every five minutes , i 'd touch the tips of my fingers gingerly to the bottom of my spine , thinking i 'd be able to feel some change when , and if , the mark disappeared . what was the matter with me ? he smiled again and , as before , the contagious warmth of it reassured me . okay , thirty minutes was n't exactly a little late . i was standing on a solid floor i could n't see . `` playtime is over , '' she says coldly . 