Down a Lost Road Read Online Free PDF Page B

clothes.
Absentmindedly I bent to straighten the hem of my jeans.
    A thin trickle of pale sand sifted onto the
floor. My breath caught in my throat, and I reached out tentatively
to brush the grains.
    Heart racing, I made a quick trip to the
bathroom for a shower and other necessities. It must have been the
fastest shower I’ve ever taken, summer-style, hot then cold. The
sight of sand swirling out of my hair and down the drain made me
giddy. I toweled off as quickly as I could, tugging on a fresh tee
and a pair of non-dusty jeans, ignoring the little voice that
reminded me how much I had hated jeans yesterday. My hair was
hopeless when it was wet, so I just combed out the drippy
mouse-brown length and slipped an elastic over my wrist for
later.
    Back at my dresser I hesitated over my
little makeup collection. I never wore much, certainly not in the
summer, but for some reason I wanted to look my best today.
Ridiculous, but…just a little lip-gloss would be perfect. I dabbed
a bit on my lips, then added a dusting of eye shadow. Not too much.
I nodded resignedly at my reflection in the tiny mirror and
retrieved the metal circlet from yesterday’s jeans. I held it a
moment in my clenched fist, then slipped it into my pocket and ran
downstairs, stomping sandy sneakers onto my feet as I went. I
caught sight of Mom standing at the kitchen island, so I gave up
the idea of getting something to eat and made a mad dash to the
door.
    “ Merelin!”
    Of course I couldn’t get past her that
easily. She didn’t glance up as I halted by the counter, but I knew
she was waiting for an explanation.
    “ Going to the
library.”
    Should have been reasonable enough. I said
the same thing at least once a week during the summers. It was one
of my favorite haunts, for all I got teased for it. I thought my
mom would buy it, but she just gave me the strangest, stillest look
I had ever seen.
    “ Tony’s shift starts at
one. He could give you a ride.”
    I made a face. “Nah, that’s okay. I don’t
mind the walk. Don’t worry, I’ll be back by lunchtime.”
    She sighed, that thin, tense sigh she always
gave when she wasn’t very happy about something. I thought I
glimpsed some sad weariness behind her eyes, too, but I couldn’t
understand it and didn’t feel right questioning her. She gave me
permission with a nod, so I grabbed a bottle of water and a granola
bar and bolted out the door before she could change her mind.
    It was already sweltering, surprisingly hot
for the early summer month, with little curls of heat making the
street shimmer. The smell of magnolias wafted my way, and I
shivered. I walked slowly, grateful for the water I had brought.
The air blasted me, so hot and dry, parching. It felt like…a
desert.
    I sighed. I couldn’t let myself wonder if I
had only dreamed it. After all, the sand had been real enough,
hadn’t it? And my legs certainly ached like I’d been walking all
day. The thought made me glance at my arms. I’ve always been on the
pale side, unlike Damian, but today I thought I’d managed to get
the slightest bit of a tan. Not even the teeniest hint of a
sunburn. That made my heart sink. No way could I escape an all-day
walk across a real desert unscathed. I scowled and pushed the
thought aside.
    Twenty minutes later I finally reached town.
It wasn’t very big, not the sort of place you’d think would boast a
university like ours. It had all the quaint parks, antique shops,
and old-fashioned gas stations you’d expect in a small town, but
also plenty of coffee shops and bookstores for the students. Mr.
Dansy’s little grocery store was the first one you came to as you
headed down Main. It had been there as long as I could remember,
and we knew Mr. Dansy and his usual customers as well as we knew
our own neighbors. He practically felt like family – when he wasn’t
freaking me out, anyway.
    As I turned onto Main, I caught sight of him
on the sidewalk outside his shop, sweeping up broken glass.