Chapter 4

Georgina stood in the doorway, watching me with red-rimmed eyes.

Kevin and the other two crowded protectively behind her.

"Darlene, I'm sorry."

She stepped closer and dropped her voice.

"The truth is, the me in that other world never suffered a day."

"And you? You died a long time ago. Mom and Dad left every cent to me. I just wanted to come see what it felt like to take everything you have all over again."

The corner of her mouth curled into a taunting smile.

The fury shot up in my chest.

I raised my hand.

But halfway up, I stopped.

I couldn't hit her.

The moment I did, in the eyes of these three, I'd be the unforgivable one.

I forced the strength out of my arm, meaning to lower my hand.

Then Georgina let out a sudden scream.

She threw herself backward and slammed hard onto the floor.

"Darlene! What are you doing!"

Kevin lunged at me.

He seized my throat and shoved me hard against the wall.

The back of my head cracked against it, and the room spun.

"Darlene Winfield! How can you be so vicious!"

My mother rushed over and slapped me across the face.

Abigail helped Georgina up, cradling her, and looked at me with disgust all over her face.

"Darlene Winfield, you make me sick!"

Kevin let go, took in how pale I was, and something like regret flickered in his eyes.

"Darlene, she only gets one day a month. Can't you even give her that one day?"

"Once she leaves tomorrow, I'll make up all twenty-nine of the rest to you. Cause whatever scene you want, I'll let you have your way from now on. But not today. Sit here and cool off by yourself."

"Gina, let's go."

They gathered around Georgina and left the house.

I leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor.

My stomach twisted with pain, and cold sweat broke out on my forehead.

In the middle of the night, my fever came.

Burning all over, and yet freezing at the same time.

I fumbled for my phone and called Kevin.

It rang for a long time before he picked up.

In the background were the happy laughs from the private room, and Georgina's coy little voice.

"Kevin... I have a fever... my stomach hurts..." I gasped weakly.

There was silence for two seconds on the other end.

Then a low sigh from Kevin.

"Darlene, stop it. Be good and take your medicine, get some sleep, and I'll come home first thing in the morning to be with you. No more scenes tonight. Be good, okay?"

The call cut off without a shred of mercy.

I looked at the screen going dark, and the tears at the corners of my eyes dried up completely.

Gritting my teeth, one hand clamped over my stomach, I called 911, and the paramedics broke in the door.

The next evening.

I forced myself out of the hospital.

The Southside nightclub.

Bracing myself against the wall, I made my way down the steps one at a time.

In the middle of the dim basement, a blue light circled and shifted.

Four people stood in front of it.

Kevin held Georgina tightly, his eyes red.

My mother clutched Georgina's hand, wiping at her tears without stopping.

Abigail was crying so hard she could barely catch her breath.

"Gina, come back early next month. We'll all be waiting for you," Kevin said, his voice gone hoarse.

"Why can't we just cross over with you and stay..."

Georgina nodded sweetly.

They said goodbye as if they were being torn apart forever.

I stood in the shadows and watched it all.

There was nothing left stirring in me.

I walked straight forward, toward that blue light.

"Who's there?!"

Kevin whipped around, on alert.

My mother and Abigail turned too.

The instant they saw it was me, Kevin's brow knotted.

"How did you find your way here? You still haven't caused enough trouble?"

My mother jabbed a finger at my face.

"Won't you be happy until you've driven your sister to her grave! Get back home this instant!"

I didn't stop. Half my body had already stepped into the blue light.

Kevin was the first to sense something was wrong.

"What are you doing?!"

"You can't go through, we've tried, or we'd have gone long ago!"

The wind of the time tunnel lifted my hair.

I looked at them, and the corner of my mouth curved into a smile of release.

The pull began to drag at my body.

"Maybe I can. Since you all love her so much... this world, I'll leave to you."

"It's only that the other world..."

The next second, the three of them stood frozen, staring at the spot where I'd vanished.