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"I was afraid of the dark," she corrects me She presses the next electrode to her own forehead, and attaches a wire to it She shrugs "Now it reminds me of the fear I’ve overcome"

She stands behind htly the redness pulls away fro them to me, to her, to the machine behind her Then she passes me a vial of clear liquid

"Drink this," she says

"What is it?" My throat feels swollen I s hard "What’s going to happen?"

"Can’t tell you that Just trust s and tip the contents of the vial into my mouth My eyes close

When they open, an instant has passed, but I aain, but all the long tables are e On the table in front of me are two baskets In one is a hunk of cheese, and in the other, a knife the length of my forearm

Behind me, a woman’s voice says, "Choose"

"Why?" I ask

"Choose," she repeats

I look over my shoulder, but no one is there I turn back to the baskets "What will I do with them?"

"Choose!" she yells

When she screams at me, my fear disappears and stubbornness replaces it I scowl and cross my arms

"Have it your way," she says

The baskets disappear I hear a door squeak and turn to see who it is I see not a "who" but a "what": A dog with a pointed nose stands a few yards away fro back froles from deep in its throat, and I see why the cheese would have come in handy Or the knife But it’s too late now

I think about running, but the dog will be faster than round My head pounds I have to make a decision If I can jump over one of the tables and use it as a shield--no, I ah to tip one over

The dog snarls, and I can al in s can slands in a state of duress, the sa fear leads the the floor

I can’t run I can’t fight Instead I breathe in the s’s foul breath and try not to think about what it just ate There are no whites in its eyes, just a black gleas? I shouldn’t look it in the eye That’s a sign of aggression I re, and now, staring at the ground in front of the dog’s paws, I can’t re into its eyes is a sign of aggression, what’s a sign of submission?

My breaths are loud but steady I sink to round in front of the dog-- its teeth level with s out behindcreeps closer, and closer, until I feel its war

It barks in

So stops, and when I liftIt lickedprops its paws up onthe drool froh

"You’re not such a vicious beast, huh?"

I get up slowly so I don’t startle it, but it seems like a different anio I stretch out a hand, carefully, so I can draw it back if I need to The dog nudges lad I didn’t pick up the knife

I blink, and whena white dress She stretches out both hands and squeals, "Puppy!"

As she runs toward the dog at my side, I openturns Instead of growling, it barks and snarls and snaps, and its muscles bunch up like coiled wire About to pounce I don’t think, I just ju round The dog is gone, and so is the little girl Instead I a room, now empty I turn in a slow circle and can’t see myself in any of the mirrors I push the door open and walk into the hallway, but it isn’t a hallway; it’s a bus, and all the seats are taken

I stand in the aisle and hold on to a pole Sitting near me is a man with a newspaper I can’t see his face over the top of the paper, but I can see his hands They are scarred, like he was burned, and they clench around the paper like he wants to cruuy?" he asks He taps the picture on the front page of the newspaper The headline reads: "Brutal Murderer Finally Apprehended!" I stare at the word " time since I last read that word, but even its shape fills me with dread

In the picture beneath the headline is a young man with a plain face and a beard I feel like I do know hih I don’t remember how And at the same time, I feel like it would be a bad idea to tell the er in his voice "Do you?"

A bad idea--no, a very bad idea My heart pounds and I clutch the pole to keepme away If I tell hi aill happen to me But I can convince hi my shoulders--but that would be a lie

I clear my throat

"Do you?" he repeats

I shrug oes through me My fear is irrational; this is just a test, it isn’t real "Nope," I say, my voice casual "No idea who he is"

He stands, and finally I see his face He wears dark sunglasses and his mouth is bent into a snarl His cheek is rippled with scars, like his hands He leans close to arettes Not real, I re," he says "You’re lying!"

"I am not"

"I can see it in your eyes"

I pull hter "You can’t"

"If you know him," he says in a low voice, "you could save me You could save me!"