Music Box (The Dollhouse Books, #4) (40 page)

He snatches the notebook from me—the sudden touch of his hand like electricity on my skin. He slides it into his pocket. “If you’re lucky, I’ll let you read this some time.”

His expression lets me know that his
if you’re lucky
jibe isn’t serious, but I feel my mouth twisting into a wry line. “Sorry, I’m not into rhymes. Who’s it about anyway?”

Confusion visits his pale-brown eyes and I’m immediately sorry about calling his poetry
rhymes
. I know that Prudence hates her poetry being called that.

“I don’t know who it's about,” he says.

“You wrote a poem about someone you don’t know?”

“Yeah,” he replies, as though doing that is the most natural thing in the world. He studies me for a moment as though I might have an answer, then shakes his head. “Walk you to class?”

I give him a nod that isn’t quite sure.

Girls stare at me open-mouthed as I walk along the noisy corridor with him. His arm bumps mine and an electric charge speeds across my skin and makes me aware of my heart beat. I realize I don’t know his name. But for some reason, I don’t care.

The four girls I’d spoken with a minute ago walk past. Aisha turns to look over her shoulder, tossing her dark hair. But it’s not me she looks at. It’s the boy.

I stall. The sense of things just out of sight washes through my mind.

“C’mon,” he persists, “you have to start your first day here sometime.”

Somewhere, I hear odd sounds, almost like the tinny, hollow notes of a carousel—and an urgent
tap-tap-tap
, like a dead clock sprung to life and ticking again.

~ * ~

T
hank you with all my heart to readers who made it to the end of the Dollhouse books. It feels like you've been with me in these strange otherworlds that I've inhabited for the past two years.

As Jessamine would say, you have indeed displayed patience through the most vexing of circumstances—that of entering a world far from your own—yet you found a place in which to stay and wander.

If you found the ending difficult or not what you wanted for Cassie and Ethan, I feel the same way. I always imagined they'd return to the museum and find a way to start again with Molly and the gang. But the writing refused to travel that path.

On another earth, I'm quite certain it happened that way.

Just not this earth.

I'll blame it on Prudence and her visions of the endlessly spinning carousels.

I imagine that Molly went to get Frances and bring her back, and that she found Detective Kalassi and he stayed in their lives as a father to Molly and grandfather to Frances. (With the tiniest of chances that Molly and Parker would start a new life together.) I imagine that Sophronia was reunited with her family, and that she married Raif in a Hindu temple. I imagine that Ben eventually convinced Lacey of his love for her. And Nabaasa? I imagined she would have become a leader that would have helped bring a devastated nation together as they start rebuilding—perhaps even becoming the president.

T
im Carter for his amazing concept and design of the Music Box Cover.

Katie Bird
for her beautiful model.

Jamari Lior
for her gorgeous clothing.

Katie Boettcher, Amber Parry, Brenda Telford, Liz James and Linda Gonzales for their incredible help as beta readers for Music Box.

T
o Tim, who gives me hope, and home.

To my family, who journeyed through the same tragic events as me back when I was a child, events that sparked the concept behind the Dollhouse series.

To my four sons—who've had Jessamine-like patience in watching me tap away at the computer so much.

To all my friends who've given me encouraging words during the difficult road to completing my first four novels, especially Susan Wise.

To my beta readers and new friends Brenda Telford, Liz James, Amber Parry, Linda Gonzales and Katie Boettcher for all their hard work and patience in being the very first readers of Music Box and the people who helped smooth out the cracks and bumps. As beta readers, Brenda has been there since Book Two, Brenda, Liz, Katie and Amber have been there since Book Three, Linda has given her great input in Book Four—and all have helped shape much better books.

W
here to now?

There are two concepts I’m considering—one a Gothic thriller/romance and the other a Young Adult dystopian/sci fi. I’m in love with both these concepts and am undecided which way to go!

On and off over the past three months, I’ve been re-editing Book One of the Dollhouse series (Dollhouse). I’m excited to soon to be re-releasing it with a very cool new publisher—the company owned by two very well-known and respected authors in Young Adult literature.

Also, I’ll be writing a prequel to the Dollhouse books at some point, as I really want to tell that side of the story.

Warm wishes,

Anya Allyn

http://anyaallyn.com