Read Online The Truth Against the World by Sarah Jamila Stevenson - Free Book Online

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    Finding Wyn’s blog—well, that was an amazing coincidence, but she was just a girl, an American girl, who happened to have Welsh family, and …
    No. Stop it . This was the problem. He just kept going round and round in circles. No, from now on, he was only going to think about programming and his animation project, and reasonable everyday normal—
    It started as a tingle in his toes. Gareth looked down, surprised, and shifted his feet as if they’d fallen asleep.
    But it didn’t stop there. The odd tingling began to spread, on up his spine and into his head, which began feeling light and strange as if it were lifting off from his body. He leaned back against the kitchen doorframe, his skin prickling. The room started going dim, and he wondered if this was what it felt like to faint.
    But apparently not, because after everything went dark, images suddenly appeared, as if on a screen in his mind’s eye. With mounting horror, Gareth realized that he was in his own memory, back in Wales, walking along the grass clifftop overlooking the sea. A part of him noted distantly that he must have fallen asleep on his feet, but it was a very small part, and then it disappeared entirely as dream-images flickered past: A lonely cairn of stones. The grave plaque. And then he was standing in front of the cromlech, its huge boulders looming overhead, its yawning cavernous opening descending into darkness. He approached the hole and peered in.
    Then he was inside. Black night surrounded him on all sides, but in front of him was a girl. Olwen. He started, bumping his head on the unseen rocky ceiling. The jabbing pain made his eyes fly open.
    He was in the kitchen. He was home. He was leaning against the doorframe.
    And his mum had turned from her potato-scrubbing and was peering at him from across the room with a frown. “Did you just fall asleep?”
    Gareth swallowed, his throat dry, and felt his head start to throb. “Er. I suppose. Long day,” he tried to explain.
    â€œYou’re looking a little peaked lately. Are you sure you’re not ill?” She set the potatoes in the sink and came over to him, putting a hand on his forehead. He pulled away.
    â€œI’m okay,” he said. “Just tired.”
    â€œIf you’re tired enough to fall asleep standing up, you’d better have a lie-down before dinner,” his mum told him in a no-nonsense tone. “I’ll send Tommy to wake you up.”
    â€œNo! I mean, no, I don’t need a nap.” Gareth tried not to let his fear show. “I’ll be fine tomorrow. I just didn’t sleep well is all.”
    â€œIf you’re sure,” his mother said, still frowning.
    â€œI’m sure,” he echoed. But he really wasn’t, not at all.

    The next morning, Gareth woke late. The first thing he did was reach for his phone and check his email.
    Nothing.

8
    Coelia’n llai’r glust na’r golwg.
    Believe the ear
less than the eye.

    Welsh proverb
    I was lying in bed reading, not quite ready to get up yet, when I heard the ping of a chat notification on my laptop. Probably Rae. Or Bethany, if she was somehow awake before 11 a.m. on a Saturday. I took a minute to throw on appropriate weekend attire—dark gray sweats—and brush my hair into a ponytail before checking the computer.

    LewzerBoy: wyn? it’s me, gareth
    I drew in a rapid breath. This was happening. Right now . In my head, I didn’t feel prepared, but my fingers were already tapping at the keys.
    OlwenNia: Oh, wow! I just have a minute.
Sorry I didn’t answer your email yet
    LewzerBoy: np
    LewzerBoy: it was so weird that i found yr website
    OlwenNia: That *was* weird. I never thought anyone was reading it. I’m a little embarrassed
    LewzerBoy: not embarrassing
yr a good writer
    OlwenNia: Thanks. :) It hasn’t been that great lately, though. I haven’t been getting enough sleep, I guess.
    LewzerBoy: