CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

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I whirl around to find my clothes where I left them on the floor

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I whirl around to find my clothes where I left them on the floor. I have them back on in an instant, and I'm gathering up my other things and shoving them into my backpack.

One more glance around the room tells me I've gotten everything. I swing my backpack over my shoulders and open the door a crack, listening in the silence.

I don't know what my stupid plan is, considering these two have tracked me relentlessly, but I've never wanted to run away so badly in my whole life. Not even from my horrible mother.

I'll run away and then figure out how to stay hidden.

I tiptoe down the hallway, but it's not even necessary. Unlike my burned-to-the-ground house, this one doesn't creak with every step.

My breathing is ragged, and my pulse is thrumming in my ears as I reach the dark kitchen and pause again, ears perked for any sign that Chloe and Ethan are awake and about to follow me.

The only sound is the roar of waves outside.

I practically run for the front door, only one thought on my mind.

Escape.

I want to get far, far away from here.

And I never want to hear the words "Atlantis Academy" or "Cerberus" ever again.

I open the door carefully, step over the threshold, then close it behind me.

A high-pitched tone rings through my entire body.

And I'm in some of the worst pain of my entire life.

I'm paralyzed, face-down on the deck, and someone is screaming in the darkness.

They won't stop, though it hurts my ears and intensifies the electric prod pains shooting through my entire body.

They scream on and on and on.

I think it's me.

The fiery spasms make my muscles seize and twitch.

Involuntary tears race down my cheeks, but I can hardly feel myself crying.

Someone lifts me up, sending me into new fits of sheer agony.

I cry out, but it's a whisper beneath the terrible buzzing in my ears.

The pain.

So. Much. Pain!

Electric shocks run down all my limbs and into my fingertips and toes. It's like someone's ripping out each and every nail in a pulsating, terrible rhythm. My muscles are on fire, and my bones are aching so hard, I want to rip them all out.

Kill me now.

Death would be better than this.

Why won't it stop?

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