Hearts Under Ice - CS Patra Page 0,39

me off. I was in a frost world this time. I heard someone tell me to find a heart under ice. Whether it’s the same heart Ms. Howard is talking about or not, I don’t know. I just feel so confused and scared.”

He held out his hand. “I feel the same way. I don’t know what decision I’m going to make. Either way, it’s going to change everything.” Looking down at her fingernails, he added. “I like that color.”

“Me too. I thought it fit the mood.” She was hesitant at first but then took it. They weren’t that far from her house, but she wanted him to walk her all the way back. Somehow, she felt safe now. It may have been just down the block, but she was inexplicably glad that he was walking her home.

Chapter Ten

The offer was on Olivia’s mind all day as she puttered around the house. More than that, she thought about Donnie. All the excitement that he had over his project had disappeared in an instant. She had expected him to be more ready for this, more willing to take the risk. Now that he had the opportunity, he was frightened. As for her, she had no idea what to make of anything. She had a message, strange people, and strange dreams all telling her what to do. There was a part of her that wanted to run away from it all and forget this ever happened. Her entire reality had been flipped on its head, and she needed to make a life changing decision in three days. As much as she hated to do it, she wanted to do whatever Donnie suggested. This had been his desire. This was what he wanted, and he would be the one who could figure things out for both of them.

Unfortunately, Donnie seemed far more lost than she was. She finally got his number and called him up. He seemed distant—gone, as though his mind had been separated from his body. It was still him, but he didn’t seem like himself.

“Olivia, I don’t know what decision to make,” he admitted. “I was hoping you did.”

“Me? I’m trying to decipher all of these messages here. What if we get trapped in these other worlds? What if I can never get home?” she asked. “Those are the questions in my mind, Donnie. Deep down, I’m wondering if I’m the right person for this at all.”

“Well, they seem to think you are,” he pointed out. “I’m sorry that I’m not much help. You’d think I would be all over this, but reality has sunk in. I’m starting to think that I’m a fool.”

“No, you aren’t!” she insisted. “You were the one who thought of this before anyone else did. It’s just that we’ve got a big decision to make here. Do we even tell our families and friends about this? What if it takes us too long to get back?”

“Believe me, I have those exact questions in mind. I’m weighing the pros and cons of this right now. The best thing to come out of this would be that my theories will be proven correct. The worst to come out of it is that I may never come back to this world.”

“When you think about it, the choice should be easy. I can’t help it, but want to try this. I want to know where that message came from. Surely, you can tap into my dreams or something,” she suggested. “Come on, Donnie! You’ve got to have something that does that!”

“I’m afraid I don’t—but that doesn’t mean I can’t help you. What I can do is find a pattern between your dreams. Tell me all about them,” he said. “What did you see in them? What were you wearing? Where were you going? Did you speak to anyone? Those are the things that I can use to come up with something.”

Taking a deep breath, Olivia told him about each dream. She did her best to remember each of the worlds and what she was doing in them. She also remembered that silly dress that she had worn in each place. “I’ve never worn something like that before. I don’t know why I dreamt it, but I did. I wore it in every dream. It would be more expensive than most of the clothes I own.”

“Well, that’s interesting. Did the figure in your dreams ever say anything?”

“No. I never got to see his face. In fact, I’m not even sure if