She felt like an hourglass, the final grains of sand finally running down. It was almost over. She could feel herself slipping away.
The room flipped as she was dragged up and crushed tight.
“Stay…please…stay.”
The light grew and the strangest sensation came over her, a glow inside her chest, familiar even though she was certain she’d never experienced anything like it before. The constant feeling of strain inside her chest, like a thread pulled to the verge of snapping, slowly faded away.
She closed her eyes, drawing a struggling breath, and the dream dissolved into nothingness.
Helena woke with a start,panic gripping her. She pushed herself up in bed, swaying as the room swam around her. She braced herself, ripping the needle from her arm, and tumbled from the bed.
There was someth
