Her whole being yearned for the dim crystal. It flickered invitingly, lulling her. Its glow lit her bare ankles as though warming her frozen young body. Her hands reached for it of their own accord; resisting was impossible. And she did not want to resist.

Hard as glass. Pleasant. So familiar. A moment later, it cracked, but Helen was not frightened. She even seemed to smile as its fragments tore through the darkness, skittered across her skin, and crawled over her entire body.

What comes next, Helen? Salvation?