Read Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4

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“Mei mei”

River stirred.

“Come on, River – it’s time to go!”

Someone tugged at her nightshirt. River sat up slowly, blinking the morning tears from her eyes. The blurry image beside her slowly resolved into the face of her brother.

“Simon!” River threw her arms around her older brother’s neck, scattering the etchings of Russian dolls that she had left strewn across her bed the night before.

With an exaggerated long-suffering sigh, Simon shoved her gently away.

“Get dressed. We’re going to be late.”

River looked around the idyllic bedroom, confused. “Simon, no, wait…Simon, I had a terrible dream…” She ran her hand across the solid wooden bedframe, tracing the grain with her fingertips. “I dreamt that –”

“There’s no time, mei mei. We need to go. Now.” Simon’s hushed voice had turned suddenly urgent. She looked up at him, but he was gone.

“Simon?” River swung her legs off the bed and padded barefoot to the hallway door. Despite her sun-filled bedroom, the hall was dark, empty.

She ventured into the still corridor, trying to ignore the pulsing in her head. The quiet was oppressive, it bore down on her, threatened to overwhelm her. But River was determined to find her brother.

The angular door at the end of the hall seemed strange, out of place. She reached out, but it slid open as if to evade her touch.

“Simon?” her voice echoed in the chamber beyond the door. She could see a well-dressed figure seated in the middle of the room, dimly illuminated from above by a single flickering light. She walked closer, but shadows obscured the man’s face. She touched his shoulder. It was cold, lifeless. Trembling, River bent forward to look up at his downcast face.

It was Simon’s.

River screamed.

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Continue to Part 6