Page 20 of The Wishing Game

I shift my gaze to the tall buildings on the other side of the Hudson. Surely, if I'd fallen through some wormhole and arrived in the future, it wouldn't still look this bad?

I blink slowly, satisfied with my train of thought. Maybe it's just some kind of tech I'm not familiar with. I can allow that considering I'm barely familiar withanything.

"I must be going crazy," I sigh. I don't even have the strength to panic about the odd note—or the possibility that I might have arrived in a futuristic but still as dirty NYC. Instead, I simply write it off as being a side effect of my almost drowning. Before I can turn and walk away, though, more letters appear on the surface of the note.

What do you wish for more than anything in this world?

Money? Fame? Revenge? Love?

I rub my eyes vigorously before I look at the note again.

We can make it all come true.

"What the..."

A date appears underneath?—

Today at 8:00 p.m

Then there's one more line.

Dare to take the leap.

And just like before, the writing vanishes again, the sparkly note blank and unblemished.

I close my eyes, inhaling deeply. Right, I'm probably hallucinating. It wouldn't be the first time. Extreme conditions tend to do that to a person. Back when I'd worked in Sergio's temple, I'd had periods of utter exhaustion coupled with a lack of nourishment that made me see things that weren't there. But I'm also smart enough to realize that's all it is.

Shaking my head for even entertaining the possibility that the writing might be real, I turn my back to it, leaving it on the ground as I slowly make my way to the main road. There, I hail a taxi to take me to the address Noelle gave me.

FIVE

The loud sound of the ringtone wakes me up. I rub at my eyes as I swing my legs over the bed, walking like a zombie to get the phone.

"Yes?" I answer sleepily.

"Lulu? Where are you?" Noelle's panicked voice startles me.

"I'm at the apartment." I frown, looking at the time. Damn, I've slept almost seven hours. It's already dark outside.

"You need to get out of there right now. Use the back exit."

"What—"

"I don't have time to explain it, but the police issued a warrant for your arrest and they're on their way to the apartment as we speak."

"I don't understand. Why? How would you know? How would they know I'm here?"

My confusion mounts as my brain tries to awaken and make sense of the situation.

"Raf heard about it from one of his contacts in the force. They're claiming you withdrew money from Nicholas's account after the reversal of the will. Apparently, they got a tip from someone that they saw you get into this building."

"I didn't do that. I didn't touch his money."

"I know. But it seems someone did in your name, and now they think you're trying to run away with the stolen money—potentially leave the country. They marked you as a flight risk."

"But I—" My mouth hangs open in shock. “What should I do?"

"Grab a cab and go to Brooklyn. Raf's friends live in a secure warehouse there. I'll try to get you a new identity as soon as possible. I'm so sorry."

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