I wanted to confide in them about tuning with Kyle the night before; about how far we had managed to go, and about how exhilarating and terrifying it was; about the almost joyful disassociation that followed in the morning; the feeling of being permeated by the Resonance until what was left of me was no longer clear; about how this feeling intensified over the day until I felt like there was nothing left of me at all, and how panic set in, until I felt completely swallowed by it. But I was afraid they would be hurt. Or angry. Or not understand. Though maybe they did. Maybe they knew exactly the feeling I meant.

In the end, I said nothing. Howard stuffed his hands into his pockets. Jo wrapped her arm around me and pulled me into her. I felt a little bit like their daughter. Or their pet. A beloved burden. I stood with them in the yard, listening to the sound that had brought us into one another’s lives. I then looked up at the sky spattered with stars, and thought of Kyle lying in his tent, six blocks away, nestled beside his reading lamp with a book resting on his chest. I thought of Ashley and Paul in their studio apartment overlooking the parking lot, probably getting ready for bed, if not already asleep. And I thought of my bed upstairs, its cold vastness, and the restless night that awaited.

16

DAMIAN SLAMMED HIS HANDGUN DOWN ON THE COFFEE table. Leslie gasped, and Shawn raised his hands—Whoa, okay.

Put it away, Howard said, standing up.

We’re going to be targeted, Damian said.

Damian, Jo said, putting her hand on his arm. It was midday, the living room blinds were drawn, and everyone was on edge. Though I didn’t realize it at the time, this was the water pulling out before the wave.

We are going to be targeted, Damian repeated, stepping away from Jo’s touch, and we can either sit here and do nothing, or we can—

I’m not interested, Howard interrupted.

Well you should be. People have begun connecting the dots, Howard. On 4chan, on Reddit. There’re others out there who can hear the Resonance and they are being tracked down and they are being eliminated.

Nora looked alarmed—Eliminated?

All kinds of people can hear it.

I know, Howard said.

Melbourne, Bristol, Munich, Calgary, all around the world.

Of course they can.

And you read these subreddits and every one of them—fired from their jobs, hounded by police, mysterious deaths—

Oh come on.

You don’t know ’cause you’re not paying attention. Damian was beginning to raise his voice.

Emily looked confused—But why, I don’t—?

Because they don’t want us to know.

Who’s ‘they’? Shawn asked. You mean the government?