I woke up on the sidewalk. The ground refused to part with my skin leaving cold, red impressions as I pushed myself up. Midway, I stopped. What was I even doing on the sidewalk, I thought. Yesterday happened. I looked up and saw the darkened rubble of my house, and I fell back down.

  My stomach hurt. I haven’t eaten since school. I wanted to eat breakfast, but all my cereal disappeared with the rest of my house. Yet despite the drive to get food, all my energy drained every time I opened my eyes.

  Finally, after some time, I started crying. Defeated and on the floor, I let my tears roll, blurring my vision. I didn’t notice any footsteps, or the presence of someone approaching until after a cardboard box slammed in front of me.

  Startled, I jumped up to see the face of a killer. Gerald, Teshallah’s boyfriend, had come to me. I forgot I was their target.

  He’s going to kill me, I thought. I was a loose end. I should have run when I had the chance.

  “Please don’t kill me,” I shouted, “I-I. I’m not ready…”

  Gerald stared, confused at my choice of words. “Neuire.”

  I closed my eyes and waited for the cold embrace of death.

  “I’m not here to kill you,” Gerald revealed.

  I opened my eyes, still trying to register Gerald’s words.

  “I need your help,” Gerald said.

  “Wh…”

  “This box,” Gerald interrupted, “You submitted your evidence, and our contact in the police force discarded it. This box is mine. The evidence I’ve been gathering my entire time in this group.”

  “You…” I trailed off.

  I expected Gerald to say more, but he waited, saying nothing. My rapid heartbeat did not slow down. My fear slowly turned into anger.

  “You’re asking me for help?” I nearly growled, pointing to my pile of a house, “After you killed the one person who knew what he was doing!?”

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  Calmly, Gerald replied, “I did not kill him. You did.”

  My tears returned. I hated Gerald. I hated that he was correct.

  “Neuire, I need your help,” Gerald repeated, “I don’t need your father’s skills, I need you.”

  “Oh yeah? And what am I supposed to do?” I questioned, “it’s clear the police aren’t on my side. How will I put an end to this case with just a box of more evidence?”

  “The box isn’t the answer,” Gerald answered, “I need your help. Yours, this box is just my help to you.”

  “I refuse.” I grunted, “I don’t want to help you.”

  Cold steel touched my head, the barrel of a gun.

  “I wasn’t asking.”

  Instant submission. I froze at the threat to my life.

  “W…what do you need?” I asked again.

  “…Tesha. I need you to talk to her,” Gerald answered, holstering his weapon.

  “What? Why do you want me to talk to her” I asked, “You’re her boyfriend, aren’t you?”

  Gerald stayed silent for a moment before replying, “It’s complicated. All you need to know is that out of everyone I know, you’re the one she’s treated with the most kindness.”

  “She killed my family!” I shouted, “She killed…Hazel.”

  “We killed them,” Gerald corrected, “and what I need you to convince her is…to turn herself in, along with the rest of us.”

  “…That still doesn’t tell me why you want me to do it,” I replied, “Wouldn’t she just kill me on sight?”

  “Did she kill you the last time she saw you? How about the last time before that,” Gerald asked, “She hasn’t killed you once. Honestly, she can only kill you once, but the fact she hasn’t…there’s something special about you.”

  “How can you be sure? I-“

  “Neuire, stop talking and just do what I said,” Gerald ordered, “Trust me. Tesha used to have this friend…the way she’s acting now reminds me of when she had to kill him.”

  “You sure that doesn’t mean I’ll just die?”

  “No,” Gerald admitted, “But do it anyways. I want to bet on this chance.”

  “Oh…” I mumbled, “I guess the worst-case scenario is I die, huh…”

  Worst case scenario, I would meet up with my dad.

  And so, despite losing everything, my dad, my house, my friend Hazel, and my mother, I went to school in the morning. I had one mission, to find Tesha, confront her, and ask her to turn herself in. If need be, I’d even tell her Gerald was willing to turn himself in as well.

  “Wait, Gerald,” I turned to the killer, “Why are you acting like you have a conscious now?”

  “…Neuire. I’m the same age as you,” Gerald showed his blue uniform, telling me he was one year older than me, “We’re kids, and although we matured a little faster…I want this to stop.”

  “Can’t you just turn yourself in alone?”

  “Neuire, you saw how cooperative the cops were,” Gerald answered, “I’m just a kid.”

  And so was Teshallah. Gerald suddenly stopped looking so ominous and scary. Instead, I looked at someone coming to me to be saved. He didn’t look so different from Harry.

  “I’ll help you,” I decided.

  I gained an unexpected ally in Gerald. I could only hope Tesha would be just as ameable.