Chapter 60

The radiance is so brilliant that it hurts Holly’s eyes, but she can’t look away. Then the lights begin to bend, meld, and swirl into a whirlpool of color, its dark center steadily expanding. She’s vaguely aware that she is hallucinating, but it all feels so real.

Hollycopter!She hears the familiar voice before her father’s translucent form materializes out of the vortex.

Daddy!Her chest soars with relief.

I’ve come to take you with me.

Holly inhales a plume of smoke, and she coughs. Where are we going?

He motions beside him, and suddenly their old station wagon appears on a highway. The wheels are turning, but it doesn’t move away from them. With a sweep of her dad’s hand, it bursts into flames again.

No, Daddy.Holly feels the heat of the fire and leans away from it. Stay here!

He nods to the car. It’s where we belong.

Holly focuses on the flaming car. Suddenly, she can see a teenaged version of herself in the passenger seat beside her dad. Tears pour down Young Holly’s cheeks and evaporate into steam off her chin.

I’m sorry, Holly.He reaches over from the driver’s seat to stroke Young Holly’s cheek, but she recoils from his touch. So, so, so sorry.

The young Holly sobs. Is it me?

No, Hollycopter. Never. Sometimes, two people… they fall out of love. Your mother and me, for us it happened a while ago.

And Mrs. Blake?

Sometimes, without ever trying, you just fall in love with someone else.

She’s Nina’s mom!Holly hears her younger self cry. My best friend!

I’m so sorry, Holly.

Please, Daddy. Please! Don’t go.

Your mother and I, we agree. It’s for the best. We both love you. But I need time to sort things out.

The smoke around Holly thickens as she stands outside the car, observing her younger self plead with her father inside the vehicle. Her eyes sting, and her breathing is heavier. She can hear a distant wailing. A siren?

You’re choosing her over us?Young Holly whimpers. Over me?

Only for a while, Holly. You’ll have your mom. And your grandparents.He extends his hand to her again. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Once I’ve worked it out.

Young Holly grabs on to his arm and wraps herself tightly around it.

Holly, please!Her dad tries to wriggle his arm free of Young Holly’s, but she hangs on for dear life.

Holly watches in horror as, suddenly, almost simultaneously, both heads inside the vehicle swivel toward the windshield. She spots the hazy outline of a deer on the side of the road. It leaps out in front of the car.

Her father yanks the steering wheel, and the car veers violently to the right.

Holly feels herself cartwheeling, as if she’s trapped inside a huge barrel rolling off a cliff.

The tumbling stops as suddenly as it started. A shower of glass explodes around her, the shards floating as if in slow motion.

Everything goes dark again. It’s unbearably hot. Holly thinks she might gag on dense tendrils of smoke.

Then she feels hands on her, gripping her arms and then her legs. And she feels herself being lifted.