Chapter 4

I turned off the water and wrapped myself in a towel.

I went back to the bedroom and pulled out some cozy pajamas from the bottom of the closet.

I slipped them on and then lay down on the bed.

The blanket was soft, carrying a fresh, sun-dried scent.

But I was still cold. A chill crept through the cracks of my bones.

I curled up into a ball and closed my eyes. But the memories from last night kept flashing through my mind, again and again.

When the metal door of the cold room slowly swung shut, I caught a fleeting glimpse of Norman's face through the narrowing gap.

And then, everything went dark. Pitch black.

All I could hear was the low, steady hum of the freezer fan. The cold kept creeping in, the air growing chillier by the second.

I started counting. By the time I hit a thousand, my fingers had gone completely numb.

When I reached five thousand, my mind started to go fuzzy.

I wanted to scream. But my voice wouldn't come out, no matter how hard I tried.

There was nothing left, just the sound of my own heartbeat in the silence.

It was slowing down and getting fainter, until even that was gone. There was only cold. Boundless, endless cold.

It felt like I was falling into a frozen pit. I kept sinking deeper and deeper.

Then came dawn, and the door opened. The blinding light came in, and their laughter.

I jerked awake, my eyes flying open. I was gasping for air, and my forehead was covered in cold sweat.

I picked up my phone to check the time. It was 2 pm.

I'd only slept for four hours. But I couldn't fall asleep again, no matter what.

I got up and headed to the living room. I rummaged through the drawer for a thermometer.

I checked my temperature. 101.3°F. As expected, I had a fever.

I grabbed some fever meds from the medicine box and washed them down with cold water.

Then I turned on my computer and logged onto the Red Cross website.

I found the donation form I'd filled out earlier this morning. I printed it out.

It needed my signature, plus two witnesses.

After thinking it over, I dialed my best friend Hazel Shaw's number.

It rang three times before she picked up.

Hazel mumbled sleepily, "Amy? Why are you calling me at this hour? Aren't you supposed to be at the Caldwell family's place..."

"Hazel," I called out, cutting her off. "Can you come over to my place now?"

Hazel was silent for a couple of seconds before asking, "What's wrong?"

"I'll tell you when you get here," I replied.

Half an hour later, the doorbell rang. I opened the door.

Hazel was standing outside, holding a bag from the breakfast shop.

When she saw my face, the bag slipped from her hand and hit the floor with a thud.

Hazel rushed in and gripped my shoulders. "What happened to your face? Did Norman hit you?" she blurted out.

I shook my head. "It's from the cold."

"The cold?" Hazel's eyes widened. "How could the cold do this to you?"

"Last night at the engagement banquet, Norman threw me into the freezer," I said, sounding almost indifferent. It was as if I were talking about someone else's life.

Hazel's expression froze. Her mouth opened and closed, but she couldn't find the words.

Her voice shook when she finally managed to speak.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Minus four degrees?" Hazel whispered, barely believing it.

I nodded. "Yeah."

Hazel released me, staggered back, and pressed herself against the wall.

She covered her face with her hands. Her shoulders trembled.

Hazel muttered, "That son of a bitch... Norman, that goddamn bastard..."

Her voice was so quiet, but every word was forced out through clenched teeth.

I walked over and gave her shoulder a reassuring pat. I said, "I'm fine. Just running a little fever."

Hazel looked up at me, her eyes red and swollen. She said, "You call this fine? Amelia, go look in the mirror! Your face is bruised purple, and your lips are cracked and bleeding! You call this fine?"

Hazel suddenly hugged me, holding me tight. She wouldn't let go, squeezing me as if afraid I'd disappear.

Her voice was shaking. "I'm sorry... I should've been there with you last night... I should've gone... I never should've trusted that bastard Norman to treat you right..."

I just let her hug me and stayed silent.

Once Hazel had calmed down a bit, I gently pushed her away and said, "Hazel, I need a favor."

"Of course, what is it?" Hazel replied.

I handed her the printed donation agreement. "I need you to be my witness."

Hazel took the paper and looked at it. Her face instantly drained of color.

She blurted out, "You're donating your body? Amelia, are you crazy?"

She grabbed my wrist, holding on tight. "You're really going to die because of that piece of trash?"

I pulled my hand back and said, "I'm not planning to die. I just figured, if I really die someday... At least someone else could be saved. It's better than just rotting in the ground."

Hazel stared at me for a long time.

Then she said softly, "Amy, don't do this to yourself. I'm scared."

I smiled and asked, "Scared of what? Scared I might do something drastic?"

I shook my head. "Don't worry. I'm not going to do anything stupid. Someone like Norman isn't worth it."

Hazel demanded, "Then why are you signing this?"

She slapped the agreement down on the table. "You're only twenty-five! Why are you signing an organ donation form?"

I went quiet for a few seconds before saying, "Hazel. Last night, when I was locked in that freezer and thought I was about to die, something just clicked for me.

"To some people, my life is nothing but a bargaining chip to please someone else."

I continued, "It's just like a gift. You unwrap it, use it, and if you don't like it, you just throw it away.

"Or even worse. Sometimes you don't even bother to open it, just dump it in the trash."

I picked up the agreement and flipped to the last page.

I said, "If my life means so little to them, then at least I want to let it mean something, just once before the end."

Hazel's tears started to fall. "No, that's not true... Your life is precious... Norman doesn't value you, but there are so many people out there who would..."

I gently wiped her tears away and asked, "Hazel, will you sign it for me? Please?"

Hazel couldn't stop crying. Eventually, she grabbed the pen and scribbled her name where the witness was supposed to sign.

Her hand was trembling so much, the signature was barely legible.

Once she finished, she threw the pen down.

She asked, "Who's going to be the other witness?"

I put the agreement away and replied, "I'll find one myself. Don't worry about it."

Hazel was about to say something else when her phone suddenly rang. She glanced at the screen, and her expression shifted.

"It's Norman," she muttered.

I told her, "Go ahead, answer it."

Hazel answered and switched to speaker.

"Hazel." Norman's voice came through, sounding weary.

"Is Amy with you?" he asked.

Hazel glanced at me. I stayed silent.

"What's it to you if she's here or not?" Hazel shot back. Her tone was blunt and confrontational. "Norman, you really have the nerve to call me."