“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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xoytTPMvp
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“What are you doing here?” Madame Pommier stands up from behind the camellia shrubs, an emerald pendant in her hand.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaz89k1wuGH
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“What are you doing here?” I say with surprise and a tiny prick of irritation at seeing her in our secret place.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa6FH0Tk9JA
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“The veil is thinnest here,” she says. “This is where I’m sealing it off.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd6UJohXgRw
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My heart catches. “No, wait. Please. Can you stop it for just a little while?”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2A5Rz8ZRO
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She shakes her head. “Once it starts, it can’t be stopped.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXBts2Epyw
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“No,” I murmur, clutching the bottom of my sweater. Will.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qm4RXYgKL
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“Cami.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOnYNaUxae
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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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUTmIHZ3rng
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In my selfish desire to be with Will, I finally see Roanna’s side.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡachppgrIl4
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“You were right, Ro,” I say, my voice breaking. “I’m sorry.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeDILX1j1JZ
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Roanna hurries to my side and hugs me.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLSmO9EJOCR
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“Cami,” an even softer voices says.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCcSeY0AqZ
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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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNoEKSTo7kE
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“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.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqNsqZrZgz
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“Or he could be pulled into ours,” Roanna says.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2hyJDT3cN
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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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQdBQrvrOA5
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“There will have to be an exchange,” Madame Pommier says. “Equivalent exchange.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWMU33ywAtV
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“Do it,” Roanna says quietly. “It’ll be okay. I understand now. I belong there.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUITeZG5TlS
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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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMZ9drpI0a
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“Can’t you both stay?” I ask. My voice barely comes out.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuiMiY9wgsX
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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.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPT6tOZc0R
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“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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavj2kTtb0M
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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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxgS3CRyNSk
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“Goodbye, Cami.” Even if I can’t see the tears in her eyes, I can hear them in her voice.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLBTsOeArBk
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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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwERXmdMzra
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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.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOU30I5R03
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“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.”772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjyRB7hzZk0
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And somehow, I know what it is.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcWsxhWprEe
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“Cami, don’t,” Madame Pommier says, taking a step toward me.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMo6M89VB8
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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.772Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxP1NZtXAKc
Penana
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