All Our Lives ✔

7|

"I'll captain my own ship someday," Sebri said, her eyes on the distant sea.

She wasn't Sebri. Yet she looked terribly like her.

"You'd have to remove your corset," the man replied, amused. Carefully styled blonde hair, blue eyes, a strong jaw—and one large hand enveloping my side.

The man was my husband.

Sebri's dreamy smile disappeared, and she cut him a cold look. "Don't laugh at me," she warned.

I waved my hand. "Corset or no corset, my darling, I believe you will."

Sebri visibly calmed.

But an ill feeling lingered...

∞

"I had the wackiest dream last night."

Sebri looked at me, saying nothing. A slice of toast sat on her plate, and it was looking sadder by the second.

"We were having some kind of costume party..." I'd been so sure I was awake—it had felt that real.

I started to speak again, but then my accusing gaze landed on the window, which I warily approached. 

An old woman stood very close to a fancy car, clutching her purse to her chest as she looked up at our house.

And she flung herself into that car, screeching off the moment she saw me.

Me, an innocent peach.

What had spooked her? Did she suddenly have to go to the bathroom? Was she watching birds one second, escaping their poop the next? Had she seen a ghost behind me or something?

I turned back to my best friend, too agitated to be concerned with a stranger.

Sebri had confused and scared me yesterday morning when she'd asked for my help with her weird project.

"Do you remember when you were joking that time about tying me up?" Sebri asked, dropping her backpack to the floor.

"I wasn't joking, you were joking," I said.

"Well, I didn't realize how serious I was going to be about it," she said.

"What are you talking about, exactly?"

"I need you to tie me up so I can figure out how long it takes to get free. It's important...and I can't ask anyone else."

So, of course I gave in. "I'll help, but tell me one thing...what brought this on? Seb, where is all this coming from?"

"I need to be able to protect you. This is a bad neighborhood," she added, making me snort.

"Do I really need to...?" I asked. Sebri nodded seriously. "Okay, then after we get what we need—"

"I already have everything." And she raised her backpack.

My eyes bulged at what she revealed.

Rope, zip ties, duct tape. I waited for chains, but thankfully there weren't any—I shook her bag tentatively to be sure.

To my shock, Sebri had freed herself with ease on each attempt. She'd even used a switchblade I'd never seen before—testing her speed, I'd thought, more than her ability.

It had taken about an hour for her to be satisfied, and when she'd tripped from exhaustion, I'd softened her fall.

"You're on top of me," I wheezed.