The Clairvoyant

8

Under the ominous storm, as I reached the vacation home, Megan appeared, her presence both familiar and foreboding. Her first words, "You're so foolish," cut through the tension.

She helped a trembling Diana to her feet, casting a disdainful glance my way. "Did you ever consider what Zoe's visions truly meant?"

I struggled to respond, my voice failing me.

Megan's mocking laugh filled my ears. "Didn't you wonder why Zoe saw you and Diana together, and I, who you had dinner plans with, happened to be out with a friend, giving you time to go to the vacation home?"

Her eyes gleamed with a sharp intelligence. "Zoe doesn't see the past; she sees the future."

The realization hit me hard. Diana's supposed betrayal, the scene of her undressing—it was all a misunderstanding stemming from my assumptions.

Megan continued, "It's a vicious cycle, one you created. Without your jealousy, Diana wouldn't have been injured, wouldn't have needed a doctor."

She fixed me with a cold stare. "It was all inevitable. You were destined for this end."

I wanted to say more but blood was flooding my throat. I remembered Zoe saying she'd seen Diana covered in blood, and pools of blood where they met. It was all from my body.

But one thing still confused me. Megan loved me so much, she wouldn't just watch me die.

Megan crouched down, watching the blood slowly stain the floor. Her eyes glinted resentfully. "Didn't you notice Zoe always had nice new dolls? You thought only you could manipulate her with toys? When you called asking what I was doing, I guessed you misunderstood Zoe's powers."

"Of course I didn't tell you the truth, because I had already used Zoe's foresight to know everything that would happen, including the real reason my father got sick."

Leaning close, Megan's voice was laced with fury. "You poisoned my father's medicine!"

The last flicker of hope extinguished within me. Megan stood up, looking down at the knife in my chest with a mix of relief and sorrow. "After all, we were married for five years. Following you here is my final goodbye. Don't worry, I'll take good care of Zoe."

As she stepped back, her eyes briefly misted over—perhaps a final trace of compassion for me. With one last look, she turned away, dialing 911.

Zoe continued to bask in the afternoon sun, never seeing "Dr. Hayes" again. Megan brought her a new companion, a beautiful "big sister" doll that Zoe adored, even though the doll seemed lost in its own world.

Zoe once begged Megan for a cure, but was gently refused. "Zoe is a secret," Megan had said, "and only the dead or mad can keep a secret."

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