Dana awoke, lapsing back into confusion and shock moments thereafter. The things she had witnessed in her medication haze – the beings emerging, Emily disappearing – burned like waking nightmares.

She heard voices, one of which was her mother. Once they stopped, someone sat on the edge of her bed.

“Dana, honey? It’s Mom. Can you hear me?”

Dana opened her eyes, finally able to see more than a blur. Her mom was smiling, and Emily’s Wonderball was over on the window ledge.

“Mom?”

“Great news, honey! The doctor says your burns are very superficial, and have already made a lot of progress in healing. In fact, he’s amazed at what they’ve done in just a week.”

“A week?”

“It’s Sunday, and you’ve been here since Monday. Emily came to see you on Tuesday, but I haven’t seen her since. She left her Wonderball behind, and I had half a mind to throw it out. I figured she’d have come back for it by now.”

Mrs. Poole stroked Dana’s hair and smiled. Over by the window, the Wonderball started glowing.