Chapter 1

On the third day of our Labor Day RV trip, Dad got out to fill up on water, while Mom and I went to the market for groceries.

In my past life, a burly man in a mask pried open the RV door and trapped my sleeping sister inside.

Terrified, she video-called me, crying and begging me to save her.

"Sis, help me! There's someone in the car!"

I ran back like a madwoman, and I ran right into the man as he was climbing out of the car.

Furious, I lunged at him and bit him, but he shoved me down the steep slope of the campground and broke my spine.

He gave a taunting laugh and whistled at me.

"Little girl, you want revenge? You really don't know your limits."

"By the way, your sister smells really good..."

The campground claimed there was no surveillance footage and the culprit couldn't be found, so they just paid fifty thousand in compensation and called it done.

But after my sister went home, she lost her mind, and six months later she jumped from a high-rise.

I ended up paralyzed in bed, spending the rest of my life full of regret, wondering why I couldn't have run just a little faster that day.

When I opened my eyes again, Dad was holding the water bucket, smiling as he got ready to step out and fill it.

"You two go get the groceries, I'll be right back."

Every hair on my body stood on end. I snatched the car keys and locked the doors.

"Nobody leaves! Dad, get the safety hammer from under the seat!"

...

Dad's face changed in an instant.

Without a moment's hesitation, he pulled the safety hammer out from under the seat.

"What's happening?"

Mom's heart leaped into her throat too.

"What's wrong, Angelica? Is there someone dangerous?"

I nodded hard.

Scenes from my past life flashed before my eyes, and my throat tightened.

"I—I just saw it by chance."

"There was a man near our RV. He circled it several times, and he kept peering inside..."

Dad's eyes narrowed, and he pressed me at once, his voice serious.

"Did you get a clear look at him? What did he look like?"

I dug my nails into my palms.

A flicker of helplessness crossed my eyes.

"He was wearing a baseball cap and a mask, so I couldn't see his face at all."

"But he was very tall, his arms all muscle. He looked terrifying..."

My voice trembled softly.

Even having lived through it all once more.

Even now, when I thought of that man, my whole body went cold.

Mom looked out the window.

It was Labor Day, and this RV campground was ridiculously lively.

The RVs were lined up in neat rows.

At a glance, there were at least fifty or sixty of them.

Tourists were laughing and horsing around everywhere.

It didn't look at all like a dangerous place where someone evil could be hiding.

"That can't be, Angelica?"

Mom frowned slightly.

"It's broad daylight, and there are so many people in the campground."

"Who would dare commit a crime so openly? It's not possible."

Dad relaxed a little too.

"Right, Angelica, maybe you saw wrong?"

"Or maybe it was just a tourist passing by, curious and taking a look at the RV?"

"Broad daylight, this many people around—no one would dare do anything."

No one would dare.

Yes, that's what everyone thought.

But in my past life, it was in a campground exactly this noisy.

Right under countless people's noses, that burly man pried open the door of our RV.

The first thing he did was pull the blackout curtains shut.

He trapped my sleeping sister inside the RV.

People came and went outside the windows.

Countless people saw our RV rocking.

But not a single one of them thought twice.

Instead, they watched for the fun of it, giggling and joking.

They assumed it was a young couple hiding in the car, being intimate.

A few passersby even filmed videos and posted them to the local camping group online.

That video actually went a little viral at the time.

Countless commenters piled on with jokes and jeers.

But what they didn't know was—

that inside, a human tragedy was playing out.

I bit down hard on my lip, forcing back the red welling in my eyes.

I didn't blame my parents for not believing me.

If I were still my past self, I never would have believed it either.

I didn't dare waste another second. I shook my sleeping sister awake.

"Sis, wake up, stop sleeping!"

My sister rubbed her bleary eyes.

Her face was completely blank.

"What's wrong? Are we leaving?"

I nodded hard, my voice choking up.

"Mom, Dad, let's hurry and go! Right now!"

"We can't stay here. You have to believe me!"

Dad's heart clenched, his voice full of concern.

"Angelica, what on earth is wrong with you?"

"What happened? Everything was fine, why do you suddenly want to leave?"

The fear built up over two lifetimes broke like a dam in an instant.

I couldn't hold it back any longer.

I burst into tears.

"Mom, Dad, I'm begging you, let's go right now!"

"If we don't leave now, it'll be too late!"