They Called My Death a Tantrum, So I Stayed Dead novel · Chapter 10 of 24
Chapter 10: The Band
The blue square went dark, and the living room lights came back on.
Nobody had moved.
The bar over Pierce's wrist stayed where it was, a gold line with a gray tip, and the number kept turning slowly over.
Ninety-six.
Cadence crossed the carpet.
She grabbed his left wrist in both hands.
"Take it off," she said.
"Cadence, don't."
"Take it off him!" She dug her nails under the band and pulled.
It did not move.
It was thin, and plain, and when she pulled, the skin around it went white.
"Let go," Pierce said. "Cadence, you'll hurt me."
"Good."
"If you take it off, I die."
Her hands stopped.
"It's tied to me," he said. "It's the only thing keeping me here. The voice said so on the first day. If it comes off, I go."
"You're lying again."
"I'm not."
"You've lied since you got out of the hospital."
"I'm not lying now," he said, and his eyes were wet. "Look at it. Look at the number. It's the only thing in this house I've ever been afraid of."
Cadence let go.
She stepped back with her hands shaking and wiped them on her gown.
My father had said nothing since he spoke my mother's name.
He was staring at Pierce with his mouth open.
"Why?" he said.
Pierce rubbed his wrist.
"What do you mean, why?"
"We loved you. You didn't need this. You were our son. You had everything."
"Not that," Pierce said, and he laughed, high and awful. "Don't say it like I had everything. I had half."
"What?"
"The voice told us fifty and fifty. Half of what you had to give. And I was supposed to share it."
"With your brother."
"With Ewan." He spat my name. "Who you already loved. Who was already your first son. You think I didn't know how it would go? I had one day to decide. I looked at the bar and I knew I'd lose."
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