Page 83 of Please Open Me
“I didn’t know—” I croaked, scrambling back until my spine hit the cold pink tile.
The tub gurgled louder. The blood thickened to tar. It spilled over, creeping toward their broken bodies.
A cry pierced the air.
Sharp. High.Human.
And suddenly—I could move.
I whipped around just in time to see something rise to the surface.
A baby.
A tiny, lifeless back.
Then, a bubble flipped her over.
Red curls.
Blue lips.
Eyes wide open.
Rosie.
She stared at me, but didn’t move or coo or breathe.
“NO!”
The scream tore from my throat, shredding something vital on the way out. I lunged forward with arms outstretched.
I could save her—had to. CPR. Something. Anything.
But the second I touched her, I was pulled under.
Together, we sank into the sanguine sea.
My lungs screamed. My chest burned. Metallic warmth filled my nose and mouth, drowning me in it.
And somewhere above—
Dale’s voice. Calm. Cold. Final.
“You were born for this, FatherCastillo.”
“Sebastian!”
A voice tore through the dark.
“Sebastian, wake up!”
And a baby fussed.
My eyes flew open. I gasped—air clawing its way into my lungs. My body jolted upright, every nerve screaming.
I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t focus.
I was soaked in sweat. My throat burned. My muscles screamed like I’d just escaped the grave.
