•| SAPPHIRE
I ran into the hospital and hurried to the one place that’s been ringing in my head repeatedly—Aunt Hannah’s ward. When I walked in, I froze in place. The nurses there were covering her with a white cloth. I shook my head. This wasn’t real.
Willing my feet to move, I rushed to where they were and pushed them away. “Stay away from her! She isn’t dead!” I snapped, blocking them from touching her.
They didn’t stop me. Instead, they stepped aside, their expressions filled with sympathy. I stared at the white cloth covering Aunt Hannah, hesitant to take it off. Or maybe I was scared of what I might find if I raised it.
“Aunt Hannah,” I whispered under my breath. “Please.”
With trembling fingers, I moved the cloth. The world stopped as my eyes caught sight of the blood trailing
