“Wait!”
Hunter splashed into the pool and began pulling Ava out. She dug her feet into the silted ground, nearly making them both go under. Water was splashing up at them from the waterfall’s base, and Ava angrily wiped it from her eyes.
“What are you doing?” she demanded, ripping her arm from his grip.
“Take me with you,” he said. Ava stared. Avalon’s mouth dropped and her shoulders sank. Tears filled her eyes immediately. That alone was enough to make Ava want to punch Hunter in the face.
“No,” she said, angry that he would abandon Avalon so quickly. He gripped her hand again, hard.
“Ava, I can’t live in a world where I can’t save my mother. If we can really travel to alternate universes, I can go with you. I can find one where maybe my dad and brother never died. I can be happy again!”
“You heard the witch! She told you to find peace with the situation. You can’t just run away from your mother!”
Hunter’s eyes were harsh with desperation. It made a small part of Ava afraid.
“That woman is not my mother, Ava! My mother wouldn’t abandon my sister and me when we need her so much. She would be strong. She would live on, like we’re trying to do!”
“And what about the version of you that lives in that universe? What is he supposed to do with you taking his place?”
Hunter stared, his expression haunted. He looked back at Avalon, and smiled.
“We’ll be friends, just like you and Avalon. We’ll just be twins in that universe, that’s all. Please, Ava. I can’t go back to my mother with no cure. I just can’t!”
Avalon had quietly made her way to their little tête-à-tête, and she took Hunter’s hand once again.
“I’ll come too,” she said, her voice barely audible beneath the crashing falls. Ava looked at them both, completely flabbergasted.
“You guys, you can’t come with me. Where do you think we’d end up? If I’m focusing on getting to Mason, Hunter’s thinking about some universe we don’t know exists where all his fantasies are real, and Avalon’s thinking about whatever she’s thinking about…it won’t work! I have to go alone!”
“No, you don’t!” Hunter shouted. Without warning, Ava punched Hunter right in the face. He crashed down into the water, taking Avalon with him.
“Ava, no!” Avalon cried, tugging at Hunter as Ava ran to the base of the falls. She pried the stopper free and let loose a drop of glowing blue liquid.
“Take me to Mason,” she whispered, and dove into the waterfall.
The churning falls underwater pulled her in that magnetic way toward the circle. She closed her eyes and prepared for another jarring experience on the other side, when someone grabbed her ankle. Jerking back, Ava kicked at Hunter’s viselike grip on her foot, but it wasn’t enough to shake him. Behind him, Avalon clung to his hand, looking scared but determined. Her expression nearly spoke aloud.
We’re coming with you.
Glancing back at the portal, Ava tried to ignore the discomfort in her lungs as they spiraled toward the new opening. She hoped that her initial wish, whispered alone, would be enough to get her to wherever Mason was.
As they passed under the circle, she closed her eyes and took a breath.
About the Author
Shana Chartier is a New England author, wife, and mother. She writes about pretty much anything, from fantasy stories to young adult fiction and dating advice columns, and she loves every minute of it.
If you are looking for her, chances are she might actually be living in a parallel universe as an internationally-renowned author, but for now she is, quite simply, a librarian. Also, her cat is named Leia, because she is a nerd. Shana lives in New Hampshire with her husband, Shane, and daughter, Evelyn.
Facebook.com/shanachartierauthor
Twitter.com/shanachartier
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Interactive Ramblings: Parallel
Copyright © 2016 Shana Chartier
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews—without written permission by the publisher.
Thank you for buying this book. Reading the fine print means you are a Rambler! A Rambler is a true avid reader who devours every single word that can fit on a page. To show our appreciation, here’s a fun fact about the author that you might not know:
Shana went to three different colleges in three different countries!
Only people as amazing as you will know this special fact. Now use it in trivia against your friends and family. Stump them all and prance around the room in victory! RAMBLERS UNITE!
Cover by Tracy Hughes
Edited by Nancy Moors and Benjamin Phillips
ISBN: 978-1-945392-92-4
First Edition July 2016
Rambunctious Ramblings Publishing Inc.
Norristown, Pennsylvania 19401, USA
www.ramrampublishing.com
Parallel Page 4