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Until, that is, Other-Johnson kissed me.

I wasn’t playing along. I loved that kiss and I want him to do it again, to turn us into one lovely moment of the unexpected and the divine all mingled together. I am literally panting as
I stare at him.

‘Yo.’ Other-Johnson answers the phone.

I can hear the Ape’s voice even without the speakerphone.

‘Who’s this?’

‘Johnson. That you, Ape?’

‘Duh.’

Other-Johnson tenses at the sound of the Ape. ‘Uh. Where are you?’

‘Around.’

Other-Johnson immediately scans the surrounding area and it’s clear he’s not keen that the Ape might be somewhere close by. ‘And where’s around exactly?’

‘Around is around. Rev there?’

‘Yeah, I just found her.’

‘Weren’t you already with her?’

I can see it all going horribly wrong and gently take the phone.

‘Yowza,’ I say, turning my back on Other-Johnson.

‘Yowza, you,’ responds the Ape.

‘What, uh, what you doing?’

‘Following you. Well, Rev Two.’

I have to play this right, make sure I don’t slip up. But then Other-Johnson slips his arms around my waist and his head comes level with mine as he kisses my cheek and then moves slowly
to my neck and it’s hard to concentrate.

‘OK,’ I say.

‘What’s OK?’

‘That, uh . . . That’s OK.’

Johnson’s lips and warm breath are driving me insane as he slides the neck of my green cotton top to one side so he can leave kisses on my shoulder. ‘Don’t tell him where we
are,’ he whispers as he stops kissing me and his lips brush against my ear. ‘We should get out of here, go back to yours.’

OhmyGod
, I think,
ohmyGod!
Are we doing it? Are Other-Me and Other-Johnson doing IT??

‘I’m still following you,’ says the Ape again, but his words are tinny and distant as I turn round to face Other-Johnson. It’s all I can do not to grab him and race all
the way back to my flat.

‘We, uh, we can’t,’ I mumble to Other-Johnson.

He kisses my neck again. ‘Yeah we can.’

‘W-we-we— No, we can’t,’ I stammer. Other-Johnson must know what he’s doing to me. He’s hitting every erogenous zone I possess with his kisses as he moves to
my other shoulder kissing the exposed skin. ‘I need to know things,’ I say.

‘Let’s go,’ he says again.

‘I’m scared,’ I tell him.

‘You don’t do scared.’

‘But where is everyone?’

‘That can wait.’

I can feel his body reacting to mine all over again and then one hand reaches round and travels under the front of my green top and up to my breast. It’s all I can do not to gasp.

Other-Johnson ends the call to the Ape, focusing entirely on me now.

‘No one’s home,’ he whispers. ‘No one, Rev.’

‘Wait.’ I place my hand on Johnson’s through the thin material of my T-shirt and as much as I don’t want to, I force myself to push his hand away.

‘You’re reading my dad’s thesis. You think it might be the answer to what’s happened. That’s why you’re reading it, right?’

‘Just picked it up, is all,’ he shrugs.

‘But you . . . well, you must know what’s in it?’

His hand is slipping upwards again and even though I need to concentrate, I don’t want to push him away again.

‘It was just lying there. Open. Asking to be read,’ he says.

‘In my flat?’

‘Yeah.’

‘I didn’t see it,’ I say with a slow intake of breath.

Other-Johnson freezes. ‘You went there?’

‘Uh, yeah.’

‘Can’t have. I’d have picked you up,’ he says.

‘What d’you mean?’ I whisper.

‘On the airwaves – I checked, even though you told me I was banned from doing that.’ He’s stopped kissing me and there’s a steel in his voice that wasn’t
there before.

‘Airwaves?’ I’m not playing this very well and I try my best to pretend that I understand. ‘Oh. The
airwaves.
Sorry, I’m pretty much all over the place
right now.’

Other-Johnson has grown tense as his hand pulls out from under my top. It’s like his eyes are travelling throughout me, checking every inch of me. It takes him a long moment before he says
anything. ‘Oh, boy,’ he says eventually.

I try to smile. ‘Oh, boy, what?’

‘Just oh, boy.’

And then I feel it, his words inside my head again.
‘Who are you?’
he asks, only his lips don’t move.

I smile, but it’s weak and more of a grimace. ‘So, uh . . . where did everyone go?’ I ask as calmly as I can manage.

‘I went to yours straight after the light appeared, Rev,’ he says out loud. ‘You remember the light?’ he asks. ‘I thought you’d be at home, but then I
remembered you probably had to buy some hair dye. Shame though, I’m loving the pink look.’

I nod, but I don’t know why. I already know that he knows I’m not the Rev he thinks I am so it’s no use pretending.

He leans forward and sniffs rather than kisses my neck. I suddenly realise it’s totally exposed to him. Goosebumps spring up all over on my flesh.

‘Bright light. Then everyone gone,’ he says. Then I hear his voice in my head again.
‘You are so like her.’

I try desperately to keep up the façade. My eyes glance to where Johnson and Billie are hiding and I hope that they can tell I’m in trouble. ‘You were here though. In the
square,’ I say loudly.

‘And?’

‘Well, that’s when I went to the flat. That’s how we didn’t see each other.’

‘Oh. Yeah. Yeah, of course.’ Other-Johnson seems to relax a little. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘Nothing to be sorry about.’ I smile in return, hoping I’ve got away with it.

But he turns me round and his eyes find mine again, and he looks genuinely sad. ‘Really. I am very sorry. How can you be her and not her?’ he asks gently. I take another step
backward but I realise he has taken hold of both my wrists. Not a grip, just a firm hold. ‘How’s this possible?’ he asks.

‘Johnson, what are you talking about?’ I’m trying my best but I already know it’s hopeless.

I try to slip my wrists out of his hands, but his grip tightens. There is real pain behind Other-Johnson’s eyes.

‘What did you do with her? My Rev. Where is she?’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m Rev.
Your
Rev.’

His mouth opens wide with a smile that isn’t really a smile.

‘What does it matter? Everyone’s disappeared,’ I tell him.

‘No they haven’t.’

‘Uh yeah, look around.’

‘No one went anywhere, Rev.’

I frown and he traces his finger along the crease in my forehead.

‘I love your frown,’ he says.

‘I need to go.’

‘Where are you from?’

‘Here. Right here,’ I stammer.

‘But I’m not sure this is here,’ he says. ‘Least it’s not the here we think it is.’

I’m praying Johnson and Billie can see that I’ve blown it. Not because I want to look like a miserable failure, but more that they can take the big hint and come
rescue me.

‘Please help us. We’re all in the same situation,’ I whisper. I’m hoping to God that Other-Johnson is like the real Johnson, someone who can make up his own mind and not
be governed by beliefs or rules or any other such thing. That he’ll just go with the flow.

‘You said you hadn’t seen anyone else,’ he says quietly, his lips barely moving.

‘Did I?’ I try to back away, but there’s no way he’s going to let go of my wrists.

‘Where are they?’

‘I dunno.’

‘You’ve got to tell me, Rev.’

‘Trade you. Your info for mine.’ I can’t believe my Johnson hasn’t sensed how much I need him to come riding to my rescue. Then I get scared and think that Billie has
somehow convinced him that I’ve screwed up and that she has dragged him away before they’re caught too.

‘Where I’m from . . .’ Other-Johnson begins with a huge regret. ‘Where I’m from we’re a little different. I can see it inside you – your world looks the
same, but it’s nothing like mine, not really.’

‘Th-this is my world,’ I stammer.

‘This is nowhere we’ve ever been before, Rev.’

Other-Johnson takes my wrists in his hands. Tightly.

My eyes fill with panic. ‘We kissed,’ I tell him.

‘Did we ever.’ His eyes widen.

I try my best not to glance back to where Johnson and Billie are hidden. I’m wondering if they really have run off and left me. Then I realise I can’t think about them because then
Other-Johnson will know about them too.

But I’m too late. Way too late.

‘That’s not Billie,’ he says quietly. ‘And they didn’t run.’

I give a choked reply. ‘No?’

‘Is that really me hiding behind that skip?’

Christ, he can see everything.

‘You should’ve told him you loved him,’ Other-Johnson says.

Which totally stops me in my tracks.

‘What? But I don’t—’

‘It’s all too little too late now anyway.’

I look down at Johnson’s hands as they grip my wrists and talons like Non-Lucas possessed slip from the tips of his fingers like a cat releasing its claws.

‘It doesn’t have to be like this,’ I say.

‘I’m sorry.’

‘We can all sit down together. We can. We can talk and share what we know.’ I desperately wish I could reach inside him like he did with me.

‘I really don’t want to do this,’ Other-Johnson says. ‘Not to you.’

‘So don’t,’ I protest, tears running down my cheeks. I can feel him in my mind, sifting through everything that has happened recently. I try to blank out my thoughts, but he
tenses, almost recoiling from me, and I know I’ve failed.

‘You ran a train over the Moth,’ he says sadly. ‘You shouldn’t really do things like that.’

‘I was scared, panicked, wanted him to stop chasing us.’

‘You think we’re not equally as scared?’

‘Johnson? That you?’ I hear Billie call out and for a moment I think
what the hell is she playing at?
But it’s not Billie, it’s just a version of her appearing
at one corner of the market square. She is identical, minus the scars on her face.

‘Hi, Johnson.’ Non-Lucas is with her and the sight of him jolts me hard.

‘Billie’s a healer,’ Other-Johnson tells me because he’s already reading the images and questions running around my head. ‘No one stays dead when she’s
around. Though I’d better warn you he’s going to be a little mad with you and your friends right now. He’s ultra sensitive.’

Then I see myself arriving.

Me.

Reva Marsalis.

But she’s a puffy-eyed, red-faced version of me and she’s carrying the burned man.

The world spins for a moment and for a fleeting second I see Johnson holding my wrists, and my mind is suddenly spinning because I’m in Rev Two’s head and I’m looking through
her eyes and I don’t know how that can be.

Other-Johnson grins. ‘I can do so many things. I could take your mind and put it in a dog.’

He wrenches me back again and I can see Rev Two staring at me, trying to take in what she is seeing. Other-Johnson seems crazy-glad to see her and I feel the magic we shared being stolen away as
he stares at her. I let out a low moan as the last of him leaves me. Other-Johnson hears this and uses one of his talons to lift my chin up so I’m facing him.

‘Rev, you’ve got to come see this,’ he calls to Rev Two.

‘I’m seeing plenty,’ she calls back, slightly unnerved.

She’s got my voice. My
exact
same voice. She walks the same way, she has her hair dyed the same bright colour and she’s wearing the same clothes I’m wearing. Our eyes
meet and because I have already seen copies of the others, I don’t look half as shocked as she does. That thought at least makes me feel a little proud.

‘Lucas said there were others. But we’ll deal with her later. I think I found my dad,’ she tells him, gesturing to the burned man, still tearful. ‘Twelve years, Johnson .
. . Twelve years.’

‘Whoa!’ Other-Johnson looks spooked. ‘That’s your dad?’ His eyes widen in disbelief as he looks at the burned carcass in her arms and then looks back to me.
‘Is it just me or is that a little weird?’ he whispers to me.

‘Johnson!’ Rev Two calls out.

‘Yeah, I hear you. Something wild and weird is happening,’ he tells her.

‘No, really?’ It’s so like something I’d say that I think no, you can’t do that, you can’t be me.
I’m me.
Not you. ‘Bring her
over.’

I tighten and start trying to pull away from Other-Johnson, but his grip is firm and strong.

Non-Lucas is heading towards me now and he is not at all happy.

‘There’s more of them,’ he tells Other-Johnson.

Another-Billie meets Rev Two and gently they lay the dead burned man down on the cobbles. I don’t even warrant another look from Rev Two. I’m insignificant to her. No, I correct
myself, not insignificant. I’m history. I’m dead. Was I that cold when we came up against Moth Two? Me? Surely not.

Another-Billie squats beside the dead man and lays her hands on his seared flesh.

‘Want to see your dad again?’ Other-Johnson asks me.

‘That’s my dad?’ I’m almost too stunned to think straight, but even so the prospect of this man being my dad makes me want to stay and face whatever happens next.