“I missed you,” I sob as she lays on the blue carpet, her life pouring out to stain it purple. “I’m so sorry I was never there for you.”

“You were always there when…” She choked. “When I needed you,” her voice whispered. She spoke but her eyes were lifeless. “I love you.”

I fight back tears as I can’t say it back. Instead, I’m angry. “Always so selfish… YOU were never there for ME. Goodbye.”

Then her blood-soaked hands turned cold.

***

“UGGGGHHHHHH.” I stomped down the stairs in my ridiculous dress. “I don’t understand why we have to GO.”

My mom brushes something off my face. “We haven’t seen this part of our family in years. And your sister hasn’t visited us in so long.”

“I don’t care about her. I barely remember her. It’s not like she impacted my life very much.”

“Which is exactly why we’re going to this reunion.”

I shrug and storm off to put on my makeup.

***

“Kayla!” a somewhat familiar voice yells across the room. I get slammed by someone wrapping their arms around me. “Kayla, it’s me, Samantha!”

I blink in shock. She looks… just like me. A little older, a little rounder, but essentially the same person.

“Wow, you’ve grown so much since I went to school,” she says, examining my hair and face.

“I would say the same for you, but I don’t remember what you looked like,” I snap. Mom flicks the back of my head.

Samantha shakes her head. “Mom, it’s fine. It’s true, I haven’t visited in a really long time.”

***

“There’s a murderer in the room.”

I turn around. Behind me is a tall boy, probably a little older than me, smiling down. My silence makes it awkward. “I just meant, you seem down, is all.”

“Oh, ha, ” I say, hot in my tight dress and really wanting to leave this conversation forever. I turn on my heels and start down the hall, back to the main event.

His hand touches my shoulder. “You’re Kayla Westlyn, right?” I nod slightly in confirmation. “Nice to meet you. I’m going to kill you now.”

I’m shoved out of the way aggressively, and my ears are blasted with the sound of two gunshots.