Once the Strings Are Cut

Prologue: Flash Forward

Oh god, oh god, oh god, ohgodohgodohgodohgodohgod-

I barely hear the knife clatter to the floor.

It's like I can sense everything and yet nothing at the same time. The sticky feel of it on my face, the coppery smell coating the air like air freshener, the way it's almost black in the dim lighting. How it grows, flooding into the tile spaces and cracks like a tidal wave. The way it seeps from the smaller cuts in his neck and the huge gaping hole from the knife.

How did it come to this? Why did it come to this?

This wasn't supposed to happen. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Nobody was supposed to get hurt. I just wanted to protect them, I just wanted- this wasn't supposed to happen goddammit!

Something catches my eye. I force myself to look away.

They're all staring at me, like they're just waiting for me to say something. They don't seem to notice how the blood pools around their ankles.

What do they expect me to do? Congratulate them? Tell them they did good? Did- did they think I wanted this happen? That I wanted Carter to die?!

I can feel blood drip off my fingers when a horrifying revelation comes to mind.

Kailani, Holden, Tony, Mr. Frost, Sadie, and now Carter..oh, Carter-

Oh god, it all makes sense.

My head feels fuzzy. My face feels numb. I feel like I can't breathe. I look down. Blade's looking at me, those hollow sockets feeling like they're staring right through my soul somehow. His face and hair are drenched in blood, little droplets sliding down his jaw like dew drops.

It barely registers that I'm screaming.