DEAD IN BED By Bailey Simms: The Complete Second Book

PART 11, SECTION 14

Before I could continue, the swallow in the window startled. It flapped its wings. It flew away.

I wasn't sure what had scared it—not until I saw something falling from the cliffs overhead, framed by nothing but a brightening, cloudless sky.

It was a person.

The body passed through my view through the window, arms outstretched in what appeared, to me, as a strange but beautiful grace. Then it was gone from my field of vision. 

Someone had jumped from the cliffs.

I heard the very faint sound of a body impacting the rocks at the bottom of the ravine.

I leapt to my feet. I knew who it was. I knew who it had to be.

"Someone just jumped off the cliffs."

I raced down to the ravine and stumbled to a halt beside the body that lay broken on the rocks.

I was right. Of course I was right.

It was my dad.

Only minutes earlier, I'd learned that my sister and her children had died violently. But I'd never felt anything like I felt when I knelt at my father's side. Nothing even close. I completely lost myself. My dad lay on his back in a splattering of his own blood; his ribs were crushed, his skull had sunken, and even his features were distorted from the impact. I grabbed his collar and buried my face into his familiar red flannel shirt, the same he'd worn when I was kid. I shook him. I screamed. His eyes stared lifelessly at the swallows fluttering overhead.

That's when I felt a folded piece of paper in his pocket. It was wrapper torn from a can of green beans, and on its back was a note. I tried to wipe my eyes, and I read it:

My dearest Ashley,

I will always love you, more than you will ever know, in life and in death.

You know why I've done this. I have no doubt that you've reached exactly the same conclusion that I've reached: in order to save everyone from this miserable plague, one of us has to die.

I couldn't bear it if it were you, while I was the one to stay behind. I know you, and I know that you have been planning to do exactly as I have done. And I know that the only way I can stop you from doing it is by expiring myself.

I have done this because I love you. Never forget that.

Take care of your mother. I hope, someday, she'll understand. Try to explain to Danielle what I've done, and why.

Chris will know what to do with my body. Tell him that I give him permission to extract whatever he needs, as soon as possible.

Do whatever you can to help him distribute the pathogen, wherever it's needed. That's my dying wish. I know you'll honor it.

You are my heart, forever.

—Dad

I raced to find Chris, brushing aside my tears.

My dad was gone. And with him, it felt like the whole world was gone too, washed away. All of it.

But the whole world wasn't gone, as my dad had reminded me in his note.

And now, apparently, it was up to me to save it.

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Please VOTE 🌟 before continuing! Thanks! ;) xxBailey

You've reached the end of Part 11: Love Is In The Air

DEAD IN BED Continues with Part 12: Spread It...