Chapters (50)
“I wouldn’t even know how to describe it. It was like a vision, or maybe some kind of dream—only, it doesn’t feel like a dream at all because I can remember every second of it. It happened right here,” he said softly, trepidation creeping into his voice. “It was when I rescued Little Dipper, except it didn’t happen the way I remember it, and now . . . well, this is going to sound crazy—”
“It’s okay. Say it.”
“Now it feels like I’ve got all these new memories etched into my mind, and somehow they feel more real than the old ones.” Ryan took another long, pondering look at the cliff, hesitating before he went on. “Amy, I think something’s happened to me.”
Amy leaned in closer. “I think I know the meaning behind your new memories. Ryan, I don’t know how to say this—”
“It’s okay, Amy. I can take it from here.”
The new voice gave them both a jolt. They spun around and were confronted with an all-too-familiar face.
“Chloe?”
“Hi, Ryan. Hey, Amy,” Chloe said, casually greeting them with a smile. “Fancy seeing you guys.”
Ryan raised his eyebrows. “What are you doing out here? Where did you come from?”
Chloe’s toothy grin grew wider as she exchanged a glance with Amy, who also didn’t know what to make of her sudden appearance.
“Chloe? What’s going on?”
Chloe gave Amy a wink. “You did amazing.”
“You mean . . . it worked?”
“It did.”
“What worked?” Ryan gave them both an exasperated look. “Chloe? Amy? Will one of you tell me exactly what is going on here?”
Chloe thrust out her hand to Ryan, who reluctantly took it, then reached for Amy’s hand too. After pulling them to their feet, she brought them into a small huddle and told them to close their eyes.
“Um, why?” Ryan asked.
“This will only take a second,” she said excitedly.
“What in the blazes is that supposed—”
“On the count of three,” she announced loudly. “One. Two—”
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The world dissolved around them, everything went dazzlingly bright, and for a brief moment Amy felt a rush of weightlessness.
“Three!”
At the sound of Chloe’s last count, everyone’s feet found solid ground. Amy opened her eyes and saw that they were no longer standing on grass but sand. Disoriented, she raised her head and spun 360 degrees, and her mouth fell open when she realized they had been whisked away from the cliffs and transported down to the beach. An impossible view of the bay stretched out before her—dunes on one side, waves crashing on the other, and the familiar sight of the lighthouse standing tall in the distance. The time of day had changed too; the sun was high in the sky and no trace of the storm remained, not one single cloud.
“Pretty cool, right!” Chloe said.