Ashes of Us

a's

emember s

remember

is the silence

you die, your life fla

's a

Her lipstick was on his collar. The words We'll make sure she d

athe. I couldn't think. I just drove tears streaking down my cheeks, the windshield wipers

uzzed agai

t it

u

iv

say that would make this better? I

s, the betrayal, the stench of co

when I saw

m the left. F

time to see them too cl

as

scre

loded lik

r spun. Tires skidded. Then came the drop. The sickening lift of gravit

p

t b

a world mad

sn't

e as hell

ing faintly like starlight trapped beneath the glass. The ground beneath

oked

n. No blood. No broken

sn't

sn't

st..

a Ca

t carried the weight of a thund

etallic. Like they saw everything, even the things I hadn't dared admit

asked, my voice

guide. An observer. A ques

at him. "

. "For exactly two minutes

. "Then why

nished," he replied. "And fa

isn't real. I'm hallucinat

. "Or perhaps your soul is smarter th

sts. "I don't care what

you s

rse I'm

Rage in your veins. Pain seeps through every corner of your sou

em pay. Damian. Evelyn. That snake Vivienne.

s asked, stepping closer. "Will vengean

voice twisted through my mind like i

going back,"

"But there may

sh, frozen in time. My car. The impact. The shattered glass. But this time, I saw more. A black SU

eath

ed me off

irmed. "But not t

ed. "It wasn't

. But he believed it wou

ping my head. "He lied. H

y of them. But someone mov

ned in my mind. Her

u haven't uncovered the hand that cast them. You've been offe

y m

cause you still

my eyes.

ow this: vengeance consumes. If you walk t

ists. "They tri

he said,

us. Then Elias extended

you must abide

ted. "Wh

they will. Your time is limited. You were sent back to uncover not to

me w

mething close to sadnes

down at

n my mind. She's clueless

Elias

I'm not playing the same ga

as small. "

r light f

e worl

was fa

Beep

he heart monitor drag

e effort. My eyes flew open to a b

oice choked

mi

Every muscle protested.

ustion, his usually perfect suit wrinkled and stai

wake," he

peak. I ju

s beeped. Voices murmured.

hus

etra

... my

t had calcified. Harden

ss against my forehead. "You

. Let him believe

g every tick of the monit

think I

hink I was

onger the woman wh

o came back from d

that

the hospital chair. His ha

htly. The machines bu

the IV line ta

rve of the tubing

iv

ok

ak

dang

darkened hospital windo

en't sof

died

n't do