Jason Guile is bleeding profusely and often. It's not uncommon for his sneezes to be a mist of candied red. This can't be good for one's health. He thinks it's a shame he never got to graduate high school, go to college, get a job, and so on and so on. But he figures he may as well live life to the fullest while he still has it. No one can bleed all the time and go on living, right? Risk is no longer a concern. Yet, every time he catches a whiff of licorice-flavored jellybeans, a chill runs the length of his body. He remembers his first experience involving death--his Aunt Dolly's funeral at age five. His mother's comfort to him? Her favorite snack: black, licorice-flavored jellybeans. Unfortunately, Carly loves them too -- even her lip gloss often reeks of black licorice. Carly Henson has been Jace's best friend since they were kids, and has always been prone to accident... or so it always seemed. Carly shows up at Jace's after midnight with a black eye, busted lip, and purple bruises all about her neck and back. She has a confession to make. She's not accident prone; her father is an abusive, alcoholic asshole. Jace finds new purpose in his existence. He can't die. Not yet. Carly needs him. The two embark on a journey to free Carly of her father's rage. Her only salvation seems to be her 18th birthday, and Jace is determined to keep her safe until she can move out and never receive her father's bashings again. The two are racing the clock, counting down to February 19th. But the stench of black jellybeans is a constant reminder that Jace is running a race of his own--one that we all eventually lose.