Page 76 of I Accidentally Summoned A Demon
She started to believe no one would hear her screams. Finally, someone came in and cut the seatbelt. By then, her cries had strained her throat and left her voiceless.
Out on the curb, Kat stared ahead, not responding to the questions fired her way. She was hardly aware of anyone’s presence, incapable of doing anything except stare at her father’s smashed car.
Over an hour more she waited. Alone. The officers struggled to find someone to call with Kat unresponsive and her emergency contacts being the people in the car with her. Shock blanket around her shoulders, she remained unaware.
The officers tried a few recent numbers, but no one answered besides family who lived hours away and had to look for an available flight. Kat’s phone rang, alerting police that “Myra Brighton” was calling. They informed Myra of the accident and moved Kat to the hospital.
Kat didn’t notice she was moved. Wide-eyed, she faced white hospital walls, but her parents’ bloodied faces were the only things she saw. She tried to comprehend what the doctor was telling her. The words “accident” and “only survivor” stuck out. She didn’t acknowledge that she was hurt and needed to be checked until she was alone. Blood coated her hands.
Blood that wasn’t hers.
The image of her mother’s bloodied hand flashed in her mind. She scrambled off the bed and ran to the sink in her small room. She turned on the faucet and scrubbed her hands. The mirror reflected a split lip and blood spattered across her face, sticking her hair to her skin.
Kat gasped for breath, and her chest tightened.I can’t breathe. She ripped paper towels from the dispenser and placed them under the water, then scrubbed her face. Needing the blood off, she didn’t register pain as she put pressure on her bruised face.
Water and blood mixed together, filling the sink. The blood spread like she would never be clean of it. She scoured her skin raw.
“Katherine,” a familiar voice said.
Kat scrubbed harder.It won’t come off. It’s all over me.
“Katherine.” He set his hand on her shoulder.
“I can’t get the blood off.” She whimpered at her pastor, Allen, standing behind her in the mirror. “I can’t get it off.” She scrubbed harder, and her voice cracked. “Their blood is on me. I can’t get it off.”
“Katherine, try to breathe. The blood’s gone. You’re going to hurt yourself.”
“It’s not off,” Kat snapped. Tears dripped, mixing with the water and blood. “There’s more. Why is there more?”
“Because you’re aggravating the cuts from the glass.” He placed his hands on hers. “That’s your blood, not theirs. Take a deep breath.”
“I have to get it off!” Kat screamed.
“Do we need to put her out?” someone asked.
“I don’t think so,” Allen said. “Give us a minute, please.” He squeezed Kat’s hands. “Listen to me, sweetheart. You’re hurting yourself. You need to stop.”
“I can’t.” Kat’s body trembled. “It’s on me. It’s still on me!”
Allen turned Kat to face him. “Look at me. It’s gone. All gone.”
Kat couldn’t focus enough to agree or disagree. The numbness faded, replaced by increased tautness in her chest, and the urge to run, though she didn’t know where. “I must be dreaming. It wasn’t real. They’re not gone. They’re not gone, right?”
Allen’s face crumpled. “It wasn’t a dream. I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m so sorry.”
“They can’t be gone.” Kat choked. “They can’t be. We were going—” She tried to suck in a breath, but her lungs wouldn’t let her. “Oh, God, they . . .” She sunk to the floor, sobs wracking her body. “I was driving. It’s my fault!”
“No, it isn’t.” Allen descended to the floor and wrapped his arms around her. “It’s not your fault, sweetheart. You did nothing wrong.”
“They’re gone,” Kat whispered, her lungs refusing to take in air, like they only existed to cause her pain. The constriction around her heart could stop it from beating entirely and in that moment, she wondered if it’d be better if it did stop.
Exiting the memory was as abrupt and unpleasant as entering it. Nex gasped and stumbled, back in the abandoned building.
“Are you all right?” Death’s brows furrowed.
“I’m fine.” His answer was quiet. His mind should’ve been racing, but it came up blank. The only thing he knew was that he had to get back to Katherine.
He opened his mouth, but Death raised her hand. “No need to explain. I understand. Go.” She held out the bracelet. “Be with her, and cherish your time. We always get less than we hope for. Don’t take it for granted.”
