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It felt like ice. Frost covered it. Would it break if he shoved his hand through it?
    He stretched on tiptoes and tried to see where the woods ended. Was there a town nearby? A road where he could hitch a ride?
    All he could see were the barbed-wire fences. The sharp razor wires at the top would stab his hands. And then there were the men with guns.
    Guns that could shoot and kill people.
    Were there more boys here? Sometimes he heard voices. Sometimes he thought he was all alone.
    That the only other boy was the one who lived in his head.
    Sometimes he knew others were there. But they always kept him separate. Why?
    Suddenly lights flickered outside. He saw another boy. Older than him.
    He was running.
    If he got away, maybe he’d send someone back to help him.
    “Go!” Zack whispered. “Run faster!”
    A gunshot blasted.
    The boy went down. A big man stood over him.
    Zack’s throat hurt. “Get up,” he moaned. “Get up and run!”
    But the guard picked him up and threw him over his shoulder.
    The boy wasn’t moving.
    A sob caught in his throat. The boy couldn’t help him now.
     

Chapter Four

    T he ticking of the clock echoed in Amelia’s head as she emerged from the hypnotic state. The sweet scent of strawberries filled the air, relaxing and comforting, reminding her of the jam Gran used to make.
    But she wasn’t at home or with her grandmother.
    It was the candle burning on the table. Part of Dr. Clover’s relaxation techniques, along with soothing music.
    “What happened?” she asked Dr. Clover.
    Dr. Clover frowned slightly. “You described giving birth. Then you became agitated when someone took the baby from you before you could hold him.”
    “That’s my recurring dream,” Amelia said.
    “You described it as if it were actually happening,” Dr. Clover said. “It’s possible you either experienced this or were with someone who did, and you’re projecting those memories into your own psyche as if it happened to you, as if you gave birth to a child.”
    “So you think I am delusional?” Amelia asked, a knot forming in the pit of her stomach.
    “That’s not what I said,” Dr. Clover replied.
    Amelia jumped up from the sofa and began to pace. “Did you meet another alter?”
    Dr. Clover shook her head. “No, in fact your voice inflection never changed. Neither did your mannerisms, as they did when you slipped into a fugue state.”
    Amelia paused, contemplating the doctor’s comment. “So it was just me?”
    A soft smile curved the doctor’s mouth. “Yes, I believe so.”
    “Then you think I’m just jealous of Sadie?”
    “ Are you jealous of her?”
    “No,” Amelia said. “At least not in a bad way. I mean I’m happy for her. Sadie sacrificed a lot for me.”
    “But she’s not the one who suffered in the experiment.”
    “She did suffer though,” Amelia said. “And I’m happy she found Jake again and that they’re married.” Although it was hard not to be bitter. Not at Sadie but at what life had done to her.
    “But you want that for yourself?”
    “Doesn’t everyone want that?” Amelia said, her voice brittle. “Isn’t that normal?”
    Another smile from the doctor. “Yes, Amelia, wanting love and a family is very normal.”
    Her words registered, offering some comfort. But part of her knew she would never find love. That she didn’t deserve it. Not after the things Skid and Viola had done. “So I’m dreaming about a family, but the baby is taken away because I’m afraid if I find love, it won’t last? That someone will take it away from me again?”
    “That’s one explanation,” Dr. Clover said. “Have you discussed this with your medical doctor?”
    “No.”
    Amelia placed a hand over her abdomen. If she had given birth, workers at the sanitarium would have known. Ms. Lettie could have drugged her to make her forget. And Dr. Tynsdale . . . he’d believed she was delusional and would have protected her from the traumatic memory. He might have even