he’s going to come over in the morning to help me look again.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to be alone with him?”
“No, Tanis. I don’t want to be alone with him. It’s not like I’m afraid to be alone with him or whatever, but the more eyes, the better.”
“Okay then,” she told me. “If I’m not up when he gets here, just wake me.”
Of course she would be up. She always got up early. Now was not the time to remind her of that though. “Sure. I’ll wake you up.”
She slid off my bed and headed for the connecting door. “Tanis?” I called after her as her hand reached for the knob.
She paused. “Yeah?”
“Thanks.”
“No problem. After all, what are sisters for?” She disappeared into the next room, shutting the door behind her.
I surveyed my room. It seemed sad and empty without Nuada. This would be the first night I’d slept without her since I’d gotten her. I didn’t know if I could fall asleep without feeling her warm fur against my arm or hearing her purring.
I sighed mournfully and climbed into bed. I fell into a restless sleep, with dreams filled with Andrei. At least, I thought it was him…
Chapter Eleven
I stood on the pier staring out at the ocean when a cold, unearthly fog rolled in. I’d been there before. I didn’t know how I knew, but I knew. The place seemed familiar. I started running.
*Flick* I was running, running through the surf. Laughing? Something was chasing me, but it felt like a game. Wait, hadn’t I just been…
* Flick* I was strolling down the sidewalk, staring at the sunset when he showed up out of nowhere. I turned around, grinning from ear to ear. He wrapped his arms around me, kissed me on the forehead, and intertwined his fingers with mine. I couldn’t make out his face, but his presence seemed familiar.
* Flick* His hand was warm and soft, but with a roughness I couldn’t explain. We lay with our legs in the surf, staring at the clouds. I was happy. Blissfully happy…
CRASH!
I sat straight up in my bed with a start. My room looked as black as midnight during a storm. I fumbled around for my flashlight. Why weren’t the streetlights on? I finally found the flashlight and almost knocked over my bedside lamp in the process. I eased out of bed. Trying to be quiet, I headed for the connecting bathroom door to see if Tanis had woken up, too. She had to have heard that… unless the noise had been her trying to open the door to my room when the power went out. Sure enough, the chair I had wedged under the door had toppled over onto the floor.
The bathroom was even darker than my bedroom. I jumped when I saw my reflection in the light of the flashlight in the mirror. I’d always been afraid of mirrors in the dark for some reason. Too many scary movies, I guess. I averted my eyes and groped for the door handle.
I opened the door to Tanis’s room and called her name softly. “Are you awake? Did you hear that noise?”
I shone my flashlight in the direction of her bed. She wasn’t there! Then I looked closer and breathed a sigh of relief. She lay curled up in a tight ball under the covers. I wondered how she had slept through the giant crash.
I stumbled across the room to the bed and leaned over to shake her. “Tanis? Wake up!”
She rolled over and stared at me sleepily. She blinked a couple of times, then sat up. “What? Why are you in my room in the middle of the night? What’s going on?” she demanded.
“I heard a huge crash, and it woke me up. The power is out,” I told her. “Were you in my room?”
“Huh?” she asked. “No, I wasn’t in your room. I’ve been asleep. Obviously.” Even in the dim light of the flashlight beam, I could see her eyes roll.
“Then why was my chair knocked over?” I inquired.
“I have no idea! Now let me go back to sleep. Goodnight!” She lay down again, her back to me.
I sighed and made my way back out of the room, being careful to not look in the mirror as I passed through the
“Are you sure you don’t want to be alone with him?”
“No, Tanis. I don’t want to be alone with him. It’s not like I’m afraid to be alone with him or whatever, but the more eyes, the better.”
“Okay then,” she told me. “If I’m not up when he gets here, just wake me.”
Of course she would be up. She always got up early. Now was not the time to remind her of that though. “Sure. I’ll wake you up.”
She slid off my bed and headed for the connecting door. “Tanis?” I called after her as her hand reached for the knob.
She paused. “Yeah?”
“Thanks.”
“No problem. After all, what are sisters for?” She disappeared into the next room, shutting the door behind her.
I surveyed my room. It seemed sad and empty without Nuada. This would be the first night I’d slept without her since I’d gotten her. I didn’t know if I could fall asleep without feeling her warm fur against my arm or hearing her purring.
I sighed mournfully and climbed into bed. I fell into a restless sleep, with dreams filled with Andrei. At least, I thought it was him…
Chapter Eleven
I stood on the pier staring out at the ocean when a cold, unearthly fog rolled in. I’d been there before. I didn’t know how I knew, but I knew. The place seemed familiar. I started running.
*Flick* I was running, running through the surf. Laughing? Something was chasing me, but it felt like a game. Wait, hadn’t I just been…
* Flick* I was strolling down the sidewalk, staring at the sunset when he showed up out of nowhere. I turned around, grinning from ear to ear. He wrapped his arms around me, kissed me on the forehead, and intertwined his fingers with mine. I couldn’t make out his face, but his presence seemed familiar.
* Flick* His hand was warm and soft, but with a roughness I couldn’t explain. We lay with our legs in the surf, staring at the clouds. I was happy. Blissfully happy…
CRASH!
I sat straight up in my bed with a start. My room looked as black as midnight during a storm. I fumbled around for my flashlight. Why weren’t the streetlights on? I finally found the flashlight and almost knocked over my bedside lamp in the process. I eased out of bed. Trying to be quiet, I headed for the connecting bathroom door to see if Tanis had woken up, too. She had to have heard that… unless the noise had been her trying to open the door to my room when the power went out. Sure enough, the chair I had wedged under the door had toppled over onto the floor.
The bathroom was even darker than my bedroom. I jumped when I saw my reflection in the light of the flashlight in the mirror. I’d always been afraid of mirrors in the dark for some reason. Too many scary movies, I guess. I averted my eyes and groped for the door handle.
I opened the door to Tanis’s room and called her name softly. “Are you awake? Did you hear that noise?”
I shone my flashlight in the direction of her bed. She wasn’t there! Then I looked closer and breathed a sigh of relief. She lay curled up in a tight ball under the covers. I wondered how she had slept through the giant crash.
I stumbled across the room to the bed and leaned over to shake her. “Tanis? Wake up!”
She rolled over and stared at me sleepily. She blinked a couple of times, then sat up. “What? Why are you in my room in the middle of the night? What’s going on?” she demanded.
“I heard a huge crash, and it woke me up. The power is out,” I told her. “Were you in my room?”
“Huh?” she asked. “No, I wasn’t in your room. I’ve been asleep. Obviously.” Even in the dim light of the flashlight beam, I could see her eyes roll.
“Then why was my chair knocked over?” I inquired.
“I have no idea! Now let me go back to sleep. Goodnight!” She lay down again, her back to me.
I sighed and made my way back out of the room, being careful to not look in the mirror as I passed through the
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