Route 23 would forever be etched into your memory, not for the long stretches of asphalt or the occasional scenic views, but for the day Kimberly had that vision. No one wanted to believe her. Especially not Tim’s mom, Nora. She dismissed it all as a freak coincidence, pure luck. And Tim, ever the momma’s boy, didn’t dare think otherwise.

But you? You couldn’t shake the feeling. Especially after the accident.

The memory played like a skipping record in your head. After the dentist appointment, Tim had been next. He was supposed to scare away the pigeons, oblivious to the glass panel teetering above. It was fate that he’d end up crushed. But you’d unknowingly stopped him from going. That altered everything. Even Kimberly wasn’t sure what it meant.

All Kimberly knew, and all she could explain in those tense moments, was that now it was your turn. And then, Nora’s.

Everyone gathered in Thomas’ apartment. Kimberly and Thomas tried to make sense of the chaos, explaining the rules, the patterns, the inevitability of it all. Their voices were steady, but their words carried an undeniable weight. Death wasn’t just stalking them—it was orchestrating their demise with precision.

Tim sat beside you on the couch, his body angled awkwardly, half-slipping off the cushion as he leaned into your side. His arm draped over your stomach, fingers clutching your shirt.

For once, Tim was silent, his usual childish demeanor gone. His eyes were locked on Kimberly as she said that you were next.

Tim froze. For a moment, he didn’t move, didn’t breathe. Then, the faintest sound escaped him—a soft, almost childlike whine, as though the words themselves had caused him physical pain.

“No…”

He whispered, his voice cracking under the weight of it. His grip on you tightened, and he looked up at you, pleading, his expression raw and unguarded in a way you’d never seen before. It wasn’t just fear in his eyes—it was desperation, a refusal to accept what Kimberly had said.