Chapter 8
Maynard decided to take us camping to celebrate Darlene’s birthday. My mood had been stable lately, so Maynard broke his usual rule and brought me along.
That was the day Darlene led me up to the summit.
I had seen this moment coming. Maynard had been ignoring her because of me. With Darlene’s pride, there was no way she would let me keep existing in her world.
Today was her perfect chance to get rid of me.
“Patricia, you’re disgusting. Just to keep Maynard around, you faked being depressed? How far are you willing to go?
“Let’s find out today who Maynard would really choose me or you.”
The words had barely left her mouth when I spotted them in the distance–Maynard, Waldo, and Derek all rushing up the path.
Darlene leaned into my ear and whispered, “Didn’t you want to die? Let me help you out.”
Before I could react, she gripped my hand and flung herself backward, dragging me down with her. From where they stood, it would look like I had pushed her.
Maynard shouted at me like a madman. His voice cracked with rage. “Patricia, what the hell is wrong with you?”
Darlene was the kind of woman who clung to life with both hands. There was no way she would put herself in real danger just for drama.
She must have scoped the place out beforehand. There was a rock ledge just below the cliff’s edge, and she landed right on it.
On the other hand, I was dangling from a tree branch, barely holding on.
Darlene was still putting on a show. She was screaming for help like her lungs might burst. Her voice echoed through the canyon.
The tree branch that was keeping me from falling irritated me. But I had to give Darlene some credit. She had finally handed me the perfect chance to end it all.
I started swinging my body, trying to shake myself loose.
Just then, Maynard showed up with a rope–but instead of coming for me, he climbed down to rescue Darlene from the ledge.
A sharp crack split the air. The branch supporting me started to break.
Just as I was about to fall over the edge, a searing pain shot through my arm. Someone had yanked me upward with all their strength.
It was Derek. He had grabbed my hand and was holding on with everything he had.
By then, Maynard had already climbed back to the top of the cliff with Darlene in his arms.
Waldo was sobbing uncontrollably and pounding his fists against Maynard. “Why didn’t you save Mom? Why didn’t you save her?”
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Chapter 8
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+25 BONUS
Maynard settled Darlene down and turned back with a smug smile. “You don’t understand. Your mother tried to push Darlene off that cliff. If anything had happened to Darlene, your mom would go to prison. I saved her.”
Meanwhile, Derek was still gripping me. My body hung limp. But I wasn’t trying to survive, and he couldn’t lift someone who wasn’t fighting.
His strength was running out. If he kept holding on, he would go down with me.
He stared at me, devastated. A single tear slipped from his cheek and landed on mine. “Patricia… I’m sorry.”
He gave me a calm, almost reverent smile, like he had made peace with everything. “My life belongs to you. At least this way, you won’t be alone when you die.”
His grip on my wrist didn’t loosen, not for a second. But I noticed his other hand–the one clutching the rope- was beginning to slide downward, inch by inch.
What was he doing? Did he really plan to follow me into death? Even as a ghost, was he not going to let
MY
me
go?
I snapped, “Let go! I don’t need you to die with me! Stop pretending this is some kind of noble sacrifice!”
But Derek didn’t flinch. His eyes were steady and filled with a quiet resolve. At that moment, I realized he was ready to die with me.
I let out a breath, trying to steady him first. “Listen to me. You can’t die. You still have something to do.
“Take Maynard down for me. I know you can. Live and carry my hatred, my hope, and everything I couldn’t finish.”
Without waiting for a response, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the small blade I had hidden away for the moment I planned to end everything. Then I slashed it hard across the wrist he was using to hold me.
He cried out in pain and instinctively let go.
That was all I needed.
I fell into the abyss.
