Kaylah's POV

"SOMEBODY HELP! Please," I croaked out, my voice trailing off to a whisper as I chocked on something wet. The adrenaline was ebbing away, my body shaking itself apart as I was gripped by insane hysterical terror. I turned my head sideways, frantically looking for someone, anyone. I could see the end of the alley and hoped that if I made it to the main street, somebody would see me.

I was slumped against the wall, barely holding myself upright. I allowed my upper body to hit the ground, landing on my side so I could crawl. I screamed as I thrust my hand forwards, fingers splayed, fingernails cracking as they dug into the dirt, legs working furiously to try and propel me forward. White spots engulfed my vision, and I began feeling lightheaded, teetering on the edge of unconsciousness, which only made my movements more frantic.

The pain felt like a living thing, latching onto my midriff and squeezing, making me cough up blood and vomit, making me wheeze and fight for another breath. They say pain feels like you've been set on fire, but I wasn't sure it did; I only felt cold, shivering despite the sheen of sweat coating my body.

I'd always worried about the people around me dying, but I never stopped to consider that I wasn't invincible either. I couldn't sob any longer, for I feared that I'd shake myself apart. Instead, I silently let tears roll down my cheeks, and faintly wondered if my eyeliner was still intact. My crawl, which had started forcefully, had slowed until I was barely inching forward, a couple centimetres at a time, until I couldn't anymore.

I rolled onto my back, ignoring the jolt I felt and the pitiful sound I made as my wound shifted, spewing fresh rivulets of blood over the hand now clutching at it. I turned my head to the side, towards the east and the sea, and wondered if I could hold on long enough to watch the sunrise one more time. I had spent my whole life in the sun, but I'd never missed it more than in that one moment.

I shook forcefully, as my body went into shock, taking the pain away but giving nothing in return. It left me as empty as the night sky, the stars and the moon blotted out by stubborn clouds. I thought of my mom, who would never be a mother again, and my dad, who would have no one to call his sunshine anymore. I thought of my life so far, and how every action had brought me here, bleeding out in an abandoned alley, and couldn't think of one single thing I would change. I wondered if Gage would be the one to find me, and that somehow made me sad.

I kept my eyes wide open, even as the wind picked up, blowing hair onto my face and dirt into my eyes. I stared and stared upwards, until finally, I saw a crescent moon emerge from the clouds, shyly shining upon the world, reflecting the sunlight in a darker, colder way. The way death reflected upon life, a shadow waiting for your sun to set. I felt cold and so, so alone and wished my mom was there, caressing my hair and telling me everything would be okay. And so, because I wanted to feel less alone, I started murmuring the lullaby she'd always sing whenever I she tried to calm me down "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...."