Chapter 4

Moments later, the same voice called out again, sounding slightly panicked.

"Why is he so quiet? Did something actually happen to him?"

"Who cares?" Isaac's voice chimed in. "Even if something happens to him, I'll take care of my mom and dad when they're old. Let him figure out how to break the door down himself. Let's go."

Their footsteps gradually faded away. I closed my eyes and prepared to get some sleep. Then suddenly, a strong, choking smell filled the air.

It was smoke.

The fire spread quickly. In less than three minutes, the smoke was so thick that I could barely breathe. The equipment room had become a giant furnace.

I didn't scream for help or try to break down the door. I just hugged a basketball and curled up in the corner farthest from the door.

My consciousness began to fade.

Maybe this was for the best. Maybe I could finally succeed this time.

No jumping off buildings, no turning on the gas, no getting pulled back out of the water. Just quietly slipping away without causing anyone trouble.

Once this life was over, I could finally leave this broken body behind and move on to my next life.

No more scars covering my body. No more wrists broken time and time again. No more burn marks on my calves. I wouldn't have to spend another life desperately trying to please people while living in pain.

Just as I was about to lose consciousness, a deafening bang rang out. The door had been kicked open.

A figure rushed through the flames and grabbed me off the floor.

It was Rebecca.

Her face and clothes were streaked with soot, and her eyes were filled with panic and fear. "Carl! Wake up!"

She carried me out of the fire. The lawn outside was already packed with people.

When Isaac and his friends saw me being pulled out, their expressions were a mix of shock, guilt, and a barely noticeable flicker of disappointment.

I was laid down on the grass and greedily gulped in the fresh air.

Rebecca crouched in front of me, her voice more frantic than I'd ever heard it. "How are you? Are you hurt anywhere?"

I looked at her, pressing a hand to my wound as a violent coughing fit shook my body.

"Rebecca, you saved me again."

I stared at her coldly, genuine regret in my voice. "Why did you save me? I was so close to finally dying."

Rebecca's expression turned livid. She grabbed me by the shoulders and practically screamed, "Why didn't you call for help?! Why didn't you bang on the door? Do you really want to die? Carl Johnson, what the hell are you trying to do?"

I didn't answer her. Instead, I turned my gaze toward Isaac standing in the crowd.

He immediately jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "It wasn't me! I didn't start the fire! I don't know how it happened!"

His friends quickly backed him up.

"We'd already left. It has nothing to do with us!"

"Carl wanted to get the basketballs. We just took him to the equipment room!"

Just then, the head of security ran up, panting heavily. He reported to the school administrators, "We checked. An old electrical wire shorted out and started the fire."

Hearing that it was an accident, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Isaac visibly relaxed, then immediately put on his usual caring act. "Carl, thank goodness you're okay! It's our fault. We shouldn't have played that kind of prank on you and let you go get the equipment by yourself."

He reached out to help me up.

I shrank back instinctively. Then, I broke down in front of everyone, crying at the top of my lungs.

"Isaac, I'm sorry. I should've stayed in there, but I don't like dark rooms. Next time, can you let me die in a different way?"