SEVENTY-SIX

Grief

“What did you do?” Lolita’s words floated out through the haze of her dream. “What… what did you do to her?”

Jarrod began to panic. This had not ended the way he wanted it to. He watched Samantha helpless on the floor, the knife stuck in her chest. He wasn’t sure which part of her chest got stuck with the knife, but the way she was gurgling, he knew she wouldn’t last long. Lolita crawled to her, her own sorrows forgotten. She raised Samantha painfully into her thighs, her hands shivering above her.

“No, no…” she slowly touched the surrounding area. “Should I pull it out? Jarrod, should I pull it out?!”

“Yes,” Jarrod called back, distracted. What would he tell Tessa now? She wanted to make the kill and now he had snatched it right off her.

Lolita’s hands curved around the knife, intending to pull it out. Samantha weakly placed her hands on Lolita’s, stopping her movements. Her breaths were slow and long, like it would be the last thing she’d ever do.

“No,” Lolita said, her