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the
rest of his strength.”
    I glared at her. “You people are all
crazy.”
    She tilted her head and smiled. “Poor thing…
you still don’t get it, do you?”
    My eyes narrowed. “No. Why don’t you
enlighten me?”
    Her eyes left mine and moved to her father.
“Daddy? Why don’t you show her?”
    He released me and I scooted away. When I
turned around and finally had my first glimpse of the creature
holding me, I gasped in revulsion.
    He smiled coldly. “How’s
this for enlightenment ?”
    Although he had dark hair and bright blue
eyes, it was the only thing humanly recognizable. With his lack of
skin and organs exposed, he reminded me of something I’d seen in a
science book – a body without skin.
    I shuddered in revulsion.
    “This is what happens when you’re doused
with gasoline and lit on fire,” he rasped. “Yes, people actually
did this to me on purpose.” His eyes narrowed. “Your father, being
one of them.”
    I stared at him in
disbelief. “ My father?”
    Marie laughed coldly. “Your father, Tara’s
father, Amy’s uncle, and Anna’s husband. Oh, and Gloria’s husband.
You never got the chance to meet her. Daddy did, though, didn’t
you?”
    “Yes. Unfortunately, she just wasn’t enough
to fix all of this damage,” he said, looking down at himself.
“Hopefully, your blood along with the others… will do the
trick.”
    “I had nothing to do with this,” I
protested, wishing I’d just wake up soon. This dream was disturbing
and not getting any better.
    “No, but your father’s platoon did and I had
to suffer being buried alive. If it wasn’t for my children finding
me…” He coughed several times.
    “Daddy?” said Celeste.
    He cleared his throat and
raised his hand. “I’m okay.” After several seconds, his eyes
drifted back to mine. “I had to endure twenty years of being trapped
underground. You have no idea how something like that can destroy a
man’s will to live.” He closed his eyes. “How many times a day, I
prayed for death and asked for God’s mercy. Well, my prayers were
ignored.” He opened his eyes. “The only other thing that kept me
sane was planning my revenge the last few years. Vengeance against
those who buried me alive.”
    I swallowed. “Vengeance? You mean, killing
innocent people.”
    “Unfortunately, yes. I agree… you’re all
innocent, but losing you will hurt your father more than his own
death.”
    “There’s another way.”
    We all turned to see Martin standing next to
the loft window.
    “What do you mean?” asked the ghoulish
creature.
    “He tried killing you because of what you
are. What if we make his daughter a Roamer too?” said Martin.
    A Roamer?
    “No!” hollered Celeste. “You just want her
for yourself, that’s why you’re coming up with this nonsense.”
    His eyes flickered to me. “I won’t lie, I
fancy Emily. But, still… think about it. She will become what he
tried to destroy.” he smiled. “It’s poetic justice.”
    He sighed. “Son…”
    Martin moved closer. “Father, I’ve never
asked for much. You know that.”
    “That’s because he hasn’t seen you in twenty
years,” muttered Celeste.
    As they argued my fate, I
looked around the barn, wondering what I was going to do. There was
no way I’d allow them to make me a Roamer, whatever the hell that meant. And dying…
well obviously that had to be far worse and more
painful.
    I thought about my overprotective father and
it was obvious how he figured into this dream. After everything I’d
seen, and now hearing this nonsense of how the creature before me
had been buried alive for twenty years, I was now fully convinced
that I was sleeping.
    Well, it was time to wake up.
    “Okay,” I said, standing up. “This is the
longest nightmare I’ve ever had and… well… I’m really sick of being
in it.”
    They all stared at me.
    I sighed. “Look, I have a
lot of things to do before school starts – unpacking, grocery
shopping, finding a part-time