37
Amanda could save me, thought Macy as she stood on a rooftop watching dawn break slowly over the city. She's at ArtReal, though…no. She was with Alex. Somewhere. She scanned the horizon. How would she get to Alex's house from where she was? Not too far from Central Park…closer than ArtReal. He wasn't home, though. She knew he wouldn't be there. She remembered the pastry shop and the fireplace bracketed with bookshelves. Alex had a feature like that in his home. He'd know how to get her out of this. She felt more and more repulsed by the newest Quasar. Why had she ever thought he was fascinating?
In fact he now felt more like an intrusion in her life, a most unwelcome visitor. She felt like he was crowding her out of her own life somehow. Like soon the little McKenna family would be composed of Geoffery, Dorreen, and Peter with no Macy in sight.
Maybe I should run away, she thought. Either I find my own way somehow or my dad finds me and we have a good, long talk about what's going on lately. Suddenly, she wanted to cry. She heard a helicopter, but didn't look up. Heard sirens, but when didn't you hear them in New York?
If I was a Quasar, she thought. I should go to ArtReal. No, they'll just call my dad. She felt overcome with despair. Where can I go that Peter can't find me? She thought she heard him call her name and sharp fear made her remember burrowing under snow in winter, building shelters using fallen trees and sitting there or lying there quietly, staring up at the falling snowflakes, clouds, or stars alone but for the wonder of nature.