Page 157 of Haunt Me

Faith: I just… I don’t want you to be in pain because of what is happening to her.

Isaiah: I’m always in pain. You learn to live with it.

Isaiah: You’ll see.

Faith: …

Isaiah: I gotta go. Talk to you soon, ok?

Isaiah: It goes without saying that you have free tickets for any or all of my shows. Just tell me when. All three of you.

Faith: Ha! All three of us… Right.

Faith: The way you sangSaint Hopelast night in the livestream lowkey broke me, Zay. You don’t… You aren’t still hoping, are you?

Isaiah: You should know by now that I am profoundly stupid.

Faith: What kind of an answer is that? What does it mean?

Isaiah: It means that the day I stop hoping is the day I am no longer alive.

Eden’s Phone

*incoming call from Unknown Number*

Eden: Hello?

UnknownNumber: Good afternoon, Miss Elliot. This is Sylvie, calling from the office of Her Highness, the Crown Princess Olivia of Asteria. I have been asked to place a call between Her Highness’ personal phone and yourself. Will you accept it?

Eden: Will I…? What? Ok.

UnknownNumber: Excellent. I am connecting you with Her Highness now.

Olivia: Hi there, I am Olivia. Is this Eden Elliot?

Eden: Erm… Yes?

Olivia: Hello, Eden. I can’t tell you how excited I am to be talking to you! I have read your poetry and, let me tell you: You’ve put into words feelings I didn’t even know I had.

Eden: It’s nice to meet you too, I guess? Wait, are you what she said? The Crown Princess of Asteria? Should I call you Your Highness? Or… I don’t know, curtsy over the phone?

Olivia: Please don’t. And just Olivia is fine, Eden. So, this might sound strange, but I feel like I know you very well. Not personally, obviously, but I have followed your story over the years, like the rest of the world. Sorry, I know you must be tired of hearing this. But now, reading your poems… It’s gotten even more intense. The chokehold they have over me is unreal. I’m sorry.

Eden: Don’t apologize. This is actually a very unique set of circumstances for me too, to be talking to you.

Olivia: It is?

Eden: Yes. You see, I have been followingyourstory too, through the news and social media. So it’s actually mutual. We have been following each other’s’ stories from afar. I’m sure you’ll laugh, but I have this… weird affinity with you. As if we have led parallel lives. Had similar things happen to us.

Olivia: I am not laughing. I am almost crying. That is exactly how I feel. We were both stolen.

Eden: We both got lost. We were both alone.

Olivia: Nearly died.

Eden: Several times over.

Olivia: We both have the entire world breathing down our necks, scrutinizing our every move and expecting us to save everyone, including ourselves. Because they think we are strong after what happened to us. We both keep getting asked how we survived.

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