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to the side, relieved the bells had stopped ringing on the ninth chime. “There isn’t time. I need to see my family. Right now.” Her voice caught. “This can’t — this can’t be happening.” All of it felt strange and impossible, seeing Jerome and her own body, feeling theringing of the bells and the appalling absence of her heartbeat.
    Heidi pushed past him, raced up the stairs, and tried the doorknob. Her hand sliced through it as though it were a projection and not the simple, solid object she’d wrapped her fingers around nearly every day of her life without a second thought.
    â€œI can’t open the door,” she said. “Why can’t I turn the knob?” She turned to face him.
    â€œHeidi.”
    He took a step closer. She looked at the arrow and put a hand on her chest. It was gruesome, sticking out of his forehead like that. How could he stand it? How was it possible even to survive something like that? He opened his mouth to speak, and she knew with absolute certainty he was going to talk about what they’d seen back at the pond. She didn’t want to hear any of it.
    â€œStop. Don’t say another word. I have to see my family. Maybe they can —”
    Jerome reached out and started to put a hand on her forearm but appeared to think better of it. He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked at his boots.
    â€œHeidi,” he said so quietly she could barely hear it. “Any second now, you’re gonna go to Heaven. You’ll get to hang out with the angels. You’ll love it.”
    She put her hands over her ears. “STOP! Don’t say that. It’s not true. I’m not —” But she couldn’t find the word in her mouth. If she’d been crazy before for hearing him, what was she now that she was seeing him?
    She fell to the snow and wrapped her arms around her head.
    â€œCome on, Heidi. I know how you’re feeling. Believe me. When I woke up in Gabe’s office —” He interrupted himself, shaking his head. “Look, I’m sorry, but we’ve gotta get going. It’s already past nine o’clock, which means I am late for group, and any second now, you’re going to get pulled into Heaven, and once the powers that be write your name in the registry, I’m going to get sent someplace else. My only chance to survive is if I sneak you in through the back so no one notices. You’ll be fine — I promise.”
    â€œJerome.” Heidi’s voice was quiet, and she could only get out one word at a time. “Please.”
    A look passed across his face, and Heidi almost got up and went with him, he looked so desolate. Before she could speak, though, he shrugged and helped her stand. Then he turned and walked straight through the door as if there was nothing there at all.
    With one hand extended, Heidi took a step toward the door. Jiminy barked and she turned to him. She couldn’t leave him alone outside. He’d run into the street, get hit by a car. She froze for an awful moment, trapped between what she wanted to do and what she knew she had to do.
    Jerome stuck his head through the door. “You coming?”
    He caught sight of Jiminy. “Oh yeah,” he said, stepping outside again. “I’ll watch the mutt.”
    Â 
    It felt strange to pass through a door, like a million soft fingers stroking her cheeks and shoulders. Heidishuddered, but didn’t stop moving until she’d reached the family room, where her mother was reading a fitness magazine, her father was balancing his checkbook, and her brother, Rory, was playing his video game, as though this was any Saturday morning and not her last one.
    â€œMom, Dad!” she said. “I’ve had an accident!” She couldn’t say the word dead . Even if it were true, maybe she could keep the reality of it at arm’s length and spend the rest of her existence near her family, as