Page 79 of Tyrant

“Who…”

I don’t even get a chance to ask before Serafina collapses. I manage to catch her by the shoulders, which keeps her head from smacking the hard floor. I cradle her in my arms, blood and all, and I do the only logical thing.

I scream for help.

Chapter Thirty

SERAFINA

‘You’re embarrassing me, Sarah.’

I hate when she says my name wrong on purpose like that. Yeah, I know there’s not much difference between ‘Sera’ and ‘Sarah’ but she sounds out the ‘ah’ to make it ‘Sarah’ in such a way that I want to kill her.

Oh, God, is that true? Killing my own stepmother? Is that my fate with all of this?

‘I’m going to push you in,’ she says to me.

Her breath smells expensive. A lot of alcohol for sure. She’s been flirting with the owner of the property all afternoon too. I wonder if she’s ‘doing it’ with him. I’m not sure what ‘doing it’ means but I know it’s something.

I’m standing at the end of a dock looking out to a lake that’s scary to me. Everyone else is enjoying the lake, which is fine. Good for them. Why do I have to swim in the lake? Why do I have to stand at the edge of the dock and jump into unfamiliar water?

‘I hope you can’t swim and you drown,’ my stepmother growls at me. ‘You’re better off that way anyway. You can see your father then.’

She cackles into my right ear and my eyes fill with tears. I tell myself that’s not Bridgette talking, that’s just her drinking. But why do I have to do this? Why did my father have to die? Why do I have to stand on this dock, knowing I’ve let my stepmother down. Behind me I hear her talking to someone.

“Did you see Bill Mackenzie’s kids? The two girls? They just jumped in. With a dive. And they swam! Did you see the way everyone looked and clapped? But, no, not my… not Serafina…”

I lower my gaze. A few seconds later, someone is standing next to me. It’s Olivia.

“I hate the water,” she says. “It’s murky. Creepy. I’ve watched too many scary movies about water. And you know there are animals in there. Fish and creatures and growth.”

I look up at Olivia. She offers me her left hand and I take it.

“I really hate the water,” she says with a smile.

That makes me smile. A few seconds later we both jump into the lake. We both come up screaming, laughing, and then we quickly swim to the ladder on the dock to get out of the lake.

I really wish Olivia was my mother.

I’m shiveringfrom the water.

No. That was a dream.

Oh, okay. I’m not shivering from the water. But I’m shivering. My face is wet too. There are voices around me but they’re more of an echo.

My eyes flutter a little. I can’t remember how to open my eyes. Or how to tell my brain to tell my eyes to open. When they flutter I see nothing but big, bright lights. White lights.

I move my mouth but I can’t talk.

“She’s trying to say something to me!”

That booming voice makes my heart go crazy. That’s Tyrant’s voice.

Tyrant! I need to see you! Help me! Save me!

Machines start to beep and voices start to yell. Someone is calling Tyrantsirand I know that’s going to end badly. Someone screams for help. Another screams for security to come get Tyrant. I just want to wake up and explain that Tyrant is here to protect me. He’s here to help me. He’s here to save me. He’ll kill everyone around me just to get to me.

A sudden surge of pain moves through my head. It’s a nerve pinching kind of pain and I feel my body begin to shake. Then comes random jolts where I kick my left leg. Then I punch with my right fist.

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