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I patnot to panic, I retraceshiny and metallic "Come on Come on Where are they?"

"You lose soreasy hair and a thick neck says from the top step of the front porch He looks like a wannabe Danny Zuko, with his sideburns and leather jacket, except he has this strange black "X" tattoo crossing his eye

I back down the stairs, shaking s the last of his drink, crushes his cup, and chucks it over the railing into the bushes There’s a darkness in his eyes that unsettles me "You sure?" he asks "Because I could help you hatever"

"No thanks" I keep walking backward, towardI need"

"Hey, aren’t you that girl that killed her dad?" he asks as he slinks down the porch stairs

My eyes never waver from him, even as someone passes close by and nearly bu of someone else because my dad’s not dead"

"You know, I saw someone messin’ around with your car," he hollers and I stop, curious even though the guy’s a total creeper "That Challenger over there--that’s yours, right?" He nods his head at my car

I nod warily "Uthy strides that put hiuy that caot in it, messed around, and then left"

So maybe ’s "

A sinister look ive you a ride horasps ernails into hon the bitter taste Blood stains his hands He stue of the rooftop A dark cape flaps behind him He smiles and leaps

He releases my arm, and I shuffle backward as a smirk creeps across his lips "Tell me, Ember, have you ever danced with death or been paid a visit by the Reaper?"

"Back the hell off" I reel for uy retreats for the house, whistling a tune as he stuffs his hands into his pockets My heart settles inside er in my mind Does he know about iving the steering wheel a gentle pat, and then I grab a screwdriver from under the seat and pry off the panel I yank out the correct wires, twist theine revs to life "The Kill" by 30 Seconds to Mars blasts through the speakers as I carefully set the wires back in and slam the car door shut

My dad and I used to steal cars When I was young, I’d sit in the backseat while he worked his hotwiring ht é At twelve years old, I couldn’t see the bigger picture; that the situation was n that my dad would eventually lose hiswheel to the side and rauy eyes me from the porch as I cut across the front lawn and peel out down the driveway

The trees blur by as I zoom down the road that threads between the lake and the as pedal to the floor, hoping Laden and Raven will rehway and hopefully I can catch up with them

By accident, I saw Raven’s death once I’m usually very carefully not to touch people, especially ones that are close to me I don’t want to kno it ends for the the in Raven’s tree house Raven had tripped and landed near the edge, alrab her OnceWhat I saw Our friendship Raven will die young, in a very painful and terrifying way It will happen by the water, during a rainstorm, just like Laden’s death Only her life will be stolen

Clouds blanket the sky, the , and the air smells fresh like before a rainstorm I try not to panic and speed up I don’t look at how fast I’, but I’m not scared My death will come when it’s tiht, a faint light will sparkle, and I’ll be alone I don’t knohen, though And I’m thankful for that If anyone knehen they’d die, the fear and obsession to change it would own thehts reflect in my mirror and a car rides up ones closer until it’s only inches away fro into mine A sharp corner approaches, so I tap the brakes, but nothing happens I stomp on the brake, but the car accelerates faster down the hill The corner eru in a deep breath, I crank the steering wheel to the right The car spins and the tires screech as the front of , like a train roaring up the railroad tracks

There’s a split second where ht not fall, and I hold my breath Then out of nowhere, a raven dives down and lands on the hood Seconds later, the tailgater slaainst the windshield The car flips over nose-first and then rolls down the hill My seatbelt locks and I’m jerked back to the seat as my body is stabbed, beaten, and broken Then the car hits the lake and suddenly it beco to die today