Chapter 61

　　"Tess. Tess, can you hear me?"

　　My mother's voice pulled me out of the dark. It sounded far away at first, muffled and shaky, like she'd been crying for hours.

　　I blinked slowly. My head throbbed, my chest ached, and there was a sharp sting in my left hand.

　　When my eyes finally focused, I saw ...