run back to Southern Cal. It was her home until their parents uprooted them to Colorado. Kat never made the adjustment. He’d heard her argue with their parents about leaving, but he never thought she’d do it.
Why hadn’t he taken her threat more seriously? He rubbed at his eyes, wiping the guilt from his mind. He couldn’t imagine what he’d do if he found her curled up in a vacant doorway like the young girl he’d found earlier this morning. He’d gone through painstaking measures to have computer-generated images of her made through the years. He hoped that when he found her, she’d resemble the grown woman he’d imagined.
He turned the key in the ignition and sped away from her place. Would Sparrow understand part of his mission wasn’t only to save kids but to find his sister? He wouldn’t be content until he had that closure.
Chapter 8
Sparrow led the intermediate yoga class with confidence. “Remember to visualize yourself performing the pose perfectly, then, with focus and control, move into the postures. First, let’s start with some breathing. Remember, slow breathing can add years onto our lives.”
Sitting cross-legged on her mat, she took a deep breath in through her nose with her mouth closed, feeling the air expand her stomach, ribcage, and chest area. She exhaled.
“You want to feel the air fill your entire lungs. Make sure that your breathing is slow, rhythmic, and deep. Let’s take a few more deep breaths like this, and then I want you to practice alternate nostril breathing. Focus on your breath. Repeat this exercise ten times, and then move into ten neck rolls, shoulder rotations, and leg stretches.”
Her lithe body contorted into the basic postures. She maintained each position by keeping still while consciously breathing into the pose. Sandalwood lightly peppered the studio air. Mother Nature’s natural, delicate, calming, woodsy fragrance soothed her. She focused her attention on the rhythmic sound of her breathing, and occasionally her soft voice directed the students into the twisting, bending, and stretching movements that would increase the flexibility of their muscles and joints and improve circulation. At this level, the yogis didn’t need much coaching from her, and she preferred the class work in silence. A quiet, clear mind would bring them closer to their feelings and their inner selves.
The class ended. Sparrow’s heart rate gradually slowed. Her pulse a slight beat. She embraced the near-death experience, picturing the golden white light. The audible breathing of the other yogis grew faint, and the sound of her breath disappeared. She floated on a white cloud above the surface of the ocean. Vivid blue pulled her down and away from the white light, to the ocean waves below, crashing along the shore. Sparrow fought against the image. She didn’t want to go to the ocean. She concentrated on visualizing the golden white light. She didn’t want to picture the ocean or hear the ebb and flow of the tide. Her subconscious sabotaged the light and forced her mind to where she didn’t want to go. The ocean. Water splashed. She heard girls laughing, having fun.
The sky was dusky shades of orange, purple, and pink. Sparrow and another girl ran along the shore. They each carried a broken piece of driftwood, writing their names in the moist sand, laughing and watching the hungry water eat the letters away. They jogged together, shoving and pushing each other. The girl skipped ahead of her. Sparrow grabbed her by the arm, but she jerked away.
“Come on, we have to get back before he knows we’re gone.”
“I’m not going back, Spare. I can’t.”
With deliberate steps, the girl walked backward into the ocean. Sparrow watched in shocked disbelief as the girl went deeper and deeper into the water. When the water reached the girl’s waist, Sparrow’s eyes locked with hers. She understood why the girl wanted to take her life and couldn’t stop her. The water
Why hadn’t he taken her threat more seriously? He rubbed at his eyes, wiping the guilt from his mind. He couldn’t imagine what he’d do if he found her curled up in a vacant doorway like the young girl he’d found earlier this morning. He’d gone through painstaking measures to have computer-generated images of her made through the years. He hoped that when he found her, she’d resemble the grown woman he’d imagined.
He turned the key in the ignition and sped away from her place. Would Sparrow understand part of his mission wasn’t only to save kids but to find his sister? He wouldn’t be content until he had that closure.
Chapter 8
Sparrow led the intermediate yoga class with confidence. “Remember to visualize yourself performing the pose perfectly, then, with focus and control, move into the postures. First, let’s start with some breathing. Remember, slow breathing can add years onto our lives.”
Sitting cross-legged on her mat, she took a deep breath in through her nose with her mouth closed, feeling the air expand her stomach, ribcage, and chest area. She exhaled.
“You want to feel the air fill your entire lungs. Make sure that your breathing is slow, rhythmic, and deep. Let’s take a few more deep breaths like this, and then I want you to practice alternate nostril breathing. Focus on your breath. Repeat this exercise ten times, and then move into ten neck rolls, shoulder rotations, and leg stretches.”
Her lithe body contorted into the basic postures. She maintained each position by keeping still while consciously breathing into the pose. Sandalwood lightly peppered the studio air. Mother Nature’s natural, delicate, calming, woodsy fragrance soothed her. She focused her attention on the rhythmic sound of her breathing, and occasionally her soft voice directed the students into the twisting, bending, and stretching movements that would increase the flexibility of their muscles and joints and improve circulation. At this level, the yogis didn’t need much coaching from her, and she preferred the class work in silence. A quiet, clear mind would bring them closer to their feelings and their inner selves.
The class ended. Sparrow’s heart rate gradually slowed. Her pulse a slight beat. She embraced the near-death experience, picturing the golden white light. The audible breathing of the other yogis grew faint, and the sound of her breath disappeared. She floated on a white cloud above the surface of the ocean. Vivid blue pulled her down and away from the white light, to the ocean waves below, crashing along the shore. Sparrow fought against the image. She didn’t want to go to the ocean. She concentrated on visualizing the golden white light. She didn’t want to picture the ocean or hear the ebb and flow of the tide. Her subconscious sabotaged the light and forced her mind to where she didn’t want to go. The ocean. Water splashed. She heard girls laughing, having fun.
The sky was dusky shades of orange, purple, and pink. Sparrow and another girl ran along the shore. They each carried a broken piece of driftwood, writing their names in the moist sand, laughing and watching the hungry water eat the letters away. They jogged together, shoving and pushing each other. The girl skipped ahead of her. Sparrow grabbed her by the arm, but she jerked away.
“Come on, we have to get back before he knows we’re gone.”
“I’m not going back, Spare. I can’t.”
With deliberate steps, the girl walked backward into the ocean. Sparrow watched in shocked disbelief as the girl went deeper and deeper into the water. When the water reached the girl’s waist, Sparrow’s eyes locked with hers. She understood why the girl wanted to take her life and couldn’t stop her. The water
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