The memory of us running away before I fell onto the curb—

Squeezing Orion tight to absorb the blow—

The memory of his hand against my heart and mine against his—

We’re about to slam down onto the landing I think—

These memories are rapid and jumbled—

I hold on to Orion—

Is this what they mean when they say your life flashes before—

Paz Dario

6:44 p.m.

Death-Cast did not call Paz Dario because he isn’t supposed to be dying today, and he’s very confused because his mother isn’t supposed to be dying either, but his father is beating her up.

This isn’t the first time either, but this time is the scariest.

Normally Paz doesn’t see any of this happening. His mother always tells him to stay in his room and put his chair against the door, just like she would when he was scared of the monsters in his closet. The chair is so tiny that it would break if anyone else sat on it. It’s been painted to look like a happy dalmatian with its tongue sticking out on the backrest. But Paz knows the chair doesn’t keep anyone out because his mother always eventually comes back into his bedroom without him having to move the chair first. She’s always crying and holds him close until they fall asleep in his bed together. Other times his father will come inside his room and ask him if he’s okay, and Paz will say yes, and he will ask how his mother is doing and his father will say she’s okay too, and then the door gets closed again.

Paz has lost count of how many times this has happened.

But his mother screaming for help is a first, he knows that much.

So Paz stepped outside his bedroom, wanting to help his mother as his father hurt Rolando so much that he has a nosebleed. But he didn’t know what to do until he saw the new neighbor, Valentino, and asked for his help. Then Paz ran into the closet, not to hide, but with an idea of his own on how to help.

People think Paz is a bad guy because he played one in that movie, but he’s a hero.

He’s a hero who is going to save his mother’s life.

Paz runs back into the living room, which doesn’t feel like a room for living after he points the gun at his father and pulls the trigger.

Frankie Dario

6:45 p.m.

Frankie is about to land another punch on Gloria when fire strikes him out of nowhere.

He falls on his side.

Paz stands over him, holding a gun, and fires again.

Not even Death-Cast could have prepared him to die that way.

Dalma Young

6:46 p.m.

Gunshots.

Dalma fears she might have her own heart attack.

This is just like last night at Times Square.