Chapter 4

My pupils dilated in terror, and I instinctively recoiled, staring at Aunt Joyce in horror.

"Aunt... Aunt Joyce, why are you asking that question too?!" My voice trembled.

Noah was equally stunned. He tugged my sleeve, whispering urgently in my ear, "Leo, something's seriously wrong!"

Uncle Walter, still hiding behind me, flushed crimson and cursed angrily, "Are you insane?! Why are you forcing me to choose?!"

He gestured with his arm, which was bleeding profusely from a slash wound.

"Look what you did to me! You almost crippled me, you crazy woman!"

"You... you're trying to murder your own husband!"

Aunt Joyce's lips curved into a chilling, eerie smile.

"Just choose!"

"Don't choose!" I almost screamed.

I spun around, frantically looking at Uncle Walter, shouting in a panic, "Uncle Walter, you can't choose!"

"My mom, and my girlfriend... they both died because my dad and I answered that question!"

"Please, don't choose!"

Uncle Walter stared at me as if I were a ghost.

"What are you talking about? Your mom was fine earlier today!"

Thinking of Mom, my heart ached, and my eyes instantly welled up.

"It's true, Uncle Walter, Mom died. You can't choose."

"If you choose, Aunt Joyce will die too!"

I thought Uncle Walter would calm down after hearing my words. But as soon as I finished, he exploded like a firecracker.

"Then let her die!" he roared, shoving me aside.

He then launched into a furious tirade at Aunt Joyce.

"Joyce, just die already!"

"I've had enough! You want me to choose? I choose my mom! You hear me? I choose my mom!"

My heart leaped into my throat in terror, and I instinctively tried to cover Uncle Walter's mouth.

But he angrily slapped my hand away, spewing his rage uncontrollably.

"My mom isn't like you, trying to murder her husband! Why would I save you?!"

"If you want to die, just do it already! I don't want to be with you, you lunatic! Just die, don't say I didn't choose..."

"Uncle Walter, stop talking!"

I turned back in horror, only to witness a sight that made my blood run cold!

Aunt Joyce, a few feet away, her eyes were filled with utter brokenness. Her pupils fluttered, and tears streamed down her cheeks, but they were blood-red.

"I'm going to die!"

"No!" An alarm blared in my mind, and I screamed, lunging towards her.

But it was too late.

Right in front of us, Aunt Joyce raised the scissors in her hand and plunged them into her own neck without hesitation.

Pffft!

Blood sprayed in an arc.

She clutched her throat, stumbled back two steps, blood continuously oozing between her fingers. The next second, with a muffled thud, Aunt Joyce collapsed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Noah and I were both frozen in horror. Uncle Walter was so terrified he crumpled to the ground on the spot.

"Ahh!" he wailed, scrambling on his hands and knees towards her.

"Honey, what are you doing?!"

He stared helplessly at Aunt Joyce lying in a pool of blood, then knelt to check for her breath.

The next second, all color drained from his face. He slammed a hand on his thigh, then sank back, cradling Aunt Joyce in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Honey, why did you kill yourself?!"

"I... I didn't mean what I said!"

Everything before my eyes felt like a nightmare, choking me. My mind was a chaotic mess, threatening to explode.

"How... how could this happen?!" Uncle Walter cried out, his voice hoarse, looking at me with helpless eyes.

I stumbled backward in a daze, tripped over the doorstep, and fell heavily.

In a blur, I saw two familiar figures walking towards me.

It was Mom, and my deceased girlfriend, Chloe.

Their expressions were sinister as they slowly knelt down.

"Leo..."

Their voices merged into an eerie overlap, grinning as they whispered.

"If your mom and I both fell into the water, who would you save?"