[nnwm15] After Ryan’s apology, the group eventually returned to their discussion of summer camps. Mara hadn’t ever been to one, in fact, she’d never participated in any non-mandatory activity. Her parents sent her to school, but they never had much interest in sending her elsewhere. She told the group of the trips to the …
Chapter 24: Camp
[nnwm15] The mountains lit up brighter than they’d seen in weeks. Bouncing colors flitting from peak to peak. The sky seemed lighter than usual, the world seemed to be in a state of activity, if that could exist. It was noticed by each member of the small group, spurring discussion.
Chapter 23: July
[nnwm15] “What month is it?” “I think it might be July now” “I can’t believe that I’ve lost track of time, this never would have happened when I was a teacher” “It never would have happened when I was a student, counting down the days” Mrs. Corum and Sara Beth were both about right, …
Chapter 19: The Future
[nnwm15] “Julie is my sister, and all, but I just can’t help feeling what I feel”, Jamie said as the others scowled at her with a look of confusion and shock. “I just wondered if, now that Julie is thinking more about us in her imagination, we’d have something more interesting than just this …
Chapter 22: The Long and Winding Road
[nnwm15] Many years ago, when she was about Jamie’s age, G-ma had learned how to knit from her grandmother. The old woman would sit by her fireplace, in a rocking chair, knitting sweaters for her family. It was a stereotypical scene, admittedly, but one that G-ma observed for years as a young girl.
Chapter 21: Dark Thoughts
[nnwm15] Ryan was quiet for the next few days, seldom making eye contact with the rest of the group. It was obvious to all that the revelation he’d forced out of Mara had affected him in some way. Ryan could be cruel, but it didn’t seem like he was a full on sociopath who …
Chapter 20: YouTube
[nnwm15] Ryan sat there, painfully aware that things were changing for the worse. For the past few weeks, as he snuck off to the light valley, he had found something that could bring out the best in him, and with that so weak now, his demons were returning.
Chapter 18: Torment and Resent
[nnwm15] The next day the mountains turned red once more, and the cycle repeated itself. The following day, however, they lit up sporadically, but no flash of red appeared, and no pain or despair came upon the group. Ryan had stood up early that morning and decided to go for a walk, shrugging off …
Chapter 17: Pain
[nnwm15] When Mara turned 13, she decided that she was entitled to at least one night free of torment, so she decided to sneak out around 7 PM and go see a movie with her friend Jessica. Her dad didn’t like her out after dark, so generally she didn’t sneak out until after he …
Chapter 16: Lows and Highs
[nnwm15] Sara Beth knew she couldn’t tell Mara’s secret to the rest of the group, but at the same time, she also thought it was something Mara might want to mention at some point since it would, likely, get the others to stop wondering so much about her. Sara Beth reasoned that it must …