The mossy cavity waited for me like a soft good-bye to the life I was about to leave behind. My hand, my arm, my whole body buzzed. I wished Josh was with me right now, that he could have made it here, to the only place we could never be followed, never taken away, never forced to be something we didn’t want to be.
Michael squeezed my hand. “I’ll see you up there, Ava,” and the look in his eyes told me he believed in me, that we were two sides of nature, always balancing each other out.
I let go of him and stepped into the lift.
The door closed and, for the first time, I was safe.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Writing has always felt like a secret endeavor to me, something I disappeared into, immersing myself in other worlds and other people’s adventures, far away from my own. Thank you for reading this book and allowing me to share it with you.
To those who traveled with me on this journey to publication, I want to say a heartfelt thank you. To my publisher, Georgia McBride, whose drive and determination brought this story to the world. And to my editor, Shara Zaval, whose insights were invaluable to me.
To the writers who read early versions, later versions, and versions in between: you have been a blessing to me. In particular, to Jaymin Eve, whose friendship and belief in this book was sometimes the only reason I persevered. And to Cale Dietrich, whose boundless enthusiasm was like sunlight when I needed it most.
And to my family: my mum and my brothers and sisters, who taught me to believe in hope and love despite the greatest adversity a family could face. To my grandmother, who loved to write and showed me the enduring beauty of words. And to my husband, who has been patient, kind, enthusiastic, and oh-so-many other amazingly supportive things ever since the day I pondered aloud the possibility that I might write another book. Last to my children: you are my most precious treasures. Keep shining your imagination on the world.
EVERLY FROST
Everly Frost wrote her first story when she was nine. She grew up in a country town, lived for a little while in Japan, and worked for several years in Canberra, Australia’s capital city. Now, Everly lives in Brisbane, Australia, with her husband and two children. She doesn’t speak Japanese so often anymore, has left the cold Canberra winters behind, but has never stopped writing.
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Table of Contents
Part One: Freak
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Part Two: Terminal
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Acknowledgements
About the Author
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