Chapter 1

1.

My sister pulled a prank and tricked me into showing up at a live paintball combat match.

By the time I wanted to leave, it was already too late.

My fiancé and my brother crouched by the entrance, coaxing me:

"During the match, your brother and I will keep you covered the whole time. Just stay close to us."

"We've been looking forward to this match for so long. If we're one person short, we'll have to drop out."

I didn't want to let them down, so I gave in.

The match began, but one problem after another cropped up with the gear.

Five players, and in the end they could only put together four full sets.

Without a second thought, the two of them handed the set to my sister:

"You've got us protecting you anyway, the paintballs won't touch you."

But the moment the match started, all it took was one cry from my sister, and the two of them dropped me and ran.

Their bolting left me standing there as a live target.

A paintball slammed into my head, and the pain hit so hard I nearly blacked out.

Three rounds landed on me one after another. The two of them heard me, and all they said was:

"Wait right there, we'll come protect you in a bit."

A voice in me said that once the match ended, they wouldn't remember me at all.

Just like so many times before.

Extra tutoring, when they picked up my sister and forgot to pick me up.

Birthdays, when they had presents ready for my sister and nothing for me.

Even the car crash three years ago, when they saved my sister and left me forgotten inside the car.

If a passing stranger hadn't pulled me out, I'd have burned to death.

Either way I'd be forgotten, so what difference did waiting or not waiting make?

I wasn't going to wait anymore.

……

With no special suit to protect me, both my legs, hit by the paintballs, swelled up fast.

I dragged myself along and quickly found cover to hide behind.

The instant I got into position, the spot where I'd just been erupted with a burst of teeth-grating gunfire.

Job Roman's voice came through the radio earpiece, a little frantic: "Marjorie Matthews, are you okay? That place they were just firing at, wasn't that where you were?"

"Stay right there, don't move, I'm coming to find you."

I was about to answer when Sophie Matthews let out a whimper and grabbed hold of Job:

"Job, ow, my ankle hurts."

"I don't know if I just twisted it. Can you carry me?"

Job's steps faltered. He wavered for a moment, then spoke to me through the earpiece after all:

"Sophie seems to have twisted her ankle. She's always had a weak ankle, she can't move around like this, I have to carry her."

"You find a good spot and stay hidden. We'll take your sister and knock all those people out, then come get you."

I'd already guessed he would leave me behind, but hearing it again still hurt.

"Don't trouble yourself."

I scanned for cover a bit farther off, picked up a rock from the ground, and hurled it hard in the opposite direction.

It drew the enemy players' attention. The gunfire started up again, and I gritted my teeth and shifted fast to new cover.

Job froze for a second, then his voice turned cold.

"We're just coming to get you a little later, it's not like we're not coming at all."

"Your sister's in poor health, so we're looking after her a bit more. Is that wrong?"

And me, was I wrong?

I wanted to ask, but I hurt too much.

I made myself as small as I could behind the cover, the sound of paintballs bursting drifting near and then far.

It wore away at my heart.

Out of nowhere I caught the sound of leaves being stepped on, but it vanished just as fast.

So quick it felt like I'd imagined it.

I'd just lifted my head, meaning to move to a different piece of cover, when a gun barrel pressed against my skull.

"There's a little rabbit hiding here too."

I threw my arms around my head in terror and begged in a shaking voice:

"You, shoot my arm, my legs are already swollen from being hit."

"The head bruises too easily, shoot my arm, I can take it in the arm."