Phantom Rider: The Aftermath | Book 1

Not Your Time

Mila's POV

I left my car next to the mall and walked for about 40 minutes to the local hospital. Nobody paid me any mind, so I sneaked into an empty surgery room. I quickly grabbed some needles, a blood collection tube, a tourniquet, alcohol swabs, and gauze pads, then made my way back to the car.

I made a quick stop at the mall to buy scissors, and new clothes. My heart pounded as I darted into the mall restroom.

Taking a deep breath, I unzipped my bag and carefully laid out my medical supplies on the cold, tiled surface of the sink. It felt surreal to be doing this in such an unconventional setting, but I couldn't afford to dwell on that now.

Rolling up my sleeve, I steadied my hands and reached for an alcohol swab, tearing it open and swabbing the inside of my elbow. Next, I grabbed the tourniquet and wrapped it around my upper arm, pulling it tight enough to make the vein more visible. My palms were sweaty from stress - I had never done this before.

With trembling hands, I picked up the needle. Aligning it with the vein, I took a deep breath and inserted it with a swift, controlled motion. The sharp prick was a brief discomfort, but then I could feel the needle sliding into the vein. I focused as the blood began to flow into the collection tube. To my surprise, it worked on the first try. I hadn't expected that.

When I had collected enough blood, I gently pulled the needle out, immediately pressing a gauze pad against the puncture site and applying pressure to stop the bleeding.

I quickly gathered all items and stuffed them back into my bag. I couldn't just leave it here. I will throw them out in public trash can on the street.

I took the scissors and cut about 10 centimeters of my hair, tossing it into a plastic bag along with the blood containers. That should be enough. Flashbacks of torture flickered through my mind - electroshock, ice baths, countless days without sleep, starvation.

I put on the thickest, softest pants and jumper I could find. It was a hot early summer day, but my plan required me to be fully covered, otherwise, it might not work at all.

I had nothing to lose now.

I waited until the sun dipped below the horizon. Before getting into the car, I checked the brakes one last time. I had to be sure, the car needed to be at full speed and not stop.

I found an empty road to ensure it wouldn't crash into anyone. There was just one problem: I had to be in the car to speed it up. It terrified me, but time was running out. They would find me any moment.

I sat in the car, tossing my cut hair pieces all around it. Then, I splattered the collected blood on the front seats and windows. I hoped it would be enough.

I accelerated the car, my hands and legs trembling with stress. There was no turning back now, it wouldn't stop. My heart raced faster than the car. Stress overwhelmed me, and I could hear my heartbeat pounding in my chest.

50 km/h 

70 km/h

The road went downhill. It was time. I forced the door open, took a deep breath, and jumped, aiming for the tall, thick grass at the side of the road.

I knew it would hurt like hell, but I wasn't prepared for the pain as my body hit the ground. The tall grass cushioned the fall a little, but not enough. I passed out instantly, my injured body rolling into the ditch, completely limp and unconscious. The car continued down the hill, crashing with full force into a tree at the intersection. It exploded into flames.

"Mom?" I opened my eyes. My mother walked toward me from the far end of the field. Even though it was night, she radiated light.

"Mom, it hurts!" I cried. "Please, take me home!"