Forgetting Billions | ?

28 | Forgetting Karina

Her fingers loosened around Karina's ankle and all Jasmine could think about was how she had promised not to let her go.

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WHEN JASMINE came to, she tried to touch the warm blood on her cheek, only to realize that she was restrained. She flexed her wrists against the rope tying her to a chair similar to Evan and Karina's and let out a cry of frustration as her head fall back against the wood, silent tears running down her face.

"It's about time you woke up. Choose." The woman's voice rang through the room yet again.

"Choose what?" she replied with a hiccup, struggling against the ropes with every word that left her lips.

"Choose who lives and who dies. It is up to you."

"You mean choose whether I should kill my cousin or my best friend? What if I don't?" Jasmine hissed, wincing from the sharp currents shooting through her brain.

"Choose," the woman repeated blankly.

"Jas," Evan whispered. The woman kicked his chair and he fell onto the ground, his face colliding with the cement flooring. "Jasmine."

He closed his eyes and let out a shivering sob. "Karina has so much more to live for, Jasmine. Choose me. Kill me." The woman's foot connected with the side of Evan's cheek and his pained cry filled the air.

"Evan!" Jasmine yelled, trying to break out of her restraints yet again. "Don't hurt him!"

"Choose," she yelled, this time with more authority. Her previous amusement was all but gone from her demeanor and Jasmine realized she wasn't playing games anymore. She delivered another kick to Evan's sides. Karina started to cry, wanting to save this man she barely knew, but not wanting to be in his position either.

"Jasmine, choose me!" Karina exclaimed. "Aditya has someone to take care of him now. He has you. No one needs me anymore. Kill me."

"Don't listen to her. She's only twelve!" Evan replied as the woman slapped Karina silent.

When Karina's eyes rolled back into her head from the mere force of the slap, Evan collapsed into a fit of hysterical screaming, repeating the same three words over and over again like a madman. "She's only twelve."

"Please, stop!" Jasmine called out from the other side of the room. "I'll choose if you stop hurting them."

Evan's voice was significantly weaker as his eyes fell shut. "Don't let her torture me, Jas. I don't want to live through this."

"I'll choose!" Jasmine screamed. Silence enveloped the room as each person facing her awaited Jasmine's answer– her fated words that would change all their lives forever. "I'll choose."

Her eyes moved from Karina, who was conscious again, but dazed, to Evan, who was bleeding onto the floor with his face scrunched up from the excruciating pain ripping through his body. Both were so vulnerable, so desperate for Jasmine to help them, despite pleading for death the whole time. She tried her hardest to think of a loophole, anything to get them out of this situation, but nothing seemed to come to mind.

She gripped the armrests of the chair hard and let out an unrestrained, ghostly wail.

"I'm so sorry, Evan," she whispered and he nodded, letting out a deep sigh. "I choose Evan. K-kill him."

The woman pulled his chair up at last and ran her fingers through Evan's hair with a sadistic smile on her face. Evan opened his eyes to meet Jasmine's stare. "Thank you. You chose correctly."

Jasmine struggled against her restraints. "Let me go before you even think about touching him. I want Karina in my hands before anything else happens."