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Finally<br />
I was standing on the top of the white water tower, facing the moon. I had no shadow, and if there were any stars, I couldn’t see them. Summerville<br />
was stretched out before me, a scattering of tiny lights, all the way to the blackness of the lake.<br />
This had been our happy place, mine and Lena’s. One of them, at least. But I was alone now. I wasn’t feeling happy. I wasn’t feeling anything but<br />
fear—and like I wanted to throw up.<br />
I could still hear Amma screaming.<br />
I knelt for a second, resting my hands on the painted metal. I looked down and saw a heart, drawn in black Sharpie. I smiled, remembering, and<br />
stood up.<br />
It is time. There is no turning back now.<br />
I stared out at the tiny lights, waiting to get up the courage to do the unthinkable. The dread churned in my stomach, heavy and wrong.<br />
But this was right.<br />
As I closed my eyes, I felt the arms slam into my waist, knocking the air out of me, dragging me down to the metal ladder. I caught a glimpse of<br />
him—of me—when my jaw hit the side of the railing, and I stumbled.<br />
He was trying to stop me.<br />
I tried to throw him off. I leaned forward and saw my Chucks kicking. Then I saw his Chucks kicking. They were so old and thrashed they could<br />
have been mine. This was how I remembered it from the dream. This was how it was supposed to be.<br />
What are you doing?<br />
This time, he was asking me.<br />
I threw him against the floor, and he landed on his back. I grabbed the collar of his shirt, and he grabbed mine.<br />
We looked into each other’s eyes, and he saw the truth.<br />
We were both going to die. It seemed like we should be together when it happened.<br />
I pulled out the old Coke bottle Amma had left sitting on the kitchen table earlier. If a whole bottle tree could catch a whole lot of lost souls, maybe<br />
one Coke bottle could hold on to mine.<br />
I’ve been waiting.<br />
I saw his face change.<br />
His eyes widen.<br />
He lunged at me.<br />
I wouldn’t let go.<br />
We stared into each other’s eyes and clawed at<br />
each other’s throats.<br />
As we rolled over the edge of the water tower<br />
and fell<br />
the<br />
whole<br />
way<br />
down,<br />
I<br />
was<br />
only<br />
thinking<br />
one<br />
thing<br />
.<br />
.<br />
.<br />
L<br />
E<br />
N<br />
A
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