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CHAPTER ONE

I was standing in a forest, the trunks of the slender trees wrapped in a blue-green twilight that fell quickly from the East I was alone except for the fireflies that darted about in the pine-scented air above htly feverish, oose- pimply to hot and sweat-sheened in cycles I wasn’t sure where I was, maybe by the river where I had walked earlier in the day, but further away from the roar of the currents

I couldn’t re attire, but I wasn’t worried and I wasn’t afraid

For once, in a very long time, I was not afraid

“Perry…”

I heard my name on the wind as it brushed ht away frorass

I cleared back the branches of the trees, hearing strange voices e from the dark places around me

They sounded so far away I heard so She sounded like my sister

I continued through the glade,as the darkness dropped even faster Finally I saw hi for me

He sat on a log with his back tothe trees and adding extra sparkle to the fireflies

I glided toward hinet I couldn’t keep away

He didn’t stir until I was standing right behind hi at me Another breeze wafted past and tossed his black hair delicately The scent of Old Spice and Nicorette filled my nose

I hated that smell

“Perry,” he said, his voice unain”

“And you still won’t,” I replied

I reached doith h face and with one quickthrough the still forest

Dex sluround, motionless

Dead

I smiled to myself and walked away

A giant shudder ran throughto spill out over the sides Sorry, not coffee, but an extra-hot, no-foaic- whipped, unicorn-blessed mother of all cappuccinos

I quickly glanced up at Larry, the regular aited impatiently for his daily creation of pohtly together, his eyes on the beverage, more concerned for it than the deathly shiver that had just rolled through his barista

I composed myself – that was the last ti dreams at work – and handed him his coffee with a smile

“Have a great day!” I exclai twat

Larry took the drink fro it on his head (he wasn’t too far off), shot me a barely perceptible look of disdain, and left the coffee shop

I let out a sigh of relief and closedto appear

“Hey, Perry, you doing OK?” Ash asked

I looked up and gave ht smile I could keep up the cheery pretenses with the customers, but not with Ash

“Just feeling a bit under the weather again,” I said sheepishly I had only been working at Port-Town coffee for six weeks and it see froraine, dizzy spells, painful bloating or plain old pissyness Oh, and a broken heart I tried to keep er, Shay, to regret hiring me but sometimes it was hard to hide

Ash was extreer than ator but his dirt-poor upbringing forced hiht I wasn’t much better

There I was, a failed internet host, who, despite having a degree in advertising, had found herself unable to get any kind of respectful e coffee down Portland’s throat Not that being a barista was anything to look down upon, but I wondered if allthat I wasn’t doing what I should be doing

That said, things weren’t all bad Ash was a cute kid and I’d hung out with him quite a bit, as I did with Shay, Steve, Mikeala and a few other coffee pushers We had fun at work, and when I wasn’t being bombarded with people like Larry, who dee, the old lady who paid with pennies, the job was fairly low- stress and it all owed uilt-tripped about it It also ended the “I told you sos,” which had lasted for at least a feeeks after I returned from Seattle

Oh yes, Seattle