Chapter 22
More and more, Jesse found himself choosing to stay in the dark, where it was cool, and quiet. Each time he felt himself swimming back to consciousness, he fought it, greedily clutching the good dreams, and trying to avoid the nightmares that always seemed ready to swallow him whole. The only time he did make the concession to wake up was when the pain returned. He felt like his bones had been ground down to splinters and dust, and his skin was as dry as parchment, and his blood was powder. Then he woke up and Emma was always there, ready to feed him soup and water and give him his pills.
He would let himself drift away again after the drugs. Because nothing hurt in the darkness. And he was afraid—so afraid—of what he’d find if he allowed himself to return to the world. He did
