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Back The Lost Save as PDF
Chapters (50)
  1. Front Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. Acknowledgments
  47. About the Author
  48. A Sneak Peek of You Will Be Mine
  49. 1
  50. Back Cover

Someone was in here with me. Caleb? I snatch the light blanket that was underneath me when I slept and wrap it around my exposed body. I still have my underwear on, thank God. But I hate that they’ve seen so much of me.

Don’t think about that.

Nothing matters right now other than surviving. I have to get through this by any means. I sink to the floor and curl my arms around my knees. Tugging the blanket over my head, tightening my arms in an attempt to keep warm.

How far will they go again before switching the temperature? Will they let me pass out? Is that what happens when you get too cold?

My body is still damp with sweat. Or maybe I’m just extremely cold. I don’t really know.

Am I wet? I run my finger down my icy arm under the blanket, but I can’t tell. Somehow, I need to warm up. I tighten my grip around my legs, chaining myself around my own body and burying my head in my knees. The blanket is around my head, completely covering every inch of my body.

Why don’t I feel any warmer?

I close my eyes.

Think about something else.

What would Mom and Dad be doing now? Besides looking for their missing daughter? They’ll find me. Parents don’t stop hunting; they won’t give up.

So I can’t, either.

But it is so cold; the bitter chill seeps into my bones.

Mom will be at home. Don’t they make someone stay at home in case there’s a phone call or something? She could be waiting for a ransom demand while Dad frantically drives all over town. He might be with Hazel’s dad.

My teeth chatter. Why am I cold? I raise my head to see what’s going on, but it doesn’t move. Every muscle in my body is stiff, too weak to support the weight of my head. I can’t even move my hand.

Wiggle your finger.

I try. I focus so hard, even going as far as picturing it in my head so my body knows what to do, but still I stay unable to move except for the aggressive trembling that’s taken over my body.

Where am I? My head swims, heart beating slow and hard. It’s the only thing I can hear. I don’t remember…

I flick my eyes open but can only see darkness. Your head is in your knees.

Am I dreaming? I dream a lot, but never like this.

God, it is freezing. I close my eyes again as my mind floats. What am I doing here? Where…

I sink into a dark, icy abyss.

12

Groaning, I grip my pounding head with both hands and tentatively crack my eyes open. The temperature is warm. Not boiling nor freezing, but warm. Low lighting fills the small room.