I stared at the small mound of earth in front of me—a nameless grave, just a heap of dirt—and emotion choked me, tears sliding down my cheeks.
“I’m so sorry, my baby... It’s all my fault.”
After the induction, my baby was stillborn. I never even got to see them before they whisked me off abroad to recover.
Eugene Martinez had made this tiny grave. Proof of how much he’d yearned for that child.
But those dreams are dust now. And our second child—he took with his own hands.
A bitter laugh slipped out of me as I carefully dug a small pit nearby, gently placing the little cloth-wrapped bundle inside and covering it with earth.
When I finished, I sat there a long while. Then I leaned down and tenderly kissed the simple, unmarked gravestone.
“My sweet baby, I have to go now. I probably won’t ever come back.”
A shrill voice rang out behind me, dripping with sarcasm. “Well, isn’t this touching—a family reunion.”
I turned. Kenna Jenkins stood a few feet away, a mocking grin plastered on her face.
I steeled my expression. “What do you want?”
Kenna chuckled. “Oh, sister, don’t be so harsh. I just wanted to have a little chat, like last time.”
I ignored her and turned to leave.
Suddenly, Kenna lunged forward and kicked the unmarked gravestone, sending it crashing to the ground.
Feigning surprise, she clapped a hand over her mouth. “Oops, clumsy me! I slipped and the stone just... toppled right over.”
Rage exploded inside me, my vision going red. “Kenna! Have you lost your damn mind?”
Kenna blinked innocently, then maliciously stomped on the tiny graves, grinding her heel into them.
“Kenna!”
Fury took over. I lunged and shoved her away.
Kenna stumbled backward, her lower back hitting a tree, her face twisting in pain. But she quickly pulled out a packet of powder and scattered it around the mounds.
Instantly, swarms of fire ants surged in, tearing into the dirt piles.
Kenna cackled like a madwoman. “Emely Ford, watch. Your precious little babies are about to get eaten alive by ants—ah!”
Her taunt cut off as I tackled her, pinning her to the ground and slapping her over and over across the face.
“Just die! Die!”
“What the hell are you doing?” A furious shout rang out.
I was kicked aside, landing hard on the ground.
Kenna saw Eugene and clung to him, burying her face in his chest, her voice thick with tears. “Oh Eugene, I’m sorry I was too late. I tried to stop Miss Ford, but she unleashed the ants to hurt your child...”
Eugene’s eyes landed on the toppled stone and the horrifying swarm of ants.
He grabbed my wrist, eyes blazing. “Emely Ford, have you no conscience? Are you even human?”
I opened my mouth to defend myself, but he forced me down onto my knees.
“Emely Ford! Why? Why the hell weren’t you the one who died in that room?”
He gripped my head and slammed it repeatedly against the gravestone.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The hollow sound echoed through the graveyard, each blow heavy and suffocating.
Only when the stone was soaked with blood did Eugene let go, his eyes swirling with contempt. “Emely Ford, you’re truly despicable.”
Then he scooped Kenna up and stormed away without a backward glance.
I don’t know how long I lay there before I came to.
I pushed myself up, my eyes red-rimmed, and began methodically driving the ants away. Some crawled into my clothes, biting viciously, and the pain seared through me, but my face stayed blank as I set everything back in order.
By the time I finished, night had fallen.
Ignoring the agony wracking my body, I started down the hill. But then everything went black, and I lost my balance, tumbling swiftly down the steep slope.
Thud!
I smashed into a boulder, blood streaming from the wounds all over my body.
I stared up at the gloomy sky. A single tear slipped from the corner of my eye.
Maybe dying like this... wouldn’t be so bad.
