like a knuckle sandwich. He notices my mood lightening, then holds out his hand as before. First fist. Then slap. I hope that doesn't mean we're now bound or something.
"Trip! Back to the tour?" Just like that? No apologies? What would Keet say just about now. Oh yeah. Frodo's not in the Shire anymore.
"My rump is covered in slime, Stitch. I'm going back. Maybe later."
He leans over. Creeps, those things are moving again. "Tomorrow after reg then? I'll pop up threeish. You trip?"
"Ummm, yeah. I guess." Another big flash of teeth and he's off, shadow dancing.
Sure. Can't wait. Keet just has to meet this dweeb. Should be fun to watch.
Quickly, back to my space. Enough adventures for the day, please. Better tap this button here and run, just in case. Nothing stays still in this place. Funny. Just like me. There. Back in the sanity of my own cell. There should be an instruction slip or some sort of welcome to the twilight zone package for newbs. I need my wits about me, especially out there.
Freeze. Lights off. There's something moving by the bench. Oh no. It's looking at me. Hide. Stay hush here for a while. That's it. Just bring that heart rate down. Don't let it happen. Ok. Count. One. Two. Three. Breathe. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Again. Just a peek. Nice and easy. You hick! Nothing's there. I must be suffering from sleep deprivation. I'm starting to jump at trees now. It's this wobbly city that's jiggling my brain around with its obnoxious walls, slobbering doorways, chomping book shelves, sassy rugs. Yeah. I'm talking to you down there. Honestly. As if the voices weren't enough, now I'm seeing things too.
Maybe Father was right about Mother and she did lose her mind, she did become a danger to herself and to us. Sometimes I just want to make it all stop, and I do mean everything. The hope is that this floating maze will somehow offer enough mindplay to keep my brain so busy that there's no time for anyone else in there. That is, at least until we can find some answers. Keet seems to believe Mother had them. We just need to find Dr. Tenille and he'll tell us. I just need to make sure I become one of his crew and then… I wonder if he'll remember me. So stay focused, girl, and forget the crazy museum curator. Nothing is getting past those hanging drool buckets. It's all in your head. My eyes sure are getting heavy. I'm not awake enough to fuss with the controller tonight, so I'll just lie down here on the shaggy one. Too warm for a cover anyway. Nice. Feels like thousands of little hands holding me up. Deep breath in and…
Air, air, I need air. I'm so cold. I want them to stop! What's happening to me? They're not going away, they're getting more and more real. Look at me. I'm drenched in my own sweat, and ouch, my eyes. They're raw. Calm, I need calm. Can you at least give me that? They were hurting Mother again. That's enough. I have to tell Keet while it's still fresh. I need to find a way to get past this, it's always there, in the background, eating away at me, burning inside me, tormenting me. Maybe he can make some sense of it, he's the only one I can trust. I'm shaking still. Grab the comm.
"Hey lo. It's a privyrack, that shelf. You can choose the bite setting by… Are you crying? What happened? Eli, please talk to me. This happens every morning, doesn't it, I know it. You try to hide it with your eye gel, but it still shows. It's the dream again, isn't it? Mother. Please let me in."
How does he know it's about Mother. I've never said a thing to him or have I? Sometimes I say things out loud, but surely I would remember telling him.
"They're hurting her, Keet. She is lying there looking at us and they are hurting her."
"Who is hurting her? Can you see their faces. Anything. A mark, a voice, a scent. Close your eyes and try to remember. It's ok. Who's there with you?"
She's turning her head and looking straight at me. The room is dark, there are shadows, I feel cold, she's breathing, I can see the
"Trip! Back to the tour?" Just like that? No apologies? What would Keet say just about now. Oh yeah. Frodo's not in the Shire anymore.
"My rump is covered in slime, Stitch. I'm going back. Maybe later."
He leans over. Creeps, those things are moving again. "Tomorrow after reg then? I'll pop up threeish. You trip?"
"Ummm, yeah. I guess." Another big flash of teeth and he's off, shadow dancing.
Sure. Can't wait. Keet just has to meet this dweeb. Should be fun to watch.
Quickly, back to my space. Enough adventures for the day, please. Better tap this button here and run, just in case. Nothing stays still in this place. Funny. Just like me. There. Back in the sanity of my own cell. There should be an instruction slip or some sort of welcome to the twilight zone package for newbs. I need my wits about me, especially out there.
Freeze. Lights off. There's something moving by the bench. Oh no. It's looking at me. Hide. Stay hush here for a while. That's it. Just bring that heart rate down. Don't let it happen. Ok. Count. One. Two. Three. Breathe. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Again. Just a peek. Nice and easy. You hick! Nothing's there. I must be suffering from sleep deprivation. I'm starting to jump at trees now. It's this wobbly city that's jiggling my brain around with its obnoxious walls, slobbering doorways, chomping book shelves, sassy rugs. Yeah. I'm talking to you down there. Honestly. As if the voices weren't enough, now I'm seeing things too.
Maybe Father was right about Mother and she did lose her mind, she did become a danger to herself and to us. Sometimes I just want to make it all stop, and I do mean everything. The hope is that this floating maze will somehow offer enough mindplay to keep my brain so busy that there's no time for anyone else in there. That is, at least until we can find some answers. Keet seems to believe Mother had them. We just need to find Dr. Tenille and he'll tell us. I just need to make sure I become one of his crew and then… I wonder if he'll remember me. So stay focused, girl, and forget the crazy museum curator. Nothing is getting past those hanging drool buckets. It's all in your head. My eyes sure are getting heavy. I'm not awake enough to fuss with the controller tonight, so I'll just lie down here on the shaggy one. Too warm for a cover anyway. Nice. Feels like thousands of little hands holding me up. Deep breath in and…
Air, air, I need air. I'm so cold. I want them to stop! What's happening to me? They're not going away, they're getting more and more real. Look at me. I'm drenched in my own sweat, and ouch, my eyes. They're raw. Calm, I need calm. Can you at least give me that? They were hurting Mother again. That's enough. I have to tell Keet while it's still fresh. I need to find a way to get past this, it's always there, in the background, eating away at me, burning inside me, tormenting me. Maybe he can make some sense of it, he's the only one I can trust. I'm shaking still. Grab the comm.
"Hey lo. It's a privyrack, that shelf. You can choose the bite setting by… Are you crying? What happened? Eli, please talk to me. This happens every morning, doesn't it, I know it. You try to hide it with your eye gel, but it still shows. It's the dream again, isn't it? Mother. Please let me in."
How does he know it's about Mother. I've never said a thing to him or have I? Sometimes I say things out loud, but surely I would remember telling him.
"They're hurting her, Keet. She is lying there looking at us and they are hurting her."
"Who is hurting her? Can you see their faces. Anything. A mark, a voice, a scent. Close your eyes and try to remember. It's ok. Who's there with you?"
She's turning her head and looking straight at me. The room is dark, there are shadows, I feel cold, she's breathing, I can see the
Similar Books
