Chapter 41 Margaret Inexplicably Wanted to Cry
Margaret shivered. She followed the noise and glanced up at the sky.
Fireworks shot up, bursting like flowers in the pitch-black night, then slowly faded away.
More fireworks lit up the sky.
They were stunning.
Margaret looked around and saw fireworks going off from all directions.
Ashley was here! Ashley actually showed up, and thank goodness she brought a cake. It would've been super awkward if she came empty-handed.
The air reeked of gunpowder.
For some reason, even though it was Ashley's birthday, Margaret felt this weird urge to cry.
She remembered the days before she and Raymond had their falling out, back when Marlon didn't have Alzheimer's. Raymond used to buy tons of fireworks every year for her birthday and set them off by the sea.
Her birthday was in April, in a season brimming with the vitality of spring.
Raymond's birthday, like Ashley's, was smack in the middle of winter.
They had different tastes in food; she loved spicy stuff, while Raymond had a sensitive stomach and stuck to bland food.
She was a night owl, while he was an early bird.
They two were never really a match, stubbornly sticking together for so many years.
Ashes from the fireworks rained down, landing on her and at her feet.
In 23 days, she'd be saying goodbye to this world for good. Before she died, could she still hope for Raymond to set off fireworks for her? Maybe at her funeral.
He had once said that at her funeral, he'd set off fireworks for days and nights to celebrate her death.
The blizzard was getting worse.
The fireworks were almost done.
Margaret still hadn't seen Ashley, and she couldn't help but shout, "Hey, you there?"
She added, "I'm here, where are you?"
Her voice got swallowed by the wind and snow, like people had no chance against fate.
No response.
Margaret held the cake, her fingers red from the cold, and her feet in snow boots numb with pain.
Margaret thought, 'What the heck? Why hasn't Ashley shown up yet?'
Suddenly, she heard a car engine starting.
Turning around, she saw a snow-covered car starting up and heading towards her.
The ground was icy, and the tires kept slipping, making a screeching noise.
So Ashley had been here all along, inside that car.
A terrifying thought crept into Margaret's mind.'Could she be trying to run me over?'
The wrecked car sped up, heading straight for her.
The cake in Margaret's hand fell to the ground with a thud.
Her eyes widened; she couldn't understand why someone who said she'd be grateful to her would drive a wrecked car towards her.
Looking around, all she saw was a vast expanse of white, not a single person in sight.
Margaret took out her phone. Maybe she was too scared or too desperate, but she forced herself to stay calm.
She scrolled through her contacts; Marlon was still in the hospital, recovering, not sure if he was awake.
Nancy couldn't drive and was in Silverbrook, too far away.
Raymond! The name stung her eyes. Only Raymond could save her now.
Raymond had a lot of pull; if he wanted to, he could find someone to save her immediately.
Margaret used a new SIM card to call Raymond's number.
She wondered, 'Would he answer my call? Would he save me?'
Margaret's heart pounded like a drum; she had no confidence.
The wrecked car was getting closer and closer.
"Raymond, Raymond, pick up the phone. Raymond, pick up the phone." Margaret's voice trembled with urgency as she muttered anxiously.
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