The world was red.
Red on Dan's hands. Red on his chest. Red pooling beneath her.
Anna's body trembled in his arms—shallow, staggered breaths the only sign she was still clinging to life. Her eyes fluttered, unfocused, and blood lined her lips as she tried to speak.
"Stay with me," Dan begged, his voice cracking. "Please—don't close your eyes, not yet."
Anna's hand reached weakly to his cheek. Her touch was barely there, more memory than warmth.
"You're shaking…" she murmured, her voice like paper.
"It's nothing," Dan lied, though his entire body was trembling. "You'll be fine. You're going to be fine, just—just hold on. Please."
Anna's lips curved faintly. "I told you not to forget…"
"You said this wasn't goodbye," Dan choked out.
Anna's breath hitched. Her hand slipped from his face.
"Still isn't," she whispered—and then her body stilled.
Dan stared. The silence was deafening. Not even his heartbeat remained.
She was gone.
And he felt… nothing.
Just stillness. As if the part of him capable of feeling had died too.
Dan lowered her gently. The weight in his arms was heavier than before. He looked down at her lifeless form, and finally—finally—breathed out.
"Farewell… Anna."
The room around him blurred at the edges. His hands, still drenched in blood, trembled again—but not from fear.
He wasn't sure what he was anymore.
He sat still for a long moment before whispering:
"Where did this all begin…?"
A pause.
Then a bitter smile.
"Oh… now I remember."
Two Weeks Earlier
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
The alarm screamed. Dan groaned into his pillow.
"Wake up!" Anna's voice called out. A hand tapped his back—then slapped it when he didn't move.
"I'm up—I'm up!" Dan sat up groggily, rubbing his eyes.
"We have class," Anna warned, already dressed and pacing the room.
Dan yawned. "Class? Now? What's the time?"
"I don't know, genius. Check it."
Dan grabbed his phone, squinting. "It's 12:01 p.m.… Wait. I thought class starts at 12:30."
"No!" Anna barked. "It starts at 12 sharp."
Dan blinked. "So?"
Anna gave him a look that could cut steel. "Hello?! You have a major test today."
"Test?" Dan blinked. "What test?"
"Mr. Romeo's test!"
Dan's eyes widened. "Oh, shit!"
He leapt from the bed, nearly tripping over his bedsheet as he scrambled to the bathroom.
"Have you even bathed?" Anna shouted after him.
"Right—right!" he yelled back.
Minutes later, both were dressed, sprinting out the door. They mounted Dan's old motorcycle and raced through the streets. The school came into view just as the final bell rang.
They slipped into their seats breathless, but somehow—miraculously—on time.
Mr. Romeo raised a brow at them. "Glad you could join us."
"Thank you, sir," Anna said sweetly.
Dan gave a thumbs up. "All good, right?"
Sometime after the test
Dan exhaled deeply, slumping in his seat. "Phew… that was close."
Anna laughed. "I bet you wrote 'Romeo and Juliet' was about time travel."
"Would've been a better story," Dan muttered.
A familiar voice shouted from behind. "Yo! Lovebirds!" George strutted up to them—loud, obnoxious, and wearing sunglasses indoors. "Where're you two lovebirds headed?"
Anna rolled her eyes. "Mall, then food, then home."
"Well, cancel that," George said. "Big party tonight. My place."
"Again?" Dan raised a brow.
George smirked. "Duh. And you're the guest of honor. You're the party animal, man. Last time? Epic.
"Who? Me?" Dan asked, feigning innocence.
Anna scoffed. "He blew up a car, George."
George laughed. "And that's exactly why I need him again. You give life to these things."
Dan grinned. "I know…"
"Okay, enough ass kissing," Anna interrupted. "We'll come."
"YES!" George cheered, already texting on his phone. "Dan's coming, everybody!"
As they walked down the hall, people began clapping and calling Dan's name. He gave a mock bow while Anna groaned and dragged her hand down her face.
Evening — Dan's Room
The room was dim, lit only by the soft yellow glow of a desk lamp. A slow, lo-fi beat pulsed from the Bluetooth speaker on the shelf, blending with the low hum of the evening breeze drifting through the half-cracked window.
Anna sat curled at the edge of the bed, her knees hugged tightly to her chest. She stared ahead, eyes tracing patterns in the shadows on the wall. Dan lay sprawled across the mattress, one leg dangling off the side, flicking through his phone with absentminded thumbs.
"You ever wonder if people only like you because you're loud?" Anna asked quietly.
Dan grinned, eyes still fixed on his screen. "Loud is charming," he said. "Loud wins awards. Loud gets invited to parties."
Anna didn't laugh. Her voice stayed soft. "And hides the scared part underneath."
Dan's grin faded. He set the phone down and turned his head toward her. The room seemed to still with him.
"Where'd that come from?"
"I see you, Dan," she said, gaze still ahead. "When no one's looking. You're not always the guy on the roof screaming into the wind."
He exhaled a small, tired chuckle. "You got me figured out, huh?"
"Not everything," Anna replied. "But enough."
Silence settled between them again—thick, but not heavy. Just... full.
Then, without turning to him, Anna spoke again. Her voice was thinner now, fragile and unsure.
"Just… promise me something."
Dan looked up.
"When it all crashes down—don't shut me out."
He stared at her for a moment. Then nodded. "I won't," he said softly.
She turned toward him slightly, the side of her face catching the glow of the lamp. "I love you, Daniel."
Dan blinked. "That sounds suspiciously like a goodbye."
"It's not," she whispered. "Just in case."
He didn't answer right away. He just looked at her, committing everything to memory—the way her eyes shone, the small crease in her brow, the way her voice trembled even as she smiled.
Finally, he said, "I won't forget."
He grabbed the pillow beside him and tossed it at her. She squealed and caught it, then launched herself at him in retaliation. They wrestled playfully for a moment, laughter echoing off the walls. And in that brief, flickering moment—they were safe.
Everything was still whole.
And the end hadn't come yet.
That Night at George's House
The house was filled with chaos. Music throbbed through the walls, people poured in from every direction—schoolmates, strangers, even people from other towns. Lights flashed, the bass shook the ground, and the neighborhood had become one giant, drunken block party.
"Damn," someone muttered. "This party's insane."
"Isn't it?" someone else replied.
George handed out drinks like candy. "Welcome! Grab one! You're part of history now."
"How'd you get the crowd this big?" asked a girl in glittering heels.
George pointed toward Dan, who was already surrounded by admirers. "Him. That's the secret weapon."
Dan laughed, spinning someone in a dance before Anna pulled him away by the ear.
Hours Later
George climbed onto the roof and waved for the DJ to kill the music. Grumbles rose from the crowd.
"Guys, guys! Chill. Just one quick announcement!"
More groans.
"First off, shoutout to the king of chaos himself—Dan!"
The crowd erupted in cheers.
"And of course—happy birthday to me!"
Even louder cheering.
Dan blinked. "Wait. It's your birthday?"
Anna elbowed him. "You really don't listen to anyone, do you?".
George climbed down, shaking hands. "Why else do you think I threw this thing?"
"I thought you were just bored," Dan shrugged.
George cackled. "You really are hopeless."
Moments Later
Dan, Anna, George, and their crew gathered in the so-called VIP room. Laughter and chatter filled the space.
"Let's play something," Dan suggested.
"Like what?" Zack asked.
"Truth or Dare," Dan said.
"Classic," George grinned. "I'm in."
"Me too," said Nancy.
One by one, the others joined in. Ella. Ray. Barbara.
The bottle spun and pointed at Barbara.
Zack cracked a smile. "Hehe… here we go."
And just like that, the night rolled on—laughter, dares, secrets spilled in shadows.
None of them knew this was the last time they'd be whole.
None of them could see the horror quietly threading its way toward them.
But Dan would remember.
Every moment.
Until the end.
To be continued…