When Clara is three months old, two homeless teenagers are strangled and left in front of an authority station with signs around their necks reading, "If you won't stop them, we will."

When Clara is eight months old, the first person arrested during the crackdown is executed by the state in order to show that they are serious about confining other realm contamination.

When Clara is thirteen months old, a family is burned to death in their home because the local militia believed the parents had been to the Dual Realm before it was locked down and had adopted their children there.  A sign is pounded into the family's front lawn baring the same word now seen in similar incidents throughout the country.

It reads: "Cursed."

It is widely accepted that the local authorities sanctioned the militia's actions. The youngest child to die in this horrendous fire is only four years old. 

This is the last straw for Marcella. 

Avie knows, despite her gruffness, that Marcella loves Clara deeply.  The thought of harm coming to her is almost as unbearable to Marcella as it is to Avie.  Yet, what Marcella proposes to her as they take turns holding Clara and tugging her through the shallow end of the pool is inconceivable.

"That's not what I meant when I said I wanted you to help save her."

Marcella pats Clara's back.  "What other way is there?"

"We could escape.  We could hide."  Anything but that, Avie thinks.  Anything.

Avie lifts herself out of the pool and sits next to her stepmother.  Marcella hands the baby back to her.  "She will never be safe in this realm, no matter where you take her.  The United States is almost as bad as Cascadia. Texas and the Yukon are even worse. Don't even get me started on Quebec."

Avie's shoulders slump.  "I know that."  While the authorities have not re-scanned the hotel, they have sent envoys three times to perform walk-throughs as well as to re-interview the two women.  Avie had to beg one of the maids to pretend Clara was her own.  The maid, an immigrant who came to Cascadia through less than legal channels, complied in exchange for Marcella's silence regarding her legal status. 

Avie shudders at the thought of putting the maid in this predicament, but she cannot very well proclaim to the world that she has a daughter with an other realm man.  As it is, Marcella and Avie have gone to great lengths to keep Clara's existence off the records, traveling hundreds of miles so that Avie can give birth to her under an assumed name, confining her to the hotel all of the time, keeping her away from the curious eyes constantly hovering around the perimeter of the hotel.

Most people are afraid to stay here now, what with the lingering contamination they may be exposed to.  On the door to Oliver's old room is a large warning sign detailing the crimes that have been committed there.  Many are fearful, but others are quite the opposite, and it is these folks that have kept them in business, some coming from as far away as the Yukon to brave a stay at the same hotel the infamous criminal Oliver Teide had lived in.  Avie hates them—hates them almost as much as she does the authorities who shot him.  They are nothing but thrill-seekers, getting off on Oliver's life... and his death.

Avie shakes her head.  She can't let the hate and guilt and anguish she feels distract her.  Clara picks this moment to pull on her mother's tangled hair.  She laughs and smiles at Avie.  Avie smiles back.  She tries to laugh, but can't quite manage it. 

If only Marcella's pocket fold was a wholly functioning realm.  They could journey there and then use it to bring them back to their own realm at some other time, maybe way in the past before all of this realm madness began.  Even though she knows going back in time is both difficult and incredibly dangerous, she thinks it would be worth the risk.  Just like when she'd suggested time travel as a means of saving Oliver, Marcella shuts down the idea. 

"I'm only one old woman, Avie.  I've done what I can.  The pocket realm is as good as it can get.  It doesn't have enough...vitality, for lack of a better world, to open the Fold back in time.  Maybe if we could harness the energy from all of the layers of reality, from every realm, but...that's quite an impossible thing.  Besides, you know the consequences could be dire.  I understand why you would like this idea to work out, but it can't be put into action.  I'm sorry."

Marcella has put a few finishing touches on the realm, but it will never be the wonderful escape Avie had believed it to be when Marcella had first described it to her. If she brings Clara there, it will mean that her daughter grows up partially realized and entirely alone.  She will be able to think and feel but some other piece of her humanity will be stripped from her.  Avie doesn't even know which part that will be.  And there is a limit to how much Avie can visit her there.  She's certain she can't stay too long as the pocket realm is more closely aligned with that of Oliver's world than with Avie's.  There's a chance it might drive her mad.  Marcella doesn't know what affect going back and forth frequently will have either.  Yet she can't possibly conceive of abandoning her daughter there.  How can Marcella even think that this is the best they can do for Clara?

"I don't know, Marcella."

"There is something else to consider."  Marcella leans back on her elbow, her feet kick in the water.  "Clara's father was other realm.  We don't know what impact this may have on her, but we already know she is composed partially of other realm matter.  Even without the authorities and militia threatening her wellbeing, she may not be safe from herself here."

Avie stares at her daughter.  She hadn't thought of that possibility.  The idea that she'd have to watch Clara go through the same mental descent Oliver went through—she shakes her head.  The pocket realm may be imperfect, but they are out of other options. 

There truly is no other escape, no matter how many layers of reality might exist.

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A/N: With this chapter, we are finally caught up to the opening scene in which Avie and Marcella are in the pool with the baby (who we now know to be Clara).  What a wild ride it's been to get to this point!  How do you think Marcella's plan will work out?  It seems pretty risky to me...

Just two more chapters to go!

Today's dedication is for @katerabell, who's always willing to lead a reader riot should I, say, kill a main character (oops!).  Katera has been a big supporter of my writing, even reading Every Day in May twice!  She's just begun posting her first werewolf story, so check out her profile for that!