ding whiteness t

nd lemon cleaner assaulted my nose, inst

eat, as if the veins beneath the

mb was dead weight, encased in

b broke the

fighting the sti

eper, was huddled

apron, her shoulders sh

?" I c

ed thing, dry as san

he bedside, her

Bella. You

plastic cup and held it to my c

cool liquid soothing

re a

she whispered, her

the door, as if expecti

here after... af

ies crash

sp

ve

I asked, dread coi

her hands, twisting t

at the p

en't yo

eath, her eyes dart

u on the floo

he sterile air, hea

ou away from Miss Haleigh.

letting the dark

hing compared to the glacial c

rom the venom, delirious and

y good hand, he

te," she whis

he spider.

nd

ve brought it in yours

aug

jagged sound, dev

rse the

the clinic f

y confi

ne c

y bro

Jame

ever finally broke, lea

harged

in for me-a simple, shapeless grey dress

lked

n transformed into a

choked th

gold ev

oss the floor-to-ceiling window

irthday

in the e

Octob

birt

in

e fireplace, looking every

lding a v

laughing nearby, clut

er of the room, crowned

ooked

second, a glitch in her perfect facad

The ghost

on tu

of indifference, i

lake called out, his voi

excuse to disappear when

dn't

mply did

urther int

bbed in a painful rhy

ay, Haleigh,"

forward, ignor

the velvet b

it," h

ice wa

o think was reserved o

napped th

ond ne

ently under the c

son!" she

ms around his ne

ded her a s

che," he anno

nded he

ard in Nap

ood

y-ha

got

over Haleigh's shou

cept this, Isab

is my

ked a

had once promised to p

right,

ce was

vingl

settl

cker of confusion

her hands, dem

slideshow!"

e projector screen that ha

elf! To celebr

dimmed au

aying-an upbeat,

eigh flashed

s a cheru

osing at

atmosphe

otos c

ppy drunk in

line of white powde

ocatively on the lap

went dead

was thick,

ng-a cheerful soundt

l slide

photo of Haleigh passed

d over it in bright,

to New York's

tered by Haleigh's b

on ro

t! Turn

rojector, ripping the cor

lunged int

ack on, Haleigh was on the

a shaking

screamed, her face

e! She wants

perfectl

n't d

linic with spider venom c

t matter in the

ception

turned

s twisted i

who had finally decide

ked tow

" he

rumble of thunder, v

oing to re