Page 9

She turned her back on me and grabbed a bag from the shadows and tossed it to me.

"What's this?"

She shrugged. "It's a start. Some money, a contact number for someone to help you with the stuff you might need."

I stared at her, my heart beating in my ears. "Why are you helping me?"

Marigold shrugged again. "Because I'm in the position to help you. Because someone helped me once."

There was something in her tone I couldn't quite place.

"And one day, I might come calling for a favour of my own."

Then she turned around to go.

"Wait... where are you going?"

"Wherever I want," she said with a wink. "That's the point."

I watched her walk away, that strange ache tugging at my chest.

Marigold had stepped back into the shadows near the side of the station, already half-swallowed by the dark leaving so many damn questions in her wake.

I went into the store and found a self service option for the gas, quickly paying for enough to nearly fill the tank. I was just finishing up and getting ready to leave when I heard it.

Not a bang. Not a shout. Just this... wet crack, followed by a sharp gasp. Then silence.

My heart stopped. I froze, every hair on my arms rising.

"Marigold?" I called out, voice breaking on the edges.

Nothing.

I took a hesitant step forward. Then another.

The shadows felt darker now. Colder.

When I rounded the side of the building, I saw her. Slumped against the wall, body twisted unnaturally, one hand reaching toward me. Blood bloomed across the front of her shimmering shirt, too dark in the moonlight to be real. Too much.

No! No! No! No!

"Marigold!" I dropped to my knees beside her, grabbing her wrist, shaking her gently. "Come on! What happened?"

Her eyes fluttered open just a sliver. Her lips moved, barely a breath.

"...run..."

And then she went still.

I choked on a sob. My fingers curled into her jacket, gripping tight like I could hold her by sheer will alone. I wanted to scream. I wanted to collapse.

But I didn't.

Because I heard footsteps.

Fast.

Approaching.