I have.
“ ‘One of the new treatments has worked perfectly in the experimental trials. Had planned to try each treatment on a different girl. Instead I will change the vials. Give them all the same. The new one. Will contact the parents tomorrow.’ ”
Martina fell silent.
“Yes?” Dr. Felicia Felton asked.
“That’s it,” Martina said. “The rest of the pages are blank.”
Dr. Howard Felton took the book and flipped back a page. “February twenty-one. If I remember correctly, he died that month.”
“Where are the new treatments?” Martina was pulling down test tubes, reading labels.
The Feltons reached in, grabbing at whatever they could.
Stand.
Eve struggled to her feet. Holding the edge of the table, she dragged herself closer to the dumbwaiter.
She had her eye on the corner of the enclosure.
On a small cardboard box marked VACUUM CLEANER BAGS.
She put her hand on Martina’s shoulder. For support.
“What are you doing?” Martina cried out. “Sit!”
Eve reached in. She pulled out the box and fell backward.
The Feltons caught her and sat her down.
“What? What ?” Martina ripped open the box. She pulled out decayed newspaper padding.
At the bottom, mixed with shreds of paper, were a few small vials. Each had a dull-colored liquid inside it.
Martina picked up one of the vials and read the label. “Bryann.”
“All the treatments are different,” Dr. Felicia Felton remarked. “Which is the one that works?”
“He didn’t say!” Martina replied.
Eve reached in. She turned other vials and read the labels. CAROLINE. ALEXIS.
EVE .
The one meant for her.
She lifted it out.
“Wait!” Martina cried. “What if it’s not the right one?”
Eve paused.
Her mind was clouded.
What if?
The wrong one meant death.
But how to pick?
The clearest one? That was Alexis’s.
The strongest looking? Caroline’s. It was dark green.
The fullest vial? Bryann’s.
No.
The answer worked its way up. It shot through the murk in her brain.
Each vial was meant for one girl. Each a different fate. Assigned by Dr. Black.
Fate.
It was something Eve understood.
It had guided her here.
It would guide her now.
She would not steal anyone else’s.
She had to face her own.
Eve looked at Martina. She tried to speak, but even that took too much effort.
Martina was not crying. Her eyes were locked on Eve’s.
She knew.
Somehow, she knew.
No.
More.
Time.
She tried twisting off the top of the vial, but her fingers wouldn’t grip.
I’m going.
Like Danielle.
Away from home.
Missing in action.
The room was swirling.
The air was leaking from her lungs.
The lights were dimming.
Take it.
A white light formed in the center of the room. Or was it in her brain? Her imagination? She couldn’t tell.
In the center of the light were faces. Blurry but slowly assuming familiar shapes.
Alexis.
Bryann.
Caroline.
Danielle.
Eve smiled. “Hey, guys…”
“EVE! EEEEEEEVE!”
Martina’s voice.
Eve felt something pour into her mouth.
And all went black.
A. Deceased.
B. Deceased.
C. Deceased.
D. Deceased.
E. Pending.
16
O UT OF THE BLACKNESS.
Light.
White light.
Objects, too. Blurry. Moving. Hovering.
(Faces.)
Mom.
Dad.
Kate.
Martina. (Why is SHE with them?)
Looking at me. (Mad. They must be.)
I never said good-bye.
SORRY!
(You failed. You should have stayed home.)
“Eve?”
Dr. Rudin.
TELL THEM! TELL THEM WHAT HAPPENED—
“Eve, wake up!”
Eve’s eyes flickered open.
“Yo, is she alive ?” (Kate.)
“Haaaagerrrfffol…” Moving her mouth felt like lifting weights.
Swallow. Cough.
“What’d she say?” (Martina.)
“Give her a chance. She’s been out a long time.” (Dr. Rudin.)
Eve blinked.
The room came into focus.
White walls. Fluorescent lights. IV tubes.
She slowly scanned the room.
They were smiling. All of them.
Her parents. Her two friends. Dr. Rudin.
Real.
Alive.
“Eve?” said Mrs. Hardy, taking her hand.
“I—I’m sorry, Mom.
“ ‘One of the new treatments has worked perfectly in the experimental trials. Had planned to try each treatment on a different girl. Instead I will change the vials. Give them all the same. The new one. Will contact the parents tomorrow.’ ”
Martina fell silent.
“Yes?” Dr. Felicia Felton asked.
“That’s it,” Martina said. “The rest of the pages are blank.”
Dr. Howard Felton took the book and flipped back a page. “February twenty-one. If I remember correctly, he died that month.”
“Where are the new treatments?” Martina was pulling down test tubes, reading labels.
The Feltons reached in, grabbing at whatever they could.
Stand.
Eve struggled to her feet. Holding the edge of the table, she dragged herself closer to the dumbwaiter.
She had her eye on the corner of the enclosure.
On a small cardboard box marked VACUUM CLEANER BAGS.
She put her hand on Martina’s shoulder. For support.
“What are you doing?” Martina cried out. “Sit!”
Eve reached in. She pulled out the box and fell backward.
The Feltons caught her and sat her down.
“What? What ?” Martina ripped open the box. She pulled out decayed newspaper padding.
At the bottom, mixed with shreds of paper, were a few small vials. Each had a dull-colored liquid inside it.
Martina picked up one of the vials and read the label. “Bryann.”
“All the treatments are different,” Dr. Felicia Felton remarked. “Which is the one that works?”
“He didn’t say!” Martina replied.
Eve reached in. She turned other vials and read the labels. CAROLINE. ALEXIS.
EVE .
The one meant for her.
She lifted it out.
“Wait!” Martina cried. “What if it’s not the right one?”
Eve paused.
Her mind was clouded.
What if?
The wrong one meant death.
But how to pick?
The clearest one? That was Alexis’s.
The strongest looking? Caroline’s. It was dark green.
The fullest vial? Bryann’s.
No.
The answer worked its way up. It shot through the murk in her brain.
Each vial was meant for one girl. Each a different fate. Assigned by Dr. Black.
Fate.
It was something Eve understood.
It had guided her here.
It would guide her now.
She would not steal anyone else’s.
She had to face her own.
Eve looked at Martina. She tried to speak, but even that took too much effort.
Martina was not crying. Her eyes were locked on Eve’s.
She knew.
Somehow, she knew.
No.
More.
Time.
She tried twisting off the top of the vial, but her fingers wouldn’t grip.
I’m going.
Like Danielle.
Away from home.
Missing in action.
The room was swirling.
The air was leaking from her lungs.
The lights were dimming.
Take it.
A white light formed in the center of the room. Or was it in her brain? Her imagination? She couldn’t tell.
In the center of the light were faces. Blurry but slowly assuming familiar shapes.
Alexis.
Bryann.
Caroline.
Danielle.
Eve smiled. “Hey, guys…”
“EVE! EEEEEEEVE!”
Martina’s voice.
Eve felt something pour into her mouth.
And all went black.
A. Deceased.
B. Deceased.
C. Deceased.
D. Deceased.
E. Pending.
16
O UT OF THE BLACKNESS.
Light.
White light.
Objects, too. Blurry. Moving. Hovering.
(Faces.)
Mom.
Dad.
Kate.
Martina. (Why is SHE with them?)
Looking at me. (Mad. They must be.)
I never said good-bye.
SORRY!
(You failed. You should have stayed home.)
“Eve?”
Dr. Rudin.
TELL THEM! TELL THEM WHAT HAPPENED—
“Eve, wake up!”
Eve’s eyes flickered open.
“Yo, is she alive ?” (Kate.)
“Haaaagerrrfffol…” Moving her mouth felt like lifting weights.
Swallow. Cough.
“What’d she say?” (Martina.)
“Give her a chance. She’s been out a long time.” (Dr. Rudin.)
Eve blinked.
The room came into focus.
White walls. Fluorescent lights. IV tubes.
She slowly scanned the room.
They were smiling. All of them.
Her parents. Her two friends. Dr. Rudin.
Real.
Alive.
“Eve?” said Mrs. Hardy, taking her hand.
“I—I’m sorry, Mom.
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