Chapter 54 Jack reveals to Michael and Emerson how he stole Grace’s memories; he would take her memories as she thought of them.

Quote: “When she has nothing left to live for, there was a handful of prescription sleeping pills right there.” He laughed. (page 366, Hourglass)

Jack then confesses that he not only stole Grace’s memories but also Ava’s and Emerson’s. Jack tells Emerson that she was the sole survivor of the bus crash that killed her parents. He goes on to explain how he went back in time and stopped her from getting on the bus. He did this to prevent her physical injuries and he hoped that this would help her come out of her depression faster.

Emerson’s realizes from everything that Jack’saying that even small things like the scholarship to the boarding school were part of his plan. Jack admits that he was traveling too often and that he ran out of the compound and ended up stuck on the bridge.

Cat insists that the Q and A session is over and her gun goes off, shattering the glass doors on a bookcase. The action begins to heat up as Michael reminds Jack that his traveling and changing things has effected the space-time continuum. Jack threatens Em with the return of her most painful memories if she doesn’t hand over the disc containing the formula for the matter. Em refuses and Jack begins to torture her with the most vivid memories of the bus crash, her parents’ funeral and her own shock treatment.

Michael begs for Jack to stop and Jack takes back all the memories as a show of his power. Emerson hands Jack the disc and he and Cat leave. Immediately, Michael wants to let Liam know that Jack is out of the bridge and has the disc when Em tells him that he has another disc — the one for Kaleb’s emotion control medicine.

Chapter 53    Cat pushes Em into Michael’s arms and continues to point the gun at them. Em sees that Jack is there with them. Jack tells them that he “piggybacked on Emerson’s gene” and returned through the veil with her. (page 362) It becomes obvious to both Michael and Em that Cat and Jack are together. Michael questions Cat’s motivation.

Quote: “Because Jack and I could do more together than we could apart. Because sitting on the sidelines for all those years made me sick.” (page 363, Hourglass)

Cat reveals their entire plan to Michael and Emerson. Liam’s research into Cat’s DNA led him to develop a formula for exotic matter. Ava used her power to move the matter and destroy the lab and Liam. This was all done because Jack wanted the ability to time travel. He tried to convince Grace to help him and when she refused and connected him to Liam’s death, Jack used his own power against her. Grace never tried to commit suicide, her memories were stolen by Jack.

Chapter 52   Em is conflicted as Michael reminds her of “the rules”. (page 351) And when she asks him why he chose to die, he reminds her that he traveled to the future where he saw her safe with Kaleb. They hear another explosion and Emerson tells Michael that it’s only been twenty-four hours but that a lot has happened. Michael asks Em why she didn’t tell him about seeing Jack and she confesses that she didn’t think it was a big deal at first, but to herself she admits that she felt he was a guardian angel of sorts. They discuss their goodbye kiss and Emerson launches into a wordy monologue with Michael trying to interrupt her and then….

Quote: “Emerson!” His voice carried urgency.
“What?”
“Please stop talking.” He lowered his lips, stopping just before he reached mine. “I can’t kiss you when you’re talking.” (page 355, Hourglass)

As they make their way back to the bridge, Emerson experiences something she hasn’t seen before, “faces pressed against the barrier in waves, and even thought I couldn’t hear them, it looked like their mouths were forming my name in silent screams of warning.” (page 360) She steps through the veil and sees Cat pointing a gun at Michael.

Chapter 50  Cat prepares Emerson to travel back and rescue Michael and she repeatedly warns Em to be careful and to not be seen by anyone. As prepared as she’s ever going to be, Em steps into the veil.

Quote: I looked down at the clothing and hoped it would be enough to persuade him that it was a “different” me. We’d cleaned up the warm coat I wore to travel back to save Liam as best as we could, and I’d added a bright green scarf. I had my hair long and loose instead of pulled back in a ponytail. (page 341, Hourglass)

Chapter 51  Em travels back and finds herself closer to Jack and Ava and eavesdropping on the same conversation she heard before. She spies Michael leaving to get John Doe out of the car, but just then she sees a ripple in front of her–  a log cabin and “with the occupants intact” (page 348) and she contemplates “how wide would the ripples spread?” (page 348) The lab can no longer be seen because of the ripple and as Em pops the ripple, she notes that rather than a quick pop, it disappears like a “screen wipe in a movie”. Fortunately, the lab reappears when the ripple dissolves.

Emerson closes her eyes and rests her body against the building because she’s unsure if she should see her other self. She overhears her last, desperate conversation with Michael and as he dismisses her other self away to the car with Liam, Em steps forward. She takes Michael’s wrist and they run.

Quote: I heard Michael’s heavy breathing behind me as he followed me through the woods and into the tiny shack.
Two seconds after the door shut behind us, the lab burst into flames. (page 350, Hourglass)

Chapter 48  I promise to stop saying this, but this is one of my favorite chapters.

Kaleb comes to Emerson and while holding her, she discovers that she feels relief and the pain of losing Michael is becoming bearable. Em realizes that Kaleb has the talent to take away emotions from people. While Em appreciates that he tries to lessen her pain, she is desperate to hold on to the feelings she has for Michael. And as Kaleb holds her, she breaks down. When he leaves Em’s room, Em notices that he’s pressed a coin in her hand which is inscribed with the word “hope” .

Quote: He dropped down beside me, pulling me into his arms and rocking me back and forth as I let the tears come, keeping my eyes closed, refusing to watch him share my grief. I remembered the way it felt to be in Michael’s arms the night I told him about losing my parents. He’d rocked me to comfort me, too. The memory only made me cry harder. Kaleb stroked my hair and pressed his lips to my temple.   (page 326, Hourglass)

Chapter 49: After cleaning up, Em talks to Cat and drops a bombshell on her — “Everyone might think Landers has disappeared because he’d taken off with Liam’s files. But he hadn’t really. He’s been living in my loft.” (page 331)

The chapter cuts over to Kaleb and Liam as Cat and Em interrupt them with the news – that Jonathan Landers is really the Jack who keeps popping up around Emerson. As Em explains, Liam realizes that their problem is not only Landers but also the growing ripples. And as Em begins to put together the pieces of who was standing next to Landers during the explosion, the talent of another Hourglass student is revealed — Ava can move objects through time and she used her talent to cause the explosion.

Em leaves them to go back to Michael’s room, but Cat stops her wanting to make sure she’s okay. Em wonders out loud why the Future Emerson didn’t tell Michael to get out of the building before it exploded. Cat reminds her that there are rules in revealing future events, and that there are people who make these rules. Cat tempts Emerson with the thought that she could go back and warn Michael, but that “once the powers that be show up, you could be stripped of the chance to ever use your ability again.” (page 339) Cat makes Emerson promise to not tell anyone because “Liam never breaks the rules”. (page 339) So plans are made for Cat to let the others go and look through Emerson’s place for clues to Landers’ whereabouts while she stays with Em and they set up another bridge to see if they can rescue Michael.

Chapter 46
Emerson sees two silhouetted figures against the burning building and she hopes they are Liam and Michael. But, the two figures are enjoying themselves watching the fire burn instead of rushing to get help. Just as she recognizes the woman, Emerson hears Liam calling for her. Liam tells her that he’s been looking for Michael and he’s sure he didn’t make it out of the building.

Quote: My tears flowed so furiously that they blinded me. “I’m not leaving without Michael.”
“Emerson, we’re about to be surrounded by firemen and policemen. We’ve got to get back to where the car is hidden before we’re trapped.”
“I can’t leave without him, Liam. I can’t.”
“Sweetheart. He’s already gone.” (Hourglass, page 318)

Chapter 47:
Here we see a chapter that really reflects what Myra does best–the description of the fallout of Michael’s decision and the feelings of elation from Kaleb and despair from Em.

While Liam and Kaleb reunite, Cat lets Emerson know that Michael traveled to the future and when he returned, he knew that he wouldn’t make it through the rescue. Emerson clings to the hope that Michael still may return if he survived the fire and found the bridge. She decides to wait for him.

Quote: Dawn came. The sunrise brought no hope.
When the chimes sounded seven times, I stood, pushed the blanket to the floor, and walked up the stairs to Michael’s bed. Alone.
He wasn’t coming back. (Hourglass, page 322)

Chapter 44
Em meets Liam and finds him “ridiculously stereotypical” with “crazy Einstein hair, food on his shirt, and…a pocket protector.” (page 307) But she also sees a little of Kaleb in him and when they shake hands, she feels a bit of electricity run through her (although not like she feels when she touches Michael). Michael explains to a reluctant Liam that he’s the only one who can stop Landers. Then Michael leaves (after giving Em a kiss) to go and get John Doe. Briefly, Emerson wonders about both the kiss and Michael’s quick exit. Shaking off that feeling, Em explains their use of the Novikov Principle in the rescue and Liam realizes he’s been gone for six months. At this point, Emerson notices that Michael has been gone for a while and the lab clock’s hands haven’t moved.

Chapter 45
Em panics wondering if Liam has anything around that might tell her the right time, but Liam confesses that he loses watches and cell phones because they’re destroyed by time travel. Even his mainframe is down. Em spots a computer disc in a clear case and knows right away that it’s the information Cat wanted them to bring back. She slips it inside her jacket.

Much to Em’s relief, Michael returns to the lab. When Michael is informed that they are unsure of the correct time, he tells Liam to take Emerson to the car.

Quote: “Go,” Michael looked at me, pleading. “Stay safe.”
He carried John Doe inside, and Liam and I hurried away across the grass. We were almost to the house when I heard a brief shout, followed by laughter.
Then the world exploded. (Hourglass, page 314)