Chapter 4
Pamela had finally managed to save up enough for our vacation.
But...
Why?
Even after getting a second chance at life, I still failed to save them.
I shut my eyes, unwilling to accept this bitter reality.
Then, I opened my eyes and found myself back in the living room.
The air was thick with the tempting scent of fried chicken.
Pamela's anxious voice nagged at me again.
I stared hopelessly at the door, having no idea how to change things.
Outside, two armed murderers were lurking, weapons in hand.
And inside, another partner in crime was hiding out, packing a gun.
Noticing I wasn't responding, Pamela glanced at me in confusion. "Christine, are you feeling nervous? Don't worry. Just give it your all on the SAT tomorrow.
"No matter what, I'm always on your side."
The barrage of comments started scrolling again at lightning speed.
[This must be the family that got wiped out right before the SAT, right?]
[What a shame. If this girl hadn't died, she might've gotten into an Ivy.]
[Yeah, who could've guessed their whole family would end up like this? Wiped out.]
I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palms.
My mind was racing, trying to figure out a way to break out of this mess.
Not only were there two vicious killers lurking outside, but there was another one hiding right here inside with us.
And the one inside was actually armed with a gun.
The three of us didn't stand a chance against them.
My gaze shifted to the balcony.
Our balcony was right up against the neighbor's.
There was a narrow gap between them, just big enough for someone to slip through.
It was so tight, only kids or girls as thin as me could make it.
Lucky for me, I'm skinny enough.
There was a narrow gap I could slip through to get to my neighbor Phyllis's home.
Phyllis's oldest son worked as a P.E. teacher.
Her younger son was a trainer at a gym.
If I could get them to help, maybe we could buy some time before the police arrived.
Thinking fast, I grabbed my phone and quickly typed out a text to the police.
Then, seeing Pamela's startled face, I tapped out a message to her on my phone.
[Don't say anything. There's a criminal hiding in our home. And two killers are about to come knocking any second.]
Pamela gave me a hesitant glance, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.
But she kept quiet, playing along.
Next, I shot her another text. [Stall whoever knocks, but don't open the door, no matter what. I'm heading to Phyllis for help.]
To avoid tipping off the criminal hiding inside, we kept Mom in the dark.
Right as someone started knocking at the door, I was just stepping onto the balcony.
I gave Pamela one last, lingering look before heading next door.
As soon as I left, the comments started scrolling again.
[Wow, didn't expect this girl to be so sharp; she actually thought to run next door for help.]
[But it won't matter. No way everyone survives in a horror story.]
[There's no way they're escaping this.]
I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palms.
I refused to accept it.
Even if fate had already written our ending, I was going to defy it and change everything.
Pamela and Mom were the best people I knew.
I had to save them, no matter what.
But life had other plans for me; it just had to play a cruel joke.
When I finally made it to Phyllis's place, the whole apartment was empty. Not a soul in sight.
And what was even scarier? Their balcony door was locked tight.
But I had no choice. I had to get help.
I looked out the window—four floors up.
With every bit of courage I had, I gritted my teeth and jumped onto the AC unit outside the window.
Down one floor.
Down another.
And another.
After so many rounds of this nightmare, I finally made it out alive.