Starcrossed (Starcrossed 1)

aside the money. ?Come on. Tell me. What?s the worst thing??

Helen shook her head and started pushing the broom around.

There had always been a voice in her head that would whisper

possible explanations for her strangeness, words like freak or

monster or even witch. No matter how deftly Helen silenced that

voice, it always came back eventually.

The absolute worst thing that Helen could think of would be to

find out that she really was one of those things.

?It?s nothing,? Helen said, unable to look up.

?It isn?t just going to go away because you don?t talk about it, you

know,? Kate pressed. Helen knew she was right, and she also knew

she could trust Kate. Besides, she needed to talk to someone about

it or she?d go crazy.

?I?m having nightmares. Actually, it?s the same nightmare that I

keep having over and over, and it feels so real. Like I?m going

someplace while I?m sleeping.?

?Where do you go?? Kate asked gently. She came out from behind

the counter and made Helen stop sweeping and focus.

Helen pictured the barren, hopeless world she had been forced to

visit the last few nights.

?It?s a dry place. Everything is bleached and colorless. I can hear

running water in the distance, like there?s a river somewhere, but I

just can?t reach it. It?s like I?m trying to find something, I think.?

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?A dry land, huh? You know that?s pretty common in dream imagery,?

Kate assured her. ?It comes up in every dream book, in

every country I?ve ever been to.?

Helen swallowed her frustration and nodded. ?Yeah, but I wake

up in the morning and my feet . . .? She stopped herself, hearing

how crazy she sounded. Kate studied Helen for a moment.