Liora yanked the car door open with trembling hands, her knuckles pale from how tightly she gripped the handle. Her breath came in sharp, furious bursts as she threw herself into the driver's seat and slammed the door shut. The engine roared to life beneath her fingers, and without giving herself time to think, she stomped on the gas. The tires screeched against the asphalt as she pulled out of the grand, sterile driveway of the Woods' estate.
The further she drove, the tighter the knot in her chest grew. Her eyes were glassy, her vision blurring at the edges as her heart pounded louder than the low hum of the car engine. Rage, betrayal, heartbreak—they all brewed together into a toxic cocktail bubbling inside her. When the pressure became unbearable, she jerked the wheel to the side and pulled over into an empty stretch of road flanked by leafless trees and broken fences.
With a grunt of frustration, she shoved the door open and stormed out, slamming it behind her. "Damn you, Elias!" she screamed into the cold night air. The silence of the road absorbed her cries like a void.
She turned and kicked the front tire of the car with all her strength, expecting a satisfying thud. Instead, a bolt of sharp pain shot through her foot. "OW! Dammit!" she cried, stumbling back and nearly falling over. She hopped on one foot, gritting her teeth as she leaned against the hood, her ankle throbbing.
Of course. She couldn't even have this one damn moment. Her life was a series of humiliations.
Clenching her jaw, she looked down the empty road. A light mist was beginning to settle in the air, the moon pale and smudged behind clouds. It was the kind of night that swallowed people whole. She didn't care. She couldn't stay in that suffocating house one second longer.
"Screw the car," she muttered, limping away. "I'll walk."
The heels of her boots clicked hollowly against the cracked pavement as she walked. Her breath came in little clouds in front of her, the night colder than she'd expected. She wrapped her arms around herself, her thin sweater no match for the chilly wind.
She had walked maybe fifteen minutes when she heard it—the low purring rumble of engines.
Liora turned her head sharply. A group of motorbikes appeared at the curve behind her, their headlights slicing through the fog like knives. She froze.
"Hey there, sweetheart," a voice called out as the bikes slowed and began to circle her. Her heart dropped.
Four men, rough-looking, leather jackets, sneers painted across their faces like bad graffiti. One of them had a scar that stretched from his jaw to his temple. Another was chewing gum loudly, his eyes roving over her like she was a product on sale.
"Looks like you're lost, huh?" said the scarred one. "Why don't we help you out?"
Liora took a step back, clutching her bag to her chest. "Leave me alone."
"Aw, come on now," Gum Chewer said, hopping off his bike and walking toward her. A glint of silver flashed in his hand. A knife.
"Hand over the bag, princess," he said, voice suddenly sharp.
"No!" she shouted, turning to run. But pain shot up her leg from the earlier kick and her foot gave out. She stumbled forward with a yelp.
In an instant, a hand grabbed her from behind and yanked her backward. She struggled, kicking and screaming, her voice raw with terror.
"LET GO OF ME! HELP! SOMEBODY!"
Scarface grabbed her bag while Gum Chewer held her arm in a vice-like grip. One of the others laughed. "Scream louder, baby. Maybe the moon'll come to save you."
In a burst of panic, she twisted, throwing her elbow into his gut. He grunted, loosening his grip. She broke free and ran.
She barely got five steps before she felt it—a sharp sting at her neck, like fire slicing through her skin. She gasped, her eyes widening.
The world tilted.
She dropped to her knees, her hand flying up to her neck. Blood. Hot, sticky, and fast. Her breaths came in short, ragged gasps.
"Shit, man, what did you do?" someone shouted.
"I didn't mean to! She moved!" Gum Chewer's voice trembled.
"Let's get the hell out of here!"
Their engines roared to life again, and one by one, they disappeared into the fog.
Liora collapsed fully onto the road, her body spasming. She was choking—on blood, on air, on disbelief.
"Is this... really how it ends?" she whispered.
Her thoughts spiraled as hot tears spilled down her cheeks. Her body screamed in pain, but her heart ached more.
She thought of her parents, too focused on keeping up appearances to ever truly love her. Of Hanna, golden girl Hanna, who could do no wrong, not even when she ran away from a wedding. Of Elias—Elias, the man she had loved for so long, who had looked at her with indifference even as she gave him everything.
"Was I really that forgettable? That replaceable?" she croaked.
Her fingers twitched on the cold asphalt as she looked up at the night sky. It was spinning now, stars dancing mockingly.
And then—one star began to fall. A single, lonely streak of light burning across the darkness.
A falling star.
She smiled, though blood stained her teeth. "Let me do it over... please," she whispered. "Just once more."
Her eyes fluttered closed as darkness finally took her.