Chapter 36

She counted until he reached his car. He did not turn back.

Olivia lay forgotten on the ground, unmoving. Although the side effects of the treatment had reduced significantly, her body still felt weak. The hard fall felt like it had broken her bones.

Brent and the rest were with Ethan. Madam Burgess used to be around, but she left. Now the house was empty.

Snow fell from the sky, and cold wind came from all directions. Her hands and feet were frozen.

She thought, “Someone please help me.”

Her bag was not far from where she was, but she could not turn over and reach for it.

She could only stare at the snowflakes floating in a cruel ballet in the sky. Tears slowly fell from her face as she whispered, “885, 886…”

By the time she counted to 1038, Olivia had recovered enough strength to stand. She used one hand to support herself and got up.

She was freezing. When the car arrived, the tip of her nose was red from the cold. She couldn’t raise the arm she used to catch the boy, so she