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Book 2: Sleepless
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When Zac’s eyelids fluttered open, he saw stars. |
These were not celestial bodies, but rather glow-in-the-dark plastic shapes he’d affixed to his bedroom ceiling in the fifth grade. Originally, the entire ceiling had been covered with constellations that shimmered a comforting sapphire blue in the darkness. Over the years however, most of the stars had fallen away until only Taurus the Bull remained, forming a lopsided Y-shape right above Zac’s bed.
The bedside clock flashed 88:88. A storm must’ve knocked out the power, he thought. This was not unusual. Unreliable utilities were very much a part of living in a community as small, old and remote as Hidden Rock. But for the life of him, Zac couldn’t remember a storm or even the promise of one. Nor could he remember when he went to bed, or what he’d been doing prior to crawling under the covers, or even what day of the week it was.
And he didn’t care. All he knew was that he’d never felt so relaxed, so warm, so tranquil as he did at that moment staring up at the constellation on the ceiling.
There was a squeak of wood sliding against wood and by the time Zac had raised himself onto his elbows, a cool breeze swirled through the window next to his television. This was the same window where, not that long ago, he’d stood shivering, feeling as though someone had been watching him from the treetops outside. But instead of alarm, this time Zac felt a chemically-induced surge of excitement as a bare foot slid through across the sill, followed by a flawless bare leg, a flawless hip, a flawless shoulder.
“It’s cold,” Kasira Vang said, stepping closer to the bed as she hugged herself against the icy draft now pouring through the room. “Can I get in?”
It was only when Zac lifted the covers that he realized he also wasn’t wearing a stitch of clothing. And again, he didn’t care. Despite her protestations, Kasira did not feel cold. In fact, her skin was so warm it actually made Zac’s fingers prickle as he pulled her over to him. Her arms snaked under his until her hands came to rest on his shoulder blades, her manicured nails digging into the soft meat near his spine. Her breasts pushed against his chest and her belly quivered as it touched his. He brushed the hair from her face and the smell of jasmine drifted up to him. Just as their lips touched, a sharp pain seared through Zac’s temple.
The bedside clock flashed 88:88. A storm must’ve knocked out the power, he thought. This was not unusual. Unreliable utilities were very much a part of living in a community as small, old and remote as Hidden Rock. But for the life of him, Zac couldn’t remember a storm or even the promise of one. Nor could he remember when he went to bed, or what he’d been doing prior to crawling under the covers, or even what day of the week it was.
And he didn’t care. All he knew was that he’d never felt so relaxed, so warm, so tranquil as he did at that moment staring up at the constellation on the ceiling.
There was a squeak of wood sliding against wood and by the time Zac had raised himself onto his elbows, a cool breeze swirled through the window next to his television. This was the same window where, not that long ago, he’d stood shivering, feeling as though someone had been watching him from the treetops outside. But instead of alarm, this time Zac felt a chemically-induced surge of excitement as a bare foot slid through across the sill, followed by a flawless bare leg, a flawless hip, a flawless shoulder.
“It’s cold,” Kasira Vang said, stepping closer to the bed as she hugged herself against the icy draft now pouring through the room. “Can I get in?”
It was only when Zac lifted the covers that he realized he also wasn’t wearing a stitch of clothing. And again, he didn’t care. Despite her protestations, Kasira did not feel cold. In fact, her skin was so warm it actually made Zac’s fingers prickle as he pulled her over to him. Her arms snaked under his until her hands came to rest on his shoulder blades, her manicured nails digging into the soft meat near his spine. Her breasts pushed against his chest and her belly quivered as it touched his. He brushed the hair from her face and the smell of jasmine drifted up to him. Just as their lips touched, a sharp pain seared through Zac’s temple.
