Uncanny by Sarah Fine
“Help,” she said, but it was hard to understand her. She didn’t seem able to open her mouth very far. The words were pushed out hoarse and sloppy through swollen lips, bruised cheeks, broken teeth. “Please.”
I slowly squatted down, careful to avoid the blood and puke, the huge mess all around her. I was next to her head, looking down at the side of her face. It was a mess, too. Her Cerepin was shattered and dark. “What happened?” I asked.
“Cora.” She wheezed. “Help.”
“Franka?” I asked.
No answer.
“Franka?” I asked again.
“Turn . . . her . . . on,” Hannah said, drooling blood.
As I watched her struggle with each word, I had a vague memory, one from the night before. “We switched Franka off. She’s not watching us right now.”
“Cora . . .”
“No one is watching,” I said. “No one is listening. That’s what you wanted.”
She whimpered.
I reached down, and I pinched her nose closed. I covered her mouth with my other hand. It didn’t take much. I was gentle. I knew the importance of not leaving a single mark. She couldn’t move, not really. Her fingers twitched a little. Her neck tensed. She was so weak at that point. As I held on, her chest shuddered and her eyes bulged. Her head jerked, but not enough to get away from my fingers, my palm.
“Shhh, Hannah,” I said to her. “I’m going to make everything okay.”
I waited for a long time before I let go. She’d been still for a while then, but I wanted to make sure. When I was, I got up and went to the bathroom and washed my hands with lots of soap. I stared into the mirror, pushed the monsters beneath the surface.
I went out into the foyer and turned Franka back on, and that was it.
I’ve carried that with me for the last few weeks. I’ll carry it with me forever.
But it did help to know she’d tried to kill me first. Much better than believing I started it and that I’d tried to kill her twice over.
I’m still asking, though. Still wondering. Did I deserve to be saved? If Rafiq had known the whole truth, would he have made the same choices?
And now that he has, what do I do? What do I do with my life now that someone else has given his for mine?
I relax into my bed, knowing it’s only a matter of time before they come to release me.
I suppose I’ll start figuring it out then.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Publishing a book is a team sport, and I couldn’t be more fortunate to have Skyscape and Amazon Publishing on my side. Your enthusiasm, creativity, and constant advocacy have made this process so much fun. Thank you to Courtney Miller, who supported this idea from the start but asked the hard questions that spun me in the right direction. Thank you to Jason Kirk for cheering on Uncanny while also helping make it better, and for being so persistent and respectful when it came to my vision. To Leslie “Lam” Miller, my developmental editor—thank you for being a true partner in the revision process and for being tough on me while offering the empathy that makes it possible for me to push myself. Thank you to my awesomely nitpicky copyeditor, Janice Lee, for making sure I say what I actually mean and keep to my own timeline, and to my delightful proofreader, Phyllis DeBlanche, for making sure I followed my own rules. I’m also grateful to Damonza for creating the perfectly haunting cover for the book.
Thank you to my agent, Kathleen Ortiz, not only for selling book after book of mine but for remaining at my side every step of the way. Thanks also to the fabulous team at New Leaf Literary for additional support whenever necessary.
My gratitude goes to my parents, my sisters, and my babies, Asher and Alma—thank you for loving me, tolerating me, and cheering me on. Thank-yous also go to my friends Paul, Sue, and Claudine, for good times and wonderful support. Lydia Kang, you are an unwavering, gentle, fierce, and brilliant soul, and I am so, so fortunate to be able to call you my dear friend and colleague. I can keep swimming as long as I can look over and see you powering through these waters beside me. And Peter . . . well, love, you made it possible for me to write the least romantic book I’ve written so far, and I couldn’t be happier or more grateful for that. You have changed my life—please don’t ever stop.
And to my readers: You are the best. Thank you for finding my books and sharing them with others. Thank you for allowing my characters and stories to reach you and matter to you. Thank you for having faith in me—I will keep trying to live up to it.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo © 2012 Rebecca Skinner
Sarah Fine is the author of Beneath the Shine and several popular YA series, including Of Metal and Wishes, The Impostor Queen, and Guards of the Shadowlands. Her adult series include Servants of Fate and Reliquary. Sarah’s stories push boundaries and blend genres in unique ways, giving readers mind-twisting tales and vivid, unforgettable characters. And while she promises that she is not psychoanalyzing those around her, she manages to use both her talent as a writer and her experience as a psychologist to great effect.
Sarah has lived on the West Coast and in the Midwest, but she currently calls the East Coast home. She confesses to having the music tastes of an adolescent boy and an adventurous spirit when it comes to food (especially if it’s fried). To learn more about the author and her work, visit www.sarahfinebooks.com.
Sarah Fine, Uncanny