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Prologue

I woke up in a dingy claw-foot bathtub in an unfamiliar pink-tiled bathrooreen toothpaste globbed in the sink, and white drips streaked the mirror The ed a dark sky and a full moon What day of the as it? Where was I? A frat house at the U of A? Someone’s apartment? I could barely remember that my name was Sutton Mercer, or that I lived in the foothills of Tucson, Arizona I had no idea where my purse was, and I didn’t have a clue where I’d parked my car Actually, what kind of car did I drive? Had souy’s voice called from another room "You home?"

"I’irl opened the bathroo in her face "Hey!" I leapt to ly, as if it had fallen asleep When I looked down, it see on and off, like I was under a strobe light Freaky Soirl didn’t seem to hear me She stumbled forward, her face covered in shadows

"Hello?" I cried, cli out of the tub She didn’t look over "Are you deaf?" Nothing She pumped a bottle of lavender-scented lotion and rubbed it on her arain, and a snub-nosed, unshaven teenage guy burst in "Oh" His gaze flew to the girl’s tight-fitting T-shirt, which said NEW YORK NEW YORK ROLLER COASTER on the front "I didn’t know you were in here, Emma"

"That’s maybe why the door was closed?" Emma pushed him out and slaht behind her "Hey!" I cried again

Finally, she looked up My eyes darted to the lass, I screamed

Because Emma looked exactly like me

And I wasn’t there

Emma turned and walked out of the bathroo behind her Who was this girl? Why did we look the same? Why was I invisible? And why couldn’t I re, nostalgic focus--the glittering sunset over the Catalinas, the s, the feel of cashs, the s, had become muffled and fuzzy, as if I’d lived ue shapes, but I couldn’t make out what they were I couldn’t remember what I’d done for any summer vacations, who my first kiss had been with, or what it felt like to feel the sun onWhat was ? And even worse, every second that passed, things got fuzzier and fuzzier Like they were disappearing

Like I was disappearing

But then I concentrated really hard and I heard a muffled scream And suddenly it was like I was soh my body, before a final, sleepy sensation ofAsover me

"Oh my God," I whispered

No wonder Emma didn’t see me No wonder I wasn’t in the mirror I wasn’t really here

I was dead