“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.704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo6a9LddGPJ
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“What are you doing here?” Madame Pommier stands up from behind the camellia shrubs, an emerald pendant in her hand.704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6lWyTx2rs
704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6gbSdNpQL
“What are you doing here?” I say with surprise and a tiny prick of irritation at seeing her in our secret place.704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRIbZelXnuK
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“The veil is thinnest here,” she says. “This is where I’m sealing it off.”704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPOA6wShSje
704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfABe9OZBjk
My heart catches. “No, wait. Please. Can you stop it for just a little while?”704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1UoDAVYjG
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She shakes her head. “Once it starts, it can’t be stopped.”704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDx06or6uur
704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwwFd8JiFx0
“No,” I murmur, clutching the bottom of my sweater. Will.704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLrMz6dDY2P
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“Cami.”704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnqwlFgcuZc
704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡujVgaLlFhT
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.704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrD2R6b0bh
704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn1OBeLwATW
In my selfish desire to be with Will, I finally see Roanna’s side.704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQ5RKVnGDS
704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf6VKBaiQui
“You were right, Ro,” I say, my voice breaking. “I’m sorry.”704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCxMFbtGDvw
704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6G04PgYACV
Roanna hurries to my side and hugs me.704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfn3jpVbWS
704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5OpV4I2GNj
“Cami,” an even softer voices says.704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa2QTGnIL8u
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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.704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5yb3yL8YM
704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN7k226eBPd
“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.”704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFe83koqm8a
704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehaFcWEeEX
“Or he could be pulled into ours,” Roanna says.704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmGLmthdx4s
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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.704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGrqiZDzsU
704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLppgR3vPK
“There will have to be an exchange,” Madame Pommier says. “Equivalent exchange.”704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgKs7GBenf
704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBJhd9or5tH
“Do it,” Roanna says quietly. “It’ll be okay. I understand now. I belong there.”704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KUCZkyRXn
704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3m6nrBjUI8
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.704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFBsioeZQFz
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“Can’t you both stay?” I ask. My voice barely comes out.704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkbASjWw2q
704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSyDwQLfld3
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.”704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJ8kyzm4WZ
704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUvvM9qOfuM
“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.704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡohvnHDsfqk
704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTukbKT1Hv
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.704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQp91qKkmZk
704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCxyNnVSVfS
“Goodbye, Cami.” Even if I can’t see the tears in her eyes, I can hear them in her voice.704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJot4wuX4W
704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC3vX72C9IU
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.704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbeYNzEhP7
704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJj8BLBdHF
“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.”704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrDRlDx78Vr
704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3huQEAEj75
“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.”704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85Bqzb3gOX
704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKogFiLuDh
And somehow, I know what it is.704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQb88nzaf1o
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“Cami, don’t,” Madame Pommier says, taking a step toward me.704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkVdoytkBYx
704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kOKZLJaXA
The emerald glints in the vanishing light. I thread my arms around Will’s neck and pull his mouth down to mine.704Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz4d0WO4SA3
Penana
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