Read The Vanishing Girl for Free Online Page B

pea-sized craters speckled along his arms and torso. Scars. Whoever this guy was, he led a violent life.
    He bent down, reaching out a hand for me. Reluctantly I took it and let him pull me out of the water. “You’re right,” he said, still holding my hand. “I don’t know you — yet.” His eyes glittered. “I have every intention of figuring you out.” 

Chapter 7
    That night I tried to call Ava, but out here in the middle of buttfuck nowhere I couldn’t get reception. So instead I sat down and wrote her an email explaining what had happened. I seriously doubted that she’d believe me — I wouldn’t. I then typed up a brief email to my parents to let them know I was alive and made it here safely.
    When I finally unpacked my meager belongings and made it to bed, the day replayed itself over and over in my head. I felt no sadness, no grief over the loss of my former life. I think this is what shock must feel like. The magnitude of my situation had yet to knock the breath out of me. I was still reeling from how quickly my life had changed within a few hours.
    Finally, sleep crept up on me, and — thankful for once — I gave myself over to it.
    I stood on a white sand beach. It was just after sunset, and the sky was a deep blue-green. Other than a cluster of palm trees and a hammock, this was it. Paradise.
    And I knew I hadn’t sent myself here.
    So this was what the government could do. They harnessed my ability, and directed it to a destination of their choice.
    Debbie hadn’t mentioned the project being able to control where people teleported, but I mean, c’mon. I didn’t think it was a coincidence that the Prometheus Project happened to find me the day after I broke into Adrian’s safe. Somehow they were sending people like me out.
    Now came the hard questions, like how they found me and what their interest was in Adrian.
    I sat down and dug my feet into the still-warm sand and hummed my mother’s lullaby quietly to myself. I couldn’t ask for a more beautiful place to go. And yet all the sandy shores in the world couldn’t bring back what I’d lost.
    This demonstration proved something much more frightening than the loss of my previous life. My future freedom was potentially at stake.
    As I glanced around this quaint island, with its hammock rocking gently in the evening breeze, I knew this was the best I was going to get from the government. But what would happen if I ever decided not to cooperate? Where did they send the delinquent teleporters?
    “Wake up.”
    “Go away,” I murmured.
    “Wake up.” Someone was shaking my shoulder. “Man, I knew this was going to happen.”
    I groaned and flipped over onto my other side.
    “Listen Sleeping Beauty, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
    I snuggled down deeper into my pillow.
    “Hard way it is.” Suddenly the sheets were gone and my bare skin was exposed to the chilly morning air.
    I gasped and grabbed for my blankets, trying to cover my naked body. When I looked up, Caden was grinning, a look that clearly expressed just how much he enjoyed the peep show.
    “You asshole!” When I teleported, I came back to the exact place I fell asleep. My clothes however, never managed to make it back on me.
    “I wish I could say that I didn’t enjoy that,” he paused, “but the truth is, I’ve been waiting to do that ever since I arrived here.”
    And that’s when I punched him in the face.
    I could hear him moaning as I moved around my room, blanket covering me, and picked out some clothes from my suitcase. I walked into my private bathroom and began to change.
    When I came out of the bathroom, Caden was leaning against the door. In spite of pinching his now-swollen nose, he managed to look like a kid on Christmas.
    “Damn, you throw a mean right hook,” he said, grinning.
    I gave him a dark look as he opened the door for me.
    “I’m sorry. Really, I am.” He stifled his smile, but the telltale dimples were still visible. “I