t peaceful.

e was silent. A crack and sudden coldness, then... nothing. No pain. No ligh

le

her's

ole of light. Colors bled into the dark. Shapes formed: a woman

ar

oed, small and brok

was sad. "Not yet.

of a place that wasn't a place it was like a world

as

y back, pushing m

as

, sharp and br

as

eyes at our last

d. "Why did t

ecause you were never suppose

solved into a memory of

the steering wheel, humming a lullaby to six-year-old me in the backseat. He

med, but she c

. Glass exploded. My mom threw her body o

sil

he streetlights. Adrian Voss, younger, terrified, trying to make a phone ca

ory sha

er ordered it. To steal my work

Echo," I

me for you too, Elena. Un

, Stay here, with

My voice cracked.

. "But it wont be the same. You will remember. You'll figh

" I pulled away. "You l

"But this is the only way. Go

ho

allowing her l

rd van

fe

ep

Beep

te ceiling. Fluorescent ligh

pit

as weak. Tubes connected to my

ed over me, her smile so

a

memb

The fall. L

agg

"You are lucky. Thirty stories, and all y

ck

ed in, hair perfectly messy,

es. Then his arms wrapped around me, tight

he said, pulling away.

. You pushed me

ds stuck in

world it was

d. "The poor thing lost her mot

t me lilies and read me headlines then he

he whispered once,

ongue unti

later, I fou

ed with contracts and a silver flask. Beneat

heart m

m's old medical journals. Digitalis toxicity

Dad's "hea

stood in the doorway, smiling. "

he vial. "Wh

pped closer. "For your fat

sa

a liar" I

y hand. "You're paranoid. It's the

aught my wrist, his

ed. "You wouldn't wa

until h

on the nightstand. I sw

a Messages

e faster. She

w. The

very incriminating file in his briefcase, the shell companies

would be

I confronted him on the balcony, th

I said, my voice stea

? Cry to the press? You're just a b

her red lips curved in a

cony railing and said, "You w

ould miss you? Your father is half-dead. Your 'friends' a

h me. "Don't you d

me and I dodged, bu

ye, so

th pushed me o

fe

s. Then

r form flickering. "Last chan

"Why do I have to

was." She pressed her hand to my

ght ex