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Becky’s—”
    â€œI told you, Joshua, I’m not going back there, and I mean it. I don’t ever want to see that woman again.”
    â€œI never wanted Becky to go back, either. But she kept insisting Sadie would go looking for her, and when she found her she would...”
    Allison shuddered at the thought. “So what should I do, go back there and have her knock me senseless again? That’s what she did the last time I saw her.”
    â€œWhen was this?”
    â€œI don’t really know. For a while, Becky had me bouncing back and forth from her life to mine. One minute I’d be lying in the hospital room, Mom holding my hand, and the next, I’d be in the cabin, or in the woods running for my life, or in the meadow near the cabin.” Allison felt the color rise in her face at the memory. “That’s when I first met you.”
    â€œWe met before today?”
    Allison gave Joshua a shy smile. “Once, in the meadow. You ran after me saying I was late and dragged me into the woods after you. Then Becky’s mom...”
    â€œThat was you? You didn’t seem any different. Distracted maybe, but Becky’s always distracted.”
    â€œAnyway, the last time I was in the cabin, I woke up sitting at an old sewing machine. When I realized where I was, I tried to escape, but that woman caught me. She got pissed off—” At the look of shock on Joshua’s face, Allison rephrased. “She got upset because Becky hadn’t finished a dress she was working on. Poor Becky had probably been out for a while—one of her spells, maybe—when I dropped in. So she hadn’t gotten much work done. Old Sadie hauled back her fist and let me have it. I blacked out, and the next thing I remember was being back in the hospital.”
    Joshua clenched his fists. “I bet I know when that happened. I saw Becky a couple of weeks ago, and her face was black and blue. She told me she’d tripped and hit her face on a rock. I’ll kill that woman, I swear—”
    Magda gasped and made the sign of the cross. “
Cáll
-
ate,
Joshua, don’t say such things.”
    Allison frowned at Joshua. “I already warned him not to carry on about that woman. She’s not worth it.”
    Magda sat next to Allison and took her hands in hers. “Allison, if you do not wish to go back to Sadie, you may stay with me as long as you like. But there are several problems with that plan. First, as Becky feared, Sadie will not rest until she finds you. Second, Becky sent you here for a purpose. We do not know that purpose, and if you stay here, we may not find out until it is too late.”
    A finger of ice traced its way up Allison’s spine. “What do you mean, Magda?”
    â€œI told you I saw danger in Becky’s future. I do not know when that danger will strike or where. But Becky must have known when she met you. It must be that danger she wants you to prevent. To do this, I think you must not only live in her body, you must walk in her footsteps. Becky would not have had the courage to run away from her mother.”
    Allison let out a slow breath. Magda was right. It was what she herself had suspected. If she didn’t help Becky by doing what Becky would do, she might never return home.
    â€œI have to go, then.” Allison rose from her chair.
    â€œNo, wait,” said Joshua, grabbing her arm. Allison sat back down. “I don’t understand. How could Becky know about some danger that hasn’t happened yet? Does she have powers like yours, Magda?”
    â€œI do not think so.”
    â€œAnd another thing I don’t understand. How could Becky travel ninety years into the future and leave her body here? And why did she choose you, Allison?”
    Allison shrugged. “As far as I know, this could all be a dream—some parts horrible, some parts nice.” Allison felt her color rising again. “But if this