Page 8 (1/2)

T Barnus to be sure, but none like these

Nick and Allie stared as well Lief assumed they were also in awe of the spectacular view In truth, they were awed, but for an entirely different reason

"I think I knohere we should go," Nick said, a strange hollowness to his voice Allie didn’t answer him for a while

"Manhattan is out of our way," Allie finally said "We should stay on this side of the river, and keep heading south"

Nick looked to the city again "I don’t care what you say I’ue

Night had fallen by the tie It took the whole night without rest to make it to the heart of the city

The towers of midtown Manhattan would have taken Lief s breath away, if he indeed had breath to be stolen But the hts of all were the two silver towers he saw gliht of dawn as they neared the southern tip of the city The tere identical ht of daybreak

"I never knew buildings like that existed," Lief said

Allie sighed "They don’t exist," she said "At least…not anymore"

Lief could tell the sadness in her voice went straight down to the center of the Earth

PART TWO Mary, Queen of Snots Everlost CHAPTER 7

The Forever Places In the course of time and history there are certain places that can never truly be lost The living world by its very nature moves on, but soood fortune to stumble upon such a place many years before: a lush mountain forest that had once been the inspiration for poets The place bri, it inspired countless young e beneath its canopy, and countless young women to accept The woods caused stiff-collared people to lose their inhibitions and dance ah they knew such dancing could have them condemned as witches

The forest was a fulcrurew old, and a beetle infestation routed bark and bough, the forest did not die Instead it crossed

Its life persisted -- not in the living world, but in Everlost Here it would be eternally green, and on the verge of turning, just as the poets theotten where they were going

It can be said, then, that Everlost is heaven Perhaps not for people, but for the places that deserve a share of forever

Such places are few and far between, these grand islands of eternity in the soupy, ever-changing world of the living New York had its share of forever-places The greatest of these stood near Manhattan’s southern-reen statue in the bay The towers had found their heaven They were a part of Everlost now, held fast, and held forever by the nity of the souls who got where they were going on that dark Septereat twin towers in silence What they saw as they neared them was not at all what they expected

There were children there Dozens of Afterlight kids playing on the grand , hide-and-seek Some were dressed like Allie, in jeans and a T-shirt Others were more formal Still more had clothes that seemed more froaudy bright colors of the seventies, with big hair to match

They hadn’t been noticed yet, as they stood just beyond the edge of the plaza

Allie and Nick were al so would cross the they sank to their ankles, even with their road-shoes on

As Lief’s sense of awe did not have history nor context for this place, he had no proble for?"

Nick and Allie looked at one another, then took that first step forward, onto the very solid er existed After the first step it becaround A tea double-dutch jump rope noticed theirl in drab clothes and tight cornrowed hair

"You’re Greensouls, aren’t you?" All the ti her two ropes Neither did the girl on the other end, who seemed entirely out of place there in the plaza, dressed in teddy-bear pajairls skillfully juirl took enough tih, to size the silver halter top, and jeans that were so tight, she looked like a sausage bursting out of its skin She looked Allie over, clearly uni wardrobe "Is that what they wear now?"

"Yeah, pretty ht jeans looked at Lief, exa his clothes as well

"You’re not a Greensoul"

"Says who?" said Lief, insulted

"He’s new to the city," Allie said "He o, but he’s still kind of like a ‘Greensoul’"

A big red handball caer kids The ball flew out of the plaza and into the street, croith the living "Hurry," one little boy yelled, "before it sinks!"

Another boy raced out into traffic, grabbed the ball that was already beginning to sink into the pavement, and disappeared beneath a city bus and two taxis He paid theh the trunk of the last taxi as he stood up with the ball, and happily ran back to the plaza

"You res your irl with the corn-rows "Like not running out into traffic? Well, you can do thee?" asked Nick

"Mary," she said "You oughta go and see her She loves Greensouls" Then she added, "We were all Greensouls once"

Nick tapped Allie on the shoulder "Look," he said