Page 15 of Punishing Penelope

Savannah lies unmoving, a pool of dark spreading on the pavement.

I scream.

I think I scream.

Her name.

I never knew there could be so much pain.

All I can think is no.

No, no, no, no…

Chapter Four

Peter

Penelope wails, the sound inhuman. A sound I don’t want to hear again for as long as I live.

I run to her side and take in the devastating scene. Lexi is covered in blood with a lifeless little girl on her lap. I don’t have to know squat about medicine to know she’s dead. Her arms hang at odd angles, her wrists bent against the ground in even odder positions. Her body moves, but it’s Lexi’s rocking back and forth.

Penelope falls to her knees and pulls Savannah into her arms.

Then she screams again… for help… her sister’s name. Shaking uncontrollably, she sobs from somewhere deep inside her, her grief so raw, I feel it in my bones.

I will hate myself forever because my first thought is I wonder if this will change things between Penelope and me. Why did Savannah have to leave the car? Pen told her to stay inside. How incredibly fucking stupid.

Then I spring to action.

It’s not too late. It isn’t allowed to happen like this.

I shove Penelope off Savannah, lay the girl on her back, and start chest compressions.

“Liam! Call 911! Now!”

Liam hugs Lexi while he scrambles to get his phone out of his pocket.

The old man, Stephan’s foster dad, has retreated back into his house. Stephan stands frozen, pale, then crouches on the lawn, his head in his hands.

I tilt Savannah’s head back, pinch her nose, and breathe into her mouth. There’s a weird bubbling sound, and her chest doesn’t rise. The air just whooshes out somewhere.

“Ambulance on its way,” Liam says.

“Is she dead?” Sandra crouches on the other side of the body.

“Get off,” I snarl, then get back to the compressions. My hands are wet. Blood oozes everywhere, too much blood. No sign of life. Nothing.

I look up and meet Penelope’s wide eyes, her cheeks tearstained. Lexi holds her tight.

Nothing is right. I need to make this right. Nothing will be right ever again if I don’t.

“You’re getting tired, man. Let me take over.” Cole puts a hand on my shoulder.

We took the CPR class together mere months ago, but it feels like another life. I trust him enough to crawl back on hands and knees. My arms shake, and my back is sweaty.

“I’ll do the breaths.” Sandra steps up to us again and kneels by Savannah’s head.

I can’t tell her it’s no use.