Thirteen

Mind awash with realisation and a new state of consciousness, I rest my back against the wall for what feels as though it may be the last time.

‘I understand.’

The girl spreads her hands above her head, splitting the roof of the facility. No rubble falls, the sides peeling from each other like a resealable bag.

‘Ready?’ She holds out her hand.

The hooded figures combine into one shadow, somehow smaller than the three apart. Mum’s smile is the last piece to fade. Though I know now she’s purely an illusion, it still hurts to see her leave for the final time.

I reach from my seat on the floor for the girl’s hand but, before it makes contact, we are both dissolved by a cool breeze. Nausea slips in...

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