"What are you doing? Let go of me!"
They tore my backpack and clothes to shreds, forced my right hand flat against the ground, and brought a hammer down on my fingers.
"AHHH!"
The agony merged with memories of my past life—those excruciating ten hours before my death.
Just as despair consumed me, seven or eight cameras flashed in my face.
A familiar figure pushed through the crowd.
Christina stood over me, dangling a photograph.
"Here's a lesson for you: not everyone needs to take the college entrance exam. Breaking one hand today should teach you something."
She tilted her head. "Say another word about any of this, and you'll lose the other hand too. These photos? A little editing, and they'll be all over the city."
"Christina... this is illegal!"
I was shaking from the pain.
She looked bored.
"So what? What's the point of living by the rules all the time? Myron says if you're young, you should do something crazy."
A proud little smile crossed her face. "You've never truly loved someone, Alvin. You wouldn't understand."
Haven't I?
I sucked in a breath through my teeth.
How could I not understand?
I loved her...