Terry wasn’t sure how many days had passed. Time had no meaning here.

  What have I done? The revisions she’d made earlier had a domino effect. It had taken more time and more cutting to clean up the mess.

  I did what I had to. But that didn’t make her feel any better, and it didn’t help her find Teri.

  She raced back and forth between the threads checking each path leading from where Teri was when she’d fallen unconscious. One thread caught her eye. There was something about it—a glimmer of reality.

  She dove in and became a hawk soaring over the desert. She could feel Ruddy and Xeke next to her—and Teri. Not only the Teri of this moment, but the rest of her too. She was hiding here, safe and secure with her new family.

  This was going to be tricky. It only took a few seconds to choose the right character—a voice from Teri’s past. Her favorite teacher from grade school.

  Teri, you have to wake up. Ruddy and Xeke need your help.

  Mrs. Tate? Is that you?

  Not quite. This is a dream and I’m your subconscious.

  Since when is my subconscious my math teacher?

  That’s not important, Terry said. You’ve been drugged. A mentalist named Amelia is using you to control your friends. You have to find your way out of here, and when you do, it’s important that you get to her before she has a chance to kill you. You have to be ready to do it right away.

  That doesn’t make any sense. Why would anyone keep me drugged?

  So they can force Ruddy and Xeke to help them. Amelia is afraid of you, but … The hawk banked right.

  Hold on, Terry said. It’s impossible to have a conversation like this.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  The scene changed. They were in a familiar classroom. Terry appeared as a tall, middle-aged woman with long brown hair.

  How did you do that?

  I’m your subconscious. You don’t have much time, Teri. You have to focus.

  Teri laughed. So you’re saying I’m drugged unconscious so Ruddy and Xeke can be used as slaves and only I can save us. So my subconscious, who can control my dreams and looks like my old teacher, has come to tell me what I need to do in order to save us from mortal peril. You understand that’s a little hard to believe. And even if I do believe it, how do I wake up?

  I don’t know, Terry said.

  That’s convenient. Here’s what I think. This is a dream, and since it’s a dream, I have no control over what happens anyway, so I may as well sit here and wait. She sat down at a desk. I liked the hawk dream better.

  You can control your dreams, you know, Terry said. You just have to try.

  Uh-huh. Teri propped her elbows on her desk and rested her chin in her hands. Says my dream.

  It’s true.

  Teri straightened. Really? You better not be messing with me.

  Go ahead, create an ice cream cone. Double mint chocolate chocolate chip. Your favorite, right?

  Teri concentrated and the cone appeared. She tasted it and smiled. As good as I remember. But how do I know that wasn’t how the dream was going to go anyway?

  Terry sighed. Look at it this way. If this isn’t real, you have nothing to lose by trying, but if it is real, Ruddy and Xeke could die.

  A sound point. But again, how do I wake up?

  You tell me. Remember all those math puzzles I used to give you? This is a just another riddle, and you’re the one who’s good at solving riddles.

  Teri nodded and shifted, replaced by a much younger version of herself. She was holding a complex puzzle made of floating rings and strange geometric shapes.

  See, this is a dream, Teri said. I didn’t do that.

  Actually, you did.

  Oh. I guess you’re right … unless me thinking that is part of the dream, too.

  Terry shook her head. Just solve the puzzle, Teri.

  Okay, okay, I’m solving the puzzle.

  Strange abstract symbols appeared on the floating shapes. Teri rearranged them with blinding speed.

  That’s not what I meant, Terry said. The clock was ticking. She needed Teri to help her figure out how to wake up, and now she was stuck on some alien Rubik’s cube. Well, at least she was on board with the plan …

  Ah, there. That should do it. Teri closed her eyes, became Jeannie from the ’60s sitcom, and bobbed her head. She disappeared from the dream and the real world came into focus as her mind awoke.

  Terry was so stunned she almost forgot to hide.