Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 16571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 83(@200wpm)___ 66(@250wpm)___ 55(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 16571 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 83(@200wpm)___ 66(@250wpm)___ 55(@300wpm)
"It’s the year of our Lord 1859, Cora."
1859. That number thrums in my head like a bad dream. I want it to be a lie, I want to be a joke, I want it to be anything other than the enormity of what it actually sounds like, but I can’t duck and dive this point any longer. It’s the truth. It’s the only thing that makes sense, the only thing that strings all of this together. Dark shadows cross my vision as panic begins to set in, and I place my head in my hands, trembling.
I don’t know how this could have happened. Or even if this could have happened. Because it doesn’t make any sense, it doesn’t even come close, it – it sounds like a fantasy, or a bad dream, or a psychotic break.
Could that be what this is? Some kind of reaction to the trauma that consumed me after I failed to save that child? I’d heard of people freaking out after they had a bad day at work, but this...this is beyond anything I have heard of before. Could I have created a whole vision of another time just for the sake of dodging my guilt, or...?
"Cora?"
I feel Boone’s hand on my bare shoulder, and I pull away at once, without thinking. Not because his touch doesn’t feel good, it does, of course it does. But because it can’t be real, and I can’t let myself get attached to something that isn’t...
But then, I feel his fingertips tracing down my back, and I close my eyes for a second. I don’t know if my mind could have invented the kind of pleasure that he gave to me, nor that I would have come up with it if I had put all this together to punish myself. No, there’s more to it, more than I can wrap my head around.
I tug myself away from him again, standing up, my legs threatening to tremble out from underneath me.
"What’s going on, Cora? Come back to-"
"It never bothered you that I just appeared out of nowhere?" I demand, rounding on him, crossing my arms over my chest. I know it’s not fair to come out accusing him of anything, but I need to understand what part he plays in all of this, if any.
He shrugs, leaning back on the bed, like he’s got nothing to be sorry for.
"Neighbour of mine married a woman who dropped in out of the blue," he replies. "A girl like you, from what I hear."
I tense. Is there another one? Someone else who has been through this...?
"What do you mean, a girl like me?”
"A girl who’s not from around here."
And the way he says it, I can tell he’s not talking about someone from out of state. I sink down on the edge of the bed, wary, not sure if I am ready to hear what comes next. Because if what he’s saying is true, then I might not be the only woman who’s been pulled out of time to be dropped in this strange place...
And if she’s out there, then I need to know as much about her as I possibly can.
CHAPTER 6
Boone
She draws the covers up to her chest, her eyes wide as they remain pinned to me. I have no idea why she’s looking at me with such abject shock on her face, but if she needs my help to get to the bottom of this, I’ll do what I can.
"This girl...have you ever met her?" she asks softly. I don’t know why she’s suddenly taking such an interest in Elias’ wife, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let her drag up all of that shit again. I grunt and shake my head.
"No. Elias doesn’t much care for visitors."
"So how do you know about his wife, then?” she presses. "You met her a long time ago, or-"
"No."
I cut her off bluntly. Touching on the subject of Elias stings, no matter how much time has passed since we last spoke. Better part of two years now, actually, and he’s made no effort to get in touch with me again. Just because we happen to share the same forest doesn’t mean that we like each other, and that’s not going to change anytime soon.
"So how do you know about her?”
"Some people from the town," I reply gruffly. "Said she came down with him a few times. They’d never seen her before and she wouldn’t tell them where she was from. Seemed like she just dropped out of the clear blue sky, that’s what they said."
Her face pales, and I scan her gaze for some kind of explanation. Why is she reacting like all of this is familiar to her?
"Can we meet them?” she pushes, and I close up, shaking my head.
"No."
"Why not?”
"Because he doesn’t want to see me."