the face of death. Or a vision of something terrible. Whatever she saw though, it was wrong. “I just saw a mouse.”
“A mouse,” Bash repeated. Based on her tone, she didn’t believe her.
Maria, however, totally bought Lily’s story. “I hate mice,” she exclaimed. “These bathrooms are filthy .”
“Yeah,” Lily dryly agreed.
Bash lingered for a few moments more, long enough to make it uncomfortable. Lily’s heartbeat was in her ears as she watched her sister.
Go away , Lily was silently telling her, nearly on the verge of hysteria. Go away!
Go away , the voice in her head agreed. Her blood chilled again at that.
“Are you okay?” Bash asked, her voice strained.
“Fine,” Lily replied, her answer bubbling up unbidden. She felt her heart pulsing. She was scared, but she wasn’t crazy. She couldn’t tell Bash that she seen someone else in the mirror.
Her sister turned and left. Lily looked in the mirror again, feeling an ominous shadow pass over her soul. She felt cold, tired, and alone.
No, not quite alone , the voice in her head assured her.
She shuddered and watched her reflection. It technically was her. Then again, it wasn’t. She now looked like the exact same person. Only...
Her reflection winked at her, and the voice in her head spoke again.
You’re giving me life, Lily. Our dreams are about to come true.
Lily wondered which were her dreams and which were the dreams of the voice in her head.
CHAPTER FOUR
Bash felt the motion of the car slow to a stop.
“We’re here,” Seth announced from the driver’s seat. Maria whooped excitedly and everyone in the SUV emptied out.
Bash hit the button on her wristwatch and it announced the time: 10:17pm. Wow, they had arrived much later than expected. That was going to be hard tomorrow when they were hitting the slopes. Still, she couldn’t help be feel the excitement flutter deep inside her.
Strong hands slung her coat around her shoulders. “Hey,” Seth murmured in her ear.
“This is wonderful,” she told him excitedly. She inhaled deeply, feeling the crisp mountain air rejuvenate her soul. There was no other way to put it. She felt absolutely refreshed, reinvigorated, and ready to take on the world. This was exactly what they both needed.
It was going to be good for Lily as well.
*****
Seth was having the time of his life.
The Grand Trails Lodge was nestled high up in the mountains. Ironically, Lily had been the one who had found the enchanting place on a hotel deals site. It was a bit on the expensive side for their vacation, but Bash had relented, trying to get Lily to join their group. Seth had grumbled, however, when they got out of the Suburban and he looked at the picturesque mountains—really looked at them for the first time—he knew that it was a great choice.
It was absolutely breathtaking. The Lodge sat right at the base of the ski slopes, with a quaint little town blossoming out from it. It was so Norman Rockwell-esque perfect, it looked like they could have stepped right back into the 1950s. This was exactly how he wanted to spend his vacation with Bash.
He hugged her to him, breathing in the scent of her and the mountains.
“I love you.”
He wanted to tell her how special this would be for both of them.
“It’s like a dream come true.” Lily appeared beside them, swaying on her feet. She smirked sarcastically, but she looked like she was straddling the line between carsick and dreaming. Seth shivered just looking at her.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” she said too quickly. He didn’t pursue the matter. Lily, he’d found out, was a fiercely private person who never let anyone in on her thoughts.
He tossed the printouts of the check-in information to Darius, who jogged into the Lodge to check them in. He turned and started taking stuff off the roof of the car.
The girls were picking up their respective suitcases and bags. Bash and Maria were both
“A mouse,” Bash repeated. Based on her tone, she didn’t believe her.
Maria, however, totally bought Lily’s story. “I hate mice,” she exclaimed. “These bathrooms are filthy .”
“Yeah,” Lily dryly agreed.
Bash lingered for a few moments more, long enough to make it uncomfortable. Lily’s heartbeat was in her ears as she watched her sister.
Go away , Lily was silently telling her, nearly on the verge of hysteria. Go away!
Go away , the voice in her head agreed. Her blood chilled again at that.
“Are you okay?” Bash asked, her voice strained.
“Fine,” Lily replied, her answer bubbling up unbidden. She felt her heart pulsing. She was scared, but she wasn’t crazy. She couldn’t tell Bash that she seen someone else in the mirror.
Her sister turned and left. Lily looked in the mirror again, feeling an ominous shadow pass over her soul. She felt cold, tired, and alone.
No, not quite alone , the voice in her head assured her.
She shuddered and watched her reflection. It technically was her. Then again, it wasn’t. She now looked like the exact same person. Only...
Her reflection winked at her, and the voice in her head spoke again.
You’re giving me life, Lily. Our dreams are about to come true.
Lily wondered which were her dreams and which were the dreams of the voice in her head.
CHAPTER FOUR
Bash felt the motion of the car slow to a stop.
“We’re here,” Seth announced from the driver’s seat. Maria whooped excitedly and everyone in the SUV emptied out.
Bash hit the button on her wristwatch and it announced the time: 10:17pm. Wow, they had arrived much later than expected. That was going to be hard tomorrow when they were hitting the slopes. Still, she couldn’t help be feel the excitement flutter deep inside her.
Strong hands slung her coat around her shoulders. “Hey,” Seth murmured in her ear.
“This is wonderful,” she told him excitedly. She inhaled deeply, feeling the crisp mountain air rejuvenate her soul. There was no other way to put it. She felt absolutely refreshed, reinvigorated, and ready to take on the world. This was exactly what they both needed.
It was going to be good for Lily as well.
*****
Seth was having the time of his life.
The Grand Trails Lodge was nestled high up in the mountains. Ironically, Lily had been the one who had found the enchanting place on a hotel deals site. It was a bit on the expensive side for their vacation, but Bash had relented, trying to get Lily to join their group. Seth had grumbled, however, when they got out of the Suburban and he looked at the picturesque mountains—really looked at them for the first time—he knew that it was a great choice.
It was absolutely breathtaking. The Lodge sat right at the base of the ski slopes, with a quaint little town blossoming out from it. It was so Norman Rockwell-esque perfect, it looked like they could have stepped right back into the 1950s. This was exactly how he wanted to spend his vacation with Bash.
He hugged her to him, breathing in the scent of her and the mountains.
“I love you.”
He wanted to tell her how special this would be for both of them.
“It’s like a dream come true.” Lily appeared beside them, swaying on her feet. She smirked sarcastically, but she looked like she was straddling the line between carsick and dreaming. Seth shivered just looking at her.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” she said too quickly. He didn’t pursue the matter. Lily, he’d found out, was a fiercely private person who never let anyone in on her thoughts.
He tossed the printouts of the check-in information to Darius, who jogged into the Lodge to check them in. He turned and started taking stuff off the roof of the car.
The girls were picking up their respective suitcases and bags. Bash and Maria were both
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