Prologue
19 years ago.
“Get up! Get up, please!”
Someone pushed me, forcing me awake. Everything hurt. My lungs overwhelmed me with so much pain that my scream remained lodged in my throat. I opened my eyes and met wide, terrified, dark blue eyes.
A little boy, covered in blood, shook me frantically.
“Wha–” The word felt like fire in my throat.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry!”
I tried to get up and get a better look, but my body wouldn’t move. The boy cried and shook his head. I wanted to protect him—it didn’t matter that I wasn’t much bigger than him.
Was that my blood on him? My eyelids were too heavy. He started to fade away, still crying and repeating, “I’m sorry.” The sound of his little footsteps grew fainter as he ran away from me.
Good. I hope he gets somewhere safe.
I drifted in and out of the darkness, from peaceful silence to shouting, sirens, beeping… I tried to open my eyes. My vision blurred, and the lights hurt, so I stayed in the dark until they forced me out.
