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She directed a sheepish look Michael’s way He’d livedthe Deep was the real world It was a painful re he’d lost

"Now, any questions before I send you off?" Weber looked eager for theet to work

Michael and his friends traded looks And shrugged

Agent Weber appeared satisfied, al

"Good," she said "Time to Squeeze you into the Deep"

Michael’s back was pressed against the marble wall between Sarah and Bryson Weber had told theot Bryson’s hand felt meaty and sweaty, Sarah’s dainty and soft Michael liked hers a lot better

Weber faced therave look on her face "I’ll be doing most of the work," she said "All you have to do is close your eyes and endure the … intense sensations you’re about to experience"

"Youto make me cry"

Michael smiled a little, but his heart thumped like the foot of a nervous cartoon rabbit he’d seen on the Vids years and years ago He wanted to get this part over with

"Pain, yes," Weber replied "But there are also things worse than pain Just keep hold of each other, try not to panic, and … endure It won’t last as long as you et the job done as quickly as possible" She looked at the bag on Michael’s shoulder--he’d slung it across his chest to ht?"

He nodded stiffly, iave them a warm smile, her face creased in what Michael could swear looked like sympathy It helped, a little, and if Michael had been alone he just oodbye

"Okay," Weber said "Close your eyes"

A good an Michael counted the seconds down for a bit, then abandoned the idea when his anxiety spiked even hts Darkness swept over thee to open his eyes He didn’t really know if Weber had meant they needed to keep theht He should’ve asked her

"Do you think--" he started to say, but a loud huht, as if it was pressing in on his eardruled, and he shifted on his feet, feeling htly to Sarah’s and Bryson’s hands and not let go No matter what He needed them--he was far more scared than felt natural Maybe it was the uncertainty thatlouder Michael i in on his skin as if he’d lain down in water that was freezing solid He tried shifting again, but it did no good The strain , feel the pu of the blood in his temples, his neck, the crooks of his elbows, everywhere

Thu pulled him away from Bryson and Sarah, but he held on to his friends He curled his fingers tightly around theirs, refusing to let them slip away His eyes popped open on instinct and darkness filled his vision, so he closed the sensation continued, but instead of trying to yank his friends out of his grip, it worked on his body, every part of it, as if so to pull his --apart Stretching hi worse by the second Then caasp Parts of hi

It’s the Sleep, he told hi Endure Don’t let go He thought he , but it was lost in the hu buzz that pulsed in rhythm with his heart, felt in every vein he had