These Dreams of You

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When she gets back to him, the man lying in the road shows no signs of having stirred further. No one else is in sight. There’s no sound of approaching sirens, responding to a witness’ call; the paperback is in such plain view that she can’t believe she didn’t see dropping it. She tiptoes to the body, looking around furtively, then snatches the book from the ground.

She opens it and her heart stops.