Chapter 1 Never Say Never

Ayla

"Help... me..."

I froze mid-step at the sound of that voice. It was coming from the river beneath the bridge I was crossing. My heart shot straight into my throat.

Leaning over the wooden railing just past the concrete guardrail, I squinted at the water. At first, all I saw were ripples and sunlight flashing on the surface.

Then-an arm. A small hand reaching out desperately, followed by the head of a boy breaking the surface before vanishing again.

Without thinking, I bolted down the rocky path to the riverbank. My shoes slipped off, my backpack hit the ground, and I dove straight into the freezing water.

It was autumn, and the cold cut through me like shattered glass-but I didn't care.

The boy kept gasping every time he surfaced. I had to get to him.

"Grab my hand!" I yelled, stretching my arm toward him. He looked younger and smaller than me.

The second his fingers latched onto mine, I kicked hard, dragging with everything I had until I hauled him to the muddy bank.

We collapsed there, breathless and shaking. He curled up, knees to his chest, coughing up water.

I sat next to him, squeezing water from my hair, my eyes glued to his face.

He was a chubby kid with a round, freckled face. His skin was ghostly pale, his lips tinted blue.

"How'd you almost drown out here?" I asked, still catching my breath.

He wouldn't meet my eyes. "I was, uh... looking for a goldfish," he muttered, his voice trembling.

I blinked. "A goldfish? Seriously? In this river? Let me guess-some older kids set you up, didn't they?"

His silence was enough of an answer.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." I sighed, grabbed my backpack, and pulled out a jacket. "Here, wear this. It's my brother's, so it's huge, but you'll freeze if you don't."

He hesitated. "Thanks, but... what about you?"

"I'll be fine," I said with a shrug, trying to sound tough even though I was shivering like crazy.

He studied me-really studied me-and I could tell he knew I was lying.

But I smiled anyway.

For some reason, watching him breathe evenly again made me feel bad for him, especially after he admitted he'd been tricked.

"Thank you," he whispered. "I thought I was gonna die."

"God's kind... at least until we grow up and figure out how to get revenge on people who mess with us. Honestly, I'd just buy a goldfish."

He gave a tiny laugh, even though I wasn't joking. I meant it-it made way more sense to just buy one.

"Uh... can I know your name?" he asked softly.

"Hope," I said. "And you?"

"River."

**

"River, hey! Zoning out again?"

My voice broke the silence as we drove across the same bridge, six months later.

River stared blankly out the window, lost in thought.

He blinked and turned to me. "Huh? Oh... sorry," he muttered with that shy smile I'd gotten used to.

I sighed. "We're five minutes from the airport and you've barely said a word."

He shrugged. "Guess I'm just... thinking."

"Thinking? About what? Your epic goldfish quest?" I teased, grinning.

"Ha-ha, hilarious," he muttered. "I just... I'm sad you're leaving."

That hit me right in the chest. I softened. "Hey, I'm not flying to another planet. It's just Sicily. You know we can still text, right?"

He chuckled, but the sadness stayed. "Yeah, but it's not the same. You're my best friend, Hope. Who else is gonna save me from the jerks at school?"

"Um, maybe you?" I nudged him. "Try standing up for yourself a little. But yeah, I'll still check in on you. And don't you dare go goldfish-hunting without me. Promise?"

"Promise. But you better come back a lot."

"I promise."

And then-everything exploded at once.

The car jolted hard-brakes screeched. We were thrown forward, my head snapping.

"What the heck, Claude?!"

"Miss Marsh-down!"

Glass shattered. Something hot slashed across my forehead. Blood. I touched it, stunned, then ducked as another gunshot rang out.

I turned to River, crouched beside the seat, trembling. I grabbed his shoulder, trying to keep us both calm.

"I'm scared, Hope," he whispered.

"River, listen to me-sing! Right now!"

Gunfire ripped through the air. My ears rang, but I clung to his hand.

"Sing 'Never Say Never.' Loud!" I ordered. "Block it all out, River-focus on me, not the bullets!"

Tears streamed down his face. His lips trembled, but then he began to sing-soft at first. I joined him, forcing my shaky voice out, trying to drown out the sound of death around us.

Claude's voice shouted from the front, panicked. "Hold on, Miss Marsh! We'll take care of them!"

I fumbled for my bag to call my dad, but it was gone. My chest squeezed tight with panic. We were only ten years old. Just kids. What could we possibly do?

Then a voice I didn't recognize cut through the chaos. Cold. Ruthless.

"There are two kids in the back."

The door ripped open. Claude wasn't moving-his blood covered the seat.

A rough hand yanked me out.

"Let me go! My dad's gonna tear you apart for this!" I screamed, thrashing.

"Shut up, brat! You're worth a fortune," the masked man snarled.

I sank my teeth into his shoulder. He cursed and dropped me. I bolted, desperate to get back to River.

But something hard slammed into the side of my head.

Everything blurred. My legs buckled. My lungs seized.

Through the haze, River's terrified face flickered before me-his hand reaching, desperate.

"River... don't forget your promise..." I whispered, right before the darkness swallowed me whole.