Jacob's hand hovered over the three buttons…red, green, purple…trembling like he already knew there was no right answer.
Please don't pick red, I thought. Please don't let it be red again.
He looked back at us, lip quivering. "I can't do this."
We were all terrified to say the wrong thing.
Then he closed his eyes and slammed his palm onto purple.
A long pause.
Another wrong choice.
Another body.
Jacob dropped to his knees, a clean hole through his forehead. His eyes stayed open even as he collapsed to the floor, twitching once before going completely still.
The smell of blood filled the room. The sound of Suri's sobbing echoed in my skull even though she was already gone. And now Jacob. Just like that.
Another friend. Another ghost.
My knees buckled as I lurched forward, but I caught myself. I had to stay upright. I had to keep it together….for them.
But I couldn't breathe.
Because Nomi was next.
