Ricochet by Kathryn Berla

Author:Kathryn Berla
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Thrillers & Suspense / Science Fiction / General / Family / Parents
Publisher: North Star Editions
Published: 2019-08-19T15:56:32+00:00

Chapter 17

Tati

One piece of the puzzle is solved. I now know where I belong. I belong with my parents. I belong with Priya. And I belong to the girl with the blue bedspread. I made a promise to Priya that I’d report anything unusual to my parents, but I can’t keep that promise. The girl, whose name is Ana, has transformed me. She’s replaced my fear and frustration with confidence and curiosity. Even Priya’s noticed, although she doesn’t know the reason why.

This has to be real, because I don’t want to go back to the old Tati with all her insecurities and clinginess. At the same time, I have sympathy for her. For me. And that’s something new because, before Ana, it seemed like I spent a lot of time wanting to kick my own ass. Now I can stand outside of myself and see things more clearly—literally outside of myself. I’ve given up on my need for control over the me-zures because, after all, I had no control to begin with, so what was the use of pretending I did? I’ve given in to the unknowable and cast aside my doubts about Priya. Then a surprising thing happened. By giving up my need for control, I suddenly had control—over myself, at least, and how I respond to a situation.

People are afraid of the unknown, so why should Priya be different? She has to deal with her own unknowns—the fear of rejection when she finally lets her parents see what’s inside her heart, who’s inside her heart. And if I can get past my fear, I hope, one day when she’s ready, Priya can get past hers too. In the meantime, I can only support her with unconditional love and acceptance, the same way she supports me. The same way my parents support me. And Ana.

I have no idea why, but there has to be a reason Ana is happening to me.

I’m able to visit her at will. I can’t describe how I do it—I simply think it and the tunnel appears before me. A few years ago, Mom signed me up for a series of biofeedback classes to help me deal with the stress of what I then thought were seizures. After about ten classes, I could think my hands into warming up a few degrees. At the time, it seemed like a huge accomplishment. Now, using the same technique—focused concentration—I can think my way into the tunnel that whooshes me into Ana’s life and Ana’s world, which isn’t so different from mine. I visit her nearly every night and she’s always waiting for me. For some reason, she can’t come to me, even though we see the same tunnel and have the same episodes, as she used to call them. After I told her about me-zures, she started referring to them the same way. She tries to climb into the tunnel when it appears, but she hasn’t been able to make it inside. She doesn’t understand when I explain how I do it, but in fairness I can barely explain it to myself.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.