Page 171 of Serenity Falls

‘Hold up your arm.’

He glances at Sadie and she nods. He holds his arm up.

Stella takes hold of the Serenity bracelet and wedges the cutters beneath. ‘We need to get this off … both of you.’

‘Why?’ Dad asks.

‘For a start, they can track you with these. But also, they amplify the signals from the Hub. If we stop that, you should feel better.’

She squeezes the cutters, and the bracelet pops off.

‘Removing the bracelets will alert them, but we should have some time.’ She looks at Sadie. ‘Arm?’

Sadie holds her arm out, and Stella cuts the bracelet off. Stella picks up both bracelets and chucks them to one side. Then she reaches into her bag again and takes out a bottle of aspirin. She hands it to Sadie’s dad.

‘Take two of these.’

‘Why?’ Sadie queries. ‘Has Dad had a stroke?’

‘It’s possible your dad has suffered a small TIA or possibly some localized swelling in his brain. Without further tests, it’s impossible to tell.’

‘Great,’ Dad mutters.

‘There’s no need to panic,’ Stella says. ‘TIAs are common. Some people have them and don’t even realize. But we want to prevent any more attacks if possible. That’s why I removed your bracelets.’

‘You think they caused it?’ Sadie asks.

‘What has Davey told you about the bracelets?’

‘I didn’t have a chance—’ Davey says.

Stella nods. ‘Okay. The bracelets do more than just open doors or buy groceries. They regulate sleep, ensuring everyone goes to sleep and wakes at the same time.’

Just like Ramona said, Sadie thinks.

‘I noticed just from just hanging around here,’ Davey adds. ‘This whole town just shuts down at night … except for some of the medical staff and the sheriff – oh, and the white-suit dudes.’

‘The guys with the ice-cream van,’ Sadie says.

‘Yeah. They’re out most nights with the van. Like they’re patrolling.’

Sadie swallows. ‘That’s why you called me?’

‘Yeah. I’ve seen them take people away before.’

‘Shit.’ Her gut twists into a tighter knot.

‘While people are sleeping, the bracelets are doing something else,’ Stella continues. ‘We don’t know what exactly. But they’re receiving transmissions of some sort.’

‘But I’m still wide awake at night,’ Sadie points out.

Stella shrugs. ‘Some younger people seem to be immune, at least for a while. And other people don’t respond well to the transmissions. Like your dad.’ She squints at Sadie’s dad. ‘You have trouble sleeping normally?’

‘Yeah. I’ve always been an insomniac.’

‘Well, that might be it. Your brain is fighting harder against it.’

Sadie frowns. ‘Why do they want to control people’s sleep?’