining all my strength. Like an ant, I crawled slowly, inch by inch. Back then, Eric was so afraid I’d contact his enemy that he took my phone away. I crawled, leaving a bloody trail, all the way downstairs before I finally collapsed by the roadside. A kind stranger called for an ambulance. At the hospital, doctors fought for nine hours to save my life. Somehow, I defied the Reaper and fought my way back to the living. Eric held his phone, his hands trembling uncontrollably. With a dull thud, the phone slipped from his fingers and hit the floor. He broke down, tears streaming uncontrollably. It felt like a knife was slicing through his heart. He rushed to Diane’s room. Diane sat on the bed, blanket around her shoulders, looking at Eric as he stormed in, wild