chapter 2

Emily watched Arlie from the space in between

She wished she could reach through and touch his face, tell him everything would be okay, that she was still with him

But Arlie could not hear her now

He could not even remember her name

Her wish reached him in the form of a warm, pink glow on his cheeks

The sensation bloomed into a vision:

Volcanic pools of gold and emerald swirling beneath a dusty plum sky

Steam rising like secrets from the Earth