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"Falling I re to She lay huddled in her bed, a Bugs Bunny comforter pulled up until only defiant strands of chestnut hair were visible And she was still half asleep if her lack of response to ," she said, her voice groggy and muffled under the bedspread

"But that’s it I don’t relanced down at the nightgoearing and tried to piece ot here Where here was

I turned and looked out the woht I couldnear, but everything was different now

Concrete objects see froestion than an actuality All light did except for hers, the wo back at her

She shih the co I could focus on, could really see

Lithe fingers curled over the top of the blanket and a dark head appeared, eyes still closed, face glistening and incandescent Her eyebrows slid together in groggy annoyance and she tossed an arh to block out the world Soon her breathing evened out again, and I figured she’d fallen back asleep until she spoke

"So that’s all you rehtenedon her dresser, as the only chair in the roo the fact that you’re here," she said, scrubbing her forehead with the back of her hand, "I’d say your stop was fairly sudden"

I sed and licked my lips, but they had no taste, no texture, like I’d just been to the dentist

With head bowed, I asked a question I already knew the answer to "Aust What ti a hiccup of sadness, I looked at the clock on her nightstand, but the nuer made sense It didn’tat the clock from behind a mop of unruly hair Then she looked back at ht Her eyes were beautiful, deep set and bright gold Looking at the at a panther’s eyes through the heavy, sharp leaves of a jungle The ie was ethereal

"Couldn’t you have died later?" she asked, her voice thick with fatigue "Like around, say, nine-

twelve?"

I started to answer but realized she didn’t expect me to She’d pushed off the bedspread to reveal a Blue Oyster Cult t-shirt and unfolded herself into a lengthy stretch accompanied by the loudest yawn I’d ever heard But even that couldn’t break her spell coel, I thought as she crawled out of bed and headed for the door

Maybe she was stuck on earth, sent here to help those who had passed What a noble creature

"Wedgie alert," she said before adjusting her boxer-like underwear