The Lost Girls || Bbangsaz

XXVIII

     Standing over Elton's dead body turned out to be pretty anti-climactic.

Not that I had expected balloons and confetti to drop like I was the millionth shopper at the Piggly Wiggly, but I thought I'd feel ... something. Anything. A fleeting bit of emotion for the boy who had taught me how to dream in centuries. But I had nothing left for the corpse at my feet.

"Did I really kill him?" Hanni stood beside me, her voice barely above a whisper.

"No." Not in a direct way. I tried not to take it personally that she sounded so horrified by the prospect. She didn't remember me. "Did you miss the part where I pulled out his heart?"

She shook her head, and an uncomfortable silence settled between us.

     I had so many questions about her heirloom. When had she planned everything? Did she always intend to let Elton turn her? Did she ever leave town at all, or did she go straight to Elton? She played a dangerous game, assuming I'd burn it. If I'd left it behind at Hyein's house, or hurled it into the woods, tonight would've gone a lot different. I wanted to know every detail, but I'd never get them. Her memories were gone.

Which included all the feelings she had for me.

Hanni pulled a piece of paper out of her back pocket. "You're Minji, aren't you?"

"I am." Hearing her say my name squeezed the air from my lungs.

"I wrote myself this letter. I think maybe you should read it." I took the paper from her and scanned over the words in her handwriting, written before she'd been turned. She told herself not to trust Elton. That if she was reading that letter, then her memories were gone. She explained what it meant to be a vampire and warned herself that she'd probably believe Elton at first.

She broke down all of his history. What he'd done to Haerin and Dani and me. My throat tightened when I got to the part where she talked about us, the time we spent together. Her last words to herself. Trust Minji. You're doing this all for her.

"You did this for me?" My voice cracked as I handed her back the letter. "Seems like you lied to yourself, then, because I tried very hard to keep you alive."

"I know." She folded the paper back up and tucked it into her pocket. "I must've loved you very much if I was willing to give up my entire life of memories for you."

"I think you did." I pulled on the neck of my sweater, finding the air to be a little too tight. "But you probably don't now." She stared at her knotted finger. "I don't. I'm sorry."

I'd been prepared for the words. Without her memories, she had no feelings attached to me, but it hurt nonetheless. I should've been happy I had this final moment to say goodbye to her. I couldn't find the silver lining, though. Everything had gone wrong.

We killed Elton, but we failed to save the girl. As far as I was concerned, we didn't end with a win today.

I had started to turn away when she caught my hand. Just like she did that day at her apartment. Like she couldn't let me go. "Are you leaving?"

"I have to dig up my friends." A sentence I never thought I'd say out loud. "I promised Hyein we would leave town as soon as it was over."

"Oh." She shuffled her feet. "It's just ..."
She stopped talking as Frankie and Gwen drew nearer. Her gaze passed over Gwen and her shoulders hunched, as if she wanted to disappear. Gwen had that effect on people. Frankie increased his stride across the field, his footsteps gaining speed. He must've seen Elton lying on the concrete. That was going to be a fun surprise.