My thoughts trip—
Too fast one to another—
Can’t keep up—
Getting dizzy when I move—
Stay still, stay down—
Eyes closed—
Turn, Ash—
Not stopping—
When does it fade—
I came down faster before—
Please stop—
Alissa in the river—
Stop stop stop—
What was the last thing I said to her—
Phone screaming—
Blue windbreaker—
STOP—
She’d laugh if she saw this—
My mouth and eyes are full of cotton. My neck is cricked at an odd angle over Ash’s arm. He’s snoring. I sit up, remembering how to use my arms and hands, remembering that I have legs and feet.
I’m so glad it’s over. It didn’t seem like it ever would be. Like someone had hacked into my mind and caused everything to go haywire, broken it permanently. I didn’t think an extra half a gummy could throw me into the pits of hell like that.
My phone alarm didn’t wake me up, though, so we must not have been asleep very long. I search around and find the phone buried under the small of my back. I wake up the screen.
The time is 5:13 p.m.
Interstitial
ADREAMHUNTER’S
NIGHTMARES
are worse than a normal person’s. When yours appear, be ready for
A VICIOUS FIGHT.
Chapter 18
I’m still sleeping. I must be.
Ash’s bedside clock says 5:13 too. Now 5:14. My heartbeat pounds in my head. Maybe it’s not Saturday. It’s not Saturday. It can’t be. I wouldn’tsleepthrough the raid.
