stay,” I say. “You never asked me the questions on your mind.” I’m not too good to beg and I consider doing it.
“The nightmare is starting.” She points behind me and I look over my shoulder as a massive wave grows and swells taller than a four-story building. I’m actually a little afraid even though I know this isn’t real, and turn my back on the ocean and watch as Nadia moves closer to the crowd. “I’m sorry, Hunter. I’ll visit again as soon as I can.”
A loud cracking sound rips through the air and part of the boardwalk disintegrates. The glowing Ferris wheel topples over and crashes into the dark ocean. A fire starts at the concession stand and I watch Nadia disappear into the crowd. Each person she touches explodes in a dark cloud of smoke.
I pull away from the dream as the giant tidal wave begins to crest. Jacqueline moans and the world shifts and then it suddenly feels empty. Nadia has disappeared and I’m alone with my own thoughts again. I’m even more miserable knowing what I’m missing when she’s gone.
7 . NOT GIVING UP HOPE
HUNTER
Jacqueline taps her fingers on the white painted nightstand. She hasn’t slept since waking up from her nightmare a few hours ago and her random thoughts are annoying. Not to mention how sporadic they are because she can control what I can and can’t hear, which I’m glad for, because I don’t know if I could handle hearing her more than I already do.
Jacqueline’s private thoughts come through to me. “Maybe you should just give up your freedom and settle down here. Everyone seems pretty nice. The board can’t do anything if they can’t find you.”
“Hold on a second, Jackie. The deal was to stay here until you got the information you needed. Don’t go convincing yourself to stay here. If we stay, you can’t put me back into my body,” I say.
She smacks her forehead. I wasn’t supposed to hear that. “But if I stayed here, you could see Nadia all you want. The council can offer me protection for life. I’d never be scared again.”
While she has a good point about Nadia, it would be torturous to know that I won’t have the slightest chance of ever getting to be with her outside of the dream world. “That’ll get creepy after a while. Hell, it’s a little creepy now. What’s the point if I can’t even talk to her?” I say it the way I do so Jacqueline doesn’t realize that I’ve met Nadia. I can’t risk Jacqueline doing something stupid to spite me.
“What if I found you a new one?”
Huh? “A new body?”
“It’s a very simple process. You can pick anyone you like.”
“I like my body.”
The way she says it, it sounds like someone else would have to lose their body and then what? I’m not cool with that. Someone shouldn’t have to die when I have a perfectly good body back home. Jacqueline has caused enough harm as it is.
“Well, Hunter, I’ll think about it, but don’t hold your breath. I like the idea of staying here forever and you can’t do anything about it. I won’t dare go back to the HPA to put you back in your body. They’ll kill me for not holding up my end of the bargain.”
“You can’t do this! You made a deal!” I’m so livid that I want to combust and take Jacqueline down with me. I had hoped that this wouldn’t turn into a long-term situation, but if she really decides to stay here, all hope for me is lost.
“I’m sorry. I really am. I can teach you to free yourself if you want.”
“No!” I’m not going to learn to free myself. I’ll die if I do. I don’t want to die. If Jacqueline really has made up her mind to stay here, then I’ll wait it out a while longer as her prisoner. I’m not giving up hope on getting out of here yet. I’m only seventeen for crying out loud. I really, and I mean really, wanted to live to see my eighteenth birthday. It’s only a few months away.
Jacqueline stands up when someone knocks on the door. I hate how
“The nightmare is starting.” She points behind me and I look over my shoulder as a massive wave grows and swells taller than a four-story building. I’m actually a little afraid even though I know this isn’t real, and turn my back on the ocean and watch as Nadia moves closer to the crowd. “I’m sorry, Hunter. I’ll visit again as soon as I can.”
A loud cracking sound rips through the air and part of the boardwalk disintegrates. The glowing Ferris wheel topples over and crashes into the dark ocean. A fire starts at the concession stand and I watch Nadia disappear into the crowd. Each person she touches explodes in a dark cloud of smoke.
I pull away from the dream as the giant tidal wave begins to crest. Jacqueline moans and the world shifts and then it suddenly feels empty. Nadia has disappeared and I’m alone with my own thoughts again. I’m even more miserable knowing what I’m missing when she’s gone.
7 . NOT GIVING UP HOPE
HUNTER
Jacqueline taps her fingers on the white painted nightstand. She hasn’t slept since waking up from her nightmare a few hours ago and her random thoughts are annoying. Not to mention how sporadic they are because she can control what I can and can’t hear, which I’m glad for, because I don’t know if I could handle hearing her more than I already do.
Jacqueline’s private thoughts come through to me. “Maybe you should just give up your freedom and settle down here. Everyone seems pretty nice. The board can’t do anything if they can’t find you.”
“Hold on a second, Jackie. The deal was to stay here until you got the information you needed. Don’t go convincing yourself to stay here. If we stay, you can’t put me back into my body,” I say.
She smacks her forehead. I wasn’t supposed to hear that. “But if I stayed here, you could see Nadia all you want. The council can offer me protection for life. I’d never be scared again.”
While she has a good point about Nadia, it would be torturous to know that I won’t have the slightest chance of ever getting to be with her outside of the dream world. “That’ll get creepy after a while. Hell, it’s a little creepy now. What’s the point if I can’t even talk to her?” I say it the way I do so Jacqueline doesn’t realize that I’ve met Nadia. I can’t risk Jacqueline doing something stupid to spite me.
“What if I found you a new one?”
Huh? “A new body?”
“It’s a very simple process. You can pick anyone you like.”
“I like my body.”
The way she says it, it sounds like someone else would have to lose their body and then what? I’m not cool with that. Someone shouldn’t have to die when I have a perfectly good body back home. Jacqueline has caused enough harm as it is.
“Well, Hunter, I’ll think about it, but don’t hold your breath. I like the idea of staying here forever and you can’t do anything about it. I won’t dare go back to the HPA to put you back in your body. They’ll kill me for not holding up my end of the bargain.”
“You can’t do this! You made a deal!” I’m so livid that I want to combust and take Jacqueline down with me. I had hoped that this wouldn’t turn into a long-term situation, but if she really decides to stay here, all hope for me is lost.
“I’m sorry. I really am. I can teach you to free yourself if you want.”
“No!” I’m not going to learn to free myself. I’ll die if I do. I don’t want to die. If Jacqueline really has made up her mind to stay here, then I’ll wait it out a while longer as her prisoner. I’m not giving up hope on getting out of here yet. I’m only seventeen for crying out loud. I really, and I mean really, wanted to live to see my eighteenth birthday. It’s only a few months away.
Jacqueline stands up when someone knocks on the door. I hate how
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