The Man Who Burned Me Alive in My Past Life Was Also Reborn Novel by Fitzgerald Mitchell

The blade didn’t pierce my body as I expected because someone stepped in and took the hit for me. It was my dad, he squeezed out a smile, “Hannah, don’t be afraid.”

My head spun. I was terrified, my heart pounding. Three or four cops appeared behind Lily, grabbed her, disarmed her, and dragged her away. She continued to curse at me as she went, but my mind was too chaotic to process it. All I could think about was calling an ambulance. I had to save my dad.

I fumbled for my phone, my hand shaking. I finally managed to dial 911. While we waited for the ambulance, the blood wouldn’t stop flowing from my dad’s stomach. I pressed my hand over it again and again, but it wouldn’t stop. What was I going to do? For the first time, I felt so helpless. I was beside myself with worry, and I cried.

But there was a bad feeling in my gut, a feeling that grew stronger and stronger. It was like my heart had been frozen in the freezer and was slowly thawing. I sobbed, “Dad, hold on, the ambulance will be here soon.”

He didn’t say anything, but his eyes were filled with a look of longing, like he was saying goodbye. I was terrified, but I didn’t want to cry too loud and worry him, so I just whimpered, “Don’t leave me and Mom, please.”

He was still wearing that red sweater I bought him. It was probably old because he wore it so much. The blood mixed with the red sweater, making it hard to see what was going on underneath.

Dad’s breathing grew weaker, but his expression became calmer. He reached up, touched my face, and fell into a reverie.

“Dad had a dream. I dreamed that you were murdered by Lily, and Mom and I cried until we were blind. Then, I went to the church every day to pray, to pray that you would come back to life. I would even trade my life for yours. Lately, my heart has been uneasy. I’ve had a feeling that this isn’t a dream, but that it actually happened.”

Dad and I both knew it wasn’t a dream. His reaction to my strangeness made him even more sure that something was wrong. He finished with a calm smile. “Hannah, welcome back. But there’s a cycle to everything, birth and death. We must follow the law of conservation. So, live a good life. Take care of yourself, and take care of Mom.”

I sobbed uncontrollably. My dad, who was supposed to be on a trip, why was he here now? Everything suddenly made sense.