I nod. “Not yet.”
Onika’s jaw tightens and she hops down from the railing, her boots making a loud clapping noise on the pavement. She begins to walk away, but then turns back to look at me. “I’ll be seeing you on the flip side, Charlotte,” she calls. “Enjoy the fall.”
Suddenly I’m hit hard with a jolt of hot electricity. I scream until my throat burns.
My golden skin is tearing and little cracks of light are escaping right through my clothes. But as the light escapes, the burning is replaced with something else. Pure relief.
I find a way to lock eyes with Harlin again. And I smile at him, knowing he loves me. He’ll remember me.
And then I close my eyes and let go of the cable, the feeling of tipping backward both exhilarating and powerless.
Wind is blowing past me and I open my eyes to look at the bridge above me. But I see only Harlin. And as I fall, he mouths, I love you.
The world around me is silent. And then there is an explosion of bright yellow light that extends to forever. A flow of emotion and heat pouring from me, illuminating the entire night sky. Illuminating the entire world. And in my last second, all I think is: It is so beautiful.
After
I hear an echo as sound hums its way into my ears. It’s a heavy noise, reverberating as it gets louder. Louder. Louder—I’m afraid my head will burst from the vibration, and finally my eyes flutter open and it stops.
I see sky above me—blue and cloudless. Blinking quickly, I try to get my bearings. Sensation returns to my fingers and I dig in, feeling the grit of rock and sand beneath them.
In the distance, I hear wind in the trees. I try to swallow but my mouth is dry. Sucking in a harsh breath, I start to sit up, my body shaking. Vibrating. It feels . . . electric.
I bend my knees and rest my elbows on them as I look around. I’m in a park of some sort: sandy hills with cacti surrounding me, a center fountain flowing on the other side of a cement wall bordering it. Far off, I see cars crossing a huge bridge over a dried-up riverbed. A bridge?
Where am I?
Dizzy and confused, I stumble as I try to stand. I look down and my feet are bare.
Walking is odd and my legs feel off-balance, especially since the desert beneath them is hot and getting hotter. After a few yards I find a street, which is empty but for a few parked cars. I glance up at the sky again; it’s so clear and sunny. I’m not sure why, but the light settles in my bones, makes me feel warm. Loved.
I start to move down the sidewalk toward the bridge, when a glint of light catches my eye from a car’s side mirror. I glance over and look at myself in the passenger window.
I see a reflection, but it’s not familiar. Suddenly, fear seizes me as I look between the bridge and myself. Feeling off. Feeling wrong.
Because I realize: I have no idea who I am.