didn’t come true You’re safe now Just push the visions away they’re not real But Gracie rarely experienced a story glimmer this intensely at least not when she was awake Most of the time the glimmers were like spotting something out of the corner of her eye the glare of flames reflected in a windowpane Usually it was only in her dreams that she smelled the smoke sensed the heat and she found herself once again torn between curiosity and fear Are you ill a voice said beside her Gracie turned Walter watched her from behind glasses smudged with fingerprints because he was always shoving them up on his nose He reminded Gracie of a plump owl I’m fine Gracie wiped sweat from her forehead and fought the irritation that always crept over her when she was around Walter They had once been friends when they were
very young That was nearly eight years ago now but if Gracie looked closely she could still make out the pearly outline of the scar beneath Walter’s right eye where she had struck him Gracie was about to turn back to her homework when a red paper flyer slid from between the pages of Walter’s book and fluttered to the floor Gracie bent to pick it up and froze Across the top bold black letters spelled the name Gertrude Winters Why do you have this The paper quivered in her fingers Had Walter’s parents finally told him the truth about the story who they were Walter crooked his arm around the book he was reading I know I’m supposed to be reading the textbook he said But I already finished the chapter yesterday and I got this
new book about dark matter last night It’s fascinating Did you know Not the book This Gracie thrust the flyer onto his desk Walter turned it over in his hand and shrugged The woman at the bookstore stuck it in my bag I’ve been using it as a bookmark Are you going Where To see Gertrude Winters Walter blinked I don’t read fiction It’s kind of a waste of time don’t you think I read science books and Gertrude Winters is not a waste of time For a moment Gracie had let herself hope that she’d have someone besides Mom to talk to about Gertrude Winters and the glimmers She’s brilliant She’s Gracie’s cheeks burned The classroom was fading replaced by the sharp snap of flames The tang of smoke
seared the back of her throat Not now She gripped the edge of her desk so tightly her knuckles turned white willing the vision away The glimmers were worse when her temper flared and she counted silently to ten which was what Mom told her to do when she was angry You can have it Walter held the flyer out to her if you like this Winters person so much Gracie shoved the flyer into her folder Are you sure you’re not sick Walter said It’s just Gracie paused Do you ever feel funny like you remember things that didn’t really happen Walter It’s shrugged likely neurons misfiring in the brain and triggering the sensation of memory That’s how déjà vu works Not déjà vu More like
