The evening had been perfect—well, for everyone but Diane.
Earlier, she sat at a small table in the corner of the cozy restaurant with her friends. The conversation had flowed easily between bites of food, laughter, and teasing. Her usual aloof demeanor had softened a little, and she had allowed herself to enjoy the warmth of their company. But that was before the inevitable moment when everyone else started to head home, leaving her to face the reality of the world she lived in.
It was already 7:00 PM, and the restaurant was starting to empty out as her friends got up to leave, each of them giving Diane a quick hug or wave goodbye.
Mark, who had been quietly sitting beside her, seemed to linger just a moment longer. He gave her a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, like he had something on his mind.
“So? Do you want me to take you home?” he asked, his voice soft but teasing. “Or are you going to take the bus as always?”
Diane chuckled, glancing over at him, “Of course, I’ll take the bus. No need to pretend to be a ‘gentleman’.”
Mark grinned, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “I’m not pretending. It’s true, I’m a gentleman.”
Diane rolled her eyes but smiled anyway. “Yeah, sure, whatever.”
She stood up, grabbing her bag from the chair. The others had already left, and now the space felt empty, too quiet. The weight of the evening—of everything she’d been trying to forget—settled in her chest again. She needed to get home and escape the weight of her own thoughts. She didn’t want to be around anyone too long, didn’t want anyone else to get too close.
But Mark wasn’t just anyone.
Mark followed her as she began walking toward the door, her footsteps light, the cool evening air greeting them both as they stepped outside. The soft hum of the city filled the silence between them as they strolled in step, neither saying much, but both feeling the pull of something unspoken.
Minutes passed, and still, there was nothing but the quiet sound of their shoes against the pavement. Diane’s mind wandered. She tried not to look at Mark, knowing the moment she did, it would be too obvious. But he caught her glancing at him. His smile was playful, his eyes mischievous.
“What?” he asked, his voice light.
Diane’s face flushed, and she quickly looked away, her heart racing. “N-nothing!” She hoped he hadn’t noticed the strange fluttering in her chest. Why did it always happen with him?
“Come on, tell me. Please?” His voice was soft now, coaxing. Diane sighed, knowing there was no point in hiding it anymore. If she didn’t say something, he’d keep pressing her.
The words left her before she could stop them, as if they were trying to escape her all on their own. “I like you.”
Mark stopped dead in his tracks, his gaze snapping toward her. Diane’s stomach dropped, and she could feel the heat rush to her face. It felt like the world had stopped in that moment. There was no going back.
“I like you too, Diane.” His voice was gentle, warm—sincere.
Diane blinked, unable to believe what she was hearing. Her heart skipped a beat, a slow warmth spreading through her chest, a mixture of relief and elation. Her lips parted in disbelief. “Y-you really mean it?”
Mark chuckled, a small, sweet sound that made her heart flutter even more. He nodded. “Of course I do.”
Diane’s face broke into a quiet smile, and for the briefest moment, she felt like maybe, just maybe, this was what she had always wanted. She let out a small, relieved laugh and smiled softly at him, her worries starting to fade. But then—then—everything shattered.
From above, a screeching sound split the air. Diane’s instincts screamed, but she didn’t have time to act.
“Mark, watch out—!” she shouted, but it was too late. Before Mark could even react, the heavy metal pipe crashed down on him, hitting him squarely across the back.
The world slowed. The air grew thick, suffocating. Diane stood frozen, unable to process what had just happened. The sound of Mark’s scream, muffled and weak, barely reached her ears as her body went into a panic. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think. All she could hear was the blood rushing in her ears, her heart hammering wildly in her chest.
No.
Not again.
She forced herself to move, her body trembling as she shakily pulled out her phone. Her fingers fumbled, her vision blurring with tears as she typed the emergency number with hands that wouldn’t stop shaking.
“H-hello?” she gasped when the line connected. Her voice sounded foreign, like it wasn’t even hers. “I-I need an ambulance at Street 0963, near Mailey’s Bouquet Shop… there’s a… an accident. A metal pipe—please, hurry… hurry up.”
The words felt like they were coming from a distant place, like they didn’t belong to her.
And then the world seemed to collapse around her.
---
Present Day
Diane sat in a plastic chair in the waiting area of the ER, staring blankly at the cold, sterile walls. The fluorescent lights buzzed above her, the silence broken only by the occasional murmur of nurses rushing past.
Her friends had arrived one by one, faces filled with concern and confusion. First, it was Jana, then Kaitlyn, Angeline, Dave, Henry, and Jake—each of them coming to her side, asking what had happened.
Angeline was the first to approach her, her steps slow, hesitant. “What happened, Diane?” she asked, her voice gentle but filled with worry.
Diane turned toward her friend, her eyes red and swollen from crying. The sobs had started hours ago and hadn’t stopped since. She could still see the image of Mark falling, his face contorted in pain, the weight of the pipe crushing him. The image was burned into her mind, and there was no escape.
She trembled as she spoke, barely able to get the words out. “I-It happened again…” Her voice was barely a whisper. “It happened again, Angeline…”
Her friends stared at her in disbelief, but Diane knew. She knew they didn’t fully understand. She could see it in their eyes—the pity, the confusion, the fear. They didn’t know what she was capable of.
What she had to live with.
(Her past, this is when she was still a Seventeen)
YOU ARE READING
Fatal Strings
Mystery / Thriller"Every love she touches ends in death. But what if love is the only thing that can save her?" Diane has lived her life shadowed by tragedy. Every boy she's ever loved has met a mysterious, untimely end-from playground accidents to fatal falls. Haunt...
