A panic attack was quickly coming upon him. His mind was racing a mile a minute—he could barely keep track of all his thoughts, which was unusual for him. He got mere glimpses. Mere flashes.
Fear. Terror.
What’s happening?
Is this a dream?
More fear. More terror.
But also something else.
Guilt.
It rushed through his brain so quickly, he barely noticed it, but his gut felt it. His gut reached out and grabbed it and held it fast.
Because certainly this was a scary experience. He’d never before been in so much danger. But worse than that for poor pragmatic, logical, level-headed Sebastian, it appeared that a part of him found this all rather thrilling.
And he really oughtn’t be feeling that way, right?
Right?
Sebastian leaned back in his seat and looked out the window trying to calm himself down, taking in long, deep breaths. The sun glowed bright orange behind a dense skyline of skyscrapers, and he watched as the helicopter flew over and beyond them and toward the great unknown, which currently looked like farm fields and apple orchards. But metaphorically, you know…the future. It was unknown.
—
Thus ends our tale for now.
Don’t you hate stories that end in cliff-hangers? They are just so…
My fantastic agent, Jess Regel, who never ceases to amaze me with her unwavering support and inspiring pep talks, along with everyone else at Foundry Literary.
My tireless editor, Krista Marino, who meticulously went over every element of this book as much as I did, and everyone at Delacorte Press.
Illustrator Matt Rockefeller, who somehow managed to bring my crazy brain manifestations to life.
My family.
My friends.
My two guys: Scott the human and Atticus the cat.
And my mom and dad—whom I love more than words can say, but evidently I did have the words to say it.
Thank you so much for all the support, sanity checks, and hugs.
I acknowledge you all.
ADRIENNE KRESS is a writer and an actress born and raised in Toronto. She is the daughter of two high school English teachers, and credits them with inspiring her love of both writing and performing. She has a cat named Atticus, who unfortunately despises teeny hats. Look for her online at AdrienneKress.com and on both Twitter and Instagram at @AdrienneKress.
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The Door in the Alley Page 19