Pieces of Hope Read Online Free PDF

stretched out on a rickety cot. His long
legs extended six inches off the end of it. By the looks of it, he was
completely out.
    I knelt
down and watched him for a while. It was thrilling to sit that close to him,
without his knowledge, and study his expressions as he slept. He looked at
peace. Happy, even. Much happier than he was a few moments ago. His eyes moved
rapidly beneath his eyelids, assuring me he was dreaming.
    Here was
my moment.
    In
theory, it seemed harmless enough. But ethically speaking, I wasn’t sure if
this crossed some invisible line so I tried not to think about it. Besides,
Ethan looked happy, not upset. And it would only be temporary—momentary, I
assumed. How bad could it be for either of us? If a living person could invade
my soul without any lingering effects, it seemed logical to assume that I could
do the same. Difficult as it was to experience the tidal wave of another
person’s emotions, the initial shock had to play an enormous role. But now, I
not only had the perfect excuse to try it myself (it seemed the only way I
would ever know what was going on in the mind of the alluring Ethan Reid); I
also had the home-court advantage of knowing what to expect.  
    Like the
boy at my accident, I planned to just step into Ethan. But with him lying down,
that would leave me standing in the middle of the cot. Also, that didn’t seem
like the optimum stance if I needed to get out quickly. Perhaps this thing
worked if there was any kind of connection—even a slight one. Still kneeling
beside him, I placed one of my hands over Ethan’s, gently at first, as though I
were merely attempting to hold it, then squeezed hard. Instantly, my hand
disappeared. And so did the room we were in.
    What
felt like a hammer struck me on the bridge of my nose. Tears of pain welled in
my eyes as I dropped to my knees. Stars appeared. My eyes closed involuntarily
and I waited for the throbbing to stop. A young girl’s voice shouted in
disgust, “No fair, Finn! He wasn’t even looking at you! He never saw it
coming!”
    My eyes
opened. Or rather, Ethan’s did. I saw a small lake, one that, in my mind,
looked similar to a lake near Mac. But this one had more trees, not a pasture
around it, so it couldn’t have been the same one. Ethan looked down at his
hands, but the hands that I saw weren’t his hands. They were still a young
man’s hands—but rougher, not quite as slender. This was a twist I hadn’t
anticipated! I’d encroached into Ethan’s mind hoping to glimpse his thoughts.
But, instead, Ethan was dreaming he was someone else, and I was inside his skin, experiencing life through his eyes, feeling his emotions as if they were my own!
    The boy
scrambled up, took a few staggered steps to the lake, and knelt down. I looked
at his face in the water’s reflection. Angular, wholesome, honest. He looked
about fifteen. His hair was a dirty shade of blond and his eyes were a bright
blue. He dipped his hand in the water to wash away the blood, but it didn’t
ease the throbbing in my eyes.
    “Slug
him hard!” the girl said to the boy at the water. He looked sideways at her. I
thought his heart stopped. He was clearly smitten with her. The girl had her
pale hair pulled up in a high ponytail and she was wearing a simple dress that
looked out of style. Her feet were bare. “It doesn’t matter if he’s your older
brother. He deserves it. Beat the dickens out of him!”
    The
young boy scrambled to his feet, and I could feel his anger building. Ten feet
away stood his brother. They looked alike, but Finn was a few years older, with
darker hair and fewer angles to his face. When their eyes met, the boy charged
his brother like a bull gone mad.
    He
tackled Finn in mid-air. They tumbled around on the ground, neither of them
getting in any good hits. Then the boy grabbed hold of Finn’s collar, drew back
his left fist, and connected with his cheek. The blow hurt my hand, and no
doubt, hurt Finn too. Finn rolled onto his