“Will,” I say, reaching the camellias. I press my hand against my chest, trying to catch my breath. Deep pinks and oranges stain the sky.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Zn4TdLgki
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“What are you doing here?” Madame Pommier stands up from behind the camellia shrubs, an emerald pendant in her hand.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRdNNCcfmxw
705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡriYCMnID0x
“What are you doing here?” I say with surprise and a tiny prick of irritation at seeing her in our secret place.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDeC6nEICNV
705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡScW2lutBEH
“The veil is thinnest here,” she says. “This is where I’m sealing it off.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bMU2MO3Tj
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My heart catches. “No, wait. Please. Can you stop it for just a little while?”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDxO0iY3ly
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She shakes her head. “Once it starts, it can’t be stopped.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVwO7r8RErt
705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc1At4JUxaF
“No,” I murmur, clutching the bottom of my sweater. Will.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88tJrhxdRe
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“Cami.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR2JTSXO4mw
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My head snaps up. Roanna stands there, her giant curls wilder than usual. Her specs reflect the sunset, so I can’t see her eyes.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6UamB7UnxX
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In my selfish desire to be with Will, I finally see Roanna’s side.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsNaIRw3lq8
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“You were right, Ro,” I say, my voice breaking. “I’m sorry.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZbokyIHvV
705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKoj6oQvhxo
Roanna hurries to my side and hugs me.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUPdq6wIr4d
705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoOY9j3uHpX
“Cami,” an even softer voices says.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKR9JCzHDP
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All three of us look up. It’s Will, but it looks like I’m seeing him through a frosted window. I release Roanna and take three big steps forward so I’m directly in from of him. I hesitantly reach a hand out, almost expecting it to go through him.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3a9l7ziF29
705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0TjZno3PMw
“Cami! No!” Madame Pommier says sharply. “If you touch him with this closing in progress, we have no idea what it could do. You could be pulled into his time.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ayxPpt9BD
705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmGx0ypjq0m
“Or he could be pulled into ours,” Roanna says.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9pejEz2rO
705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XXbqBVvBr
Her gaze is off to the side. I follow her gaze and see a pretty, young nurse standing there, faint and transparent like Will is. She watches us with wide eyes.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiNKe5s7e3r
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“There will have to be an exchange,” Madame Pommier says. “Equivalent exchange.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppt0gTcjC1
705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGfsjmYCktz
“Do it,” Roanna says quietly. “It’ll be okay. I understand now. I belong there.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwOpdjBAv6m
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There’s a finality to her gaze that terrifies me, but the sun is going down quickly, and there’s very little chance to think about it.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTogzdOkuMq
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“Can’t you both stay?” I ask. My voice barely comes out.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs95DmvGkcX
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She shakes her head and walks over to the nurse, holding a hand up. Turning her head to face Will, she says, “Just do it. Touch her.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmoQmS9IkY3
705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9GEGrjeIX
“Stop it. I can’t allow you to do this,” Madame Pommier says. But she seems unable to move out of the circle she’s made in the dirt.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KVw7TdDs9
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Will’s hand closes around mine, and the image of him begins to sharpen at the same time as Roanna’s image begins to dim and frost over. She smiles at me. Her hand is locked with the nurse’s.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBVGXt3Bk4D
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“Goodbye, Cami.” Even if I can’t see the tears in her eyes, I can hear them in her voice.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR1PGj4GXTr
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I want to reach out toward her, but Will anchors me in place. He pulls me closer to his body—which is warmer than it’s ever been before—and watches her. Through him, I can see he recognizes within Roanna the longing to be elsewhere and how it feels to belong somewhere other than where you are.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8dKALg6F5F
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“It’s a psychiatric hospital,” I tell her, even though it’s already too late. “You don’t want to go there. You don’t want to be a patient.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PJjnj4qx6
705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EVSCCT84H
“A patient?” Now I hear the smile in her words. “I intend to be a doctor. Cami, there’s one more thing you need to do.”705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJXb21M8C9L
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And somehow, I know what it is.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUr4BeYhAkT
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“Cami, don’t,” Madame Pommier says, taking a step toward me.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxa1oW9jN4
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The emerald glints in the vanishing light. I thread my arms around Will’s neck and pull his mouth down to mine.705Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bNT13EAHz
Penana
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