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Laylen wandered away fro around with a set of black and blue cera atfrom the tips of , and I had to adh I knew I shouldn’t There were ssensation on my skin But I wondered if there would ever be a time where I could just freely enjoy it Or freely enjoy my life? Would I ever just be normal? Maybe after I stopped this apocalyptic-end-of-the-world thing froht be able to

Maybe

But as even going to happen to ? It had never beenhad been made clear to ?" I asked Alex

He fixed his gaze on a tiny black stone inside the counter "Depends on what it is, I guess"

I shook ht answer--or an answer at all--but I had to at least try, right? I took a deep breath and quickly threw my question out there "What happens to me after the portal closes?"

Okay, so I’d learned froood actor He could lie like a real pro Pretend to be sohts So when his face drained of all its color, my heart virtually stopped Whatever the ansas, it had to be horrible

"What is it?" My words rushed out of me in a panic

He shook his head, his skin still very pale "Geht now"

"What do you ht now?" I stomped my foot on the floor--yes, like a two year-old, but considering the circumstances, I think it was totally called for "Just tell me"

"I’d rather not," he said flatly

"Well, I’d rather you did," I retorted

"No, this isn’t soht now"

And that’s when I knew it I was never going to be nors, be happy, and do whatever I wanted withto have a life The portal was going to killto die, aren’t I?"

"I don’t know" He hesitated "No one knows really You could just go back to normal or…" He drifted off

"Or I could die," I finished for hi everywhere else except atout, I whirled around onto make acold and hard The Foreseers crystal ball It bounced off the stand, rolled off the counter, and hit the floor with a loud clank

"Crap," I said Without even thinking, I bent down to swipe it up

Alex and Laylen yelled, "No!"

Aspulled And then I was spiraling down a dark tunnel

Chapter 21

The fall seemed endless, like I’d been sucked into a bottomless abyss Fear set in as I realized that a bottoiant hole with no ending Of course, if there was a botto at then…Well, I didn’t want to think about it right now

Below h the blackness As I plunged closer to it, it began to shiht I had to shut o blind Warmth blanketed around round hard

I toppled forward, landing face first onto a surface that felt scratchy and dry like grass I quickly leapt to rass, and I had aoutand where my stitches were ached Worried I’d torn them open, I lifted up the bottoe My skin looked red and swollen, but there was no blood and the stitches still seeether

I pressed the bandaged back down and glanced around, seeing if I could recognize h air, and the hispered against my hair Tall trees triely familiar, like I’d been here before but couldn’t quite re I’d experience when I’d been sucked away back at the field trip

Back before all hell had broken loose

For ain the sunshine and breathing in the cool fall air Then suddenly it dawned on otten sucked into the Foreseers ball like Alex had warned et stuck inside it All of my calmness was ripped away in the blink of an eye

Okay Okay Don’t panic Yeah, that was easier said than done I gazed around frantically, crossing ical door would ht? So why couldn’t I just conjure up a door Because I’m not witch, that’s why And, of course, no door ever appeared

That’s when I really started freaking out

"Help!" I screas "So the corners ofI hated to think it, but not being able to feel right noould have co all frantic and crazed wasn’t going to get me anywhere