I can’t believe he’s so stubborn. I did everything I could—I called, I tracked him down, I tried to help him—but I guess he can take care of himself. If he would just listen to me, we could work something out to save both of us. But as usual, I’m on my own.

I don’t know where to go or what to do next. My body moves mechanically, my brain completely shut down. I only snap out of it when I realize I’ve walked five blocks under the relentless sun and I’m dying of thirst.

I stop at a convenience store to buy some water and then get the bathroom key from the manager. Once inside, I take a minute to dig the blood out from under my nails, but the sight of it flaking into the sink brings back all the images of Trent and Zoe. Everything hits me again—the bodies, the smell, the lifeless look in their eyes—and I rush to the toilet to throw up.

Once my entire stomach is empty and my throat burns, I slump next to the toilet. The floor’s covered in piss and a cockroach skitters by, but I can’t find the will to get up. My gut aches from the vomiting and my cracked rib, and now that I’ve stopped moving, my ankle feels like it’s on fire. But the real pain is from knowing my friends are dead, and there’s nothing I can do to fix it. I wish I could go back and do everything over, but the only time travel to the past is regret.

No, dammit, I’m not dead yet. I heave myself off the disgusting floor and clean myself up in the sink. I need another plan.

I call Aether again, but Lynne is still out of the office. I scramble for other ideas. The evidence from the future is still in my bag. I said I’d go public with it if any of us were killed, but the truth is, I’m not exactly sure how to do that. I was hoping Katie could help me—she’s a bit more computer savvy than I am—but when I text her, she says she’s about to meet with her social worker. I’m hesitant to involve her in this anyway. I don’t need anyone else to get killed because of me.

Maybe I should enlist my foster mother for help. I don’t want to put her in danger either, but at least she could hang on to the hard copies of the reports, in case something happens to me.