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Hannah sat up in bed, gasping
For several ap in her curtains she could see the
gray light of dawn-just like Hana’s gray dawn-and she thought she still htmare But
then, slowly, objects in the room became clear Her bookshelves, crammed with books and crowned
with one near-perfect trilobite fossil on a stand Her dresser, its top piled with things that belonged in
other places Her posters of Velociraptor and T Rex
I’m me I remember me
She had never been so happy to be herself, or to be awake
But that dreao, sure, but nothing like so long
ago as, say, when the T Rex had been alive Not to mention the trilobite A few thousand years was
yesterday to Mother Earth
And it was all real, she knew that now She accepted it She had fallen asleep and her subconscious had
pulled back the veil of the past and allowed her to see ht The people of Hana’s clan tortured hilad I
didn’t have to watch s, doesn’t it?
She still didn’t kno the story ended She wasn’t sure she wanted to know But it was hard to
bla was settling in Hannah’s stos, she
thought Why did I say all that? I was so angry-I lost control co hiht he o away forever How could I have done that? He’s e
emptiness inside her, as if she’d been hollowed out like a tree struck by lightning
Inside the emptiness, a voice like a cool dark hispered, But you told Paul that he kept killing you
over and over Is that justifiable? He’s a vampire, a predator, and thatwhat he is, but there’s no reason for you to be destroyed again because of it Are you
going to let him kill you in this life, too?
She was torn between pity for hierous The cool wind voice
seemed to be the voice of reason
Go ahead and feel sorry for him, it said Just keep hi come to a decision, even if it was a decision that left her heart nulanced
around the room, focused on the clock by her bedside, and blinked
Oh, my God-school
It was quarter to seven and it was a Friday Sacaja-wea High seeht-years away, like someplace
she’d visited in a past life
But it’s not It’s your life, now, the only one that counts You have to forget all that other stuff about
reincarnation and vaet about hiet on with living in the nor this way made her feel braced and icy, as if she’d had a cold shower She took a real
shower, dressed in jeans and a denim shirt, and she had breakfast with her lances but didn’t ask any questions until they were alht at Dr Winfield’s yesterday evening?"
Had it only been yesterday evening? It seeo Hannah chewed a bite of cornflakes
and finally said, "Uh, why?"
"Because he called while you were in the shower He seemed" Her mother stopped and searched
for a word "Anxious Worse than worried but not as bad as hysterical"
Hannah looked at her ent, and tanned by the Montana sun
Her eyes were ray, but they were direct and discerning
She wanted to tell her mother the whole story- but when she had time to do it, and after she’d hadtiency It was all behind her now, and it wasn’t as if she needed advice
"Paul’s anxious a lot," she said judiciously, sticking to the clean edge of truth "I think that’s why he
beca on me yesterday and it didn’t exactly work out"
"Hypnosis?" Her mother’s eyebrows lifted "Hannah, I don’t know if you should be getting into that-"
"Don’t worry; I’ain"
"I see Well, he said for you to call him to set up another appointment I think he wants to see you soon"
She reached over suddenly and took Hannah’s hand "Honey, are you feeling any better? Are you still
having bad dreams?"
Hannah looked away "Actually-I sort of had one last night But I think I understand them better now
They don’t scare me as much" She squeezed herto be fine"
"All right, but-" Before her mother could finish the sentence a horn honked outside
"That’s Chess I’d better run" Hannah gulped down the dregs of her orange juice and dashed into her
bedroorab her backpack She hesitated a split second by the wastebasket, then shook her head
No There was no reason to take the black rose ring with her It was his, and she didn’t want to be
re the backpack over her shoulder, yelled goodbye to her mother, and hurried outside
Chess’s car was parked in the driveway As Hannah started toward it she had an odd i behind the car-a tall figure, face turned toward her But her eyes were
dazzled by the sun and at that instant she involuntarily blinked When she could see again, there was
nothing in that spot except a little swirl of dust
"You’re late," Chess said when Hannah got in the car Chess, whose real name was Catherine Clovis,
was petite and pretty, with dark hair cut in a cap to frareen cat
eyes and Mona Lisa s; she had to glance
down toa deerskin outfit
"You okay?" Now Chess was looking at her with concern
"Yeah" Hannah sank back against the upholstery, blinking "I think I need to get lanced at the spot where the phanto And Chess was just Chess:
s in the badlands
"Well, you can do it e go shopping this weekend," Chess said She slanted Hannah a glance
"WeNext week’s your birthday and I need sorinned in spite of herself "Maybe a new necklace," she " I wonder what happened to Ket, she thought Even if Hana died young, at least Ket uy anted to "mate" her?
"Are you sure you’re okay?" Chess said
"Yeah Sorry; I’ht" Her plan for Chess was exactly the
sa-in a little while When she was less upset about it
Chess was putting an ar skillfully with the other "Hey, we’ve got to get you in
shape, kid I raduation Isn’t that psychologist doing anything to help?"
Hannah ain The school day had passed uneventfully Hannah and her mother had
had dinner peacefully But after herwith so around the house, too wound up to read or watch TV, too distracted to go
anywhere
Maybe I need soave a self-rin
Sure Air When what you’re really thinking is that he just ht be out there Adht Thierry was very likely to be hanging around her backyard,
considering what she’d said to him
And why should you want to talk to him? she demanded of herself He may not be completely and
totally and pointlessly evil, but he’s still no boy scout
But she couldn’t shake a vague feeling of wanting
to go outside At last she went out on the porch, telling herself that she’d spend five o back inside
It was another beautiful night, but Hannah couldn’t enjoy it Everything re toward hi He had looked so stricken, so devastated, when
she told hi?"
Hannah started She wheeled toward the voice
Standing on the other side of the porch was a tall girl She looked a year or so older than Hannah, and
she had long hair, very long hair, so black that it see She was
extraordinarily beautiful-and Hannah recognized her
She’s the one froShe’s the one who
warned ure I saw behind Chess’s car thisirl said now, s "You looked so far away, and I didn’t mean to
startle you But I’d really like to talk to you if you have a few ue-tied Soirl made her uncomfortable, in a way that
went beyond the drea somebody she’d never seen in her present life
But she’s your friend, she told herself She’s helped you in the past; she probably wants to help you again
now You should be grateful to her
"Sure," Hannah said "We can talk" She added somewhat aardly, "I reme so ain that this girl was her friend, and nobody to be hostile to or wary