Chapter 11: Shifting the Loop

The world snaps to black, then color bleeds back in—I’m already on the Whitehall Mansion drive. Charles walks behind me. This time, I’m further along; each rebirth brings me closer to death.

I slow my steps. Several guards flank us, eyes sharp. Suddenly, a woman in a plain red dress crashes into me. Glass shatters at our feet—the bracelet on her wrist breaks apart.

She glares up at me. It’s Connie Quinn—scatterbrained, unpredictable, and now, panicked. "Can’t you watch where you’re going?" she snaps.

Charles keeps his distance; no one wants to get tangled with Connie.

She grabs my sleeve. "This bracelet was a gift from the President—now it’s broken! What am I supposed to do?"

Charles sighs. "Connie, Senator Knox is on his way to see the President. He’ll get you another one when he’s done."

But she won’t let go. The smell of cooking oil wafts over—a building nearby is on fire. The sharp wail of a fire alarm, the staccato shouts of a guard—American chaos, familiar and terrifying.

"Councilman, watch out for the fire!" someone yells.

In the confusion, Connie leans in and whispers, "I’m here to save you."

"Why?" I whisper back.

She starts to cry. "To save my son. I’ve died so many times. The first time, Louise mutilated me. My son died too. No matter who wins, we always end up dead."

So she’s trapped in the loop, too.

"I have no one left to turn to, so this time I’m asking you," she says.

"Now I’m inside the mansion walls. Louise will come for me soon. My death’s imminent—how can I help you? Each time I’m reborn, I’m closer to my death."

"This time will be different," she says. "I made a deal with a medium, so you’d be reborn at the moment you can change your fate. If you do, just promise to treat my son kindly."

Before I can ask what deal she made, the guards arrive. I raise my knife and stab it into my neck. The world spins.