“What did they do to him?” Gem cried.

Lia closed her eyes and shook her head. “His hand. His fingers. They broke his fingers.”

“He’s in the same clothes,” Devon said. His voice cracked, and he didn’t move from his spot in the yard, only a few steps from Ben’s body. Still, he didn’t look down. “He’s in the same clothes from last night, but he messaged us. He messaged us.”

“May can’t be here. She can’t,” Gem whispered.

Gem fled the backyard. Lia chased after, gripping Gem’s hand when they heaved into the bushes. Devon joined them, still on the phone with 911. The voice at the other end rambled on. Lia shuddered.

“Do you know what time you left last night?” the person on the other end was asking.

Devon opened his mouth, blinked, and lost the words. He stared at Lia, shaking his head as the 911 operator repeated the question, and Lia reached out to hit the speaker button. He closed his eyes.

“I think we left before midnight,” Lia said. “And he’s in the same clothes as then.”

Devon leaned his forehead against Lia’s, and they each mumbled answers to the operator whenever the other couldn’t find the strength to answer. Soon, blue and red lights flickered down the street. The world slowed and blurred again like it had with Abby, but this time it was so much worse.

The paramedics showed up first. They checked over Gem, Devon, and Lia before stepping aside. The cops, the same ones Lia had met barely two weeks ago, questioned them and catalogued their shoes and fingerprints. One swabbed the blood soaking Lia’s pants and called the paramedics back over. The glass had cut her knees. Their parents were called, and Lia could hear the confusion in her mom’s voice.

“You turn him over?” one of the detectives; Lia recognized him but couldn’t remember his name.

The paramedic shook her head. “DOA. They did.”

He glanced over at them. Lia ducked her head, desperate to be smaller. The detective took a step toward them, and a shriek rang out across the street.

May.

The paramedics grabbed her and calmed her down as much as they could. She sobbed against one of them. Gem and Lia held on to each other.

Lia said nothing until she was home, the door was shut and locked, and she had showered Ben’s blood off of her. She could still hear May crying in her head.

“I’ve made an appointment with Dr. Woods for you Monday,” her mom said. She sat on the edge of Lia’s bed, face drawn and pale. “No arguing.”

“Thank you,” Lia said. She wanted to go. She wanted to talk to someone. Abby was still so fresh that she felt like a secret Lia should keep when people asked her about it, and she was sure Ben would feel the same way. “Mom, I—”

“And no more of this game,” her mom interrupted her. “I know you have no control over these things, but this is too much. Twice now this stupid game has put you in danger. You’re out.”