"There is a sacredness in tears." Washington Irving

Three short raps on my bedroom door woke me. I flipped over my phone and saw that it was only five o'clock in the morning. "Wake up, Rory," Thirza called. Her voice sounded raspier than usual.

My eyes drifted to the figure sprawled on the floor, drawn by the sound of deep breathing. I glanced at the door and sighed, knowing Thirza was going to be angry. The thought of telling Casper to hide in the closet crossed my mind, but I knew there'd be no point to it. If she was knocking this early, it could only mean she already knew. Stepping inside the room, she barely seemed to notice that Casper was on my floor. I was expecting her to start yelling. Her silence was unnerving.

Casper sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Maybe you should go to your room," Thirza said to him. An unspoken message passed between them, perhaps conveyed through the wringing of her hands or the quick darting of her eyes. Casper stood behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders as if preparing to catch me. Thirza reached out and closed her hands around mine. Her touch made the muscles in my forearms twitch. I hated the fact that being touched by her felt like punishment.

"You need to get packed," Thirza said to me. "Your parents are on their way."

"Because Casper slept on my floor? That isn't fair! You called them before you even knew for sure he was in my room? Before you visually confirmed it? You're blaming me for something that takes two people? Casper broke the rules too. I don't see you telling him to pack. Blame the girl. Typical," I said hotly.

Thirza carefully enunciated my name, while squeezing one of my hands between her own. The sounds that should be as familiar to me as my own breathing suddenly reminded me of boots crunching on broken glass. "This isn't about Casper being in my room?" I said.

"It's not my place," Thirza answered.

"Seriously? After frightening me, you're going to make me wait to find out why I'm in trouble?" Tension tightened across my forehead, and a dark tunnel narrowed my vision.

"You're not in trouble," Thirza whispered.

"Even though I have a boy on my floor," I said, wincing as my stomach twisted. "What else could have you knocking on my door at five o'clock in the morning?"

"Your brother—" Thirza stopped.

"You permitted us to visit him. You can't deny giving us permission just because someone is giving you trouble."

"That isn't it," Thirza said, her lip quivering. "

"Then what is it?" I shouted. Drake's bed creaked. I imagined him getting up, creeping to his bedroom door, and eavesdropping on our drama.

"I asked them not to tell me about the problem when they called. I didn't want to end up in this situation. This week was supposed to be an easy way to build my resume," Thirza said as if to herself.

I held my breath, waiting for her to continue. "I'm sorry," she finally said. "Your parents told me the reason they are coming is that your brother has passed away."

Casper's fingers on my shoulders felt like vices. Thirza's face blurred. From the moment my eyes had opened, nothing had made sense. A sharp jab to my stomach doubled me over. "I am so sorry to be the one telling you this," Thirza said.

"You're wrong. Casper and I saw him yesterday. He was fine. Young people don't just die in the middle of the night for no reason," I said breathlessly.

"There was an empty pill bottle next to his bed," Thirza said.

"In a place where half the residents have probably thought about suicide, you're telling me they don't keep their medications secured?" I shouted.

Thirza looked ready to crumble, like the last brown leaf clinging to a tree in autumn. "I should ask for a refund on that course," she muttered, once again speaking as if she'd forgotten we were in the room. I imagined her thinking of a psychology course she'd taken, silently condemning the professor for not including anything that might have prepared her for a moment like this. As if suddenly remembering I was there, she said, "There was some concern that you may have accidentally left the pill bottle in Daniel's room. It had your name on it. Your parents already said that they're not aware of you having any prescriptions, and they certainly didn't list anything on your medical forms."

"The only thing I ever take is an over-the-counter headache medication, and occasionally something for cramps."

I'd been transformed into a new girl in the matter of a few minutes—turned into the kind of girl who didn't mind talking about her period in front of the boy she'd had a crush on since seventh grade—all because I'd suddenly realized there were more frightening things in life.

Thirza's mouth moved, but none of her words reached my ears. I bolted from the room. The outside door at the end of the corridor clanged against the wall as I threw it open. The grass of the quad squeaked under my bare feet as I ran. One of the cobra chickens,

better known as a goose, hissed as I darted past the pond. I could hear it honking behind me as I drew near my target. I glanced over my shoulder to make sure it wasn't following and spotted Casper behind me, but I didn't slow my pace to let him catch-up. Reaching the base of the stairs, I heaved in a few lungs of air, along with several mosquitoes. I tried the door as soon as I was sure I wasn't going to puke and found it unlocked. All I could see was darkness.

"Gemini, are you up there?" I called.

"Why would he be here?" Casper said, grabbing my elbow. "It's not like they keep this place staffed at all hours. Come back to the dorm. Your parents are going to be here soon."

The sound that burst from my throat was half-laugh, half-snort. I turned away from Casper and headed up the stairs. I began to run my hand around the ribbon of darker coloured stone that ran through the center of the exterior wall, feeling the familiar electric tingle.

"Wake up, Gemini! I need you," I shouted.

Casper got in front of me. I could see his mouth forming words that I couldn't hear over a sound like the pulsating hum of a boiler. A circle of light beamed into the darkness, emanating from the dark ring of stone my hand still touched. I closed my eyes to block out the supernatural glow. When I opened them again, the observatory was gone. Beige padding stood in the place of the stone walls that had seemed to attract me like a magnet. Foam covered the floor. Of what had been around me moments before, only Casper remained.

His expression struck me as belonging to someone who'd forgotten how words worked. Once his voice began to register, I found the sounds he was making didn't prove this impression to be wrong.

"This isn't real," I told him. If it meant Daniel was safe, and none of this was real, I'd have welcomed the discovery that we were sharing a roof in the hospital. I could tell from the look of abject terror on Casper's face that he understood even less than I did about what was happening.

Something about the membrane that separated Incepterrene from Earth seemed to prevent humans from retaining knowledge of what lay on the other side. I'd spent years learning things, only to forget them again. I knew that cycle was finally over for me the moment I opened my eyes and could remember why Casper was asleep on the floor of my room. Based on Casper's wide-eyed look of shock, I could see that his cycle of learning and forgetting was only beginning. Since I had no idea how we'd ended up in the padded room, it appeared I was back in the dark as much as Casper was. I didn't know where that sound had come from, or why the dark circle of stone had glowed. I didn't understand why I couldn't see Gemini. Remembering him seemed useless when it only meant I'd have to live with the fact that he'd disappeared at the very moment I'd needed him the most, especially after a lifetime of stalking me.

A wave of panic crashed over me, followed by a surge of grief that threatened to pull me out of my body and drown me. My knees gave out. I fell to the floor, gasping for air. "Breath," Casper murmured from somewhere nearby. His voice blended with the thumping of my heart. Numbness replaced the electric buzz in my muscles. Everything beyond the borders of my body bombarded by my nervous system was a dream. Time blurred.

Only the growing need to use the washroom snapped me out of my daze. I fruitlessly tried to speak for what seemed like an hour. Just crackles and squeaks made it out, like a record player when the album was done playing. "I have such a headache," I finally managed to say.

"I'm sorry," Casper held out his hands helplessly. "I don't have anything to give you."

"It's not your fault," I whimpered. To drive away the haze over my mind, I began to look for details in the room. One corner was occupied by a bed platform. There was an odd black disk attached to the center of the ceiling. It turned out these were the only things other than the beige padding that I could examine, so the distraction didn't last long. "Any idea where we're supposed to pee?" I finally asked.

Casper got up from where he'd settled on the floor and pressed a spot on the wall. A toilet slid out and immediately retracted. It was just ridiculous enough to make me giggle.

"I know. Stupid. It's like someone thinks we might be tempted to drown ourselves in toilet water. I found it while you were...overwhelmed."

"I was having a meltdown," I said, catching my breath in anticipation of him correcting me by calling it was a temper-tantrum. The expected correction never came.

There was nothing around the spot where the toilet was hidden in the wall to allow privacy for the person using it. Luckily, Casper turned away without needing to be asked. I pressed the button and proceeded to hum to cover the sound. The toilet slid into the wall when I stood. A muffled sound flushing water followed, then silence.

"You're upset," Casper said, his shoulders slumping. "But you don't seem to be as confused as I am, which leads me to think that you have a better idea of what's happening than I do. We might as well talk about it, seeing as we don't have anything better to do."

"I know it seems like I have a handle on what's happening here, but I don't. I'm just as terrified as you are, and I have just as little understanding about where we are and how we got here."

Casper's eyes narrowed. "I think you know something that might help explain it," he said. Casper often seemed to have a strange ability to read my mind with one look. Maybe this is what people meant when they talked about interpreting body language.

I sighed. "It's a long story, but not as long as it could be. There's a lot of it that I'm pretty sure I'm still forgetting—" Before I could tell Casper what I knew, a hidden door opened in the padding, revealing a man standing on the other side. For a split second, I was sure it was Gemini. The lingering pain in my wrist was a reminder that I'd made this mistake once before. The fresh memory was enough to make me dash behind Casper, using his body as a shield to give me a momentary feeling of safety so I could take a closer look at the man.

Some of his features—dark blonde hair, square jaw, and broad shoulders—still made me think of Gemini. Mentally comparing him to both Gem and Casper, the man was much more like my missing imaginary friend than the boy I was using as a human shield. Regardless of how much Casper puffed his chest to give himself the illusion of bulk, he wasn't old enough to have the same kind of muscle on his frame that Gemini and this man had.

"Do you remember me?" The smile the man flashed in my direction didn't reach his eyes.

"Stay away from us," Casper growled. He reached out a hand and settled it on my hip as if needing to reassure himself that I was still there.

"Where is Gemini? Rory, I'm shocked. Shouldn't he be standing by your side?" The man said.

Casper let out a choked laugh. "Are you drunk? What does Gemini have to do with this?"

The man shifted his gaze to Casper and said, "I think it's time I teach you some manners." He removed a small object from his pocket and pressed a button that appeared to have an unpleasant effect on Casper, making the boy grab the sides of his head and scream. My human shield dropped to the floor, writhing in pain. I reached out to touch him. Casper spasmodically waved his hand, warning me not to try.

"Stop!" I screamed at the man. Seeing his nostrils flare in anger, I decided to soften my approach. "Casper will be quiet if that's what you want. Just stop hurting him."

Casper's screams stopped. Curled on the floor, his face covered in sweat, I saw that he at least hadn't been rendered unconscious. It was a small comfort.

"Tread lightly, Rory. I find the boy's screams very annoying and would be just as happy to kill him as to show mercy. I asked you a question, and I'm getting annoyed that you haven't answered me," the man said.

"I don't know where Gem is. The only place I've seen him since I was a child was in the observatory."

"Ah, but can he see you?"

"He always sees me. At least, that's what he told me."

"But Gemini couldn't have known if he'd still see you if you were on this side."

I darted my eyes up to meet his.

"That's right," he said with a laugh, "You're not in Kansas anymore. Is that how that line goes?"

"We were never in Kansas." I held my breath, terrified that my stupidity would enrage him enough to make him take his anger out on Casper.

"I don't know how my brother has put up with you all these years," he snarled.

My head began to spin as I realized what he was saying. The reason this man reminded me of Gemini was that they were brothers. I could hear him continuing to speak, but it was hard to focus on his words.

"I once tried to convince Gemini to put himself out of his misery. He didn't take it as a helpful suggestion like I meant it to be. I told him that he'd save himself years of headaches if he admitted that you'd kill him one way or another. If he'd just admitted that, maybe he'd have realized I was doing him a favour by suggesting he just do himself in. Instead, he took the suggestion personally."

"That makes no sense," I said, gulping back the urge to vomit.

"Let's not play games with each other. Gemini must have told you about how he will die at the same moment you do."

Nausea washed over me again. I doubled over and held my stomach until it passed.

I was glad the man appeared to be ignoring me as he continued to speak. "Gemini believes all the garbage the Penitents teach. He didn't even have the decency to hate you after Jana died. You were always special. He put you before everyone in his life. I bet he never even mentioned my name to you."

I frantically searched my memory. "I can't remember," I quietly admitted.

Casper's face showed all the emotions mine should have—shock, mistrust, fear, and disgust. I couldn't do anything but stare blankly at Casper as he pushed himself to his feet to move protectively in front of me.

"Denny is the name you'd be most likely to remember," the man said, his smile slipping across my skin like a layer of grease. "But my full name is Denovo... Not that I think Gemini ever wasted any of your precious time together talking about me. As far as Gemini knew, he had his whole life to talk to you, yet he couldn't find time to mention his siblings. Jana and I merely were his blood, not his second self. My brother's single-minded focus made him blind to what was happening right under his nose. Every time he got closer to his goal, we got closer to ours. Of course, Gemini's goal has always been you."

"Enough," I shouted, balling my hands into fists. "Why are we here?"

The corner of Denovo's mouth curled. "Gemini must have thought of meeting you at the observatory as his reward for prayer and devotion. In reality, it was your friend Casper who helped open the gate. If not for him, you might still be on Earth."

Casper's body twitched against mine.

"The observatory is the gate," I whispered.

"You are the key," Denovo finished.

Casper sputtered, "The note in my room said the same thing."

"You've been very helpful, Casper. You must have realized, Rory, that you aren't attractive enough to snag someone like Casper.

You're a painfully bumbling fool. The good news is that Casper is a well-trained dog. Adapting to new relationships made you vulnerable. The energies around you changed. The membrane changed as Casper opened you, which allowed you to open the gate. It's all very metaphorically lurid." An ugly jeer twisted the corners of Denovo's mouth.

"You did all of this just to open a gate so you could go to Earth on vacations?" If not for the danger we were facing, I might have laughed at the absurdity of it.

"You think that I would want to spend time with the parasites killing my people?" Denovo growled.

"I've never killed anyone!"

"Not yet, Rory. If I were to kill you right now, Gemini would drop dead instantaneously."

"That can't be true. Gem would have told me!" As much as I didn't want to believe him, I felt the truth pounding against my heart.

"What makes you so sure he hasn't? On the other hand, it wouldn't surprise me if he hadn't. Gemini has always protected you."

"You're lying! I didn't open anything! I didn't bring us here! Do you think I want to be here? Do you think I choose to make this happen?" I shouted at Denovo.

"Wait a minute, Rory. I was about to get to the best part. Last night, we took our first step in curing the disease that is humanity. The goal of our test was to see if we could kill a human without his Incepterrian counterpart dying. Last night we killed Daniel, and his

Sentinel didn't die in the process. Your brother proved to us that our theory is true."

Heat erupted in my chest as if my heart had ruptured. It took a second to cover the distance between us, then muscle memories took over, moving me through a sequence of punches and kicks that I'd learned in a karate class at the community center. Maybe it had been too long because pain radiated through my body. My brain felt like it was going to explode. Casper caught me on my way to the floor, right before my vision went black.