emma

I couldn't believe I let him see me like this, unable to fend for myself. I fumed in disgust at my vulnerability. I didn't want Evan to think I needed protecting. I pulled back my torment and let the numb blanket envelop me, pushing away the stirred memories, the noise of the crowd, and the trembling that still lay beneath the surface. I stared at the flames licking at the darkness and everything was lost as I sank deeper into nothingness.

In the Blue Room, Cora Cash was trying to concentrate on her book. Cora found most novels hard to sympathise with -- all those plain governesses -- but this one had much to recommend it. The heroine was 'handsome, clever, and rich', rather like Cora herself. Cora knew she was handsome -- wasn't she always referred to in the papers as 'the divine Miss Cash'? She was clever -- she could speak three languages and could handle calculus. And as to rich, well, she was undoubtedly that. Emma Woodhouse was not rich in the way that she, Cora Cash, was rich. Emma Woodhouse did not lie on a lit _ la polonaise once owned by Madame du Barry in a room which was, but for the lingering smell of paint, an exact replica of Marie Antoinette's bedchamber at le petit Trianon. Emma Woodhouse went to dances at the Assembly Rooms, not fancy dress spectaculars in specially built ballrooms. But Emma Woodhouse was motherless which meant, thought Cora, that she was handsome, clever, rich and free.

I had to sever my emotional cord to escape the anger and shame that silently slithered through my head, disconnecting myself from the stares and whispers that followed me down the hall.

There were dozens of theories about what it was, that dome. Every scientist in the world, it seemed, had made a pilgrimage to the site. Tests had been conducted, measurements taken.They had tried drilling through it. Under it. Had flown over it. Had dug beneath it. Had approached it by submarine.Nothing worked.Every species of doomsayer from Luddite to End Times nut had had his say. It was a judgment. On America__ technological obsession, on America__ moral failure. This. That. Something else.Then the twins had popped out. Just like that. First Emma. Then, a few minutes later, Anna. Alive and well at the exact moment of their fifteenth birthday.They told tales of life inside the bowl. What they called the FAYZ.Connie Temple__ heart had swelled with pride for what she had learned of her son, Sam. And crashed into despair with tales of her other son, her unacknowledged child, Caine.Then, nothing. No other kids arrived for a while.Black despair settled over the families as they realized that it would be only these two. Months passed. Many lost faith. How could kids survive alone?But then, the Prophetess had reached into their dreams.One night Connie Temple had a lurid, incredible dream. She__ never had such a detailed dream. It was terrifying. The power of it took her breath away. There was a girl in that

Mr. Knightley to be no longer coming there for his evening comfort! - No longer walking in at all hours, as if ever willing to change his own home for their's! - How was it to be endured?

the only source whence any thing like consolation or composure could be drawn, was in the resolution of her own better conduct, and the hope that, however inferior in spirit and gaiety might be the following and every future winter of her life to the past, it would yet find her more rational, more acquainted with herself, and leave her less to regret when it were gone.

So many choices and temptations tonight. - Emma

Hey, beautiful. - Joe Covelli

I lost myself there _ my mind imaging what was under his towel and what I would like to do to him. - Emma

A little playful banter never hurt _ or did it? - Emma

It has sunk him, I cannot say how much it has sunk him in my opinion. So unlike what a man should be!-None of that upright integrity, that strict adherence to truth and principle, that distain of trick and littleness, which a man should display in every transaction of his life.

You have your world to rebuild, and I have mine.

There is one thing, Emma, which a man can always do if he chooses, and that is his duty; not by manoeuvring and finessing, but by vigour and resolution. - Mr. Knightley

... He didn't know how to say good-bye. His throat ached from the strain of holding back his emotions. __ don't want to leave you,_ he said humbly, reaching for her cold, stiff hands.Emma lowered her head, her tears falling freely. __'ll never see you again, will I?__e shook his head. __ot in this lifetime,_ he said hoarsely.She pulled her hands away and wrapped her arms around his neck. He felt her wet lashes brush his cheek. __hen I'll wait a hundred years,_ she whispered. __r a thousand, if I must. Remember that, Nikki. I'll be waiting for you to come to me.

I__ trying to decide whether to tell you two to get a room or go barf in the trash can,_ Emma said. ____ leaning toward the second choice. You are both getting way too weird. And gross.__al barked out a laugh and slid his fingers down my arm to entwine with mine. His touch, and Emma__ comments, only made me blush more. Looks like Emma saw Cal lick my face after all. Now that wasn__ awkward or anything.

You're Nash's brother. And a grim reaper?" She blinked again, and I readied myself for hysterics, or fear, or laughter. But knowing emma, I should have known better. "So you, what? Kill people? Did you kill me that day in the gym?" She clenched the headrest, her expression an odd mix of anger, awe, and confusion. But there was no disbelief. She'd seen and heard enough of the bizarre following her own temporary death that Tod's admission obviously didn't come as that much of a surprise.Or maybe Nash's Influence was still affecting her a little."No," Tod shook his head firmly, but the corners of his mouth turned up in amusement. "I had nothing to do with that. I do kill people, then I reap their souls and take them to be recycled. But only people who are on my list.""So, you're not...dangerous?"His pouty grin deepened into something almost predatory, like the Tod I'd first met two months earlier. "Oh, I'm dangerous....""Tod..." I warned, as Nash punched his brother in the arm, hard enough to actually hurt. "Just not to you," the reaper finished, shrugging at Emma. "I see you all the time, but you've never seen me, because Kaylee said if I got too close to you, I'd suffer eternity without my balls.""Jeez, Tod!" I shouted, my anger threatening to boil over and scald us all.The reaper leaned closer to Emma and spoke in a stage whisper. "She's not as scary as she thinks she is, but I respect her intent.

With a new found confidence, Briston comes alive. "Then we have to do something. We need to call the police, or the swat team, maybe the military.""Yeah, and why we're at it, why don't we send a prayer up to Heaven and tell the other angels to go ahead and take our names off the eternal guest list.

What__ up, Sam?___hat birthday?_ he panted.__hat?___hat birthday, Anna?__t took a while for her to absorb his fear. It took a while for the reason for his fear to dawn on her.__ifteen,_ Anna said in a whisper.__hat__ the matter?_ Emma asked, sensing her twin__ mood. __t doesn__ mean anything.___t doesn__,_ Anna whispered.__ou__e probably right,_ Sam said.__h, my God,_ Anna said. __re we going to disappear?___hen were you born?_ Sam asked. __hat time of day?__he twins exchanged scared looks. __e don__ know.___ou know what, no one has blinked out since that first day, so it__ probably___mma disappeared.Anna screamed.The other older kids took notice, the littles, too.__h, my God!_ Anna cried. __mma. Emma. Oh, God!__he grabbed Sam__ hands and he held her tight.The prees, some of them, caught the fear. Mother Mary came over. __hat__ going on? You__e scaring the kids. Where__ Emma?__nna just kept saying, __h, my God,_ and calling her sister__ name.__here__ Emma?_ Mary demanded again. __hat__ going on?__am didn__ want to explain. Anna was hurting him with the pressure of her fingers digging into the backs of his hands. Anna__ eyes were huge, staring holes in him.__ow far apart were you born?_ Sam asked.Anna just stared in blank horror.Sam lowered his voice to an urgent whisper. __ow far apart were you born, Anna?___ix minutes,_ she whispered.__old my hands, Sam,_ she said.__on__ let me go, Sam,_ she said.__ won__, Anna, I won__ let you go,_ Sam said.__hat__ going to happen, Sam?___ don__ know, Anna.___ill we go to where our mom and dad are?___ don__ know, Anna."__m I going to die?___o, Anna. You__e not going to die.___on__ let go of me, Sam.__ary was there now, a baby on her hip. John was there. The prees, some of them, watched with serious, worried looks on their faces.__ don__ want to die,_ Anna repeated. ___I don__ know what it__ like.___t__ okay, Anna.__nna smiled. __hat was a nice date. When we went out.___t was.__or a split second it was like Anna blurred. Too fast to be real. She blurred, and Sam could almost swear that she had smiled at him.And his fingers squeezed on nothing.For a terribly long time no one moved or said anything.The littles didn__ cry out. The older kids just stared.Sam__ fingertips still remembered the feel of Anna__ hands. He stared at the place where her face had been. He could still see her pleading eyes.Unable to stop himself, he reached a hand into the space she had occupied. Reaching for a face that was no longer there.Someone sobbed.Someone cried out, other voices then, the prees started crying.Sam felt sick. When his teacher had disappeared he hadn__ been expecting it. This time he had seen it coming, like a monster in a slow-motion nightmare. This time he had seen it coming, like standing rooted on the railroad tracks, unable to jump aside.