Chapter 9

A good while later, when the water began to turn cool, Derek got out of the shower and dried off. He’d washed his hair three times trying to get it untangled, finally succeeding enough that he could run his fingers through it. There was a comb on the sink, next to a box with a toothbrush. He hoped Janet had left them for him.

Picking up the comb, he looked in the mirror over the sink and froze. The face staring back at him was not the one he remembered. It was his, but much thinner, with long, dark hair surrounding it down to his shoulders.

I look older.

He stepped back so he could see more of himself.

And I have muscles. He flexed one arm. Real muscles. He turned, looking over his shoulder to check his back. There was a scar running down one side from his shoulder to just under his arm. He knew, because Michael had told him, he had had gotten a bad gash on his back from the accident but this was the first time he’d seen the result.