tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68328007512936162024-03-14T03:20:11.484-04:00BookendsThis is a page dedicated to the book worms around the world, to share and promote authors, reviews, upcoming releases, and to relive the classics. Bookendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00923302974816745391noreply@blogger.comBlogger236125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832800751293616.post-57968938800514011442014-10-31T00:00:00.000-04:002014-10-31T00:00:10.801-04:00Shattering The Damned (Secrets of the Mystic: Book Two) by Princess Racena McConnell ~ Spotlight/Excerpt!<br />
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<b>Title:</b> Shattering The Damned<br />
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<b>Series:</b> Secrets of the Mystic: Book 2<br />
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<b>Author:</b> Princess Racena McConnell<br />
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<b>Expected Release Date:</b> Mid Summer <br />
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<b>Genre: </b>Paranormal Romance <br />
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<b>Presented by:</b> <a href="http://www.asyouwishtours.com/" target="_blank">As You Wish Tours</a></div>
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<b>BLURB</b><br />
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With their lives forever changed, where will Rachel and Derek go from here? After uncovering <br />
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many of the secrets from their pasts and learning about the lineage that linked them together long <br />
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ago, the mystical lovers will face unimaginable challenges.<br />
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An ancient evil—driven to destroy the miracle their love has created—will use everything and <br />
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anyone it deems viable to help carry out the task. Shortly after their honeymoon, the two lovers <br />
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set out to find others of their kind who are appointed to help them further discover exactly <br />
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who—and what—they are, and to uncover the powers that lie within. Will the two have no <br />
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choice but to leave their old lives behind in order to protect what they hold dear, or will all that <br />
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they love be sacrificed in the battle between what once was and what will come to be?</div>
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<b>AUTHOR BIO</b> </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9nAmkqy5R5w/U5oQRcwc55I/AAAAAAAABYs/v7kw4ok7X_Y/s1600/Princess+McConnell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9nAmkqy5R5w/U5oQRcwc55I/AAAAAAAABYs/v7kw4ok7X_Y/s1600/Princess+McConnell.jpg" height="320" width="243" /></a> Princess Racena McConnell (who has never and will never go by her first name) was born in <br />
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Kings Mountain NC and now resides in the busy little town of Summerville SC with her husband <br />
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of 32 years. She is the mother of 3 and grandmother to 4 with a 5th one on the way! "Promises <br />
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In The Dark"; her debut novel—is part 1 of a story that has been in her mind for many years, and <br />
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finally had to be told! She enjoys spending time with her family, and is so thankful they all live <br />
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within 20 minutes! She also enjoys reading, writing and anything horror related. Her dream is to <br />
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someday see her books splashed across silver screen!</div>
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<b>AUTHOR LINKS</b><br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/RacenaMcconnell" target="_blank">Facebook</a></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/PrmTjm1981" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div>
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<a href="http://princessmcc.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> </div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Princess%20Racena%20McConnell&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank" target="_blank">Amazon Author</a> </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7538673.Princess_Racena_McConnell" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> </div>
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/mrs-princess-racena-mcconnell" target="_blank">B&N Author</a> </div>
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<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Princess48" target="_blank">Smashwords</a> </div>
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<b>Shattering The Damned (Book 2) </b></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22010484-shattering-the-damned" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></div>
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<b>Promises In The Dark (Book 1)</b></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Promises-Secrets-Mystic-Princess-McConnell-ebook/dp/B00H6Q1UG4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1392075264&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Amazon</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/promises-in-the-dark-princess-mcconnell/1117649739?ean=9781494393625" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19378183-promises-in-the-dark" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/392994" target="_blank">Smashwords</a></div>
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Bookendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00923302974816745391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832800751293616.post-59032408613032331632014-10-24T09:00:00.000-04:002014-10-24T09:00:02.057-04:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="M9B-Friday-Reveal" class="aligncenter wp-image-14954" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/M9B-Friday-Reveal.png" height="265" width="640" /></div>
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Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!</div>
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This week, we are revealing the first chapter for</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Lucas Mackenzie and the London Midnight Ghost Show </span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">by </span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Steve Bryant</span></h3>
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presented by Month9Books!</div>
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Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!</div>
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<blockquote>
Lucas Mackenzie has got the best job of any 10 year old boy. He travels from city-to-city as part of the London Midnight Ghost Show, scaring unsuspecting show-goers year round. Performing comes naturally to Lucas and the rest of the troupe, who’ve been doing it for as long as Lucas can remember.<br />
But there’s something Lucas doesn’t know.<br />
Like the rest of Luca’s friends, he’s dead. And for some reason, Lucas can’t remember his former life, his parents or friends. Did he go to school? Have a dog? Brothers and sisters?<br /> If only he could recall his former life, maybe even reach out to his parents, haunt them.<br />
When a ghost hunter determines to shut the show down, Lucas realizes the life he has might soon be over. And without a connection to his family, he will have nothing. There’s little time and Lucas has much to do. Can he win the love of Columbine, the show’s enchanting fifteen-year-old mystic? Can he outwit the forces of life and death that thwart his efforts to find his family?<br />
Keep the lights on! Lucas Mackenzie’s coming to town.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21816263-lucas-mackenzie-and-the-london-midnight-ghost-show" target="_blank"><img alt="add to goodreads" class="aligncenter wp-image-1320 size-full" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/add-to-goodreads-button3.png" height="62" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>Title: </b>Lucas Mackenzie and the London Midnight Ghost Show<br /><b>Publication Date:</b> November 18, 2014<br /><b>Publisher:</b> Month9Books, LLC.<br /><b>Author:</b> Steve Bryant</div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>Lucas Mackenzie and the London Midnight Ghost Show</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b> By Steve Bryant</b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>Chapter One</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b> Ghost Story</b></span><br />
It was a chill, gooseflesh evening, thanks to the damp ocean air and to ghostly expectations. Thin black clouds scuttled past the moon like witches on broomsticks. <br /> Far below, on an eerily empty California street, a delta wing Buick Electra neared a little theater. The four high school girls in the car shivered, surprised to find themselves so alone at this late hour. A line of empty cars stretched down the block to the black Pacific, and streetlamps glowed faintly in the mist. This was the San Diego community of Ocean Beach, a few heart palpitations shy of midnight.<br /> “Sweet Mary,” said the Ponytail at the wheel. “The show must have started already. Who would have thought ghosts were so punctual?”<br /> “Shut up!” said the French Braids seated beside her. “Ghost stories give me the heebie-jeebies. I can’t believe we came down here tonight to see dead people.”<br /> The car entered the oasis of light cast by the theater itself. Although The Strand’s daytime fare ran to Elvis Presley and surfing movies, its illuminated marquee on this ghost story evening promised far more than Love Me Tender and Sandra Dee.<br /> ONE NIGHT ONLY!<br /> PROFESSOR MCDUFF AND HIS LONDON MIDNIGHT GHOST SHOW<br /> SPOOKS RUN WILD IN AUDIENCE<br /> PLUS<br /> ALL-STAR CREATURE FEATURE<br /> “Creepy!” said the Toni Home Perm in the back seat. “I think that skeleton in the window just looked at me.”<br /> “Drive on by!” said the Poodle Cut beside her. “Let’s go home. I have a feeling. I think something is wrong with this show.”<br />
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Inside the little movie house, in the tiny projection booth at the top of the narrow winding stairs, a little boy peered through the small square window. His name was Lucas Mackenzie, and he was ten years old. Lucas felt as though he had been ten forever, and there seemed to be nothing he could do about it.<br /> On stage at that moment, a magician in a smart black tuxedo and a red turban stood still as death, his dexterous hands moving only as his mysteries required. Professor Ambrose McDuff, as pale as storybook vampires in the glow of a single spotlight, showed both the fronts and backs of his hands to be empty, then plucked fans of playing cards from the air. Individual cards fell from his fingertips like rose petals falling upon a grave. <br /> But despite the Professor’s eerie mastery of nineteenth-century card manipulation, this was 1959, and audiences demanded more. Lucas knew that the couples on hand were impatient for the theater to be plunged into total darkness, that the teenage boys on hand were hoping for something more dramatic than snatching jacks and aces from the air. This was supposed to be a ghost show, and the crowd—if the pockets of teenagers scattered about the theater at this late hour could be called a crowd—was tiring of card tricks.<br /> “Come on, Pops,” someone shouted. “Let’s see some ghosts!”<br /> A narrow cylinder of light sliced through the darkness as a young usher aimed his flashlight beam at the outburst. “Quiet! I’m warning you!”<br /> “Aw, who’s gonna make me?”<br /> On stage, a royal flush appeared at the magician’s fingertips. <br /> Beautiful magic is not to be rushed, the Professor always said. There would be time soon enough for so-called ghosts.<br /> Nevertheless, Lucas rolled his dark eyes in response to the outburst below—a shame, he felt, as he loved the Professor’s card tricks—and concluded that it was time to move the show along.<br /> He wore a set of large black metal headphones, and he spoke into the grille of a gray bullet microphone. “Bravo, Professor. Nice work. Yorick is set to go on, and then Alexandra. This crowd should love the Juan Escadero number.”<br /> As Lucas knew, Professor McDuff, could hear him perfectly thanks to earphones concealed beneath his red turban. Lucas had designed the show’s secret radio network—the entire theater was wired with microphones and receivers—and was very proud of it. It had been his first contribution to the show. Before Lucas’s time, electronic communication relied on copper plates in the bottoms of the Professor’s shoes, and on long copper wires hidden under the runway carpet, a holdover from the Second Sight mind-reading acts from the thirties. <br /> No one would suspect the simple arrangement of the Professor’s next exhibit of using hidden electronics or secret mechanisms. He placed a glass shelf across the backs of two chairs, and atop this innocent platform he placed the centerpiece of the demonstration, an oversized human skull in a red sombrero.<br /> The reaction was immediate. As Lucas expected, the agitators in the audience fell silent. At least this skull in the red hat looked as if it belonged in a spook show. Its eye sockets and nose cavity were dark hollows, its teeth a fixed, mocking grin. <br /> The Professor tossed decks of cards into the audience and instructed three boys to stand and take a card. Could this “Juan Escadero,” proclaimed by the Professor to be the “floating, talking head of one of Mexico’s most notorious card cheats,” look into their minds and identify their cards? Could anyone? <br /> The ivory-hued head on the glass platform twisted from one boy to the other.<br /> “Ay, amigos,” it said, in a voice that sounded like Speedy Gonzales. “My Inner Eye sees all. No one keeps secrets from Juan Escadero. Could you be thinking of the king of hearts? And you the two of spades? And the ace of diamonds for the muchacho in the middle? Please be seated if I am correct.”<br /> Instantly the three spectators sat down, and the audience rewarded the disembodied card sharp with applause and whistles.<br /> As always, uncertainty rippled through the theater. <br /> A wise guy in row 4 voiced his solution. “It’s a hidden microphone,” he said. “Someone behind the curtain is speaking into it.”<br /> Another boy said, “It’s the old man. He’s doing it. It’s nothing but card manipulation and ventriloquism.”<br /> A third shouted, “Hey, Pancho. What about the floating?” <br /> The audience gasped as the skull suddenly turned, ever so slightly, in the direction of the challenge. For the first time the thing appeared to be genuinely alive, as though it had heard the comment. <br /> “Ay, mi cabeza,” the skull said. “I feel so light-headed.” At which point the talking skull rose two feet in the air above its glass shelf. The ghastly thing bobbed in space, its red sombrero at a jaunty angle, its mouth open in a gaping grin. Lucas grinned too as the audience again broke into appreciative applause. <br /> “Threads,” said a worried voice in row 10. “It’s gotta be threads.”<br /> Lucas hoped for a similarly warm reception to Professor McDuff’s next magical presentation, the Houdini Metamorphosis Trunk. As the Professor introduced a wooden packing case large enough to conceal a dead body, Lucas cued Alexandra, one of the lovely Gilbert triplets. Though the three Gilbert girls were only twenty-two, they treated Lucas as though they were his mom. Tonight, it was Alexandra’s turn to do the box trick. <br /> “Thanks, kiddo,” she said from a communication console in the wings. “I’m set. I love these California kids. They think I’m the ginchiest.”<br /> The teenagers whooped and whistled as the beautiful Miss Gilbert strutted onto the stage in a black crepe dress. A red bow adorned her long blond hair, and her movie-star figure was breathtaking. She threw kisses to the audience and winked at Lucas in his booth.<br /> The trunk, Lucas observed with pride, was old and creepy, weather-beaten, and just too darn real—like something that might have been found at night on a dock. This was no glitzy magic shop prop. The Professor locked the lovely Alexandra inside, the lock snapping shut with a heavy clunk. <br /> The magic itself was spooky, like a dissolve in a monster movie when a man turns into a werewolf. Lucas loved the movie I Was a Teenage Werewolf and wondered what it would feel like to change. What if your muscles bulged until they ripped your shirt, if the fur of a wolf sprouted from your face, if your teeth became deadly fangs, all in a matter of seconds? Would teenage girls be frightened, or would they admire you?<br /> The Professor made it look so easy. One moment he was standing on the box, hidden behind a large cloth. After a mere flicker, the cloth fell away and revealed a liberated Alexandra standing in his place. She then wiggled off the box, opened the formidable padlock, and produced the Professor from within. <br /> The cast was proud that magical insiders would swear the exchange could not take place so quickly. It must be a new invention. According to reports in the leading conjuring magazines, the great Blackstone himself had seen the show in Cleveland and had left the theater shaken.<br /> “It’s just the old switcheroo,” a boy in row 8 rationalized. “It’s a sliding panel. They all do it.”<br /> But now it was Lucas’s turn to tremble, high in his aerie. His favorite part of the show was coming up. With both hands he adjusted the headphones, and he faced the microphone, paralyzed. Seconds ticked by.<br /> He forced her name out at last. “Uh, Columbine?” His voice squeaked. “Ready? You’re up next.”<br /> “Of course I am, Lucas.” The words danced in Lucas’s headphones. He had said her name. She had said his. It was the highlight of every performance. “I’m a mystic after all, a seer. And, Lucas, I think you should look behind—” <br /> Just then something cleared its throat behind Lucas. <br /> “AAUGH!” the boy yelled, startled to realize he wasn’t alone. Lucas turned to find a behemoth of a man standing behind him. The man might have been a stunt double from a Frankenstein movie, except that he was too tall and, perhaps, too green. His short black hair carpeted a flat head, and he wore a loose fitting brown suit with a brown bow tie. The two of them barely fit in the room.<br /> “Oh, it’s you,” Lucas said. “For a moment you gave me quite a start.”<br /> They both laughed. It was a private joke between the two of them, a riff on a favorite Charles Addams cartoon. Lucas felt the fellow, whose name was Oliver, looked a little too much like the servant in Mr. Addams’ spooky cartoons. <br /> “Greetings, Master Lucas,” said Oliver. “I thought I should drop in to ascertain that you hadn’t swooned from love. I wouldn’t want to find you incapable of performing your duties.”<br /> “You’re soooo funny,” Lucas said. And then he slapped his forehead and turned back to the microphone.<br /> “Uh, sorry, Columbine. Good luck. Just follow the Professor’s lead.”<br /> Lucas looked through his little window with concern. The theater was musty, a consequence of being so close to the ocean. “It’s such a small house tonight,” he said. “I hope she doesn’t take it personally.”<br /> “What’s the count?” Oliver asked. <br /> “I’m thinking only 150 or so,” Lucas said. “And this theater seats 800.”<br /> “My, my,” his large friend said. “A pity. Goodness, we drew 3100 at the El Capitan in San Francisco, back in ’42. And 4000 a year later at the Bijou in Cincinnati. That’s a lot of screams.”<br /> Audience numbers had been dwindling for some time, and night after night Lucas became more disheartened. Could the show actually come to an end some day if people quit coming? If the cast dispersed, where would he go? To be adrift, alone, was unthinkable, like stepping into a black abyss. And more importantly: where would she go?<br /> But at that moment she was about to take the stage, and the teenagers who were on hand welcomed her warmly when the Professor introduced her as “the Teenage Telepath, the Diva of Destiny, the Psychic of the Century—the sensational Columbine.”<br /> She strode onto the stage, this tall, thin, stargazing girl of fifteen years, with midnight black hair. She wore a plain white shift, and her skin was fair and moonbeam pale. The only color on stage was the girl’s lips, afire with red lipstick. Most would judge her to be six feet tall, though she would insist she was no more than five eleven. Her dark eyes turned to the crystal ball resting in the palm of her right hand.<br /> The audience suddenly became very quiet. One boy coughed, apologetically. <br /> “Okay, Eddie, let’s sell this,” Lucas said into his microphone. <br /> The theater suffered from an ancient wiring system and a shaky bank of lights, but they were not a problem for Eddie, the Lighting Guy, hunched in the back of the building. Lucas watched as Eddie bathed Columbine in a blue spot. She looked ethereal. A Columbine performance was like a religious experience.<br /> “This girl is like putty in my hands,” Eddie said into his microphone. <br /> Lucas hated it that Eddie thought he had Columbine wrapped around his little finger. Ever since she had joined the cast, over two years ago now, Eddie had strutted about as though he were her boyfriend. Columbine herself seldom seemed to notice him, but Eddie just passed this off as her distant personality. “That’s just my girl,” he would say. “We have an understanding.” Lately she spent most of her private time listening to Buddy Holly records and consulting her astrological charts.<br /> Oliver and Lucas leaned their heads together as both attempted to see through the little window at the same time.<br /> “What’s that I hear?” said Oliver. “That unearthly tapping? I’d call it a rhythmic tapping, but it keeps skipping beats. Certainly it couldn’t be, oh, your heart?” <br /> “Quiet, you big goofus,” Lucas said, “or I’m cutting your minutes.”<br /> In the audience, hands exploded into the air, vying for the pale seer’s attention. All the teens wanted their fortunes told.<br /> Columbine turned her lovely face from one longing soul to another. Her gazing-glass visions began.<br /> To one girl, she said, “There is a jukebox, at a place near the beach. The moon has just risen, and the lights are dim. Johnny Mathis is singing ‘Chances Are.’ You will dance with one boy, but another will cut in. He’s the one!<br /> To a boy, she said, “You are in a roller skating rink, and there is organ music. It’s a couples skate, and the song is ‘Volare.’ There is a girl who shows up on Saturdays, with a long blond ponytail. This time you won’t be too shy to ask her to skate.”<br /> And then, “Oh, dear,” she said. “In the third row. I am sorry. Your girlfriend will see the scary movie The Blob with another boy. They will sit through it twice.”<br /> A whispered argument broke out in the third row.<br /> “Big deal,” said a boy in row 12. “That ball is probably just one of those Magic 8 Balls.” <br /> “Or she could have looked this stuff up in this morning’s horoscope,” said another. “In the paper.”<br /> “Yeah, but I’d sure like to take her to the prom,” said still another. <br /> Lucas sat with his mouth open as this astral Miss Lonely Hearts spun out her prophecies. The crystal in Columbine’s hand turned slowly, casting streaks of ice blue across her enchanting face. To look at her was to believe her, to not look at her was impossible. <br /> “My public awaits,” said Oliver. He passed a large hand back and forth before Lucas’s goggled eyes, but the boy didn’t blink. “You’re a lost cause, Master Lucas.”<br /> The big fellow left, closing the door behind him.<br /> “I don’t know what to say to her,” Lucas said, his eyes still drinking in this witch-girl vision in blue. “I never know what to say.”<br /> He adjusted the microphone and reverted to his professional voice. What Lucas lacked in adult vocal register he made up for in authority. “Okay, everybody. Let’s wrap it up for Columbine. Flowers, please, Professor. Oliver is up, and then into the blackout. Stations, everyone. It’s ghost story time.”<br /> Professor McDuff returned and made a big to-do of presenting Columbine a bouquet of blood-red roses, then escorted her offstage to continued applause and whistling. <br /> At the edge of the stage, with the girl safely in the wings, the Professor turned again and explained the rules of the blackout to the audience. “One: remain seated. Two: no flash photographs—our ghosts are bashful. And three: if something cold and dead should put its hands around your throat, you can always scream. And now,” the Professor added over the audience’s nervous laughter, “I give you the Curse of Frankenstein!”<br /> Fog oozed across the stage floor, lightning flashed, thunder rumbled. Lucas gave birth to all three effects: a thick white cloud issued from his Vapor-250 Atomizer, simulated lightning exploded from a bank of flashbulbs, and thunder from his Hollywood Sound Effects phonograph record erupted from speakers the size of refrigerators. With a deft replacement of the phonograph needle, he threw in one more extended rumble for good measure.<br /> “Ka-booooooom!”<br /> On this note, Oliver lurched out, doing his best to look like the Frankenstein monster from the movies. His green hue, some last-minute Hollywood stitches, and a pair of sparking neck electrodes constituted special effects that rivaled those of the best Hollywood monsters. The teenagers granted him full attention as the hulking actor grimaced, spread his arms, and began his recitations.<br /> Oliver’s low voice gave life to a selection of spooky rhymes. James Whitcomb Riley’s famous orphan told her witch tales, Edgar Allan Poe’s black bird perched ominously, Shakespeare’s witches issued their dire portents.<br /> But as entertaining as the actor’s recitations were, and despite his looking like someone to avoid in an old castle on a rainy night, his welcome began to wear on his young audience. <br /> “This isn’t the ‘Curse’ of Frankenstein,” an anguished voice said. “It’s the ‘Verse’ of Frankenstein.”<br /> The teens in the front rows began to throw things at the stage. Milk Duds, Chuckles, Tootsie Roll segments, and a hailstorm of popcorn filled the air. The “monster” waved these trifles aside as he continued his soliloquy.<br /> “That should do it,” Lucas said into the mike. “Cue the McClatter boys.”<br /> In military formation, six life-sized skeletons marched onto the stage. Two of them wheeled out an enormous guillotine as the others restrained Oliver. <br /> “Cool,” said a boy near the front of the theater. “Marionettes.”<br /> The skeletons dragged Oliver to the guillotine and forced his head through the opening. The device’s steel blade loomed eight feet above.<br /> “Murder most foul,” Oliver cried.<br /> With a smiling glance at the audience, one of the skeletons pulled a lever, and the heavy metal blade dropped with a sickening thunk.<br /> The audience gasped.<br /> At first, nothing happened, as though the blade had passed through Oliver’s neck without harming him—the old magician’s trick. Then gravity set in, and Oliver’s head slid down the face of the thing, leaving a bloody red stain, and fell to the floor. It rolled toward the audience, wobbling this way or that as an ear or nose went round.<br /> “EEEEEEEK!” the girls in the audience screamed as one. <br /> The oversized green head stopped just at the edge of the little stage. Its eyes were open and looking about wildly.<br /> The headless remainder of Oliver himself lumbered to its feet and began swinging its huge arms, knocking two of the skeletal McClatters aside in the process. On a quest for its head, it began walking toward the audience, with its arms held straight out, like a sleepwalker‘s. Just as it was about to step off the stage into the audience, Lucas directed Eddie to plunge the theater into total darkness. Even the blue illuminated exit sign faded from view.<br /> This time, everyone in the audience screamed. The blackness was terrifying.<br /> Lucas’s fingers played over the keys and toggles on his control panel, creating further screams, moans, and thunderclaps.<br /> The phonograph needle settled into a recording of “Zombie Jamboree” by the Kingston Trio. The McClatter boys, being phosphorescent and therefore visible in the dark, lined up like a Las Vegas chorus line at the edge of the stage and began dancing a frightening mountain jig. “NOOOOOOO!” More panicked teenagers screamed. <br /> “Launch the aerials,” Lucas commanded. <br /> Flying in formation, three glow-in-the-dark female ghosts soared low in the darkness, just above the audience’s heads, their arms trailing alongside their bodies. At first the boys in the theater oohed and aahed over their pretty faces and their scandalously loose shirts and their pale green glow. <br /> “Hey!” a girl shouted angrily. “I thought you came here to kiss me!”<br /> “It’s a slide projector,” said a boy in row 10. “They’re shining it onto the ceiling.”<br /> “Cheesecloth,” said another ghost show pundit. “I’ve read about this. They just treat it with luminous paint and wave it about.”<br /> Lucas loved the idea of gliding over the heads of the audience and wished he could do that. Surely Columbine couldn’t ignore a boy who could fly. <br /> But then the situation turned from romantic to revolting. The youthful faces that fueled the boys’ imaginations began to age at an alarming rate, decades falling away in a flash, until they became the faces of wrinkled hags. Their eyes glowed red. The gentle drift of the ghosts’ initial flight pattern gave way to a whirlwind of rocketing ectoplasm. The ghosts banked and swooped and buzzed their trapped victims. One of the phantoms shot straight up to the roof of the tiny theater, paused, and then dive-bombed back toward the audience. The teens in her flight path leaped from their seats to avoid being struck. Another plunged to the floor and zoomed along beneath the theater seats themselves, in that crusty netherworld of old popcorn and chewing gum. The excited teens leaped up onto their armrests as the spirit light flashed beneath their feet. The third ghost, to the shock of everyone who saw in the dim glow, lifted a boy into the air, planted a slobbery old grandmotherly kiss right on his lips, and dropped him back to earth.<br /> Lucas chose this moment of collective panic, when the entire assembly was on the verge of rushing to the exits—and perfectly timed to coincide with the finale of the skeleton song and dance number—to liberate the crowd from its fears. “Lights, Eddie,” he said into the microphone.<br /> “Got it, Squirt.”<br /> A single bright spotlight, so bright that some had to shield their eyes to look, revealed Professor McDuff standing center stage, smiling. The skeletons, frozen in their final configurations like characters in an anatomy class, drifted backward into the shadows.<br /> The Professor thanked the audience for attending, explained that the goings on had been “our little way of saying boo,” and introduced the feature film, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, starring Lon Chaney Jr., Glenn Strange, and Bela Lugosi, in their classic roles as The Wolfman, Frankenstein’s monster, and Count Dracula. It was one of Lucas’s favorites, one he often fantasized about watching with Columbine.<br /> “And for any of you asking the question, ‘Do the dead return?’ our answer is, ‘Of course! We’ll see you next year.’ Pleasant nightmares.”<br /> The California high schoolers responded with enthusiastic applause.<br /> It was the same every night, wherever the show played across America. Part of it, Lucas figured, was that the teens enjoyed the show. Part of it was that the clapping masked the fact that many were still shaking from the strange goings on. And part of it, of course, was that the movie would give the lovebirds in the audience time to nuzzle with their sweeties in the dark, well after midnight, with no more fear of being interrupted by spooks that had seemed just a little too real. It was best, Lucas knew, that they not think too much about card skills no one could acquire in a single lifetime, about a floating skull that could steal thoughts, about an impossibly fast Houdini Trunk escape, about a beautiful girl who could see into tomorrow, about a decapitated giant, dancing skeletons, or floating ladies.<br /> Lucas flipped a switch and the film began. The projector lamp gave off a pleasantly familiar burning smell, and the filmstrip ratcheted noisily through the mechanism, casting the movie’s opening black and white images of London at night onto The Strand’s little screen. <br /> Later, there was to be a cast party in the theater manager’s office. Perhaps at the party, among the manager’s framed movie posters of King Kong, Godzilla, and Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman, amid the hubbub of post-show chitchat, Lucas might muster the courage to tell Columbine how wonderful she had been this evening, or to invite her for a stroll along the dark beach, only a block away. In his fantasy they walked barefoot in the sand, the black waves slapping the beach, alone beneath a silver moon and a spray of stars.<br /> Right, he thought. As if that were going to happen. Why would the flattery of a ten-year-old boy make the slightest impression on a girl who was already fifteen? Why would his beach-walk invitation hold the slightest interest to a girl who no doubt liked boys on the beach to be taller, with muscles? And what if he were older, more her age? Would she reject him anyway, prefer Eddie over him, or prefer someone else entirely? <br /> And so, once again, Lucas knew that he wouldn’t even speak to her. Rather, just before retiring, at sunup along with the rest of the cast, he would extract his diary from his little traveling suitcase, and he would draw, for the day’s date next to her name, in his small neat hand, his evaluation of her performance: four perfect stars. Lucas Mackenzie—boy critic.<br />
* * *<br />
Meanwhile, none of the teenagers settling in for the movie, the munchies, or the smooching opportunity seemed to notice the scratching noise coming from the back row. <br /> Gleefully entering notes into a little journal, and the only one of the audience who had pointedly not joined in the applause, was an adult named Harlan H. Hull. Mr. Hull—Doctor Hull to his colleagues and students—was ecstatic over his findings. He salivated over a possible book advance, a research grant, a guest appearance on television. <br /> Dr. Hull chaired the Paranormal Studies Department at Bradbury College, a distinguished liberal arts institution in upstate Illinois. From the moment he had entered the theater, armed with a battery of electronic sensors that the FBI’s J. Edgar Hoover himself might have envied, Dr. Hull had been monitoring various energy fields.<br /> At first there were only hints. The needle on his Graviton Flux Indicator had registered surprising variations in body mass. If a stage show cutie could lower her body density that far, she could pass right through solid objects. Could the trunk have been normal? The spinning mirror on his Extensible Luminosity Gauge had picked up abnormally low dermal reflectivities. Could the psychic girl have been that pale? <br /> But then came conviction. Dr. Hull’s Remote Thermal Scanner 360 had provided the proof he had been chasing. With a pistol grip, a cross-hair gun sight, and a readout with glowing red numbers, the device resembled a hand-held Flash Gordon ray gun. The RTS 360 could measure body temperatures across a room to an accuracy of one tenth of one degree, and what Dr. Hull had determined was still making him shiver.<br /> If his readings were correct, he knew what he had feared to know. <br /> He now knew the talking skull had housed no hidden microphone, the trunk no secret panel, the guillotine no trick-shop blade. He knew the gyrating skeletons were not string puppets, the soaring phantoms neither magic lantern show nor chemically treated gauze.<br /> For every member of the show—from Professor McDuff to the yakking skull to the pale girl to the big green guy to the dancing skeletons to those floating hussies—had a body temperature of exactly fifty-nine degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature of the grave. The room temperature of Eternity. In a word, everyone in this show was dead. There was no other way to say it.<br /> They had no business gallivanting around on stage before children. They belonged under the dirt, under the sod, under the feet of the living. And he was the one to put them there.<br /> “I’ve got you, my pretties,” Dr. Hull said aloud, twisting one of his long strands of white hair in his fingers. “At last, truth in advertising.”<br /> The London Midnight Ghost Show?<br /> Spooks run wild in the audience?<br /> Do the dead return?<br /> Yes, indeedy!<br /> And he had the proof!<br />
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Steve Bryant is a new novelist, but a veteran author of books of card tricks. He founded a 40+ page monthly internet magazine for magicians containing news, reviews, magic tricks, humor, and fiction; and he frequently contributes biographical cover articles to the country’s two leading magic journals (his most recent article was about the séance at Hollywood’s Magic Castle).</div>
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<b>Connect with the Author: </b><a href="http://littleegyptmagic.com/magic.html"><b>Website</b></a> <b>|</b> <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveBryant52"><b>Twitter</b></a><b> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20346.Steve_Bryant">Goodreads</a></b></div>
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This week, we are revealing the first chapter for</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Lifer </span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Beck Nicholas </span></h3>
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presented by Month9Books!</div>
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<blockquote>
Asher is a Lifer, a slave aboard the spaceship Pelican. A member of the lowest rung of society, she must serve the ship’s Officials and Astronauts as punishment for her grandparents' crimes back on Earth. The one thing that made life bearable was her illicit relationship with Samuai, a Fishie boy, but he died alongside her brother in a freak training accident.<br />
Still grieving for the loss of her loved ones, Asher is summoned to the upper levels to wait on Lady, the head Official’s wife and Samuai’s mother. It is the perfect opportunity to gather intel for the Lifer’s brewing rebellion. There’s just one problem—the last girl who went to the upper levels never came back.<br />
On the other side of the universe, an alien attack has left Earth in shambles and a group called The Company has taken control. Blank wakes up in a pond completely naked and with no memory, not even his real name. So when a hot girl named Megs invites him to a black-market gaming warehouse where winning means information, he doesn’t think twice about playing. But sometimes the past is better left buried.<br />
As Asher and Blank’s worlds collide, the truth comes out—everyone has been lied to. Bourne Identity meets Under the Never Sky in this intergalactic tale of love and deception from debut novelist Beck Nicholas.</blockquote>
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<b>Title:</b> LIFER<br /><b>Publication Date:</b> December 16, 2014<br /><b>Publisher:</b> Month9Books, LLC.<br /><b>Author:</b> Beck Nicholas</div>
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Chapter One<br /> [Asher]<br />
I mark my body for Samuai.<br /> My right hand is steady as I press the slim needle into my skin. It glints under the soft overhead light of the storage locker, the only place to hide on Starship Pelican. Row upon row of shelving fills the room. Back here I’m hidden from the door.<br /> It’s been seventeen days since Samuai passed. Seventeen days of neutral expressions and stinging eyes, waiting for the chance to be alone and pay my respects to the dead Official boy in true Lifer fashion. With blood.<br /> The body of the needle is wrapped in thread I stole from my spare uniform. The blue thread acts as the ink reservoir. It’s soaked with a dye I made from crushed feed pellets and argobenzene, both swiped from farm level. The pungent fumes sting my eyes and make it even harder to keep the tears at bay. But I will. There will be no disrespect in this marking.<br /> My slipper drops to the floor with the softest of thuds as I shake my foot. I raise it to rest on a cold metal shelf. Samuai always held my hand when we met in secret, but I can’t bear to examine those memories now. The pain of him being gone is still so fresh.<br /> The first break of skin at my ankle hurts a little. Not much, since the needle is nano-designed for single molecule sharpness, and it’s not as though I haven’t done this before. Recently. The tattoo for my brother circles my ankle, completed days ago, a match for the one for my father. My memorial for Samuai had to wait for privacy. The blue spreads out into my skin like liquid on a cloth. The dot is tiny. I add another and another, each time accepting the momentary pain as a tribute to Samuai. Soon I’ve finished the first swirling line.<br /> “Are you mourning my brother or yours?”<br /> My hand jerks at the familiar voice, driving the needle deep into the delicate skin over my Achilles. Davyd’s voice. How did he get in here so quietly? I wince, clamping down on a cry of pain. No tears though. Nothing will make me disrespect Samuai. I remove the needle from my flesh and school my features into a neutral expression before I turn and stand to attention.<br /> “Davyd,” I say by way of greeting. Despite my preparation my throat thickens.<br /> My response to him is stupid because he looks nothing like Samuai. Where Samuai radiated warmth from his spiky dark hair hinting of honey and his deep, golden brown eyes, there is only ice in his brother. Ice-chiseled cheekbones, tousled blond hair, the slight cleft in his chin, and his gray eyes. Eyes that see far too much.<br /> But he’s dressed like Samuai used to dress. The same white t-shirt and black pants. It’s the uniform of Officials, or Fishies, as they’re known below. He’s a little broader in the shoulders than his older brother was—to even think of Samuai in the past tense is agony—and he’s not quite as tall. I only have to look up a little to meet his gaze. I do so without speaking.<br /> I shouldn’t be here, but I’m not going to start apologizing for where I am or his reference to my forbidden relationship with his brother, until I know what he wants.<br /> “Is that supposed to happen?” He points at my foot, where blood drips, forming a tiny puddle on the hard, shiny floor.<br /> His face is expressionless, as usual, but I can hear the conceit in his voice. I can imagine what the son of a Fishie thinks of our Lifer traditions.<br /> Today, I don’t care. Even if his scorn makes my stomach tighten and cheeks flame, I won’t care. Not about anything Davyd has to say.<br /> “It’s none of your business.”<br /> One fine brow arches. Superior, knowing.<br /> He doesn’t have to say the words. The awareness of just how wrong I am zaps between us. Given our relative stations on this journey—he’s destined to be a Fishie in charge of managing the ship’s population, and me to serve my inherited sentence—whatever I do is his business, if he chooses to make it so. He’s in authority even though we’re almost the same age.<br /> In order to gain permission to breed, Lifers allowed the injection of nanobots into their children. These prototype bots in our cells give our masters the power to switch us off using a special Remote Device until our sentence is served. At any time we can be shut down. I’m not sure how exactly, only that each of us has a unique code and the device can turn those particular bots against us. It’s an unseen but constant threat.<br /> I keep my face blank and my posture subservient, but my fingers tighten around the needle in my hand. How I long to slap the smooth skin of his cheek.<br /> For a second, neither of us speaks.<br /> “Your brother or mine?” he asks again. Softly this time. So low, the question is almost intimate in the dim light.<br /> I inhale deeply, welcoming the harsh fumes from my makeshift ink. The burning in my lungs gives me a focus so the ever-present emotional pain can’t cripple me. My brother and my boyfriend were taken on the same day, and I’m unable to properly mourn either thanks to the demands of servitude.<br /> I can’t let it cripple me. Not if I want to find out what really happened to Zed and Samuai.<br /> “Does it matter?” I ask. Rather than refuse him again, I twist the question around. He would never admit to having interest in the goings-on of a mere Lifer.<br /> “No.” His voice is hard. Uncaring. He folds his arms. “But it’s against ship law to deface property.”<br /> It takes a heartbeat, and then I realize I’m the property he’s talking about. My toes curl because my fists can’t. I see from the flick of his eyes to my feet that he’s noticed. Of course he has. There’s nothing Davyd doesn’t notice.<br /> It’s true though. The marks we Lifers make on our bodies are not formally allowed. It is a price we pay for the agreement signed in DNA by our parents and our grandparents. They agreed to a lifetime of servitude, and their sentence is passed down through the generations for the chance at a new life on a new planet. I am the last in the chain, and my sentence will continue for twelve years after landing.<br /> We Lifers belong to those above us, body and soul, but no Fishie or Naut—the astronauts who pilot the ship—has ever tried to stop the ritual. In return we are not blatant. We mark feet, torsos, and thighs. Places hidden by our plain blue clothing.<br /> If the son of the head Fishie reports me, it will go on my record no matter how minor the charge, and possibly add months to my sentence. A sentence I serve for my grandparents’ crimes back on Earth after the Upheaval. Like others, their crime was no more than refusal to hand over their vehicle and property when both were declared a government resource.<br /> I swallow convulsively.<br /> I don’t want that kind of notice. Not when we’re expected to land in my lifetime. Not when I hoped to find answers to the questions that haunt me.<br /> The first lesson a Lifer child learns is control around their superiors. I won’t allow mine to fail me now.<br /> “Did you want something? Sir?”<br /> If there’s a faint pause before the honorific, well, I’m only human.<br /> He lets it pass. “The Lady requires extra help at this time. You have been recommended.”<br /> “Me?”<br /> His lips twist. “I was equally surprised. Attend her now.”<br /> The Lady is the wife of the senior Official on board the Pelican, and both Samuai and Davyd’s mother. She’s a mysterious figure who is never seen in the shared area of the ship. I imagine she’s hurting for her dead child. Sympathy stirs within me. I’ve seen the strain my own mother tries to hide since Zed died, and I don’t think having a higher rank would make the burden any easier to bear.<br /> It’s within Davyd’s scope as both Fishie-in-training and son of the ship’s Lady to be the one to inform me of my new placement, but I can’t help looking for something deeper in his words. There should be a kinship between us, having both lost a brother so recently, but Samuai’s death hasn’t affected Davyd at all.<br /> “Who recommended me?”<br /> He shrugs. “Now. Lifer.”<br /> I nod and move to tidy up, ignoring the persistent pain in my ankle where the needle went too deep. My defiance only stretches so far. Not acting on a direct request would be stupidity. I will finish my memorial for Samuai, but not with his brother waiting. It’s typical that Davyd doesn’t use my name. I can’t remember him or his Fishie friends ever doing so.<br /> It was something that stood out about Samuai from when we were youngsters and met in the training room. It was the only place on the ship us Lifers are close to equal. I was paired to fight with him to first blood, and he shocked me by asking my name. “Asher,” Samuai had repeated, like he tasted something sweet on his tongue, “I like it.”<br /> In my heart there’s an echo of the warmth I felt that day, but the memory hurts. It hurts that I’ll never see him again, that he’ll never live out the dreams we shared in our secret meetings. Dreams of a shared future and changes to a system that makes Lifers less than human.<br /> When I’ve gathered the small inkpot and put on my slippers, I notice a smear of blood on the slipper material from where I slipped earlier. It’s the opportunity I need to let my change in status be known below.<br /> “Umm.” I clear my throat. Please let the stories I’ve heard of the Lady be true.<br /> “What?” asks Davyd from where he waits by the door, presumably to escort me to his mother. The intensity of his gaze makes me quake inside. It’s all I can do not to lift my hand to check my top is correctly buttoned and my hair hasn’t grown beyond the fuzz a Lifer is allowed.<br /> “My foot attire isn’t suitable to serve the Lady.” I point to the faint smudge of brown seeping into my footwear. It is said by those cleaners who are permitted into the Fishie sleeping quarters that the Lady insists her apartment be kept spotless. She’s unlikely to be pleased with me reporting for duty in bloodstained slippers.<br /> Davyd’s jaw tenses. Maybe I’ve pushed him too far with this delay. I hold my breath.<br /> But then his annoyance is gone and his face is the usual smooth mask. “Change. I will be waiting at the lift between the training hall and study rooms.”<br /> He doesn’t need to tell me to hurry.<br /> He opens the door leading out into the hallway and I expect him to stride through and not look back. Again he surprises me. He turns. His face is in shadow. The brighter light behind him shines on his tousled blond hair, which gives him a hint of the angelic.<br /> “Assuming it’s my brother you’re mourning,” his voice is deep and for the first time there’s a slight melting of the ice. “You should know. … He wasn’t worth your pain.”</div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Cr4YnkbYis9TvzXDi2YYFuumhgNyVwbbp1TXhW5tJlnZRdNO38Xng3jtSvAsw9rtpOaN9nqpjcMXz6FpzrWLPXLeXrvK84e1ehUJiWE6_dpgjoz68NACp7mrPZ5dH5hhaLWOsCkUbVj_jFRV7xfnsh19xak" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beck-Nicholas-head-shot-248x300" border="0" class="aligncenter wp-image-15021" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Beck-Nicholas-head-shot-248x300.jpg" height="175" width="145" /></a>I always wanted to write. I’ve worked as a lab assistant, a pizza delivery driver and a high school teacher but I always pursued my first dream of creating stories. Now, I live with my family near Adelaide, halfway between the city and the sea, and am lucky to spend my days (and nights) writing young adult fiction.</div>
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Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!</div>
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This week, we are revealing the first chapter for</div>
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The Night House </h3>
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Rachel Tafoya</h3>
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presented by Month9Books!</div>
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Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!</div>
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Bianca St. Germain works at a Night House, a place where vampires like the aristocratic Jeremiah Archer, pay to feed on humans, and she doesn’t much care what others think of her. The money is good, and at least there, she’s safe. Bianca also doesn’t care that the Night House is killing her. All she cares about is: nauth, the highly addictive poison in vampire bites that brings a euphoria like no drug ever could.<br />
But when Bianca meets James, a reclusive empath who feels everything she does, for the first time, she considers a life outside of the Night House and a someone worth living for. But Jeremiah has decided to keep Bianca for himself; he won’t allow her to walk away.<br />
As she allows her feelings for James to grow, she struggles to contain nauth’s strong hold on her life. If they are to have a future, James must make her see what she’s worth, what she means to him, before Jeremiah and nauth claim her for good.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20657824-the-night-house?from_search=true"><img alt="add to goodreads" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1320" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/add-to-goodreads-button3.png" height="62" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>Title:</b> THE NIGHT HOUSE<br /><b>Publication Date:</b> December 9, 2014<br /><b>Publisher:</b> Month9Books, LLC.<br /><b>Author:</b> Rachel Tafoya</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>Enjoy Chapter One! Happy Reading!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;"><b>The Night House</b></span><br /><b> Rachel Tafoya<br /></b></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i><b>Bianca</b></i></span><br /> <br />It’s been one day since I last had nauth.<br /> A chill is starting to set into my bones. As some giant carelessly spills orange and red over the sky, I hurry back to the Night House. This tiny black pillowcase that I call a dress is tighter than it should be, and I’m in heels that force me to walk on my toes. I never took ballet, but I’m pretty sure I’ve been walking on pointe since I came to Philly. <br /> When I reach the building, the sun is long gone. My boss, Finn, waits behind the black double doors. I can’t see him, but I can feel him—or maybe I’m just used to his grimace greeting me. My shoes click against the stone steps. I love that sound. Sometimes I spend my days just listening to everyone walk by. The click, thud and slap of shoes are the real soundtrack of the city. <br /> But the Night House is quiet.<br /> Finn opens the door for me with a scowl. He could be beautiful like the others, if he tried, but he is the laziest vampire I have ever met. <br /> “Bianca St. Germain.” His voice is bored, as usual. “You’re late.”<br /> “Figured you’d rather I take my time than break my ankle in these shoes.” I breeze past him. The chilly night air follows me in, pawing at my back like a neglected pet. <br /> “I can fix ankles,” Finn is still facing the door like I haven’t moved. “Your pitiful lack of manners, however … ”<br /> I shrug him off. “It’s a couple of minutes, cut me some slack.”<br /> “This isn’t high school, Bianca. You’re not a teenager when you’re in here.”<br /> “Sorry, I’ll start investing in stocks or something. That’s what old people do, right?”<br /> He huffs in my direction as I feel my way around the darkness. The whole place is pitch black until the thin hallway forks. To my left, pale blue lights beckon the customers. I go right, through the heavy curtain that leads to the girls’ rooms. Vampires with their night vision don’t need guidance, but I’m fairly certain every girl has tripped at least once down here. <br /> The doors are nearly invisible except for the strips of space at the bottom where they don’t quite reach the floor. Those spaces cast light on my feet as I teeter past on these impossible heels. They’re new, and I’m still breaking them in, but I’ve never felt this tall before.<br /> I hear scuffling and shifting behind those doors. The other girls hide in their rooms all day. They don’t understand why I still crave the sunlight, why I don’t make my room my little home and never leave until I’m called. That’s what Finn wants me to do, what the girls think I should do, but I would rather sleep on the cracked unyielding sidewalks of Philly than in the Night House. I would rather be homeless than call this place home.<br /> When I find my room, I turn the knob and bump my hip into it. It opens with a groan. My door has been broken for at least three months. Finn keeps saying he’ll fix it, but he couldn’t care less and we both know it. Still, I keep bugging him. I can’t give up that easily. <br /> My room is like two closets that had the walls knocked out between them. A bed is nestled in the corner. Most of my important stuff is underneath there, like sketchbooks, novels and accessories to hide my scars. One wall is dominated by a large mirror with huge lights, like an actress might have for her dressing room. Though I’m sure an actress would have working lights. I slump into the folding chair and rest my fish-netted legs on the dresser. Makeup and various beauty tools—eyeliner, lipstick, blush—lay scattered over it. This is the only time I can bear to look at myself. Right before I become another person. <br /> I start with the lips. Blood red, the way they like it. Then I frame my eyes in black so that the green pops. I don’t need to do anything to appear pale. That one comes naturally. But I smooth my face with lotion and foundation, and then add rosy cheeks. When I unravel my scarf, I have to close my eyes. That way, when I open them, I can pretend it’s someone else’s neck covered with scars. Some crazy girl with her makeup on. The scars are nearly invisible, thanks to Finn and his healing blood, but I can still see clumps of white scar tissue, just a shade paler than my skin. I hate not being able to cover my scars with anything—makeup doesn’t taste good. <br /> When I am done with makeup, I change out of my dress and tights and heels and put on an awful old corset. Each girl has at least one old-fashioned outfit because sometimes vampires prefer to live in the old days. We all have different specialties. My friend Alex is all about the 1950s. I got stuck in the 19th century.<br /> Tonight, I have an appointment with Jeremiah, and he’s very old and very proper but he’s not above throwing a tantrum if I’m not perfectly in period. Jeremiah is a regular here. For a while, he used to switch between the girls until I showed up. He’s something of a collector, and when he found out I had AB negative, he became my regular. Apparently AB neg means something, or that’s what Finn told me anyway. It’s tricky having the same guy come by all the time because you start to know each other. That doesn’t make it easier. I wish they were all strangers. Unfortunately, I know Jeremiah very well. <br /> So I put on this musty old dress with frills and lace and after it’s on, I am a dusty layer cake. I hate Jeremiah, but he pays nicely so I always get a tip from him. That means a new sketchbook, or maybe I’ll treat myself to a cupcake. <br /> Finn knocks on my door even though it’s open. “Jeremiah is here.”<br /> I stifle a groan and meet his gaze. <br /> He gives me a once over. “Fix your hair.”<br /> “One hundred strokes, right?” <br /> “He’s in the Fire Room.” Finn leaves before I can say anything else. <br /> I pick up my paddle brush and make my hair as flouncy as I can, but it’s thick and heavy and sits the same way no matter what I do to it. It could take hours to make my hair salon styled. Besides, it’s fine the way it is. Maybe not 1800s fine, but Jeremiah will have to deal. It’s not my hair he comes for, anyway.<br /> I step out of my room, and I feel like I walked out of Sense and Sensibility. I like Jane Austen. She writes happy endings. <br /> I hate Jeremiah. <br /> The hallway takes me past all the doors which start to open, like night-blooming flowers. Alex flashes a smile. Her hair is full of curlers. Jessie tries to zip up her dress by herself even though we all know she can’t. Yvonne runs between her room and Jordan’s, trying to decide which shoes to wear. Both pairs are ugly. <br /> I take the back way into the lounge, away from the front doors. One of Finn’s guys waits by the entrance. He is even less animated than Finn, which is hard to accomplish. He’s probably well paid with some name like Tank or Gunn. We both pretend this isn’t awkward, and he lets me through. <br /> Yet another hallway lies ahead. Another thick set of curtains separates the lounge from the rooms, but I can see a bit of the blue lights on the other side. There, one of the luckier girls gets to pretend she isn’t vamp food in order to be the hostess, taking names. There, vampires sit idly on a long winding couch, tapping their feet, waiting their turn, while they ignore their thirst. There, Finn handles all the customers and tells them to be patient while the girls get ready. Then we can sneak into the rooms and appear like we’ve been there all along. We’ll ask sweetly, “What took you so long?” and they’ll blame Finn, but they’ll thank him later. <br /> Inside the Fire Room, creatively named for being the only room with a fireplace, is where it starts. My hunger. It is different from the vamps’. It is a void, embedded deep in my veins, which can never be filled. <br /> Nauth. <br /> The word echoes in my head and sends chills down my spine. <br /> I want it. <br /> I want it now. <br /> But I must be patient and distract myself by taking in the decorations in the Fire Room. It really seems like it was transported straight from some Victorian’s living room. From the stiff baroque curtains and the velvet couch, to the unused silverware sitting on the dark wooden table, I blend right in. <br /> This is one big show for the vampires. The whole Night House feels like a movie set. I am an actress. Finn directs us. Still, I know it’s real. So I face the fire and let it warm my skin as I wait for everything to get too close.</div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/dvUmTwXfB6aTgCSup__k5KGqWPDCH4Grk3jVfZ7RgGorVxFFfxlVlulkHIhpgBs6IwJgSa8nA26y-nNG_TRYc5PdwRMdCeUnn316lO3mAX6BlAjiBvviANHMGG-STLeXttjKA-nKGcjBkQ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rachel Tafoya" border="0" class="aligncenter wp-image-12983" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Rachel-Tafoya-300x201.jpg" height="157" width="234" /></a>Rachel Tafoya studied creative writing while at Solebury School and was published in their student run literary magazine, SLAM. She attended a writing program for teens at both Susquehanna University and Denison University, and the Experimental Writing for Teens class and Novels for Young Writers program, both run by NY Times bestselling author, Jonathan Maberry. Rachel is the daughter crime author Dennis Tafoya.</div>
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Welcome to this week's M9B Friday Reveal!</div>
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<b>A Murder of Magpies </b></div>
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<b>by </b></div>
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<b>Sarah Bromley</b></div>
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presented by Month9Books!</div>
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Winter in Black Orchard, Wisconsin, is long and dark, and sixteen-year-old Vayda Silver prays the snow will keep the truth and secrecy of the last two years buried. Hiding from the past with her father and twin brother, Vayda knows the rules: never return to the town of her mother’s murder, and never work a Mind Game where someone might see.<br />
No one can know the toll emotions take on Vayda, how emotion becomes energy in her hands, or how she can’t control the destruction she causes. But it’s not long before her powers can no longer be contained. The truth is dangerously close to being exposed, placing Vayda and her family at risk.<br />Until someone quiets the chaos inside her.<br />
Unwanted. That’s all Ward Ravenscroft has ever been. To cope, he numbs the pain of rejection by denying himself emotions of any kind. Yet Vayda stirs something in him. He can’t explain the hold she has on him–inspiring him with both hope and fear. He claims not to scare easily, except he doesn’t know what her powers can do. Yet.<br />
Just as Vadya and Ward draw closer, she finds the past isn’t so easily buried. And when it follows the Silvers to Black Orchard, it has murder in mind.</blockquote>
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<b>Title:</b> A Murder of Magpies <br /><b>Publication Date:</b> October 28, 2014<br /><b>Publisher:</b> Month9Books, LLC.<br /><b>Author:</b> Sarah Bromley</div>
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Enjoy Chapter One! Happy Reading!</div>
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<span style="font-size: 18pt;"><b>Chapter One</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>Vayda</b></span></div>
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Disaster came as a boy in a Catholic school uniform. That boy was my brother, Jonah.</div>
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We’d seen disaster, somehow crawled out from the ruins, and lived. It didn’t just happen, all explosive and bombastic so we knew everything changed. A real disaster began with a spark of fire that rose in the air and snuffed out. When the ash landed, it was still hot enough to burn, and from that ember, everything we knew went up in flames.</div>
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It happened before. I had reason to fear it would happen again.</div>
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My fingers drummed on the time-scarred armrest of a chair in Monsignor Judd’s office. Someone had etched a cross into the wood five, ten, maybe twenty years ago. A saint’s stare bore down on me from the stained-glass window; no comfort lay in his face, only my guilt for not knowing the saint’s name. Outside the office, Monsignor stood, fingers steepled, while the heating vent blew the draping of his cassock. His ear angled to the young nun whispering with him over the manila folder of Jonah’s permanent record. Curls snaked from her nun’s habit, and her eyes slid to watch me. Dull, dark. Nearly dead.</div>
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My hands grew warmer. I forced my breathing to slow. Calm down, Vayda girl. Nothing to get worked up over yet.</div>
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Not easy when I was a human magnet for emotion.</div>
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Slouching in his chair, Jonah fidgeted with a hole in his blue trousers. I always thought he’d blow our cover someday, but that didn’t mean I was ready for it. A bruise purpled his cheekbone. His heat, a mix of emotion and energy, radiated to further prickle my hands until they were scorching. I needed to cool down, put everything on ice to stabilize Jonah and myself. I exhaled in hope of a cold breath. My twin’s fury was more than I could absorb.</div>
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You outdid yourself this time. I pointed the thought to his mind like a laser. Do you honestly think fighting with Marty Pifkin is worth all this trouble?</div>
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He avoided eye contact, naturally. That didn’t mean he didn’t listen. Silent to all but me, he answered, Dati’s already gonna read me the riot act. Don’t give me any grief, especially since I was defending you.</div>
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Defending me from Marty Pifkin of all people. Let it go. What’s done is done. I didn’t know whether to give my brother a good wallop upside the head like our mom would have or pray we’d skate on by. Keep at it, Jonah, and people will notice what you can do. Throwing a desk without using your hands isn’t exactly wisdom for the ages.</div>
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Why don’t you keep that in mind the next time you lose it and break all the light bulbs in the science lab? He swiped a rogue strand of long, dark hair from his face. You lack subtlety and finesse, Sis.</div>
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Subtlety. Finesse. Words sixteen-year-old boys knew ohso-much about. I choked on a laugh and lowered my eyes to the ratty, blue Chucks I paired with my Catholic school plaid, wool skirt, and tights. Even if it wasn’t my school uniform, I wore dresses most days. I could move my legs and didn’t feel so caged in.</div>
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Brushing away the glass dust on my thighs, I ignored the blood drying on my hands and clasped them together. They were less dangerous that way.</div>
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The door to the office lobby opened. The new nun resembled a black dandelion seed as she glided into Monsignor’s office. She was followed by the head priest and my father. The scent of wood dust clung to him. Most parents visiting St. Anthony of Padua High School rolled in wearing suits or golf attire, and then there was Dad with his Fat Tire shirt and varnish-splattered jeans—evidence he’d been working on a restoration when called to the school. Even if the fight between my brother and Marty hadn’t already strained my mental barriers, I still would’ve noticed Dad’s disappointment.</div>
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Dad lived by so-called cardinal rules. Looking at Jonah, there was only one rule I thought: There’s a devil on every man’s shoulder, whispering in his ear. Only he decides if he’ll throw salt at the devil or feed him his soul.</div>
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“What happened, Magpie?” Dad asked, a Georgia-born drawl buttering his voice as he checked out the cuts on my hand.</div>
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“Broken glass, Dati,” I answered.</div>
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“You ought to be more mindful, don’t you think?” His question had nothing and everything to do with breaking glass.</div>
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Monsignor cleared his throat. “Sorry to have you back in my office so soon, Mr. Silver.”</div>
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“Twice in one week is overkill.” Dad stood behind Jonah and me, a hand on each of our shoulders.</div>
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“I’ve spoken with our new staff psychologist, Sister Polly Tremblay.” Monsignor introduced the new nun. “She was hired this year after Dr. Fernandez took a position in Madison. Our newest Sister is a licensed practitioner, educator, and bride of Christ.”</div>
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Dad raised an eyebrow. “Is she now? That’s all so very impressive, Sister. Do you go by Sister Polly or Sister Tremblay?”</div>
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The nun blinked twice, no emotion registering on her face.</div>
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“Sister Tremblay. Polly is from my past life.” Monsignor grabbed the manila folder from the nun’s hands and hurried through his words. “Sister Tremblay has acquainted herself with Jonah’s file and feels he may benefit from some sessions with her. If I may be frank, Mr. Silver, your family came to Wisconsin two years ago, but of the people I’ve spoken with, no one really knows you. Certain appearances are important, especially for an institution such as St. Anthony’s. I’m sorry to have to say anything in front of your children, but you must all be aware of the situation I’m in while I’m deciding Jonah’s punishment.”</div>
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“You’re a widower running an antiques business,” Sister Tremblay added.</div>
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“What’s that got to do with anything?” Dad snapped.</div>
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“The adjustment period after moving, especially when grieving, can be prolonged. In that regard, two years isn’t very long at all,” Sister Tremblay answered. “Teenagers often cope by acting out. If you’re as busy as I suspect—”</div>
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“I’ve got time for my kids,” Dad argued. “Always.”</div>
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The heating vent blasted more hot air into the office. My brother burned with frustration, and my shoulders tightened. I cracked my knuckles, all too aware of how the lights dimmed.</div>
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Monsignor Judd let out a sigh. “Sister Tremblay is only suggesting that talking to someone away from family could be good for Jonah.”</div>
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There was no “outside the family.” There never was. Hard to make friends and get past the New Kid stigma when we were either cooped up at home or at Dad’s shop under his watch. No wonder our classmates thought we were weird—we were.</div>
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The hairs on the back of my neck stiffened. I shifted in my chair for a better view into the lobby where another boy waited to talk with Monsignor. The hair curling near his jaw was the color of liquid cinnamon dashed with espresso, and a wire tethered an iPod to his ears as he held an icepack to his bottom lip.</div>
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Jonah’s sort-of friend, Ward.</div>
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He averted his eyes from mine.</div>
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My hands grew hot while the overhead lights flickered, drawing everyone’s attention to the ceiling. Dad’s grip pumped my shoulder.</div>
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Jonah stretched his legs. “I’m not hanging out with no damn shrink. Marty Pifkin’s got everyone wrapped around his finger.”</div>
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“Here we go again,” I muttered. “Jonah, stop it.”</div>
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“That guy is a creeper, and—”</div>
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I glanced to Dad for sympathy. “Marty asked to compare answers on our homework and Jonah lost it.”</div>
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“—he was bothering Vayda,” my brother talked over me.</div>
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“Guys like that shouldn’t be talking to her. He’s gadje. I didn’t throw the first punch, didn’t ask for Ward’s help. I barely know the kid.”</div>
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Monsignor waited until Jonah and I both quieted down.</div>
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“What’s gadje?”</div>
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Jonah gave Dad a pleading stare. We never let others knowthe meaning of words we’d grown up with, but Dad confessed,</div>
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“To some, it means outsider, though you could say we’re the outsiders here.”</div>
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Monsignor gave a reluctant nod. “Marty claims Jonahthrew a desk. That’s not behavior that will go unpunished.”</div>
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“And the physics lab? Every light was broken.” Sister Tremblay crossed her arms.</div>
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I sank into my chair and hid behind my hair. No one could avoid those dull eyes. I wanted out of the office. Now.</div>
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The Flickering of the lights grew faster. I shuddered, not cold, but burning up. The poster of a kitten clinging to a clothesline while cheering “Hang in there!” obviously didn’t relate to how fragile my grip was when so many emotions flooded a room. Usually I kept it together with mental barriers to deflect the constant flow of others’ feelings, but so much tension…</div>
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“You’re seriously suggesting a couple of kids broke every light bulb just like that?” Dad’s voice rose. He gestured to the palsied lights. “Y’all would be better off hiring an electrician before the school burns down.”</div>
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The room skewed left, and my vision blurred, head dizzied. Too hot, cluttered. My hands—I shut my eyes. Monsignor and Sister Tremblay had to be staring, but I couldn’t worry about them.</div>
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Energy. Rising.</div>
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Crack!</div>
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A fracture drove down the length of the fluorescent light above the desk. Sister Tremblay yelped and snatched Jonah’s folder to her chest.</div>
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“Hell of a power surge.” Jonah’s black eyes searched for a way into my mind. Not gonna let him in, not this time. He was worried, but nothing was wrong, nothing at all, except that I felt like I could pass out.</div>
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“Vayda, go get some fresh air,” Dad ordered. “You’re flushed.”</div>
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Monsignor dismissed me, and with the expected curtsey before hoisting my backpack onto my shoulder, I cracked my knuckles one last time to diffuse the energy swelling in my hands. I stepped out of the office, out of the glow of the stained-glass window, and paced near the chairs where Ward waited. Jonah started this whole mess. Marty had done nothing to me—this time. Marty never listened until Jonah made him. Ever since that first fight, Jonah had his anger centered on Marty. Anything Jonah felt, I felt ten times worse. When he was happy, he was very happy, but when he was angry, he was furious.</div>
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Mom had been the same way.</div>
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“I promise you won’t go belly-up if you hold still.” Ward’s voice was deep, raw honey. His head rested against his chair, his left eye cracked open, watching me.</div>
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I gave him a weak smile. I liked his voice.</div>
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Ward had been at our school only since Monday, and already the social boneyard where Jonah and I roamed had claimed him. After we transferred in following Christmas break nearly two years ago, we tried blending with the nameless, faceless uniforms, but it wasn’t so simple. The other students never warmed to us, and we hadn’t to them. We weren’t from here, didn’t look or act like them. We were among the Avoided, but, as of yesterday, we had a shadow. A gadje shadow.</div>
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“How’s your hand?” Ward asked. I glanced to my brother and father talking to Monsignor. That Jonah hadn’t chased off Ward was a tacit tolerance of him. “A few cuts. I’ll live.” I twisted my black hair, skimming my hips. “You hardly needed to play the white knight. Marty’s not much of a dragon, more like a salamander.”</div>
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“Maybe I like fighting salamanders.”</div>
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Chipped, gray polish colored his nails. Artsy in an I-don’t give- a-damn-I’ll-wear-it-if-it’s-clean way. If Monsignor noticed, that’d earn Ward a detention or two.</div>
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“Listen, gadjo.” He didn’t deserve social devastation all because of my cavalier brother. He needed to back off from us. While he still could. “Marty won’t bother you if you don’t bother him. Tangling with him will never be forgotten.”</div>
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His mouth twitched, neither a grin nor a frown. “I don’t scare easily.”</div>
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He slipped on his headphones once more. Must be nice to be so untouched, unfazed. Must be peaceful.</div>
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“Hey,” I called. He lifted one side of his headphones. “What are you listening to?”</div>
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“Music.”</div>
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Smart ass.</div>
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Thud! A chair had overturned in Monsignor’s office and rocked ever so slightly. A chair no one had been sitting in. Dad’s muffled voice came fast as he pulled Jonah by the arm. From the dark expression on his face, we were in for a major talking to.</div>
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“We need to leave. Now,” Dad said as he steered Jonah out of the office.</div>
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He whisked us past the sanctuary where our footfalls echoed on wood floors polished by nuns until glistening. The school was a dour extension off a century-old Catholic parish. The walls in the language arts wing were painted rich blue, the Virgin’s color. Hung between classrooms were carvings from the Stations of the Cross, thick with dust except for Christ’s gaze, which followed us and knew my family’s secrets and sins.</div>
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Outside was better. Riding in the car, the windows lowered to allow in the re-musk smell of October, but there was something else, an odor of things buried deep in the black earth. Dad steered into a parking lot by a grocery store. The heavy silence in the car made it impossible to push back the memory of the last time we pulled over like this. Instead of a parking lot, it’d been off a highway in a forest in northern Georgia and, with the haze of morning fog guarding the Chevy we’d escaped in, Dad had vowed we were going straight to Black Orchard, a town in Wisconsin near Canada. There, we would start over.</div>
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Find somewhere new. Claim different names.</div>
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Dad pushed his fingers through his black hair, streaked with silver, and set his eyes, the same green as mine, on my reflection in the rearview mirror. “This stops now. Your mama might’ve called what y’all do Mind Games. But I won’t play.”</div>
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“Yes, sir,” Jonah and I answered.</div>
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“Mind Games, if you must work them, are private. Working them in public is how your mama found trouble.” He twisted his wedding band. “We can’t risk a repeat of Georgia.”</div>
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I jerked my head to the view out the window. Black Orchard, Wisconsin. Easter egg-colored Victorian homes lined the streets, and people spoke with northern accents, which sounded friendly no matter what they said. But pretty towns and nice people could betray you.</div>
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Last time that happened, we escaped with nothing but our lives.</div>
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If it happened again, would we even have those?</div>
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/hVyhrsh0fPhBEg7zMd7ZTa0n-grTFta8qAMHjolKilibbp5lKJJt0QnkWo3UCH0gXsHShAvcV79WrODH58UMN1mLj4UKOPkPeZPKtbaAdmynExzjNdU9Ook1QaffL_lWSCQ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sarah Bromley" border="0" class="aligncenter wp-image-13691" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Sarah-Bromley.jpg" height="161" width="116" /></a>Sarah Bromley lives near St. Louis with her husband, three children, and two dogs. She likes the quiet hours of morning when she can drink coffee in peace, stare into the woods behind her house, and wonder what monsters live there. When she’s not writing or wrangling small children, she can be found volunteering at a stable for disabled riders.</div>
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<b>Connect with the Author: </b><b><a href="http://www.sarah-bromley.com/">Website</a></b><b> | </b><b><a href="http://www.twitter.com/sarah_bromley">Twitter </a></b><b>| </b><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorsarahbromley">Facebook</a></b><b> | </b><b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7043852.Sarah_Bromley">Goodreads</a></b></div>
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<u><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Salem's Revenge Series</span></b></u></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pon7iro8shw/VA_WgfFNQRI/AAAAAAAAEtE/cEPmEYuQRok/s1600/Brew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pon7iro8shw/VA_WgfFNQRI/AAAAAAAAEtE/cEPmEYuQRok/s1600/Brew.jpg" height="400" width="250" /></a>Salem’s Revenge strikes without warning or mercy, ravaging the powerless human race under the forces of united gangs of witches, wizards, and warlocks. During the slaughter, Rhett Carter's foster parents and sister are killed, and his best friend and girlfriend are abducted by a gang of witches calling themselves the Necromancers, who deal in the dark magic of raising the dead. Rhett’s sword-wielding neighbor with a mysterious past saves Rhett from becoming another casualty of the massacre and teaches him the skills he needs to survive in this new world.
Rhett is broken, his normal high school life of book blogging and football playing shoved in a witch-apocalyptic blender. The only thing he has left is his burning desire for revenge. Armed with his new witch hunting skills and a loyal, magic powered dog named Hex, he sets out into the unknown with one mission: hunt and destroy those who took away everyone he ever loved.</div>
But Rhett isn’t just a witch hunter; He has secrets of his own that he has yet to discover, secrets that his enemies will stop at nothing to keep him from.
And discovering the truth about himself is the human race’s only hope.</blockquote>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sEqXkZhyzD0/VCTs2DAGOwI/AAAAAAAAE-4/XmaQWqTC7pw/s1600/Boil_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sEqXkZhyzD0/VCTs2DAGOwI/AAAAAAAAE-4/XmaQWqTC7pw/s1600/Boil_cover.jpg" height="320" width="199" /></a><span id="freeText14236729908075426097">Revenge. That’s all that’s left for witch hunter Rhett Carter. The magic-born have stripped everything from him - killed his friends, cursed his warlock father, shattered his future - leaving him bare and broken, but not dead. Their mistake.
When Rhett and Laney are suddenly thrust in different directions, Rhett must decide who to trust and who to kill. Backed by his trusty canine sidekick Hex, Rhett will embark on his deadliest mission yet, one that will lead him directly toward those who want him dead, pushing his unique resistance to magic to the edge and back again as he tries to remove his father’s curse.
Separated from Rhett, Laney seeks to understand the strange changes to her sister, Trish, who’s believed to be the last living Clairvoyant, and what role she’s destined to play in the future of humankind.
Wrapped around everything are four major groups: the Necromancers, the Changelings, the witch hunters, and New America, the remnants of humanity. When the major forces are brought together for an epic battle, the fate of the world hangs in the balance.</span></div>
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<b>** </b>Get both Brew and its sequel, Boil, the first two books in the Salem's Revenge series, for a <b>special price of $0.99</b> each for a limited time only (Amazon Kindle exclusive: Brew until <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1551187181" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">October 17th</span></span>; Boil until <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1551187182" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">October 7th</span></span>) Click on the above buttons to take advantage of this limited time deal! <b>**</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3167424.David_Estes">Goodreads</a> ● <a href="http://www.davidestesbooks.blogspot.com/">David's Blog</a> <span style="color: #f0babc;"><span style="color: black;">●</span> </span> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/davidestesbooks">Twitter</a> ● <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Davidestesbooks">Facebook</a> <span style="color: #f0babc;"><span style="color: black;">●</span> </span> <a href="http://davidestesbooks.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a> and his <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/70863-david-estes-fans-and-ya-book-lovers-unite">Goodreads Fan Group</a> <br />
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David Estes was born in El Paso, Texas but moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania when he was very young. David grew up in Pittsburgh and then went to Penn State for college. Eventually he moved to Sydney, Australia where he met his wife. They now live together in their dream location, Hawaii. A reader all his life, he began writing novels for the children's and YA markets in 2010, and started writing full time in June 2012. Now he travels the world writing with his wife, Adele. David's a writer with OCD, a love of dancing and singing (but only when no one is looking or listening), a mad-skilled ping-pong player, and prefers writing at the swimming pool to writing at a table. </div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u4jsx8paTzk/VCJAlqyaGiI/AAAAAAAAE8I/94iCvBiE2zQ/s1600/fire-country-by-david-estes-book-one1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u4jsx8paTzk/VCJAlqyaGiI/AAAAAAAAE8I/94iCvBiE2zQ/s1600/fire-country-by-david-estes-book-one1.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Country-The-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B00B7VTXFO"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Country-The-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B00B7VTXFO" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Glm2d0ftRH8/VCJB0McWjwI/AAAAAAAAE8c/IEBYTS_Q6hQ/s1600/FC.png" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16160701-fire-country"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16160701-fire-country" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f4X4lVSCuOE/VCJE4KXOUyI/AAAAAAAAE8w/8sUPTjnAccE/s1600/GR.png" /></a></div>
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To celebrate the launch of Brew and Boil, David Estes is also <b>giving away</b> <b>FREE</b> Kindle copies of his popular YA dystopian AND adventure book, Fire Country. Just click the above link to nab your<b> free copy</b>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Title: </b>Scar of the Bamboo Leaf </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Author: </b>Sieni A.M.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Genre:</b> Young Adult fiction, Contemporary Romance</span></div>
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<a class="Object" href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18336495-scar-of-the-bamboo-leaf" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT4262_com_zimbra_url" style="color: #02bcfd; outline: medium none ! important; text-decoration: none;" tabindex="0" target="_blank"><i><img alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XBAYsKywr-M/UHyVZqjmMjI/AAAAAAAAUBg/u1nnyouaWqo/s200/badge1.jpg" height="48" style="border: 0px none; height: auto; line-height: 0; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="200" /></i></a></div>
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“Her heart wept when she realized that the hardest part about loving him was the idea that his love was never meant for her.”</div>
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Walking
with a pronounced limp all her life has never stopped fifteen-year-old
Kiva Mau from doing what she loves. While most girls her age are playing
sports and perfecting their traditional Samoan dance, Kiva finds
serenity in her sketchbook and volunteering at the run-down art center
her extended family owns.</div>
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When
seventeen-year-old Ryler Cade steps into the art center for the first
time, Kiva is drawn to the angry and misguided student sent from abroad
to reform his violent ways. Scarred and tattooed, an unlikely friendship
is formed when the gentle Kiva shows him kindness and beauty through
art.<br />
After a tragic accident leaves Kiva severely disfigured, she struggles
to see the beauty she has been brought up to believe. Just when she
thinks she’s found her place, Ryler begins to pull away, leaving her
heartbroken and confused. The patriarch of the family then takes a turn
for the worse and Kiva is forced to give up her dreams to help with
familial obligations, until an old family secret surfaces that makes her
question everything.</div>
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Immersed
in the world of traditional art and culture, this is the story of
self-sacrifice and discovery, of acceptance and forbearance, of
overcoming adversity and finding one’s purpose. Spanning years, it is a
story about an intuitive girl and a misunderstood boy and love that
becomes real when tested.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Amazon: <a href="http://amzn.to/1q2UsEN" target="_blank">http://amzn.to/1q2UsEN</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><b>Excerpt:</b></b></span></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">The white van’s presence in the driveway made </span><span style="color: black;">Kiva’s
heart thud against her ribs, and a mysterious anticipation settled over
her. Hobbling into the house, she carried out her chores with
efficiency, hanging the laundry on the line and checking on Masi’s bowl
while stealing curious glances at the art center.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">After a long pause, she decided to enter it.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">Poised
along the far wall to avoid distraction, Kiva perused the students
scattered around the room, heads and shoulders bent over their wood
carvings, the clink and thud of the chisel and mallet competing over
each other. Mau paced his time with each student evenly, making his way
around, offering guidance when needed. Kiva couldn’t make out his words
from where she sat, only a few low mutterings accompanied by the shake
or nod of his head.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">Her
eyes strayed until they settled on the boy with the mysterious tattoo.
Ryler. Her suspicions were correct about his work when she noticed the
slab of wood with the sliced words in front of him. He hadn’t spoken a
word to any of the other boys, didn’t acknowledge them, and they avoided
him too, as if he’d erected an invisible wall and they were aware of
it.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">Her
uncle had no problem stepping through it though. He was with him now,
speaking in low tones and gesturing to his work. What was he saying?
Kiva strained to hear, but nothing came to her over the cacophony of
sounds in the room. A muscle in Ryler’s jaw ticked as he sat, head bent,
listening to him. Mau remained with him for some time, talking and
listening, acknowledging the need to spend more time. Finally, he gave
him a tap on the shoulder and a satisfied nod before moving away.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">Kiva
noticed when Ryler picked up a carving knife, pausing in concentration,
his face tentative and contemplative, before he met it with wood, the
muscles in his broad back contorting and flexing from the grip and
release of the tool. What had he decided to carve? Kiva wanted to inch
her way forward to find out but kept herself firmly planted. An hour
passed and still she sat riveted to her spot.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">A couple sharp drops on the roof were the only warning to the torrential downpour that followed.</span></span></div>
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<i><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">“Makiva!”</span></span></i><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;"> Hana’s voice shouted from across the yard and made her jump. “It’s raining! Get the laundry!”</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">Kiva
scrambled off the floor, the noise drawing attention, and limped as
quickly as she could to the line. The knifelike raindrops hit her on the
back, stinging, and soaked through her shirt. Ignoring the pricks, she
rushed to unpeg each piece of clothing, throwing it in the bucket and
returning for more. The rain came down harder and faster, blurring her
eyesight, the sound of a thunderclap roaring in her ears. Tea towels,
Mau’s shirt, Hana’s school skirt. Breathless, her quick movements had
long ago uncoiled her hair, wild and swirling in the wind; the pencil
slipped out, lost somewhere. She was nearing the end of the line,
grappling with a sheet, when she glanced up and noticed the boys running
from the center to the van, their lesson over.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">Ryler
appeared last through the door, his brown eyes trained on her, and
descended the stairs with heavy, deliberate steps. Kiva stared wide eyed
as he stepped into the rain and came toward her with unhurried, even
strides. She watched as raindrops pelted his gray shirt, soaking through
to his shoulders until the wet dots spread and connected.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">When he was a foot away, he lifted his hand.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">“You dropped this,” he said, his voice low and hoarse, as if he was just getting over a cold. He smelled of wood dust and sweat.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">She
glanced down at his hand and saw the pencil she used to pin up her
hair. It must have fallen in the art center in her haste to get to the
laundry. Reaching for it, she noticed the deep scars on his left wrist
and paused. From this close they looked even worse.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">“It’s not what you think,” he answered, interpreting her thoughts.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">Kiva
snapped her eyes to his face. His brown eyes penetrated hers, thick
lashes dripping from the rain, a line formed between his eyebrows. She
tried not to fidget under his gaze and glanced to the right of his face.
She saw a scar near his eye, something she hadn’t noticed before.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">She calmly returned her gaze to him. “And what do I think?”</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">Ryler took a step closer. “You think that I did this to myself on purpose.”</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">“Did you?” She breathed.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">He shook his head. “It was from a fight. The other guy had a broken bottle and I tried to block him.”</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">Kiva
hissed as if she had been the one cut open and bleeding. Her eyes found
the scar again and her stomach plummeted at the thought of the pain it
must have caused. She felt suddenly light-headed and blinked to clear
the blur clouding her mind.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">“Are you alright?” he asked, concern laced in his voice.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">She took slow, even breaths and nodded her head.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">The sound of the van’s horn blared from the drive way.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">“Ryler! Hurry up, we’re going!” A superior impatiently gestured for him in the rain.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">“You
better go,” Kiva said hastily. “Thanks for returning this.” She took
the pencil from his hand and curled her fingers around it.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><span style="color: black;">Ryler
remained unmoving. Why wasn’t he going? Did he want to get into
trouble? He finally stepped away and turned, jogging over to the waiting
van, his shirt now drenched through and stuck to his retreating back.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>**My Review**</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>*5 Stars!*</u> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> *Bookends received a free eCopy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are no words I could possibly use that could ever adequately describe how epically beautiful Scar of the Bamboo Leaf is. If you are debating whether or not to read this book, debate no more. Take the plunge my friend! Kiva's story will stay with you long after you've turned the last page.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I could write my own version of a synopsis but that's already been done so instead I will toss random phrases at you like -- "stunningly beautiful portrayal of young love" and "timeless" and "masterfully written". Seriously, this book was all of those things and then some.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Scar of the Bamboo Leaf is set in Samoa. I'll admit that Samoa is a place I've never given a second thought to, but thanks to this author's vivid detail and obvious love of the culture, it's a place that I immediately wanted to visit and get to know for myself. Amazing detail and imagery is only one great thing about this book. The storyline is flawless and the characters are second to none. I adored Kiva and Ry, Mau and Naomi, little Talia, and even Hana (though I did want to give her a good smack once or twice).</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Scar of the Bamboo Leaf quickly worked its way into my heart and to the top of my "favorite books" list. Have the tissues handy and be prepared for one of the biggest book/character hangovers you've ever experienced!</span></div>
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<b>About the Author:</b></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zPgaxMviIPY/VB7sk3d-ABI/AAAAAAAABm8/WlcYGlhbCrE/s1600/Sieni.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zPgaxMviIPY/VB7sk3d-ABI/AAAAAAAABm8/WlcYGlhbCrE/s1600/Sieni.jpg" height="200" width="192" /></a><br />
Sieni A.M. is a coffee addict, Instagram enthusiast, world traveler, and
avid reader turned writer. She graduated as an English and History high
school teacher from the University of Canterbury and is currently
living in Israel with her husband and two daughters. “Scar of the Bamboo
Leaf” is her second novel.<br />
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<b>Website: <a href="http://sieniam.blogspot.co.il/" target="_blank">http://sieniam.blogspot.co.il/</a></b></div>
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<b>Facebook: <a class="Object" href="https://www.facebook.com/illumineher" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT4265_com_zimbra_url" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/illumineher</a></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #181818;">Pinterest: </span><a href="http://pinterest.com/illumineher/" target="_blank">http://pinterest.com/illumineher/</a></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><b><span style="color: black;">The Giveaway:</span></b></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><b><span style="color: black;"> </span></b></b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;">5 ecopies of Scar of the Bamboo Leaf via Amazon</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span><b> </b></span></div>
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e6b07541109/" id="rc-e6b07541109" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a></div>
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<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script>
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Bookendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00923302974816745391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832800751293616.post-43835641423994155912014-09-19T09:00:00.000-04:002014-09-19T09:00:07.841-04:00Month9books Friday Reveal - I Heart Robot by Suzanne van Rooyen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Welcome to the Cover Reveal for</div>
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I Heart Robot</h4>
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Suzanne van Rooyen</h4>
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presented by Month9Books!</div>
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<b>Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!</b></div>
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b> I HEART ROBOT Cover Art from Suzanne van Rooyen</b></span></div>
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I'm not the most artistically inclined. While I do love art and have been known to bust out the pencils and paints myself, it's not an area where I'd consider myself particularly talented. In short, I knew that cover design was something best left to the professional and I had every confidence in Month9Books.</div>
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I am so grateful to Georgia McBride for allowing me to have the amount of input I did when it came to cover creation for I Heart Robot. This is a novel that is as much about a civil rights struggle in a futuristic, post-war city as it is about romance, and we wanted a cover that reflected both elements. Finding the right balance between romance and science fiction was a tall order, but Month9Books delivered in spades by presenting me with two stylistically different covers. I loved elements of both, and by working closely with the cover artist and with Georgia we managed to combine all the best parts of both original covers into what we have today: a cover that reflects the gritty world my characters live in while emphasizing the fact that this is above all, a love story.</div>
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Sixteen-year-old Tyri wants to be a musician and wants to be with someone who won't belittle her musical aspirations.<br />
Q-I-99 aka 'Quinn' lives in a scrap metal sanctuary with other rogue droids. While some use violence to make their voices heard, demanding equal rights for AI enhanced robots, Quinn just wants a moment on stage with his violin to show the humans that androids like him have more to offer than their processing power.<br />
Tyri and Quinn's worlds collide when they're accepted by the Baldur Junior Philharmonic Orchestra. As the rift between robots and humans deepens, Tyri and Quinn's love of music brings them closer together, making Tyri question where her loyalties lie and Quinn question his place in the world. With the city on the brink of civil war, Tyri and Quinn make a shocking discovery that turns their world inside out. Will their passion for music be enough to hold them together while everything else crumbles down around them, or will the truth of who they are tear them apart?</blockquote>
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<b>Title:</b> I Heart Robot<br /><b>Publication Date:</b> March 31, 2015<br /><b>Publisher:</b> Month9Books, LLC.<br /><b>Author:</b> Suzanne van Rooyen</div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/CDHLoobqVtwEHMo7zEKyyF2inFlpg4bmLLeLviixbriDiQ6m6o-qu8EUyTsJkD_TNQeEgOHLGzCSQ-m-jh0hhzvDNd1-bowSWykDXrIiR7qgiVKP0Bj7" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="SV" border="0" class="alignleft wp-image-14660" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/SV.jpg" height="180" width="120" /></a>Suzanne is a tattooed storyteller from South Africa. She currently lives in Finland and finds the cold, dark forests nothing if not inspiring. Although she has a Master’s degree in music, Suzanne prefers conjuring strange worlds and creating quirky characters. When not writing, she teaches dance and music to middle schoolers and entertains her shiba inu, Lego. Suzanne is represented by Jordy Albert of the Booker Albert Agency.</div>
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<b>Connect with the Author: </b><a href="http://suzannevanrooyen.com/"><b>Website</b></a> <b>|</b> <a href="https://twitter.com/Suzanne_Writer"><b>Twi</b><b>tter</b></a><b> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Suzanne-van-Rooyen/304965232847874">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5306442.Suzanne_van_Rooyen">Goodreads</a></b></div>
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<b>Where the Staircase Ends</b></div>
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<b> by</b></div>
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<b> Stacy Stokes</b></div>
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After her best friend orchestrates the lie that destroys her reputation, Taylor wants more than anything to disappear from her life. But when an accident turns this unspoken wish into reality, instead of an angel-filled afterlife, Taylor must climb a seemingly endless staircase into the sky.<br />
Instead of going up, the journey plunges her into the past. As she unravels the mystery behind her friend’s betrayal, she must face the truth about life and find the strength to forgive the unforgivable -- unless the staircase breaks her first.</blockquote>
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<b> Title:</b> Where the Staircase Ends<br /><b>Publication Date:</b> April 2015<br /><b>Publisher:</b> Month9Books, LLC.<br /><b>Author:</b> Stacy Stokes</div>
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<img alt="Chapter-by-Chapter-header---About-the-Author" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-9252" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Chapter-by-Chapter-header-About-the-Author.png" height="198" width="640" /></div>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/et0jJ5HoJAcB8cS0mlBo9lOc7LLOMlFnVzkO_HjtrhHCOOtBh74OWUf4dudMHeO1f_oEln-oNa-bHCyr6RwZqRvNeDiHJXvS40nXpLWeOMu14V7nRl-ZNT-CBClS28SSjSoCgryfafVS" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Stacy-stokes-300x200" border="0" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14568" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Stacy-stokes-300x200.jpg" height="200" width="300" /></a>Stacy Stokes attended the University of Texas at Austin and The Wharton School of Business. She grew up in Dallas, TX, and currently lives in San Francisco with her husband. WHERE THE STAIRCASE ENDS is her first novel.</div>
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<b>Connect with the Author: </b><a href="http://thinkingtoinking.blogspot.ca/"><b>Website</b></a><b> </b><b>| </b><a href="https://twitter.com/stacyastokes/status/479298885198692354"><b>Twi</b><b>tter</b></a></div>
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<b>The Artisans </b></h4>
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<b>by </b></h4>
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<b>Julie Reece</b></h4>
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presented by Month9Books!</div>
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They say death can be beautiful. But after the death of her mother, seventeen-year-old RAVEN WEATHERSBY gives up her dream of becoming a fashion designer, barely surviving life in the South Carolina lowlands.</div>
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To make ends meet, Raven works after school as a seamstress creating stunning works of fashion that often rival the great names of the day.</div>
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Instead of making things easier on the high school senior, her stepdad's drinking leads to a run in with the highly reclusive heir to the Maddox family fortune, Gideon Maddox.</div>
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But Raven's stepdad's drying out and in no condition to attend the meeting with Maddox. So Raven volunteers to take his place and offers to repay the debt in order to keep the only father she's ever known out of jail, or worse.</div>
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Gideon Maddox agrees, outlining an outrageous demand: Raven must live in his home for a year while she designs for Maddox Industries' clothing line, signing over her creative rights.</div>
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Her handsome young captor is arrogant and infuriating to the nth degree, and Raven can't imagine working for him, let alone sharing the same space for more than five minutes.</div>
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But nothing is ever as it seems. Is Gideon Maddox the monster the world believes him to be? And can he stand to let the young seamstress see him as he really is?</div>
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The Artisans is a delectably rich, layered and dark YA Southern Gothic inspired by Jeanne Marie Leprince de Beaumont's classic Beauty and the Beast.</div>
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<b><i>"The Artisans has all the elements I love - spooky intrigue, strong friendships, and a romantic tension to be savored." ~ Wendy Higgins, New York Times bestselling author of the Sweet Evil trilogy.</i></b></blockquote>
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<b>Title:</b> The Artisans<br /><b>Publication Date:</b> May 2015<br /><b>Publisher:</b> Month9Books, LLC.<br /><b>Author:</b> Julie Reece</div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/YgRNa0c8n1ezazzUMlm2PJpAgXPVdCv8UNoXZVsKHqK1GGHERzHuor4VuDUR2IqAa3L1hdK_61T5WGT77Gt6cAUa3NdGcxoiCGMtUXmGLGst5Uqd2pzmZCp6ks-39Wcg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Julie Reece" border="0" class="alignleft wp-image-14388" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Julie-Reece.jpg" height="320" width="268" /></a>Born in Ohio, I lived next to my grandfather’s horse farm until the fourth grade. Summers were about riding, fishing and make-believe, while winter brought sledding and ice-skating on frozen ponds. Most of life was magical, but not all.<br />
I struggled with multiple learning disabilities, did not excel in school. I spent much of my time looking out windows and daydreaming. In the fourth grade (with the help of one very nice teacher) I fought dyslexia for my right to read, like a prince fights a dragon in order to free the princess locked in a tower, and I won.<br />
Afterwards, I read like a fiend. I invented stories where I could be the princess… or a gifted heroine from another world who kicked bad guy butt to win the heart of a charismatic hero. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? Later, I moved to Florida where I continued to fantasize about superpowers and monsters, fabricating stories (my mother called it lying) and sharing them with my friends.<br />
Then I thought I’d write one down…<br />
Hooked, I’ve been writing ever since. I write historical, contemporary, urban fantasy, adventure, and young adult romances. I love strong heroines, sweeping tales of mystery and epic adventure… which must include a really hot guy. My writing is proof you can work hard to overcome any obstacle. Don’t give up. I say, if you write, write on!</blockquote>
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<b> </b><a href="http://blog.juliereece.com/"><b>Website</b></a> <b>|</b> <a href="https://twitter.com/JulieAReece"><b>Twi</b><b>tter</b></a><b> | </b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/author.julieareece"><b>Facebook</b></a><b> | </b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5294594.Julie_Reece"><b>Goodreads</b></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-17QH0LAlQdQ/U_ST7Nq83dI/AAAAAAAACT4/1yshF9dRKfM/s1600/10383969_10152328698243961_2150893495685964283_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-17QH0LAlQdQ/U_ST7Nq83dI/AAAAAAAACT4/1yshF9dRKfM/s1600/10383969_10152328698243961_2150893495685964283_n.jpg" height="640" width="434" /></a></div>
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<span id="freeText3691570372632937890">I won’t be caught off
guard again. I won’t let them win. They played the first round and won.
Now it’s time for me to even the score. Damon and Leona will pay for
their twisted games. Leona is first. <br /><br />His touch repulses me. <br />His fake affection disgusts me. <br />He sickens me. <br /><br />I
need to get my head in the game. I need to be smart and break their
bond to more easily crush them. Damon is clever. He knows what he’s
doing. He’s been playing the game long enough. <br /><br />He’s twisted. <br />I’m warped. <br /><br />It’s time to finally end this. <br />Time to finally win.</span></div>
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<b><span id="freeText3691570372632937890" style="font-size: x-large;">*Add to</span></b><br />
<b><span id="freeText3691570372632937890" style="font-size: x-large;"> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22931345-warped" target="_blank">Goodreads </a></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span id="freeText3691570372632937890">Book One in the series is OUT NOW!!</span></b></span></div>
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<b><span id="freeText3691570372632937890" style="font-size: large;">Corrupted Book One </span></b></div>
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<span id="freeText3691570372632937890" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Purchase Links</b></span></div>
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<span id="freeText3691570372632937890" style="font-size: large;"><b><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">Amazon US - <a href="http://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Ftinyurl.com%2Fp784bul&h=cAQH4SF0R&s=1" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/p784bul</a><br /> Amazon UK - <a href="http://tinyurl.com/o3fjahz" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/o3fjahz</a><br /> Amazon AU - <a href="http://tinyurl.com/p6vrwmr" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/p6vrwmr</a></span></span></b></span></div>
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<span id="freeText3691570372632937890" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Synopsis</b></span></div>
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<span id="freeText3691570372632937890"> </span><span id="freeText3691570372632937890"><span id="freeText16093253773767019208">I am going to marry a monster. <br />He is my everything. <br />He manipulates people for fun. <br />He takes over their lives, consuming them. He dominates and crushes, ruling them, claiming their souls. <br />No one has survived the games of Damon Hunt, so far. <br /><br />Before now. Before me. <br /><br />I am Ella Knight. I am corrupted. <br />My sister was a victim of Damon's games. <br />It’s my turn to play now. <br />Damon Hunt has been my sole focus, my everything for three years, since my sister’s death. <br />I'll
manipulate him. I'll take over his life, consuming and crushing him. I
am going to take away his soul. Damon Hunt will not survive my games. <br /><br />I will win. <br />I hope.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Author Bio's
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tbu-LI92rvU/U6_a9jO2XWI/AAAAAAAACOw/g5TfTWp97q8/s1600/AuthorPicAlicia.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tbu-LI92rvU/U6_a9jO2XWI/AAAAAAAACOw/g5TfTWp97q8/s1600/AuthorPicAlicia.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="X-NONE">Alicia
Taylor is 28, lives in Derbyshire in the UK with her husband and two
step-daughters. </span></div>
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<span lang="X-NONE">Warped is her second novel which she cowrites with Natalie Townson. This is book two in
the Manipulation Trilogy.</span></div>
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<span lang="X-NONE">Her
love of reading led to blogging which led to this - dipping her toes in the
indie author pool.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100006221655281" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/32341877-alicia-taylor" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/taylorville86" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7JblsW68d5Q/U6_bEG6Pz3I/AAAAAAAACO4/DJdx6awQXN4/s1600/AuthorPicNatalie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7JblsW68d5Q/U6_bEG6Pz3I/AAAAAAAACO4/DJdx6awQXN4/s1600/AuthorPicNatalie.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="X-NONE">Natalie
Townson is 3<span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";"><u>3</u></span></span>, a mother of one beautiful little boy and lives in Gloucester in
the UK with her Husband. </span></div>
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<span lang="X-NONE">Warped is her second novel that is a book two of the manipulation trilogy, that she co
writes with Alicia Taylor. </span><br />
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<span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: x-large;"><b>Connect With Natalie</b></span></span><br />
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<span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: X-NONE; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: X-NONE;"><br clear="all" style="mso-break-type: section-break; page-break-before: always;" /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="X-NONE"><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: X-NONE; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: X-NONE;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorAliciaTaylorandNatalieTownson?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/AuthorNTownson" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-size: large;"><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";">or you can like our facebook page </span></span></b><br />
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<span lang="X-NONE"><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: X-NONE; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: X-NONE;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorAliciaTaylorandNatalieTownson?ref_type=bookmark" target="_blank">Author Alicia Taylor & Natalie Townson </a> </span></span></div>
Bookendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00923302974816745391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832800751293616.post-24441700216541252572014-08-22T09:00:00.000-04:002014-08-22T09:00:01.734-04:00Month9Books Friday Cover Reveal - Vessel by Lisa T. Cresswell<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="M9B-Friday-Reveal" class="aligncenter wp-image-13166" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/M9B-Friday-Reveal.png" height="265" width="640" /></div>
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Welcome to the Cover Reveal for</div>
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VESSEL </h4>
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Lisa T. Cresswell</h4>
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presented by Month9Books!</div>
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<b>Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!</b></div>
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<blockquote>
The sun exploded on On April 18, 2112 in a Class X solar storm the likes of which humankind had never seen.<br />
They had exactly nineteen minutes to decide what to do next.<br />
They had nineteen minutes until a geomagnetic wave washed over the Earth, frying every electrical device created by humans, blacking out entire continents, and every satellite in their sky.<br />
Nineteen minutes to say goodbye to the world they knew, forever, and to prepare for a new Earth, a new Sun.<br /><br />Generations after solar storms destroyed nearly all human technology on Earth, humans reverted to a middle ages-like existence, books are burned as heresy, and all knowledge of the remaining technology is kept hidden by a privileged few called the Reticents.<br />
Alana, a disfigured slave girl, and Recks, a traveling minstrel and sometimes-thief, join forces to bring knowledge and books back to the human race. But when Alana is chosen against her will to be the Vessel, the living repository for all human knowledge, she must find the strength to be what the world needs even if it's the last thing she wants.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23006600-vessel"><img alt="add to goodreads" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1320" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/add-to-goodreads-button3.png" height="62" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>Title:</b> Vessel<br /><b>Publication Date:</b> May 2015</div>
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<b>Publisher:</b> Month9Books, LLC.<br /><b>Author:</b> Lisa T. Cresswell</div>
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<img alt="Chapter-by-Chapter-header---About-the-Author" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-9252" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Chapter-by-Chapter-header-About-the-Author.png" height="198" width="640" /></div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/7wEC86QC42OIldzS9fWx-IwihEtUhP-6JI1GIeRn2MCZNesh5N7EW6vgk943nKRQEZxRWsv_FH9maWTtua4sOY4zokQtGGpZVAZ7bYCXbBjmjhzxfe9jYjQn7OBySdIueNtwQmaf" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lisa T. Cresswell" border="0" class="alignleft wp-image-14299" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Lisa-T.-Cresswell.jpg" height="186" width="133" /></a>Lisa, like most writers, began scribbling silly notes, stories, and poems at a very young age. Born in North Carolina, the South proved fertile ground to her imagination with its beautiful white sand beaches and red earth. In fifth grade, she wrote, directed and starred in a play "The Queen of the Nile" at school, despite the fact that she is decidedly un-Egyptian looking. Perhaps that's why she went on to become a real life archaeologist?</div>
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Unexpectedly transplanted to Idaho as a teenager, Lisa learned to love the desert and the wide open skies out West. This is where her interest in cultures, both ancient and living, really took root, and she became a Great Basin archaeologist. However, the itch to write never did leave for long. Her first books became the middle grade fantasy trilogy, The Storyteller Series. Her first traditionally published work, Hush Puppy, is now available from Featherweight Press.</div>
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Lisa still lives in Idaho with her family and a menagerie of furry critters that includes way too many llamas!</div>
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<b>Connect with the Author:</b></div>
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<b> </b><a href="http://www.lisatcresswell.com/"><b>Website</b></a><b> </b><b>| <a href="https://twitter.com/peach83352">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LisaTCresswell">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5245305.Lisa_Cresswell">Goodreads</a></b></div>
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Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!</div>
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Cross My Heart</div>
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Heroes of Seaside Point, Book 2</div>
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Sometimes honesty is a bitter pill to swallow.
Attempting to escape a minor distraction in her medical career, Dr. Verity Thomas finds that statement to be true when she keeps her past private and her present, secret. Only, her meticulously-planned intentions go horribly wrong when her skeletons escape from the closet and take center stage.
Paramedic Travis Dupree vows to keep Verity's secrets, determined to crack her resolve in the process. Although he isn’t quite sure of her motives, intuition tells him he is wired to cope with the female psyche. After all, he has raised a pair of mischievous twin girls – he deserves a gold medal for patience.
When minor distraction becomes a major roadblock, Travis is forced to break his word and the couple must dismember the skeletons bone by bone in order to build a future.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://amzn.to/1l9anj3">Amazon</a> ~ <a href="http://amzn.to/1uCxPIh">Amazon UK</a> ~ <a href="http://bit.ly/1kHIduW">IBooks</a> ~ <a href="http://bit.ly/1piT4v0">Barnes & Noble</a></span></span>
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Annessa finished her brownie, licked her fingers, and then reached for a napkin. “Let’s get this party started.”
Verity nodded in agreement. “Who was in charge of entertainment?”
“Me.” Annessa’s sly grin almost made her wish she hadn’t asked. “Any requests?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Did you call a stripper?”
“No. That’s what started the trouble last time.”
Lexi frowned. “I though Tequila was responsible.”
“That too,” Annessa mumbled. “This time, I planned a scavenger hunt.”
“That sounds fun!” Lexi sat forward in her chair, obviously intrigued. “Did you warn the neighbors?”
“No.” Annessa grabbed several cards from a table beside the sofa. “I highly doubt the neighbors will have the items on this list.”
Verity accepted her card from Annessa and then read the items she was supposed to collect: a badge, a helmet, a pair of men’s boxers or briefs, a baseball bat, a twenty dollar bill, and a slice of chocolate cake.
Severely competitive by nature, she knew without a doubt she could commandeer each and every item on her list in less than fifteen minutes. Explaining <i>how</i> to her friends, however, would take more than forty five. Time stood still as she attempted to wrap her brain around the minute possibility of giving up before the game began.
Finally, she cleared her throat. “How on Earth am I supposed to get number three?”
Annessa leaned down to read the list and then grinned while she straightened. “Surely you know someone who will hand over his boxers.”
No need to hand them over, there was an extra pair in her dresser drawer – a fact she refused to share with the other women. Instead, she attempted to turn the tables. “I see an unfair advantage here.”
“Don’t worry, Verity.” Lexi shrugged, obviously not as concerned about acquiring a pair of men’s underwear. “I’m in the same boat.”
Annessa raised an eyebrow. “Are you in or out?”
“I’m in as long as we agree that you and Vanessa have to ambush someone other than Dane and Casey.”
“Fine, but I have another stipulation. You can’t buy them, they have to come off a warm body.”
“You guys are always so much fun!” Lexi giggled and stood.
Annessa cocked her head to one side. “Travis hasn’t given you the <i>steer clear of the Dupree twins</i> warning?”
Verity laughed out loud and then immediately realized she’d given them a wealth of information. A shiver crossed her neck when Annessa moved her gaze directly into hers.
“He warned you, huh?”
“He might’ve mentioned something like that.”
“Oh, really? When?”
Vanessa swallowed hard and held her ground. “He carted me out of McGill’s the same time Casey did you, remember?”
“He did, didn’t he?” Her friend simply nodded. “Better you than me.”
“So, how long is this hunt going to take?” Vanessa gestured at the kitchen. “I don’t want the pie to burn.”
“We each have six items to collect,” Annessa explained. “I say we meet back here in an hour. The first one to return with all her booty wins.”
Still hesitant, Verity rubbed her card against her palm. “What’s the prize?”
“Well, if you’re lucky, you’ll find your own prize. But at far as the party is concerned, you win bragging rights.”
“For what?”
Annessa’s mischievous grin returned. “Talking a man out of his boxers.”
“I’m taking the pie out.” Vanessa headed for the kitchen. “I’ll finish cooking it when we’re done.”
Annessa lifted her wrist and glanced at her watch. “Synchronize your watches, ladies. As soon as Vanessa returns, the game begins.”
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<b>I’m Yours – Jason Mraz</b></div>
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<b>Fighter – Christina Aguilera</b></div>
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<b> <span style="font-size: x-large;">Mia Dymond </span></b><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div>
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I write contemporary romance novels with sexy, alpha males and females with attitude to boot. I live in a zoo,hold down a full time job, and am trying to coax my creative muse from her cage. So BEWARE, the madness may rub off on you!</div>
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<b>~ <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mia.dymond?fref=ts">Facebook</a></b>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> Other books in this series:</b>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tattoo My Heart -FREE on </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://amzn.to/1Bl8pAL" target="_blank">AMAZON</a> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> <a href="http://bit.ly/1rClDm3" target="_blank">iBooks</a> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b> for a limited time</b></span></div>
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It all began with a sixth shot of Tequila ...
Independent, carefree Annessa Dupree knows she has a knack for attracting trouble but doesn't realize her true talent until she witnesses a wedding day murder. Armed with the terrible secret, running home is her only option.
Sheriff Casey McIntyre has loved Annessa since the tender age of twelve, trouble and all. Hell-bent on mending past differences between them, he welcomes her home with open arms.
When Annessa is forced to reveal the real reason for her return, Casey must save her life while earning her trust.
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Giveaway</b></span></div>
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Mia is giving away a $10 amazon gift card and 3 swag packs</div>
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<b><a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/03bad0a357/" id="rc-03bad0a357" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a></b></div>
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Bookendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00923302974816745391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832800751293616.post-50408336253896826462014-08-15T09:00:00.001-04:002014-08-15T09:00:02.316-04:00Month9Books Friday Reveal - Horror Business by Ryan Craig Bradford<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="M9B-Friday-Reveal" class="aligncenter wp-image-13166" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/M9B-Friday-Reveal.png" height="265" width="640" /></div>
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Welcome to the Cover Reveal for</div>
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Horror Business </h4>
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Ryan Craig Bradford</h4>
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presented by Month9Books!</div>
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<b>Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!</b></div>
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Armed with a passion for classic B-grade horror movies, a script co-written by his twin brother, and a wicked crush on his death-obsessed neighbor; hardcore horror fan Jason Nightshade must finish his student film.<br />
But his plans are derailed when the children of suburban Silver Creek start disappearing – his twin brother among them. Battling a possessed video camera, a crazy zombie dog, a monstrous bully, and a frighteningly broken down family life, Jason embarks on a mission to find his lost brother so the two can write an ending for his story.<br />
As any horror fan knows, saving the day won't be easy, as Jason finds himself forced to face the real world where death isn't just a splash of fake blood on a camera lens.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22916902-horror-business"><img alt="add to goodreads" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1320" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/add-to-goodreads-button3.png" height="41" width="130" /></a></div>
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<b>Title:</b> Horror Business<br /><b>Publication Date:</b> February 2015<br /><b>Publisher:</b> Month9Books, LLC.<br /><b>Author:</b> Ryan Craig Bradford</div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/0uybX-W03sXpe9SX6Qu3XMZkuqJc5aTa-K4T1Eiu9baBVZNM6xYS_27wuNJoZxzjdIzmV1kuE52DBY0upbKi7WdKOWIpFvlp42VZCq0IIgpIPOPPPlR7efjDIYcP8Wfla86bHuQUv-xr7dc" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="ryanauthorpic3-300x200" border="0" class="aligncenter wp-image-14207" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/ryanauthorpic3-300x200.jpg" height="140" width="210" /></a>Ryan grew up in Park City, Utah. His fiction has appeared in Quarterly West, Paper Darts, Vice, Monkeybicycle and [PANK]. He currently lives in San Diego where he acts as Creative Director for the nonprofit literary arts organization So Say We All. He’s the co-editor of the anthology Last Night on Earth and founder of the literary horror journal, Black Candies.</div>
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<b>Connect with the Author: </b><a href="http://ryancbradford.com/"><b>Website</b></a> <b>|</b> <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/theryanbradford"><b>Twi</b><b>tter </b></a></div>
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Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!</div>
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(Winners will receive their book on release day)</div>
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<a href="http://blogtours.yareads.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/who-we-were-cover-reveal.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="who we were cover reveal" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-981" src="http://blogtours.yareads.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/who-we-were-cover-reveal.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></div>
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“Who we were had washed away with the summer. Who we are was yet to be seen.”
Summer school at Alcott High was only supposed to gain Sadie Peters extra credit, nothing more. Her goal wasn’t to make friends, or gain the attention of the most popular football player, yet she managed both. Her life was cruising along on course … until that summer.
Could a simple stint in a different school change her identity completely and introduce her to love for the first time? How would that affect her relationship with Lily, her best friend?
Hopefully their friendship was strong enough to make it through the tumultuous summer. Sadie learns that great things come with change, but sometimes memories of the past are hardest to part with.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>About the Author:</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://blogtours.yareads.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Christy-Sloat.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Christy Sloat" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-742" src="http://blogtours.yareads.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Christy-Sloat-201x300.png" height="200" width="134" /></a>Christy Sloat is a SoCal born girl who resides in New Jersey currently with her husband, two daughters and Sophie her Chihuahua. Christy has embraced the love of reading and writing since her youth and was inspired by her grandmother’s loving support. Christy passes that love of reading, writing, and creativity to her daughters, family, and friends. When you do not find Christy within the pages of a book you can find her being mommy, wife, crafter, and dear friend. She loves adventurous journeys with her friends and can be known to get lost inside a bookstore. Be sure to venture into her Past Lives Series, The Visitor’s Series, and watch for many more exciting things to come.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Check out her: </b></span></div>
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<b>Website</b> <a href="http://www.christysloat.com/" target="_blank">www.christysloat.com</a></div>
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<b> Blog</b> <a href="http://christysloat.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://christysloat.blogspot.com/</a></div>
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<b> Facebook:</b> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/christysloatauthor" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/christysloatauthor</a> </div>
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<b>Twitter:</b> <a href="https://twitter.com/christysloat" target="_blank">@ChristySloat</a>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">This cover reveal was organized by YaReads Blog Tours
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Bookendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00923302974816745391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832800751293616.post-89168890585874108502014-08-12T09:00:00.000-04:002014-08-12T09:00:02.383-04:00Fire & Icing Series by Jessie Evans ~ New Covers Revealed!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After ten years as America’s sweetest celebrity chef, Naomi Whitehouse is enjoying life out of the spotlight. Life is good until she runs into her high school sweetheart, a sexy firefighter who gives her a reception chilly enough to freeze a forest fire. But as the month passes, Jake and Naomi discover some fires never burn out.</span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H8Q5AGI/ref=nosim?tag=smutbookjunki-20&linkCode=sb1&camp=212353&creative=380549" target="_blank">Amazon</a> ~ <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/melt-with-you-jessie-evans/1117663086?cm_mmc=affiliates-_-linkshare-_-kumfr3mvqss-_-10%3a1&ean=2940045610018&isbn=2940148893981&r=1" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> ~ <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/melt-with-you/id738542880?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4" target="_blank">iTunes</a>
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<a href="https://smutbookjunkie.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/hotforyourevamp.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="HotForYourevamp" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-3456" src="http://smutbookjunkie.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/hotforyourevamp.jpg?w=198" height="300" width="198" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>HOT FOR YOU</b></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Faith Miller has faith in two things—her surrogate firehouse family, and her own two hands—and she needs a man in her life like a fish needs a bicycle. But when Mick Whitehouse moves back to Summerville, Faith’s happy, single life is turned upside down. Soon, Faith must choose: let fear of repeating her mother’s mistakes send her running, or have faith in the man she’s come to love?
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I34C35A/ref=nosim?tag=smutbookjunki-20&linkCode=sb1&camp=212353&creative=380549" target="_blank">Amazon</a> ~ <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hot-for-you-jessie-evans/1118328929?ean=2940148337508&cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-kuMfr3MVQss-_-10:1&r=1" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> ~ <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/hot-for-you/id738549274?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4" target="_blank">iTunes</a>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>SWEET TO YOU</b></span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> When s'mores and whiskey shots lead to skinny-dipping at a singles' camping retreat, Maddie Whitehouse knows she won't be able to resist another steamy encounter with the sexy firefighter her childhood friend, Jamison, has become...even if he is off limits.
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I8PM3Y0/ref=nosim?tag=smutbookjunki-20&linkCode=sb1&camp=212353&creative=380549" target="_blank">Amazon</a> ~ <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sweet-to-you-jessie-evans/1118477792?ean=2940148339137&cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-kuMfr3MVQss-_-10:1&r=1" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> ~ <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sweet-to-you/id738553309?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4" target="_blank">ITunes</a>
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<b> </b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>PERFECT FOR YOU</b></span>
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<a href="https://smutbookjunkie.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/perfectforyourevamp.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="PerfectforYourevamp" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-3454" src="http://smutbookjunkie.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/perfectforyourevamp.jpg?w=198" height="300" width="198" /></a> <span style="font-size: large;">When art teacher Dawn Fuller signed up for “Speed Dating with Doughnuts” in her new hometown of Atlanta, the most she hoped for was a night away from her empty apartment and a maple cruller—anything to distract her from the loneliness she has felt since her kids left for their first summer visitation with their father. But when the night arrives and Trent Baron, her former college nemesis, sits down across the Speed Dating table, Dawn realizes she may be getting more of a distraction than she bargained for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The one you save may be yourself…</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Things in Summerville, Georgia are still hot, hot, hot—
Faith gets a send-off any bachelorette would envy—complete with sexy male strippers from Atlanta.
Maddie and Jamison encounter the first bump in their relationship (and a little grind, too).
Jake and Naomi are tested when a friend mysteriously disappears.
Psychic Lucy Bledsoe must learn to trust her new firefighter boyfriend, Brandon, as she struggles to save a life that hangs in the balance.
Come along for the ride as Summerville's sexiest firefighters and their soul mates take the final steps on the path to happily-ever-after as the second Summerville series winds to a close. </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I8QTQ6C/ref=nosim?tag=smutbookjunki-20&linkCode=sb1&camp=212353&creative=380549" target="_blank">Amazon</a> ~ <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/saving-you-jessie-evans/1118477796?ean=2940148339175&cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-kuMfr3MVQss-_-10:1&r=1" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> ~ <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/saving-you/id810214419?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4" target="_blank">iTunes</a>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>About the Author</b></span></div>
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Jessie Evans gave up a career as an international woman of mystery to write the sassy, Southern romances, and sexy, New Adult romances she loves to read.</div>
She's married to the man of her dreams, and together they're raising a few adorable, mischievous children in a tree house in the boonies. She grew up in rural Arkansas, spending summers running wild, being chewed by chiggers, and now appreciates her home in a chigger-free part of the world even more.
When she's not writing, Jessie enjoys playing her dulcimer (badly), sewing the worlds ugliest quilts to give to her friends, going for bike rides with her house full of boys, and wandering the woods, glass of wine and camera in hand, on the lookout for Bigfoot.
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<a href="http://www.jessieevansauthor.com/">Website</a> | <a href="http://wix.us7.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=af39090f856fd9e138bd92133&id=19d01651dc">Mailing List</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/JessieDEvans">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JessieEvansRomance">Facebook</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Giveaway</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Jessie is giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card and e-copy of Fire & Icing</span></div>
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/03bad0a353/" id="rc-03bad0a353" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a></div>
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Bookendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00923302974816745391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832800751293616.post-35609066886259516732014-08-08T09:00:00.000-04:002014-08-08T09:00:01.808-04:00Month9Books Friday Reveal: Dead Jed 2 by Scott Craven<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="M9B-Friday-Reveal" class="aligncenter wp-image-13166" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/M9B-Friday-Reveal.png" height="265" width="640" /></div>
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Welcome to the Cover Reveal for</div>
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Dead Jed 2: Dawn of the Jed </h4>
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Scott Craven</h4>
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presented by Month9Books!</div>
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<b>Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!</b></div>
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After a tumultuous first semester in seventh grade, Jed Rivers returns triumphant or so he thinks. After embracing his undeadness to put his archenemy Robbie in his place, the thirteen-year-old zombie thought he’d have a much easier time surviving the second semester relatively intact. That was before he came across the antizombie propaganda published by the mysterious NZN Network, a group trying to push Hollywood stereotypes as the truth. Through fear-mongering and outright lies, the NZN Network will stop at nothing to get Jed expelled.</div>
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Jed s attempts to blend in get even more difficult when news spreads that he’s created a zombie dog. And it’s no rumor. Jed shocks even himself when, after seeing a dog get hit by a car, he brings the dog back to life or at least to undeadness when some of his ooze slips into the dog s wounds. The good news is that Jed always wanted a faithful canine companion. The bad news is that the creation of Tread (so called for the mark on his ribcage) unnerves Jed s best friend Luke. Luke abandons Jed, who then learns Luke has been feeding the NZN Network inside information.</div>
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Determined to unmask those behind NZN, Jed gets his opportunity at the end of the school year during Pine Hollow s annual Science Fair. When the NZN s experiment goes horribly awry, Jed has a chance to show people that being undead isn’t always a bad thing.</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20703664-dead-jed-2?from_search=true" target="_blank"><img alt="add to goodreads" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1320" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/add-to-goodreads-button3.png" height="62" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>Title:</b> DEAD JED 2<br /><b>Publication Date:</b> December 2, 2014<br /><b>Publisher:</b> Month9Books, LLC.<br /><b>Author:</b> Scott Craven</div>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/kqvVP40bg2r09UXvFn1uwbwFrPrOJ4Um3ANU2TNSVGkqNFwvsNGuYWPV73DS1dD6nFDC2Qn9xiF-Q4x5ZlePnIWzbWZ2BdWi9EvhGd5FwUKCkbnAN9_vqxYv7dOEqJnE7nk" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Scott Craven" border="0" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-14145" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Scott-Craven.jpeg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Proud graduate of Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, have one son who will turn 18 in March 2013, now a features writer for The Arizona Republic.</span></div>
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<b>Connect with the Author: </b><a href="http://scott-craven.com/"><b>Website</b></a><b> </b><b>| <a href="https://twitter.com/Scott_Craven2">Twitter </a></b></div>
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Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!</div>
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(Winners will receive their book on release day)</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">BURIED by
Selena Laurence</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Release Day Blitz
and Giveaway</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Buried</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Hiding from Love
#3 </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">by Selena
Laurence</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Releases
August 4, 2014</span></div>
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<a href="http://amzn.to/1rWX4AH" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6832800751293616" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://amzn.to/1rWX4AH" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">* Stand Alone
Novel *</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22459086-buried?from_search=true" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></span></span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large;">Synopsis</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Seven years ago,
Juan Martinez lost everything—his only parent, his home, his life as he’d known it. Alone, lost,
and desperate, he turned to the Reyes Hispanos—the RH—one of the most violent gangs in
South Texas. But when you sell your soul to the devil, you pay a heavy price. Convicted of a
drive-by shooting, Juan has served hard time. Finally out on parole, he wants to disappear—
from the RH, from memories of all that he’s lost, and especially from the gorgeous woman who
just showed up next door. <br /><br />Beth Garcia grew up following after her older brother,
David, and his best friend, Juan. She always dreamed of a day when she’d be old enough for
Juan to look at her as someone other than David’s little sister. But he disappeared at seventeen,
after his mother was deported, and Beth thought she’d lost him forever. When she finds him
living at the halfway house next door, she knows he’s still the same guy inside. Determined to
save him from himself and the RH, Beth sets out to prove that he didn’t commit the crime he
was convicted of. But the path to absolution is dark, and even Beth may not be able to discover
the real Juan. <br /><br />Can a man with a damaged soul and a beautiful heart let a woman
with fierce loyalty and unwavering love risk it all to save him? Or will his past bury them both this
time?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><u><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Links </b></span></u></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Amazon US </b>--> <a href="http://amzn.to/UKjSbJ" target="_blank">http://amzn.to/UKjSbJ</a><br /><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>B&N</b> --> <a href="http://bit.ly/1qXpeyt" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1qXpeyt</a><br /><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>iTunes</b> --> <a href="http://bit.ly/1ra0NeJ" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1ra0NeJ </a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <u><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">*My Review*</span></b><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></u><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GOBbGaeC6Kc/U-LSC1uriuI/AAAAAAAABmY/mXyT8H84N-o/s1600/four+stars+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GOBbGaeC6Kc/U-LSC1uriuI/AAAAAAAABmY/mXyT8H84N-o/s1600/four+stars+copy.jpg" height="106" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span><span class="readable reviewText"><span id="freeTextreview1019093413">** Bookends received a free e-copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review**<br /><br />
*Before I start this review I would like to point out that this is
the first book in this series that I've had the pleasure of reading so
far. I never like to read a series out of order so I will be remedying
that very soon*<br /><br /> I really liked this book. Some of the scenes
were a little too high octane and a little on the unrealistic or overly
convenient side but after a reminder to myself that this is fiction and
should be treated as such, I settled in and enjoyed the ride.<br /><br />
Like all of Selena Laurence's books that I've read, this one is very
well written and the storyline flows nicely. The characters are
extremely likeable (even the bad guys!) and there is never a dull moment
or lag in the action. I really liked that the chapters alternated
characters so the reader had the opportunity to connect personally with
each one. I'm pretty sure I fell in love with Miguel after reading his
chapter! And I really loved the Lush reference and the way it took me
back to a great book. It was one of those "A-HA!" moments. I definitely
remember reading that particular scene not all that long ago and it was
like getting a very welcome visit from old friends. <br /><br /> Buried
is an awesome book that only confirmed my belief that Selena Laurence is
a great author. I will definitely be going back and reading this series
from the beginning.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>The Hiding
from Love series</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Hidden </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">(Nick &
Lyndsey)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18006312-hidden" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Goodreads<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> | </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></a><a href="http://amzn.to/1wmWpcG" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Amazon </a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hidden-a-hiding-from-love-novel-selena-laurence/1116048821?ean=2940148393085&itm=1&usri=selena+laurence" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">B&N</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> | </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><a href="http://bit.ly/1ua5SCW" style="family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">iTunes</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Camouflaged </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">(Gabe &
Alexis)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">** FREE **</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18296685-camouflaged" target="_blank">Goodreads | </a><a href="http://amzn.to/1nzp65B" target="_blank">Amazon </a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/camouflaged-selena-laurence/1117652055?ean=2940148998433&itm=1&usri=selena+laurence" target="_blank">B&N | </a><a href="http://bit.ly/1o2XrMf" target="_blank">iTunes</a><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Concealed </b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">(Gabe &
Alexis)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18872632-concealed" target="_blank">Goodreads | </a><a href="http://amzn.to/1sfVME8" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/concealed-selena-laurence/1117746045?ean=2940148873549&itm=1&usri=selena+laurence" target="_blank">B&N | </a><a href="http://bit.ly/1q608wo" target="_blank">iTunes</a><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</span></span></span><br />
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Buried </b></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">(Juan &
Beth)</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22459086-buried" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>
| <a href="http://amzn.to/1rWX4AH" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://bit.ly/1qXpeyt" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">B&N</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> | </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><a href="http://bit.ly/1ra0NeJ" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">iTunes</a></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nlu--iNdpNg/U0P4avJXI5I/AAAAAAAABrE/52YX4QAfC_4/s1600/selenaPIC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></a></span></span></span></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-poBgzXqWoag/U-LRRGzvPLI/AAAAAAAABmI/a1aH0P-M4lU/s1600/selenaPIC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-poBgzXqWoag/U-LRRGzvPLI/AAAAAAAABmI/a1aH0P-M4lU/s1600/selenaPIC.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Selena
Laurence</b> is the Barnes and Noble Bestselling author of what she likes to call
Edgy Contemporary Romance. Her books have been Amazon Top 10 bestsellers in multiple
categories including Multicultural Romance, Hispanic Fiction, Urban Fiction, Military Romance,
and Romantic Suspense. Her New Adult romance, Hidden, won the 2014 Reader's Crown
Award for Contemporary Romance of the year.<br /><br />Selena lives in the foothills of the
Rocky Mountains and spends a hell of a lot of time at soccer games, on her laptop, and reading.
She requires a Mocha Latte every day to function, keeps a goldendoodle at her feet most of the
time, and has more kids than she or Mr. Laurence know what to do with.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Connect with
Selena</b></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/people/Selena-Laurence/100003680487923">Facebook | </a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6995625.Selena_Laurence?from_search=true">Goodreads</a></b></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://selenalaurence.com/">Web</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/SelenaLaurence" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> | </span><a href="http://selenalaurence.tumblr.com/" style="family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">Tumblr</a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://plus.google.com/+SelenalaurenceRomance" target="_blank">Google +</a> |
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/selenalaurence/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://instagram.com/selenalaurence/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>
| <a href="http://selenalaurence.us3.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=39fb881ae75904f2ea0244f47&id=8211f783e6" target="_blank">Newsletter</a></span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Selena is also
author of the <b>Lush Series</b>, a story of four high school friends who form the rock
band Lush. Take a ride with rock stars, men, brothers, and lovers, as Joss, Walsh, Mike,
and Colin discover what it means to succeed, to fail, to hurt, and to love.</span></span></span></span></div>
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Rafflecopter giveaway</span></a></span></span></span><br />
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Bookendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00923302974816745391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832800751293616.post-26154370438836163922014-08-05T09:00:00.000-04:002014-08-05T09:00:04.535-04:00Corrupted by Alicia Taylor & Natalie Townson ~ Promo!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3ynjEWvdSSE/U96Mrq93JHI/AAAAAAAACSA/iQdRjzmTphQ/s1600/Blog+Tour+Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3ynjEWvdSSE/U96Mrq93JHI/AAAAAAAACSA/iQdRjzmTphQ/s1600/Blog+Tour+Banner.jpg" height="236" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xf-HFiG5WZk/U817qb7g4aI/AAAAAAAACRY/tm7Nq_gpBeA/s1600/corrupted-final2-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xf-HFiG5WZk/U817qb7g4aI/AAAAAAAACRY/tm7Nq_gpBeA/s1600/corrupted-final2-cover.jpg" height="640" width="433" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Synopsis</b> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
I am going to marry a monster.
<br />
<br />
He is my everything.
<br />
He manipulates people for fun. He takes over their lives, consuming
them. He dominates and crushes, ruling them, claiming their souls. No
one can survive the games of Damon Hunt.
<br />
<br />
Before now. Before me.
<br />
<br />
I am Ella Knight. I am corrupted. My sister was a victim of Damon's games. It’s my turn to play now.
<br />
<br />
Damon Hunt has been my sole focus, my everything for three years,
since my sister’s death. I'll manipulate him. I'll take over his life,
consuming and crushing him. I am going to take away his soul. Damon Hunt
will not survive my games. I will win.
<br />
<br />
I hope.<br />
<br />
Add to <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22536547-corrupted" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GiKZCJ7mIgs/U819lMSmfdI/AAAAAAAACRk/Hxr-VR5B_D4/s1600/10477407_10202331597514090_94274772_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GiKZCJ7mIgs/U819lMSmfdI/AAAAAAAACRk/Hxr-VR5B_D4/s1600/10477407_10202331597514090_94274772_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> <b>Excerpt </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".wl.$mid=11405975760951=288291608f31fc9a081.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span class="null">“Ella,”
he rasps. “You’re gonna fuckin’ kill me. Sweet Jesus, baby.” He closes
the distance between us in two strides. When he’s close enough, his
hands grip on my hips and pull me into him. Our bodies clash, my blood
ignites.
Need washes through me. Damon’s scent envelopes me, he smells pure male.
My chest heaves as I look up into his eyes, my breasts brushing against
his chest with every inhale.
“I can see everything, beauty. Every fucking thing. The rounded globes
of your perfect arse, the mound of your pussy, the dimples at the back
of your knees.” His hands move down to grip my arse cheeks. He squeezes
roughly before pulling me into his hard cock. I moan as the move hits
the perfect spot. “God, I need to keep you.”</span></span><br />
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".wl.$mid=11405975760951=288291608f31fc9a081.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span class="null"><br /></span></span>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b0SwEVvbdiQ/U96NbwZXrYI/AAAAAAAACSI/sXITK5-YmkE/s1600/Teaser+one.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-b0SwEVvbdiQ/U96NbwZXrYI/AAAAAAAACSI/sXITK5-YmkE/s1600/Teaser+one.jpg" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".wl.$mid=11405975760951=288291608f31fc9a081.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span class="null">Sweeter Excerpt </span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".wl.$mid=11405975760951=288291608f31fc9a081.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span class="null">“Morning,”
he whispers into my neck as he nuzzles. I gasp at the soft stroke of
his tongue on my neck. “I can smell you. I’ll have your scent stuck in
my head all day. I need a taste.” He sucks my earlobe into his mouth as
he nibbles me. “Just one taste. I have to have one taste.” The huskiness
of his desire filled voice makes my knees weak. I melt into his body,
letting the feelings he’s evoking within me take over.</span></span><br />
<span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".wl.$mid=11405975760951=288291608f31fc9a081.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span class="null"><br /></span></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WnVbkdzsnuU/U96Nm1uEomI/AAAAAAAACSQ/Ovjj49yH6r8/s1600/Teaser+two.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WnVbkdzsnuU/U96Nm1uEomI/AAAAAAAACSQ/Ovjj49yH6r8/s1600/Teaser+two.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b><span class="_5yl5" data-reactid=".wl.$mid=11405975760951=288291608f31fc9a081.2:0.0.0.0.0"><span class="null"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Purchase Links</span> </span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M01NPOK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00M01NPOK&linkCode=as2&tag=isllovbooclu-20" target="_blank">Amazon US</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00M01NPOK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00M01NPOK&linkCode=as2&tag=isllovbooclu-21" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> | <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00M01NPOK" target="_blank">Amazon AU</a></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Author Bio's
</b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tbu-LI92rvU/U6_a9jO2XWI/AAAAAAAACOw/g5TfTWp97q8/s1600/AuthorPicAlicia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tbu-LI92rvU/U6_a9jO2XWI/AAAAAAAACOw/g5TfTWp97q8/s1600/AuthorPicAlicia.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="X-NONE">Alicia
Taylor is 28, lives in Derbyshire in the UK with her husband and two
step-daughters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="X-NONE">Corrupted
is her debut novel which she cowrites with Natalie Townson. This is book one in
the Manipulation Trilogy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="X-NONE">Her
love of reading led to blogging which led to this - dipping her toes in the
indie author pool.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="X-NONE"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
<h2>
Connect with Alicia</h2>
<div>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100006221655281" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/32341877-alicia-taylor" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/taylorville86" target="_blank">Twitter</a></div>
</div>
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<span lang="X-NONE"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7JblsW68d5Q/U6_bEG6Pz3I/AAAAAAAACO4/DJdx6awQXN4/s1600/AuthorPicNatalie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7JblsW68d5Q/U6_bEG6Pz3I/AAAAAAAACO4/DJdx6awQXN4/s1600/AuthorPicNatalie.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="X-NONE"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Section1">
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="X-NONE">Natalie
Townson is 31, a mother of one beautiful little boy and lives in Gloucester in
the UK with her Husband. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="X-NONE">Corrupted
is her debut novel that is a book one of the manipulation trilogy, that she co
writes with Alicia Taylor. She is currently working on book two of the series
which is nearly complete.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="X-NONE">
<span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: X-NONE; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: X-NONE;"><br clear="all" style="mso-break-type: section-break; page-break-before: always;" /></span></span><br />
<span lang="X-NONE" style="font-size: large;">
<span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif";"><b>Connect With Natalie</b></span></span><br />
<span lang="X-NONE">
<span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: X-NONE; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: X-NONE;"><br clear="all" style="mso-break-type: section-break; page-break-before: always;" /></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="CSP-ChapterBodyText-FirstParagraph" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="X-NONE"><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: X-NONE; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: X-NONE;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorAliciaTaylorandNatalieTownson?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/AuthorNTownson" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="X-NONE"><span lang="X-NONE" style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: X-NONE; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: X-NONE;">or you can like our facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorAliciaTaylorandNatalieTownson?ref_type=bookmark" target="_blank">Author Alicia Taylor & Natalie Townson </a> </span></span><br />
<span lang="X-NONE"><br /></span>
<span lang="X-NONE">Join the blog tour release party: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/838228482855761/?fref=ts">https://www.facebook.com/events/838228482855761/</a></span></div>
</div>
Bookendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00923302974816745391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832800751293616.post-40370051862358528132014-08-04T09:00:00.000-04:002014-08-04T09:00:06.806-04:00Cutlass by Ashley Nixon ~ Book Blitz!<div style="color: #363636;">
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<a href="http://blogtours.yareads.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/cutlass-banner.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="cutlass banner" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-907" src="http://blogtours.yareads.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/cutlass-banner-300x129.jpg" height="275" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://blogtours.yareads.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Cutlass.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Cutlass" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-870" src="http://blogtours.yareads.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Cutlass-200x300.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Title:</b> Cutlass </span></div>
<div style="color: #363636; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Author:</b> Ashley Nixon</span></div>
<div style="color: #363636; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Genre:</b> YA/Fantasy/Adventure</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Published:</b> April 23rd, 2014</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Publisher:</b> StarSeed Press</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18755539-cutlass" style="color: #02bcfd; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XBAYsKywr-M/UHyVZqjmMjI/AAAAAAAAUBg/u1nnyouaWqo/s1600/badge1.jpg" height="47" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Notorious pirate Barren Reed has one thing on his mind: Revenge against the man who killed his father. So kidnapping his enemy’s fiancé seems a perfect plan…until he actually does it. </span><br style="color: black;" /><br style="color: black;" /><span style="color: black;">Larkin Lee is more than a pretty face and fiancé to a powerful man. Her fierce personality is enough to make any pirate want to push her overboard. </span><br style="color: black;" /><br style="color: black;" /><span style="color: black;">But when the King of the Orient comes to Barren with a task—to find the Bloodstone, a powerful gem thought only to exist in legend, Barren sees another opportunity to destroy his enemy. Together, Barren, Larkin and a crew of pirates set off to find the stone, only to discover it caused the death of Barren’s own mother and Larkin’s, too. As his strongest allies turn into his greatest enemies, and the life of the girl he kidnapped becomes more important than he ever dreamed, Barren’s quest for revenge becomes a fight to save the Orient.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Excerpt: </b>
</span></div>
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Larkin had a hard time trudging through the mushy path of water, rocks
and mud wearing a ball gown. She tripped several times on the too long
skirt, only to be caught up in the ever-present arms of her
kidnapper. It was infuriating. She would prefer being covered in mud,
rather than allowing Barren’s constant attempts to keep her on her feet.
She couldn’t really figure out how to feel—she was scared, yes, but also
strangely intrigued. She knew why they’d taken her: as bait to lure
William to sea. Her father had warned her that she might be targeted,
and she felt stupid having been taken. Every time she looked at Barren,
anger flared in her chest.
She’d decided to leave the engagement party after spotting Barren. She’d
gone through her options—returning home meant signaling a carriage and
drawing attention, and while the castle might offer safety, it didn’t
offer her peace. That’s why she’d chosen to head to shore—why would a
pirate ever suspect she’d go there? She was a lady, after all. She’d
thought she had been discreet on her way out, even escaping Barren
Reed’s notice…but, instead, she’d drawn it.
She fell again and jerked away when she felt his hand on her arm.
“I am perfectly capable of standing on my own,” she spat.
Barren gave a short laugh. “Really? Because you’ve been stumbling all
over since we left the ship.”
Larkin reached down and gathered her dress up as much as she could and
continued forward. “If it is too bothersome for you, we can cut the
skirt away.”
Larkin twisted, almost slipping as she did. Her eyes fell upon Barren,
narrow and unkind.
“You will <i>not</i> touch me.”
Barren held up his hands. “I was just offering an option to ease your
struggling.”
“I’m not struggling!”
She turned around and to her great annoyance, fell again as the rocks
and mud gave way beneath her feet. This time, Barren stood aside as she
got to her feet again. She refused to look at him, her face burning with
embarrassment.
<b> </b><br />
<br />
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<div style="color: #363636;">
<b>Amazon: </b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cutlass-Ashley-Nixon-ebook/dp/B00JUI2QJ6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404774116&sr=1-1&keywords=cutlass+by+ashley+nixon" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/<wbr></wbr>Cutlass-Ashley-Nixon-ebook/dp/<wbr></wbr>B00JUI2QJ6/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&<wbr></wbr>ie=UTF8&qid=1404774116&sr=1-1&<wbr></wbr>keywords=cutlass+by+ashley+<wbr></wbr>nixon</a></div>
<div style="color: #363636;">
<b>B&N: </b><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cutlass-ashley-nixon/1119322567?ean=9780991132300" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.<wbr></wbr>barnesandnoble.com/w/cutlass-<wbr></wbr>ashley-nixon/1119322567?ean=<wbr></wbr>9780991132300</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>About the Author:</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://blogtours.yareads.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Ashley-Nixon.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ashley Nixon" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-871" src="http://blogtours.yareads.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Ashley-Nixon-200x300.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a><br />
Ashley was born and raised in Oklahoma, where the wind really does sweep down the plains, and horses and carriages aren’t used as much as she’d like. When she’s not writing, she’s hard at work on her Master’s degree in Library Science and Information Technology, working out, or pretending she’s Sherlock Holmes. Her obsession with writing began after reading the Lord of the Rings in the eighth grade. Since then, she’s loved everything Fantasy–resulting in an unhealthy obsession with the ‘geek’ tab on Pinterest, where all things awesome go.</div>
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<b>Blog:</b> <a href="http://ashley-nixon.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">ashley-nixon.blogspot.com</a></div>
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<div style="color: black; text-align: center;">
<b>Website:</b> <a href="http://ashley-nixon.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">ashley-nixon.com</a></div>
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<b>GoodReads:</b> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5199530.Ashley_Nixon" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.<wbr></wbr>goodreads.com/author/show/<wbr></wbr>5199530.Ashley_Nixon</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The Giveaway:</b> </span></div>
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$10 Amazon GC</div>
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Bookendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00923302974816745391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832800751293616.post-5087407958820845722014-08-02T09:00:00.000-04:002014-08-02T09:00:02.042-04:00Greed by Karina Espinosa ~ Book Blitz!<div class="gmail_default" style="color: #222222;">
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<a href="http://blogtours.yareads.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Sins-of-the-Fallen1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sins of the Fallen" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-801" src="http://blogtours.yareads.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Sins-of-the-Fallen1-200x300.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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<b> </b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Title:</b> Sins of the Fallen (Sins of the Fallen #1) <b>Author:</b> Karina Espinosa</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Genre:</b> YA Fantasy</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Pages: </b>263</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Publication Date:</b> January 28th, 2014</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21536364-sins-of-the-fallen" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21536364-sins-of-the-fallen" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yZqFlmCggTo/U9U-O7Mz8xI/AAAAAAAABjo/NwJdhALpyEc/s1600/add-to-goodreads-button3.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #181818;">When seventeen-year-old Maximillion Taylor and his best friend, Jones go to a house party, he doesn't expect to get kidnapped—much less by a succubus—and she's not the only one on the hunt. Thrown into a world of angels and demons, where nothing and no one is what they seem, Max ventures to find his true identity and learn to fight the demons who pursue him. When his origin is revealed, it's a race against the clock for a battle that will determine whether he can protect the ones he loves or succumb to his true nature. Through lies, betrayal, love and pain, Max must prepare to face the demons before it is too late…</span></div>
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<b>Amazon</b>: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sins-Fallen-1-Karina-Espinosa/dp/0615957668/ref=la_B00I299A52_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406428390&sr=1-1">http://www.amazon.com/Sins-Fallen-1-Karina-Espinosa/dp/0615957668/ref=la_B00I299A52_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406428390&sr=1-1</a></div>
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<b>B&N</b>: <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sins-of-the-fallen-karina-espinosa/1118328389?ean=9780615957661">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sins-of-the-fallen-karina-espinosa/1118328389?ean=9780615957661 </a><br />
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<a href="http://blogtours.yareads.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Sins-of-the-Fallen.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sins of the Fallen" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-799" src="http://blogtours.yareads.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Sins-of-the-Fallen-200x300.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Title:</b> Greed (Sins of the Fallen, #2) by Karina Espinosa</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Genre:</b> YA Fantasy</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Synopsis:</b></span></div>
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Maximillion can never return to the normal life he once had—not now that he’s Wrath—one of the seven Nephilim. After the failed battle with Abbadon and his demons, the death of a loved one, and the betrayal of the person he trusted the most—Max was forced to go into hiding. But not before devising a plan to look for answers: to search for the other Nephilim.</div>
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Max and his best friend/guardian angel, Jones are on the run for a month before their first clue leads them to Sin City, Las Vegas to find the Nephilim of Greed. But Nikolai’s reluctance to help and fear of an unknown force leaves Max with more questions than answers.</div>
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Will he discover who is hunting the Nephilim? And if he does, can he overcome the forces of evil against them?</div>
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Find out in the sequel to Sins of the Fallen, where Karina Espinosa pulls readers back to the saga unfolding in the world of angels and demons—a world where everything falls part.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The Excerpt </b></span></div>
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<i>“There will
be a time of much darkness and chaos, where The Wanderer—the marked
one—will come out of hiding. He will show a blot face of a friend
instead of foe, beguiling all with knowledge and longevity.</i>
<i>Do not be fooled. He is the first and will be the last. Destined to
be the only one with true eternal life. For the marked one spends many
millennia in exile, seeking greater power. Because of his immortality,
he will succeed.</i>
<i>But with great darkness, comes even greater light. A fledgling
Nephilim will emerge that changes the course of the marked one—depending
on the path one chooses. With a power so great, not even the immortal
Wanderer can prevail.</i>
<i>Sacrifices must be made for the greater good, and it will be the
Nephilims decision whether to give everything or nothing at all.”</i><i> </i>
I couldn’t continue. A knot had formed in my throat and I felt nauseous.
I hadn’t been eating so I didn’t know what my body could throw up, but
it didn’t matter. I tossed the book to someone, I don’t remember who,
and ran to the bathroom. With my head surrounded by the porcelain
throne, I dry heaved but nothing came out.
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Amazon US: <a class="Object" href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MADJQH8" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT1040_com_zimbra_url" tabindex="0" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MADJQH8</a></div>
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Amazon UK: <a class="Object" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00MADJQH8?*Version*=1&*entries*=0" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT1041_com_zimbra_url" tabindex="0" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00MADJQH8?*Version*=1&*entries*=0</a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">About the Author:</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://blogtours.yareads.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Karina-Espinosa.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Karina Espinosa" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-800" src="http://blogtours.yareads.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Karina-Espinosa-300x240.jpg" height="160" width="200" /></a>Born in New York City, my family picked up and moved to South Florida when I was twelve. After high school I spent the next few years traveling and experiencing what life had to offer me. At twenty four years old, I’m back in South Florida in my third year of University-majoring in Communication studies. When not in the writing cave, I usually have my nose in a book or on Netflix, cut off from the world with a huge bowl of ice cream.</div>
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<li><a href="http://www.karinaespinosa.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Website</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/AuthorKarinaEspinosa" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Facebook</a></li>
<li><a href="https://twitter.com/TweetsByKarina" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Twitter</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/KarinaEspinosa" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Goodreads</a></li>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The Giveaway:</b></span></div>
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Two $10 amazon gift cards open INT</div>
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/e6b07541105/" id="rc-e6b07541105" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a></div>
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Bookendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00923302974816745391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832800751293616.post-5919325978831107132014-08-01T09:00:00.001-04:002014-08-01T09:00:03.093-04:00Branded (Sinners #1) by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki ~ GET BRANDED Promo & Giveaway!!!<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="Get-Branded-banner" class="wp-image-13930 aligncenter" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Get-Branded-banner.png" height="264" width="640" /></div>
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<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Welcome to the <b>GET BRANDED</b> promo for </span></div>
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<b>Branded (Sinners #1) </b><br /><b>by </b></div>
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<b>Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki</b></div>
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presented by Month9Books!</div>
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<b>Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post.</b></div>
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<img alt="Branded-Cover" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-13931" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Branded-Cover.png" height="640" width="389" /></div>
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<blockquote>
Fifty years ago The Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society.<br />
To punish the guilty, he created the Hole, a place where sinners are branded according to their sins. Sinners are forced to live a less than human existence in deplorable conditions, under the watchful eye of guards who are ready to kill anyone who steps out of line.<br />
Now, LUST wraps around my neck like thick, blue fingers, threatening to choke the life out of me. I’ve been accused of a crime I didn’t commit, and the Hole is my new home.<br />
Constant darkness.<br />
Brutal and savage violence.<br />
Excruciating pain.<br />
Every day is a fight for survival.<br />
But I won’t let them win. I will not die in the Hole.<br />
I am more than my brand. I’m a fighter. My name is Lexi Hamilton, and this is my story.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22608435-branded"><img alt="add to goodreads" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1320" src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/add-to-goodreads-button3.png" height="41" width="130" /></a></div>
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Branded (Sinners #1) </div>
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by </div>
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Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki<br />Publisher: Month9Books</div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Branded-Sinner-Book-Abi-Ketner-ebook/dp/B00LBBM9WY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405888176&sr=8-1&keywords=branded+abi+ketner">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/branded-missy-kalicicki/1119934995?ean=2940149757473">Barnes & Noble</a></b></span></div>
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<b>CHAPTER 1</b></div>
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I’m buried six feet under, and no one hears my screams. The rope chafes as I loop it around my neck. I pull down, making sure the knot is secure. It seems sturdy enough. My legs shake. My heart beats heavy in my throat. Sweat pours down my back. Death and I glare at each other through my tears. I take one last look at the crystal chandelier, the foyer outlined with mirrors, and the flawless decorations. No photographs adorn the walls. No happy memories here. I’m ready to go. On the count of three. I inhale, preparing myself for the finality of it all. Dropping my hands, a glimmer catches my eye. It’s my ring, the last precious gift my father gave me. I twist it around to read the inscription. Picturing his face forces me to reconsider my choice. He’d be heartbroken if he could see me now. A door slams in the hallway, almost causing me to lose my balance. My thoughts already muddled, I stand waiting with the rope hanging around my neck. Voices I don’t recognize creep through the walls. Curiosity overshadows my current thoughts. It’s late at night, and this is a secure building in High Society. No one disturbs the peace here—ever. I tug on the noose and pull it back over my head. Peering through the eyehole in our doorway, I see a large group of armed guards banging on my neighbors’ door. A heated conversation ensues, and my neighbors point toward my family’s home. It hits me. I’ve been accused and they’re here to arrest me. My father would want me to run, and in that split second, I decide to listen to his voice within me. Flinging myself forward in fear, I scramble up the marble staircase and into my brother’s old bedroom. The door is partially covered, but it exists. Pushing his dresser aside, my fingers claw at the opening. Breathing hard, I lodge myself against it. Nothing. I step back and kick it with all my strength. The wood splinters open, and my foot gets caught. I wrench it backward, scraping my calf, but adrenaline pushes me forward. The voices at the front door shout my name. On hands and knees, I squeeze through the jagged opening. My brother left through this passage, and now it’s my escape too. Cobwebs entangle my face, hands, and hair. At the end, I feel for the knob, twisting it clockwise. It swings open, creaking from disuse. I sprint into the hallway and smash through the large fire escape doors at the end. A burst of cool air strikes me in the face as I jump down the ladder. Reaching the fifth floor, I knock on a friend’s window. The lights flicker on, and I see the curtains move, but no one answers. I bang on the window harder. “Let me in! Please!” I say, but the lights darken. They know I’ve been accused and refuse to help me. Fear and adrenaline rush through my veins as I keep running, knocking on more windows along the way. No one has mercy. They all know what happens to sinners. Another flight of stairs passes in a blur when I hear the guards’ heavy footfalls from above. I can’t hide, but I don’t want to go without trying. Help me, Daddy. I need your strength now. My previous desolation evolves into a will to survive. I have to keep running, but I tremble and gasp for air. I steel my nerves and force my body to keep moving. In a matter of minutes, my legs cramp and my chest burns. I plunge to the ground, scraping my knee and elbow. A moan escapes from my chest. Gotta keep going. “Stop!” Their voices bounce off the buildings. “Lexi Hamilton, surrender yourself,” they command. They’re gaining on me. I resist the urge to glance back, running into what I assume is an alley. I’m far from our high-rise in High Society as I plunge into a poorer section of the city where the streets all look the same and the darkness prevents me from recognizing anything. I’m lost. My first instinct is to leap into a dumpster, but I retain enough sense to stay still. I crouch and peek around it, watching them dash by. The abhorrent smell leaves me vomiting until nothing remains in my stomach. Desperation overtakes me, as I know my retching was anything but silent. My last few seconds tick away before they find me. Everyone knows about their special means of tracking sinners. I push myself to my feet and look left, right, and left again. Their batons click against their black leather belts, and their boots stomp the cement on both sides of me. I shrink into myself. Their heavy steps mock my fear, growing closer and closer until I know I’m trapped. Never did I imagine they’d come for me. Never did I imagine all those nights I heard them dragging someone else away that I’d join them. “You’re a sinner,” they say. “Time to leave.” I stand defiant. I refuse to bend or break before them, even as I shiver with fear. “There’s no reason to make this difficult. The more you cooperate, the smoother this will be for everyone,” a guard says. I cringe into the blackness along the wall. I’m innocent, but they won’t believe me or care. The next instant, my face slams into the pavement as one guard plants a knee in my back and another handcuffs me. A warm liquid trails into my mouth. Blood. Their fingers grip my arms like steel traps as they peel me off the cement. The tops of my shoes scrape along the ground as I’m dragged behind them until they discard me into the back of a black vehicle. The doors slam in unison with one guard stationed on each side of me, my shoulders digging into their arms. Swallowing hard, I stare ahead to avoid their eyes. My dignity is all I have left. The handcuffs dig into my wrists, so I clasp them together hard behind me and press my back into the seat, unwilling to admit how much it hurts. Did they need so many guards to capture me? I’m not carrying any weapons, nor do I own any. I don’t even know self-defense. High Society frowns on activities like that. The driver jerks the vehicle around and I try to keep my bearings, but it’s dark and the scenery changes too fast. Hours pass, and the air grows warmer, more humid the farther we drive. The landscape mutates from city to rolling hills. They don’t bother blindfolding me because they escort all the sinners to the same place—the Hole. Twenty-foot cement walls encase the chaos within. There’s no way out and no way in unless they transport you. They say the Hole is a prison with no rules. We learned about it last year in twelfth grade. To the outside, I’m filth now. I’ll never be allowed to return to the life I knew. No one ever does. “All sinners go through a transformation,” one of the guards says to me. His smirk infuriates me. “I’m sure you’ve heard all kinds of stories.” I don’t respond. I don’t want to think about the things I’ve been told. “You won’t last too long, though. Young girls like you get eaten alive.” He pulls a strand of my hair up to his face. Get your hands off me, you pig. I want to lash out, but resist. The punishment for disobeying authority is severe, and I’m not positioned to defy him. They’re the Guards of the Commander. They’re chosen from a young age and trained in combat. They keep the order of society by using violent methods of intimidation. No one befriends a guard. Relationships with them are forbidden inside the Hole. Few have seen the Commander. His identity stays under lock and key. His own paranoia and desire to stay pure drove him to live this way. He controls our depraved society and believes sinners make the human race unforgivable. His power is a crushing fist, rendering all beneath him helpless. So much so, even family members turn on each other when an accusation surfaces. Just an accusation. No trial, no evidence, nothing but an accusation. I lose myself in thoughts of my father. “Never show fear, Lexi,” my father said to me before he was taken. “They’ll use it against you.” His compassionate eyes filled with warning as he commanded me to be strong. That was many years ago, but I remember it clearly. My father. My rock. The one person in my life who provided unconditional love. “Get out,” the guard says while pulling me to my feet. The vehicle stops, and I’m jerked back to reality. The doors slide open and the two guards lift me up and out into the night. A windowless cement building looms in front of us, looking barren in the darkness. The coolness of the air sends a shiver up my spine. This is really happening. I’ve been labeled a sinner. My lip starts to quiver, but I bite it before anyone sees. They shove me in line, and I realize I’m not alone. Women and men stand with faces frozen white with fear. Some are hardened criminals; others, like me, are innocent. A guard grabs my finger, pricks it, and dabs my blood on a tiny microchip. I follow the man in front of me into the next room where we’re lined up facing the wall. Glancing right, I see one of the men crying. “I didn’t mean to hit the guard. I swear it!” he pleads. I turn my head when I see a guard whip out his baton. The thumping sounds of his beating unnerve me. “Spread your legs,” one of the guards says icily. They remove my outer layers and their hands roam up and down my body. What do they think I can possibly be hiding? I press my head into the wall, trying to block out what they’re doing to me. “MOVE!” a guard commands. So I shuffle across the room, trying to cover up. One.</div>
Two.<br />
Three.<br />
Four.<br />
Five of us sit in the holding room. A woman clings to a man sitting next to her. She grips his arm and I can see the whitening of her knuckles. Her eyes meet mine and then she quickly turns away. He’s bent over his hands, defeated. “I’m not the criminal they say I am,” he whispers. His voice breaks. One by one, they pull people into the next room, forcing the rest of us to wonder what torture we’ll endure. I hear screaming from somewhere inside. An agonizing amount of time passes. I lean my head back and try to imagine a place far away. The door opens. “Lexi Hamilton.” A guard escorts me out of the room, and I don’t have time to look back. The first thing I see is a large photo of a regal-looking man on the wall. His frame is wide and he has cobalt blue eyes and a shock of black hair. He’s handsome, middle-aged, and wears the uniform of the Commander. My jaw drops open. It can’t be… Then the door slams closed. I feel their strong arms pick me up and place me on a table. It’s cold and my skin sticks to it slightly, like wet fingers on an ice cube. They exit in procession, and I lie on the table with a doctor standing over me. His hands are busy as he speaks. “Don’t move. This will only take a few minutes. It’s time for you to be branded.” A wet cloth that smells like rubbing alcohol is used to clean my skin. Then he places a metal collar around my neck. Click. Click. Click. The collar locks into place, and I struggle to breathe. The doctor loosens it some as I focus on the painted black words above me.<br />
The Seven Deadly Sins:<br />
Lust — Blue Gluttony — Orange Greed — Yellow Sloth — Black Wrath — Red Envy — Green Pride — Purple<br />
“Memorize it. Might keep you alive longer if you know who to stay away from.” He opens my mouth, placing a bit inside. “Bite this.” Within seconds, the collar heats from hot to scorching. The smell of flesh sizzling makes my head spin. I bite down so hard a tooth cracks. “GRRRRRRRRR,” escapes from deep within my chest. Just when I’m about to pass out, the temperature drops, and the doctor loosens the collar. He removes it and sits me up. Excruciating pain rips through me, and I’m on the verge of a mental and physical breakdown. Focus. Don’t pass out. Stainless steel counters and boring white walls press in on me. And that large, gilded photo stares at me like it’s watching. A guard laughs at me from an observation room above and yells, “Blue. It’s a great color for a pretty young thing like yourself.” His eyes dance with suggestion. The others meander around like it’s business as usual. I finally find my voice and turn to the doctor. “Are you going to give me clothes?” A burning pain spreads like fire up from my neck to my jaw, making me wince. He shrugs and points to a set of folded grey scrubs on a chair. I cover myself as much as I can and scurry sideways. Grabbing my clothes and pulling the shirt over my head, I try to avoid the raw meat around my throat. I quickly knot the cord of my pants around my waist and slide my feet into the hospital-issue slippers as the doctor observes. He hands me a bag labeled with my name. “Nothing is allowed through the door but what we’ve given you,” he says. I hide my right hand behind me, hoping no one notices. A guard scans my body and opens his fist. “Give it to me.” His eyes turn to slits. “Don’t make me rip off your finger.” He crouches down and I turn to stone. I don’t know what to do, so I beg. “My father gave this to me. Please, let me keep it.” I smash my eyes shut and think of the moment my father handed the golden ring to me. “It was my mother’s ring,” he’d said. “She’s the strongest woman I ever knew.” With tears in his eyes, he reached for my hand and said, “Lexi, you’re exactly like her. She’d want you to wear this. No matter how this world changes, you can survive.” I turned the gold band over in my palm and read the engraving.<br />
You can overcome anything… short of death.<br />
“You’re going to take the one thing that matters the most to me?” I say, glaring into the guard’s emotionless eyes. “Isn’t it enough taking my life, dignity, and respect?” A hard blow falls upon my back. As I fall, my hands shoot out to stop me from smashing into the wall in front of me. The guard bends down and grabs my chin with his meaty fist. “Look at me,” he commands. I look up and he smiles with arrogance. “What the hell?” He staggers a step backward. “What’s wrong with you? What’s wrong with your eyes?” “Nothing,” I respond, confused. “What color are they?” “Turquoise.” I glower at him. “Interesting,” he says, regaining his composure. “Now those’ll get you in trouble.” Reality slaps me across the face. I have my father’s eyes. They can't take them from me. I twist the ring off my finger and drop it in his hand. “Take the damn ring,” I say. I walk to the door. He swipes a card and the massive door slides open to the outside. “You have to wear your hair back at all times, so everyone knows what you are.” He hands me a tie, so I pull my frizzy hair away from my face and secure it into a ponytail. My neck burns and itches as my hand traces the scabs that have already begun to form. Squinting ahead in the darkness, I almost run into a guard standing on the sidewalk. “Watch where you’re going,” he says, shoving me backward. His stiff figure stands tall and I cringe at the sharpness of his voice. “Cole, this is your new assignment, Lexi Hamilton. See to it she feels welcome in her new home.” The guard departs with a salute. “Let’s move,” Cole says. I take two steps and collapse, my knees giving out. The unforgiving pavement reopens the scrapes from earlier and I struggle to stand. A powerful arm snatches me up, and I see his face for the first time.<br />
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<a href="https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCcQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abiandmissy.com%2F&ei=nDzZU_zDDMGcyASqyIHADA&usg=AFQjCNHCBZdLfXCOzP5hnzHd0v_HqbP7Ig&bvm=bv.71778758,d.aWw" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Courtesy of authors' website" class="size-full wp-image-14078 " src="http://www.chapter-by-chapter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Author-Pic.jpg" height="200" width="300" /></a>Abi and Missy met in the summer of 1999 at college orientation and have been best friends ever since. After college, they added jobs, husbands and kids to their lives, but they still found time for their friendship. Instead of hanging out on weekends, they went to dinner once a month and reviewed books. What started out as an enjoyable hobby has now become an incredible adventure.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Title: Forget Me Not</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Author: Stacey Nash</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Genre: YA/Fantasy/Speculative Fiction</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">
Published: August 1st, 2014</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22573508-forget-me-not" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22573508-forget-me-not" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yZqFlmCggTo/U9U-O7Mz8xI/AAAAAAAABjk/HcU3d5LVbtw/s1600/add-to-goodreads-button3.png" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Synopsis:</b></span></div>
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Anamae is drawn into a world which shatters everything she knew to be true.</div>
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Since her mother vanished nine years ago, Anamae and her father have
shared a quiet life. But when Anamae discovers a brooch identical to her
mother’s favorite pendant, she unknowingly invites a slew of trouble
into their world. They’re not just jewellery, they’re part of a highly
developed technology capable of cloaking the human form. Triggering the
jewellery’s power attracts the attention of a secret society determined
to confiscate the device – and silence everyone who is aware of its
existence. Anamae knows too much, and now she’s Enemy Number One.</div>
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She’s
forced to leave her father behind when she’s taken in by a group
determined to keep her safe. Here Anamae searches for answers about this
hidden world. With her father kidnapped and her own life on the line,
Anamae must decide if saving her dad is worth risking her new friends’
lives. No matter what she does, somebody is going to get hurt.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Amazon: <a class="Object" href="http://www.amazon.com/Forget-Me-Not-Stacey-Nash-ebook/dp/B00K1Q9NA6" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT2374_com_zimbra_url" tabindex="0" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Forget-Me-Not-Stacey-Nash-ebook/dp/B00K1Q9NA6</a></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">
B&N: <a class="Object" href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/forget-me-not-nash-stacey/1119538120?ean=9781460704004" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT2375_com_zimbra_url" tabindex="0" target="_blank">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/forget-me-not-nash-stacey/1119538120?ean=9781460704004</a></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Excerpt:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b> </b></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u>Chapter
1</u></span></span></div>
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<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">not</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">getting
any</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">easier
to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">tell</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
mother</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">what’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">happened,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">what
she’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">missed,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">what’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">been</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">going</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">on</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">life.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">not
getting</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">any</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">easier</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">survive
each</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">day</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">without</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">her.
It’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">not</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">getting
any</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">easier
to think of her and not cry. Elbow</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">on my
writing desk and chin cupped in my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hand,
I stare at the yellow</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">notepaper.
The lines</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">across</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it are
as</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">empty
as</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
pounding</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">head.
The</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">spot
where the tip of my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">favorite
pen touches</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">is
marked by a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">growing
dot, evidence that there</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">are no
right words.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
sure as heck </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">not</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">getting</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">any</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">easier.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hoping
to find inspiration, I glance at the photo</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">waiting
to be slipped into the envelope</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">with
this</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">letter.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Normally
I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">put
aside a nature</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">shot
for</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">her,
but this</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">one’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a
‘selfie’ of me and Will.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His
sandy hair looks</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">kind
of messy the way it falls</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">into
his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">bright
eyes, and his arm, resting over</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
shoulders</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">so
naturally, pulls</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">us</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">close
together. Our grins</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">say
more than words</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">ever
can.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Twirling
the pen between</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
fingers, I gaze</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">out
the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">window
at the soft autumn</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">afternoon</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and
daydream about what to write. A distant clang like metal</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">against
metal sounds</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">from
outside. Will must be at it again. I shoot up, lean over the desk,
and </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">raise</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
the window,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">letting
a rush of warm air brush my face.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His
jean clad legs</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">stick
out from under the hood of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a
beat-up car parked</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in
their yard.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">That
car is</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">like</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a full
time</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">job,
he</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">works
on it so often now. He backs</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">out
and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hoists</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a
motor, </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">or</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">something,
onto his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">shoulder,
lifting like</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it
weighs</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">no
more than his kid sister.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He
looks up,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">catches</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me
watching him,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and
grins. I wave and, with a sigh, plonk back into </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
chair, dropping</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
gaze</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to the
blank sheet in front of me. I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">really</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">want
to write her.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">For</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">nine
years</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I’ve
been</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">writing
these letters</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and
placing them in</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my top</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">drawer
with</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">photo.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">become</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a
yearly</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">tradition.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">At</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">least</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">if</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">we</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">ever</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">find</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mom,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">she’ll</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">know</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">what</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">life’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">been
like.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nothing
comes to me. None of the thoughts</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">ambling
through my mind are quite right, so</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">drop
the pen, pinch my lips</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">together,
and tap my fingers</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">on the
desk in a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">sharp
rhythm that cuts</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">through
my aching head. I need the right words.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
last saw her on an ordinary March school day the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">year I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">was</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">eight.
She packed my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">lunch,
gave me</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a kiss</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">on</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
cheek, and waved goodbye. I climbed into the </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">bus.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
As</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">she
stood on</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">curb,
she didn’t look happy or</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">sad,
scared or</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">frightened—just
the same</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">as</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">any
other day.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Heaviness</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">squeezes</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">chest</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">makes</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">each</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">inhalation</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">breath</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hurt.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I’ve</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">played</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">that</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">day
back in my mind over</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and
over, analyzed</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">every</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">detail:
her wave, her smile,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">her
words, her</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">haunted
look. Did she know it was</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">goodbye?</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">knowing
leaves a complete emptiness</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">inside
me. Knowing if she’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">alive</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">or
dead, or</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">why
she hasn’t come back</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">would
make</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it so
much easier. Especially since Dad</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">barely
mentions</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">her
anymore, and no matter how many</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">times</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I turn
her photos</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">around,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">they
continue to </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">spin</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">face
the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">wall.
I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">guess</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">just
too</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hard
for</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">him.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">shake
my head in an</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">effort
to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">expel
the memories, but it’s no use. The lines on the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">paper</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">blur,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">eyes</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">slide</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">shut,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hurts</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">too</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">much.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">can’t</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">do</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">this</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">right</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">now.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Grabbing</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">camera</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">off</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">desk,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">slam</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">window</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">shut</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">run</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">down</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">stairs,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">shouting</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dad,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“I’ll</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">be</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">back</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">for</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">dinner.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wait.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Can</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">you</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">grab</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">milk?”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He
walks out of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
kitchen, a five</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">dollar
bill pinched between his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">fingers.
I pluck it from</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his
outstretched hand and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">turn
to leave, but his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hand
closes over my shoulder, spinning me</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">around.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Everything</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">okay?”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">close
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
eyes</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and
expel</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">long</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">breath.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">won’t
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">want
to </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hear</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
it, so </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">there’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">no</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">point</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">sharing</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">miss</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">her,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">too.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">pulls</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">into</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">chest,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">too</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">much.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tears</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">roll</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">down</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">cheeks,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">throw</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">arms</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">around</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">him,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">holding</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">him</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
as</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">tight</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">as</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">can</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">while
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">he</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
runs</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hand</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">over</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
head.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Sweetheart.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">cling</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">him.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
“It’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">just…”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
know.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">holds</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me for</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a long
time,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">until</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">tears</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">stop.
When </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
pull</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">away,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> rub
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">telltale</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">streaks</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">from</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
cheeks, </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
shove </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">money
in</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">pocket.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Milk,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
right?”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">nods,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> turn
for</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">door.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Anamae,”
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">he</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
says, </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">love
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">you,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">kid.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">weak</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
smile raises my lips.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Love
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">you,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">too.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Outside,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">head</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">straight</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">white</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">picket</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">fence</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">separating</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">our</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">yard</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">from</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Will’s.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">been</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">best
friend since</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">he
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">moved
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">here
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
sixth</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">grade,
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I’m
so</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
grateful</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">parents</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">decided
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">quiet</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">suburbia</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">was</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
a </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">better
place</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
live</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">than
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">inner</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">city.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">slap
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hands</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">onto</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">flat</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">tips</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">stretch</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">over,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">calling,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Will.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
peers</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">around</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">corner
of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
house,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
sight</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his
smile</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
is</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
enough</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
rattle</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">this</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">awful
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">mood.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sure.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Two</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">minutes.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Fishing</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">for
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">weeds</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
garden</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">occupies
the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
time</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">while</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">wait.
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Averys
have</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">nicest
yard</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">on our</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">street.
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
perfectly manicured lawn </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">complete
with </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">stone
statues and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">spiky</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">plants</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">white</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">pebble</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">gardens.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Will’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">mom</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">likes</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">being</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">fashionable</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">modern,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">obvious</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">from</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">gravel</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">now</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">crunching</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">under</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">feet.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Appearances</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">aren’t</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">important.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sure</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">nice</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">look</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">good,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">but</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
it’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">not</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
the </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">thing</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">that</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
matters</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">most.
That’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">one</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">things</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
she </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">just
doesn’t</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">get</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">about</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me. I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">always</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
wear faded</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">jeans
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">comfy</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">t-shirts,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
yet</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">she</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">constantly</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">tries</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
dress</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me up.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
Make</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">look</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">like</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">girl.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Still,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">she’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">been</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">like</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
second mom to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">even</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
gave</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
me</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
Talk. </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">just</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">about</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
died when</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
realized</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
what was</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">happening.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Will’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">coming.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Hi,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mae.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Hey.”</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">grin.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Love
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
when</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">he</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
shortens</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">name.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">stroll</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">down</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">our</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">wide</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">path</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">turn</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">onto</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">next</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">street.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">only</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">few</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">blocks</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">from</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">our</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">street</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">small</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">cluster</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">shops.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">short</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">walk,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">fresh</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">air,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Will’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">banter</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">help</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">lighten</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">mood.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
The</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">cafe</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">comes
into sight, and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">grab</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hand,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
dragging </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">him</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">across</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">road</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">toward</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">another</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">storefront—an
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">old
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">shop.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
Aqua </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">paint</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">peels</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">off
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
brick</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
walls </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">around</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">huge</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">glass</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">windows,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
two</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
stories</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">rise</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
up</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
above</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">us.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
Like all </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">shops</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">on</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
this</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">street,
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">big</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
tin</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
awning</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">slants</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">out</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">over</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">pavement,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">balcony</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">juts</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">out</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">above.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Albert’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Second-Hand</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Treasures</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">emblazons</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">window</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">spanning</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">shop’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">front.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">T</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hrough</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">window</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">piles</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">odd
stuff</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
are visible, </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">cluttering</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">inside.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
According </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">kids</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">at</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
school, </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">evidence</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
old </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">man</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">who</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">owns</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">store</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">is</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">little</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">unhinged,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">which</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">earns</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">this</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">place</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
nickname,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Crazy</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Al’s.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">far</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">more</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">than</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">that.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">‘Crazy</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Al’s’</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">been</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">part</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">life</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">almost</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">as</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">long</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Will.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Bet</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">you</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">can’t</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">find</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">weirdest</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">one</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">today,”</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">say.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Will</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">raises</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">brows</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">shoots</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">look</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">that</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">says</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">‘you’re</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">insane.’</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Really,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">this</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">old</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">game?</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">thought
you</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
wanted</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">get
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">coffee.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Oh,
come on. I need some childish fun.” I lean in toward him an smile.
“Bet you can’t win.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
also need to see Al, not to talk… just see him. His grandfatherly
ways might make me feel better.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
drag Will toward the front door, and all the while</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">he
shakes</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his
head and scuffs</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">heels.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Okay,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">but
loser</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">buys
coffee,”</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">he</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">finally
says,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“and
cake.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He
pushes me through</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
door, making the bell overhead jingle. As</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">he
heads</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">toward
a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">large
table in the far corner of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
shop, a small smile crosses my lips. Glancing toward </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">counter,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">stop
at</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> a
long </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">bench
and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">paw</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">through</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">ancient
yellowing</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">books
and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">old</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">jewelry</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">scattering</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">disorganized</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">mess.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I’ve</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">no</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">idea</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">how</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Al</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">even</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">knows</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">what’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">here.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Al
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">raises
his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">white-grey</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">frizzy-haired</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">head</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">from
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
newspaper sprawled</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">on</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">glass</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">counter.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">bushy</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">eyebrows</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">lift,
and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">he</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">throws</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">warm
smile</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">which
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">somehow</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
makes</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">feel</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
a little </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">better.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Running</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hand</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">over</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">‘treasures,’</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">stop</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">at</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">ceramic</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">owl</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">perched</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">amongst</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">clutter
on</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">table.
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">When</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
turn </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">over
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hand,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">chubby</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
little </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">claws</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">grip</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
sides</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">skateboard.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hold</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">up</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">so</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Will</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">can</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
see</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Check</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">this</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">out.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">skating</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">owl?”</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Will
laughs.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">can</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">top</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">that.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">holds</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">up</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">book</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
with </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
title</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
Peanuts</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Love.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">On</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">cover
two peanuts</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hold</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hands,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
their</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">cute</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">little
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">shell</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">bodies</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">sea</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of
pink</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hearts.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">good</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">enough.”</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
scan</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">table</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">looking</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">for</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">something
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">better
and spot</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">pile</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">old
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">movies
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">scattered
over </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
next</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">table.
I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">move
them</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
aside</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">one</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">by</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">one,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">looking</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
for</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">good</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">title.
Sunlight</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">dances
across</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
table</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
glints</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">off
something</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">shiny.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
A </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">blue</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">flower
with </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">yellow</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">center.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">heart</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">jumps,
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">only</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">part</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
still </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">moving.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">can’t</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">be.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
Surely </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dad</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
didn’t </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">pawn</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">or</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">give</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Al.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He
wouldn’t.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">couldn’t.
It </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">can’t</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
possibly </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">have</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">been</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">made
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">into</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
something else.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">small</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">noise</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">surprise</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">escapes</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my lax</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">mouth,
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
a memory flashes</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">into
my mind: the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">pendant</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">lying
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">on</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mom’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">pillow</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">day</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">she</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">disappeared.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Will
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">chuckles</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">from
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
corner.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">drag
my </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">gaze</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">away</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">from
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">flower</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
brooch</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">see</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">bright</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">pink</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">pith</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hat</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">sitting</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
atop</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">sandy</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
head. </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">eyes</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">open
palm,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">which</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">now</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">holds</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">brooch.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“You</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">call</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">that</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">weird?”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">run</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">fingers</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">over</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">cool</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">glazed
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">metal,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">lump
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">grows</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">throat.
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“It’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">same</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">as</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">forget-me-not</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">pendant</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mom</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">always</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">wore.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">missing</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">beat,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">he</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">raises
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">voice</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">toward</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">back</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">shop.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“How</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">much?”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Al
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">pauses
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">perusal</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
paper,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">two
fingertips </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">touching
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">tongue
as</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">if
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">dampen</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">them</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">as</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">he</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
flicks</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">page</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">over.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">His</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">bushy</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">eyebrows</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">lift,
and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">he</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">clears</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his
throat.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gosh,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">lad,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">for</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">that?”</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hold</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">up</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">brooch,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Al</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">squints</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">at</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“It’s
for</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mae?”</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">smiles</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">at </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yep.”</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Will</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">pulls</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">wallet</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">out,
and </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">empties</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">coins</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">into</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">cupped</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hand.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nothing,”</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Al</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
says,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">then
flicks</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">gaze</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
me.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Tell</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">your</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dad</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">poker’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">on</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
tomorrow</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
night.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">All</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">boys</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">are</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">coming.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">return
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">smile
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">with</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">nod.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Sure
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">thing,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Al.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Take</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">care,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mae.”</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">doesn’t</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">mention</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">today’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mom’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">anniversary—the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">day</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">she</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">disappeared,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">but</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">he</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
doesn’t </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">have</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
Even</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">though</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">he
never</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
knew </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">her,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
I’ve always</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">suspected
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">why</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">he</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
took</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dad</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">under</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
his </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">wing.
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Especially</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">after
Nan </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">died;
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">her
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">death</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">upended
the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
last</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">slither</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of
normalcy</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
we </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">had.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">No</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">refunds….”</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Al</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">says.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Without</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">magic,”
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">chime</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">on</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">usual
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">farewell.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">No</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">wonder</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">people</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">think</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">he’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">crazy,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">since</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">he’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">always</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">saying</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">stupid</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">things.
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">sign</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hangs</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">on</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">wall</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
above</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">counter</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">mimicking</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">words.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
No</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
refunds</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">without
magic.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">We</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">walk
out </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">door,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
and </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">bell</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
jingles. “You owe </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
cake,”</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Will</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
says.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">do</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">not.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">brooch</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">won.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">No</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">way,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
peanuts</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">definitely—”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">peanuts</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">did</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">not</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">beat</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">skating
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">owl,”</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">say,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">we
both</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">laugh.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">want</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">go</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">home.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">want</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">go</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">straight
to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">mom’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">pendant.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">want</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to
compare</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">this</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">brooch,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">but</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">promised
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Will</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">cake</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
coffee.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He’d</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">understand,
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">but</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">wouldn’t</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">be</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
fair</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">after</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">dragging</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">him</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">out</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">here.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Although</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">makes</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">little</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">impatient,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I’ll</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">wait.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">~*~</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After
hanging out with Will, I climb the stairs</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">into
the rarely</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">used,
cold, dark attic. Goose</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">bumps</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">prickle
my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">arms</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">with
each step. This place</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">is</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">so
eerie. Holding my hand</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">out, I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">grope</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">around
in the dark until it closes around the cord for</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
light switch. A sharp tug illuminates the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">room
with a soft glow which highlights</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
dust floating in the air. Pressure grows in my nose,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and I
hold my breath to suppress</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a
building sneeze.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">corner</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">chest</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">which
holds</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">all</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
mother’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">most</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">precious</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">possessions</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">peeks</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">out</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">from</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">behind
cardboard boxes. I need</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">see
the pendant</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and
make sure it hasn’t somehow been</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">altered</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">made</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">into</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">this</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">brooch.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Something</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">so</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">precious</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">her</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">can’t</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">be</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">lost.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">wooden</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">creaking
noise makes me</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">spin
around so fast my neck kinks, but the entry is</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">empty.
Phew. If</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dad</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">catches</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me up
here… don’t think about it. He</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">won’t
know, as</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">long</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">as</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
driveway stays</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">empty
of his car, I’m safe.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A
tight knot grows in my chest, anyway. An image</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
Mom running her thumb over </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">charm
she wore everyday</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">lingers</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in my
mind.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
ease open the lid of the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">chest.
Love letters, a few</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">small
items of jewelry,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">other</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">precious
odds and ends</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">rest
on top of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a
discolored</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">wedding
dress, as</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">if
every</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">last
item was</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">placed
in here with care.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Dust
and the smell of moth balls make my nose twitch and finally</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">bring</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">on the
sneeze.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Blue
fabric, the same</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">color
as the brooch, peeps out between</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a
stack of old envelopes. I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">slide</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it out
of the bunch with care and peel back the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">fabric,
my fingers</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">slipping
on the soft,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">smooth</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">silk.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">breath</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">catches</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">at</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">sight</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
mother’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">pendant.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My
memories</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it
remained unchanged by time. It’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">exactly
as</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
recall. Five blue petals</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">come
to a yellow</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">center,
creating the shape of a forget-me-not flower. The pendant hangs</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">on a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">long
chain with shiny, silver looped links.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
sight of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it
brings</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">back</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">so
many</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">memories.
The only</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">time I
ever saw my parents</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">fight…
Mom shouted so loud I covered my ears, and Dad responded</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">low</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">emotionless</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">voice.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Young
and scared, I hid in the curtains</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">while</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">she
screamed. Her last words</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">were
punctuated by</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">her
yanking the pendant </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">off</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
and tossing it</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">across</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">room.
Dad scooped it up, crossed the room</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in
long strides</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and
pulled her to him. His</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">fingers</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">traced
the edge of her face</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">before
he kissed her.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">lowered</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">pendant
over</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">her</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">head,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and
the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">angry</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">lines</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">on her</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">face
melted</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">into a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">smile.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">not
exactly</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a good
memory, but it was</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">her.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I find</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">myself</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">smiling,
too.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Surely
he won’t</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">mind
if</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">wear
it.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Something</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">so
precious</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to her
shouldn’t be left to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">rust
in the attic. I’m</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">almost
certain she’d want me to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">have
it, so I slide</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
pendant into my pocket with the brooch and pack the other contents</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of the
box away.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Easing
the door closed,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
climb out of the attic and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">head
to the bathroom to clean my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">dust-covered
hands. Water rushes</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">from
the spout and splashes against the sides as the basin fills.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A
reflection of me stares</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">back
at me from the mirror, my dirty hand clutching my aching</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">chest.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Today</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">everything</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">feels</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">so</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">raw,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">open,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">fresh,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">like</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
it </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">only</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">just</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">happened.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
should </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">still</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
be </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">here.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Rubbing
my hands</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">clean,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
delve into my pocket for</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
jewelry. Bringing it to my collar,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I pin
the brooch into my blouse. The hard edges</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">prick
my skin. My thumb brushes</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">over
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">smooth,
round</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">sides</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of the
pendant and when I pull</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it
over my head, the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">chain
catches</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">on my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hair.
After I twist</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it
through the tangle so it finally</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">falls
cool against my skin, it nestles</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hollow</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of my
throat. I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">pick
it up between my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">fingers</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and
with reverent slow strokes, rub my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">thumb
over the shiny yellow center—the pendant Mom never took off.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A
shiver shoots</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">up my
spine and out through my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">limbs</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">like</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">an
electric current,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">zapping</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">every</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">cell,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">every</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">fiber,
every</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">part</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">being.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Walking</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">on
graves,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">that’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">what</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mom</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">would</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">have</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">said.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Maybe</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">an</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">omen</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">about</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">her.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
plant my palms</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">on
either side of the full basin and peer into the still water, taking a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">moment
to collect my thoughts. The water reflects only the cream ceiling.
That can’t be right.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">do a
double take.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My
chest tightens. I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hold
my hand up, but I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">can’t
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">see</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
it—not my arm, not my chewed</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">fingernails,
not my leather</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">watch
on my wrist. Where</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">am I?</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mouth
gaping, I look into the mirror</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">again,
but I see</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">nothing.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Not
even my face.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
dip my finger into the warm, reflection-free water.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Circles</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">ripple
in ever growing rings,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">but</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">there’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">no
image. My</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">gaze
flits</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">mirror,
but I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">see
only</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
open door. I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">have
no</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">reflection.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My
stomach flutters</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">like</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a
thousand butterflies</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">are
trying to escape it. I slap </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
palm</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">onto
my chest, and I can still feel me. I must be here. When I slide</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
pendant over my head,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
reflection blinks onto the mirror. Huh?</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Pulling
it back on, my hand brushes</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
cool metal.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">ripple</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">goes</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">through</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">again.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">look</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">into</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">mirror,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">once</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">more</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">reflection’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">gone.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">grab</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hairbrush</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">from
the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">drawer</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">wave</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">around</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">air,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">but</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">its</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">image</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">isn’t</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">cast</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">mirror</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">either.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">has to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">be</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">magic,
but</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">that’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">only
in</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">fairytales.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Will’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">not</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">going
to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">believe</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">this,
not in a million years. I pull the pendant over my head and </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
reflection returns. No way. It</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">can’t
be, but it is. I’m</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">almost
certain it’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">making
me invisible, but how?</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
put it on—invisible. Take it off—visible.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It
doesn’t make any sense. How can something like this—like those
video</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">games</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Will</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">plays—even
exist?</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It
must</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">be a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">magical
artifact or</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">some
kind of prank. My shoulders</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">shake
with</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">chuckle
while I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">stare
at</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">myself</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
mirror. This is</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">unreal.
I bet he’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">gone
right back</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">working</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">on his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">car.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He’ll
love this. Ha!</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now
let’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">see
who</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">found
the weirdest</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">treasure.
I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">slide
it</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">back</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">on</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and
wipe</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
damp</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hands</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">on</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
jeans.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Watch
out</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Will,
I’m</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">going
to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">sneak
up</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and
scare</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
life right out of you.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A
sharp rap, someone</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">knocking
on the front door, echoes</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">up the
stairs. I duck into my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">room,
unpin the brooch, and place</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">both
forget-me-nots</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in the
jewelry box on</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
dresser. The</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">rap</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">sounds</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">again.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“Coming.”</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
bound</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">down
the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">stairs,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">through
the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">living</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">room,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">yank
the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">door
open.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A
man in blue</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">overalls
carrying a toolbox</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">holds
a yellow box-like</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">thing
snug in</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his
palm.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">“My</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">name</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">is</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thomas.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I’m</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">from</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">East</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Coast</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Natural</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Gas</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Company.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">been</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">gas</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">leak</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">reported</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">this</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">area,
so I need to check the levels</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in
your home. It won’t take</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a
minute.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A
green flame</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and
fancy</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">words,
the logo for East</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Coast
Natural Gas, are embroidered</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">on</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">loose,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">navy</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">overalls.
He’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">legit,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">so</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">unlock
the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">screen</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">pull</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it
open,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">letting</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">him</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">inside.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sure.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">man’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">gaze
meets</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">mine</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">as</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">he</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">walks</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">past
me,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">into
the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">living
room.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He
scratches</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">head
of close-cropped dark hair, and moves</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his
hand to his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">chin,
rubbing</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it
along the shadow of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">facial
hair lining his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">jaw.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
scrape my palm across</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
forehead, suddenly recalling my recent vanishing</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">act.
He</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">spoke</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">first.
I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">must</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">be
visible again. Phew.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
didn’t forget</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to
take it off.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ignore</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">mess,”</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">say.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He
holds</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
yellow gas</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">meter
out in front of him, his eyes</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">never
leaving the small</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">flashing
green light. He</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">walks
in straight lines across</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
living room. Crossing my arms</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">over
my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">chest,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">tap my
foot. Hurry up. I’ve got a neat trick</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to
show off.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He
nears</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
base of the stairs</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and
the green light flicks</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to
red. His pace</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">quickens,
and he</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">strides</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">up the
steps</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">two at</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a
time. I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">rush
up</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">behind
him. “What is</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it?”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
gas</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">meter
beeps</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">when
he reaches</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
top of the staircase. Coming upstairs</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">seems</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">kind
of strange. I mean, surely gas</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">leaks
would have</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to be
a kitchen thing. The</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">beeping
sets my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">teeth</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">on
edge,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">just
want it</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to
stop. Maybe there’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">something
wrong, but here in the upstairs</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hall?</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">That</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">doesn’t</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">sound</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">good,”</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">mutter.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It
means</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">there
is indeed…”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He
twists, angling himself toward my open bedroom door, and his gaze</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">locks</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">on my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">dresser.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
back of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">neck
prickles, a sure</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">sign
something about this</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">just
isn’t right.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I step
past him and pull the door closed, but he pushes</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me
aside and slams</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it
open. Panic</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">shoots</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">through</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">but</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I’m</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">fast</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">enough</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">dart</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">around</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">him.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Turning</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">shoulder</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">reaching</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">for
the box.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He
lunges</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">toward
me, grabs</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me
from behind, and his arm pins my neck to him with a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">shoulder
crushing grip. </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
pushes me against the dresser, and the box falls open, its contents</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">spilling
across</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
top.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Heart</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">pounding,
my throat</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">burns</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">with a
scream. I’ve got to get him out</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of
here.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He
must know about my pendant, the brooch. Dammit. I wriggle to escape
his vice-like</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">grip,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">but</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">it’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">no</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">use—he’s
too</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">strong.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My
hand darts</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">toward
the pendant. I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">snatch
it, but he grabs my wrist. Adrenaline</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">tries
to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">pound
my heart</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">right
out of its</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">home
in my chest. If only I can get the jewelry on, I might be</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">able
to make its</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">magic
work and hide.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
“<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tech</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">breech</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">confirmed,”</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">he</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">speaks</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">into</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">collar
in</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a
matter-of-fact</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">tone;</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">then</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">he</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">turns</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">gaze
to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me.
“Give</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">pendant.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a tiny
ripping sound, like</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Velcro</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">torn
open. </span></span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A
young guy in</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a
black leather jacket</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">flickers</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">into</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">bedroom.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">sharp</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">gasp</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">leaves</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">can’t</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">escape</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">one
attacker,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">let</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">alone</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">two.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Where</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
heck are these</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">men
coming from?</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I’m
not going down</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">without</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a
fight,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">so</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">kick
at my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">captor’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">shins.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">leather</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">jacket</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">guy</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">wrenches</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">man’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">grip</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">from</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">shoulders</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">punches</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">him
square in the chin, knocking his head to the side. Shaking his head,
the gas</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">man
stumbles</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">backward.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">jacket
guy raises</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">knee
and drives</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a foot</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">into
the other man’s stomach. The</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">straight,
hard kick makes</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a loud
thud and forces</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
dude to double over and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">curl
in on himself.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">leather
jacket</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">guy</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">crouches</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and
drives</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">fist</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">straight
up</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">into
the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">man’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">chin.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">knocks</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">him</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">flat
on his</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">back
like</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a
felled tree.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">chest</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">rises
and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
falls with</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
quickened </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">breath.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">heart</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">thuds</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">like</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">booming</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
drum.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">mysterious</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">rescuer
turns</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">toward</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">me,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">holding</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
my </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">gaze</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
with </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">intense,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">steady</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">jade
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">eyes.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">He</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">grabs</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">assailant</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">by</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">arm,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
they both </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">flicker</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">out</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">room.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">mind</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">spins.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Legs,
arms, body—I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">can’t
move, but it</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">doesn’t</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">matter.
Moving is</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the
least of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
worries.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Who</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">were</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">they,
and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">what</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">just
happened?</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">meter
seemed</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">to
lead</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">him</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">straight
to</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mom’s</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">pendant.
Gas man, my ass.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I
clutch my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">head
in</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">an
attempt to stop my mind spinning, but my hand slides</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">off my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">sweaty
forehead</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and
falls against my tightened stomach. They might come back.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
guy</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in
the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">jacket…</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">What
was that? The brooch, the pendant…my disappearing reflection. They
wanted it. Damn.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sweat
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">trickles
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">down
my forehead </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
into my </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">eyes.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">wipe
it </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">away</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">with</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">trembling</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
hand. Questions</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">hurtle</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">through</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
mind, all jumbling </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">together
as </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">they
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">race</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">faster
and</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">faster
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">in</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">mind.
Seconds,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
minutes, hours</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">don’t</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">know,</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">but</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">a</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">single</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">thought</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">emerges</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">through
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
haze</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">of</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">my
mind.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Will.</span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b style="margin-bottom: 15px;">About Book Two:</b></div>
<div style="color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; text-align: center;">
Remember Me by Stacey Nash</div>
<div style="color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; text-align: center;">
Genre: YA/Fantasy/Speculative Fiction</div>
<div style="color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; text-align: center;">
Published October 1st, 2014</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rqEEF8fmSBQ/U9U_Tpt7seI/AAAAAAAABjw/b6PxG7MLpDU/s1600/Remember+Me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rqEEF8fmSBQ/U9U_Tpt7seI/AAAAAAAABjw/b6PxG7MLpDU/s1600/Remember+Me.jpg" height="320" width="207" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #181818;">When all is lost, she must remember…</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818;" />
<span style="color: #181818;">Anamae
Gilbert managed to thwart The Collective and rescue her father, even
though his mind is now a shell. Determined to stop Councilor Manvyke
hurting her family again, she’s training to become an active resistance
member and enjoying a growing romance. But things never sail along
smoothly – Manvyke wants retribution. And Anamae’s name is high on his
list.</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818;" />
<span style="color: #181818;">After a
blow to the head, she awakes in an unfamiliar location. Anamae can’t
remember the last few weeks and she can’t believe the fascinating new
technology she’s seeing. She’s the new kid at school and weapons
training comes with ease, but something feels off. Why does the other
new kid’s smile make her heart ache?</span><br />
<br style="color: #181818;" />
<span style="color: #181818;">And why does she get the feeling these people are deadly?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20424731-remember-me" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20424731-remember-me" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yZqFlmCggTo/U9U-O7Mz8xI/AAAAAAAABjo/NwJdhALpyEc/s1600/add-to-goodreads-button3.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #181818;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b style="margin-bottom: 15px;">About the Author:</b></span></div>
<div style="color: #363636; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-keSxUsy2JDU/U9VADF5H-mI/AAAAAAAABj4/5JCekT-NH-w/s1600/stacey+nash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-keSxUsy2JDU/U9VADF5H-mI/AAAAAAAABj4/5JCekT-NH-w/s1600/stacey+nash.jpg" height="200" width="145" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="margin-bottom: 15px;"></b><span style="color: #222222;"> Stacey Nash writes adventure filled
stories for Young Adults in the Science Fiction and Fantasy genres. When
her head isn’t stuck in a fictional world, she calls the Hunter Valley
of New South Wales home. It is an area nestled between mountains and
vineyards, full of history and culture that all comes together to create
an abundance of writing inspiration. Stacey loves nothing more than
writing when inspiration strikes.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><b>Website:</b> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><a class="Object" href="http://www.stacey-nash.com/" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT2377_com_zimbra_url" tabindex="0" target="_blank">http://www.stacey-nash.com/</a></span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0px 0px 15px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Facebook: <a class="Object" href="https://www.facebook.com/StaceyLeeNash" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT2378_com_zimbra_url" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/StaceyLeeNash</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Twitter: <a class="Object" href="https://twitter.com/staceynash" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT2379_com_zimbra_url" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/staceynash</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Pinterest: <a class="Object" href="http://www.pinterest.com/staceylnash/" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT2380_com_zimbra_url" tabindex="0" target="_blank">http://www.pinterest.com/staceylnash/</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Instagram: <a class="Object" href="http://instagram.com/stace_nash" id="OBJ_PREFIX_DWT2381_com_zimbra_url" tabindex="0" target="_blank">http://instagram.com/stace_nash</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b style="margin-bottom: 15px;">Pre-order buy links:</b></span></div>
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<b>Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Forget-Me-Not-Stacey-Nash-ebook/dp/B00K1Q9NA6%20&http://www.amazon.com/Remember-Me-Stacey-Nash-ebook/dp/B00K1Q9N5G" target="_blank">http://www.amazon.com/Forget-Me-Not-Stacey-Nash-ebook/dp/B00K1Q9NA6 &http://www.amazon.com/Remember-Me-Stacey-Nash-ebook/dp/B00K1Q9N5G</a></b></div>
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<b>iBooks: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/forget-me-not/id881490143?mt=11%20&https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/remember-me/id881501730?mt=11" target="_blank">https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/forget-me-not/id881490143?mt=11 &https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/remember-me/id881501730?mt=11</a></b></div>
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Bookendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00923302974816745391noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832800751293616.post-49021435745423944102014-07-30T09:00:00.000-04:002014-07-30T09:00:02.488-04:00Buried Appearances by D.E. Haggerty ~ Review!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pz_ciSP-fr4/U9hLbwf8fgI/AAAAAAAABkQ/v2aebbzPRCU/s1600/Banner+-+Buried+Appearances+by+D.E.+Haggerty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pz_ciSP-fr4/U9hLbwf8fgI/AAAAAAAABkQ/v2aebbzPRCU/s1600/Banner+-+Buried+Appearances+by+D.E.+Haggerty.jpg" height="240" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
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<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IDThWFgMUUc/U9hLB15Ur2I/AAAAAAAABkI/isyYDNlVZtI/s1600/buried+appearances.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IDThWFgMUUc/U9hLB15Ur2I/AAAAAAAABkI/isyYDNlVZtI/s1600/buried+appearances.jpg" height="640" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Title:
</b></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Buried
Appearances</span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Author:
</b></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">D.E.
Haggerty</span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Release
date: </b></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">November
4</span><span style="font-size: large;"><sup><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">th</span></sup><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">,
2013</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Genre:
</b></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Contemporary
</span>
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Tour:
</b></span><span style="color: #0563c1; font-size: large;"><u><a href="http://irresistiblereadstour.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Irresistible
Reads Book Tours</span></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"></span></u><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Book
Description:</b></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">Skylar
Dewitt has been ostracized her entire life due to her grandfather’s
well-known sympathies with the Nazis. But now her grandfather’s
body has been recovered in the Netherlands in an area famous for
being a Nazi killing ground. Why would her grandfather be buried in a
place legendary for assassinations of resistance members? Skylar jets
off to Holland in search of answers about her grandfather’s demise.
Along the way she finds long-lost family and old friends but will she
solve the mystery of what happened to her grandfather? And maybe she
discovers something more valuable than resolving any mystery could
be: herself</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><b>Goodreads:</b></span><span style="color: #0563c1; font-size: medium;"><u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18943772-buried-appearances?ac=1"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18943772-buried-appearances?ac=1</span></a></u></span></div>
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #0563c1; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0563c1; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u><b>My Review ~ 4 Stars!</b></u></span></span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0563c1; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></span>* Bookends received a free e-copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review *<br />
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Buried Appearances is the story of Skylar Dewitt. A young woman all
alone in the world with the exception of her best, and only, friend
Andy. Skylar's grandmother, Oma, immigrated to the United States from
the Netherlands when Skylar's father was very young. Oma's husband Joost
was a suspected Nazi sympathizer and life in Holland was very difficult
at that time for the family of Nazi sympathizers. Oma tried her best to
start over fresh in America and put her family's past behind them and
for a while her family did prosper. Oma made friends in her community.
She raised her son in peace and he grew up and married and had a child
of his own, Skylar. But when a picture of Joost in his Nazi uniform was
published in the local paper, the whole town (with the exception of a
scarce few) turned their back on the Dewitts. Skylar's mother couldn't
take the ostracism so she packed up and left and Skylar's father turned
to alcohol which eventually led to his suicide leaving Skylar to be
raised by the only family she had left, Oma. Skylar's childhood was
anything but easy with the constant bullying and adulthood wasn't much
better, especially without Oma to turn to. When a letter comes in the
mail from Holland raising new questions about Joost's disappearance and
who he was loyal to, Skylar hops on a plane to uncover the truth and
clear her family's name. </div>
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I thought this book started off a
little shaky with some unnecessary bad language and a whole lot of talk
about coffee but soon enough the author hit a stride and had me hooked. I
loved all of the history that the author managed to add to this book.
Instead of taking away from the story like you might expect it would, it
took it to a whole other level and made it that much better. The
characters were well written and the storyline flowed nicely. I really
loved Skylar's spirit and tenacity in this book, the relationships the
author formed among the characters weren't overdone, and there was just
the right amount of mystery and intrigue to keep you flipping pages
until the very end. </div>
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All in all, I really enjoyed this book
and would recommend it to anyone who likes a good whodunit with a
spunky/feisty heroine and a healthy dose of history. Very well done!
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>About
the Author:</b></span></div>
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</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iP-Hkm5CfYc/U8HWYKqJebI/AAAAAAAABeU/pHOfS0cH884/s1600/DE+Haggerty.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iP-Hkm5CfYc/U8HWYKqJebI/AAAAAAAABeU/pHOfS0cH884/s1600/DE+Haggerty.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;">I
was born and raised in Wisconsin but think I’m a European (a cloggy
to be exact). After spending my senior year of high school in
Germany, I developed a bad case of wanderlust that is yet to be
cured. After high school I returned to the U.S. to go to college
ending up with a Bachelor’s degree in History at the tender age of
20 while still managing to spend time bouncing back and forth to
Europe during my vacations (oh the benefits of a long-distance
relationship). Unable to find a job after college and still suffering
from wanderlust, I joined the U.S. Army as a Military Policewoman for
5 years (the Peace Corps was too much paperwork). While stationed in
Heidelberg, Germany, I met my future husband, a flying Dutchman
(literally). After being given my freedom from the Army, I went off
to law school. I finished law school and moved to the Netherlands
with my husband and became a commercial lawyer for more than a
decade. During a six month break from the lawyering world, I wrote
Unforeseen Consequences. Although I finished the book, I went back to
the law until I could no longer take it and upped stakes and moved to
Germany to start a B&B. Three years after starting the B&B, I
got the itch to try something else and decided to pull the manuscript
for Unforeseen Consequences out of the attic and get it published as
an e-book. Between tennis, running, traveling, singing off tune,
reading, playing part-time lawyer and running the B&B, I’m
working on my 3rd book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><b> </b></span></div>
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<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script>Bookendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00923302974816745391noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6832800751293616.post-30176637540139146492014-07-28T09:00:00.000-04:002014-07-28T09:00:08.781-04:00Beneath the Scars by Melanie Moreland ~ Cover Reveal!<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://houseofmalfunction.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Beneath-the-Scars-ebook.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img alt="Beneath the Scars-ebook" class="aligncenter wp-image-4199" src="http://houseofmalfunction.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Beneath-the-Scars-ebook-682x1024.jpg" height="934" width="622" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Synopsis</b></span> </div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
The sound of the ocean, the crash of the waves as they kick up against the sand and rocks—these are the only sounds Megan Greene wants to hear. She wants to leave the rest of the world behind, and find some peace. The offer of a private house on the beach, set in a small town in Maine, is perfect. Time to think—to be by herself. It’s all she wants. It’s the escape she needs. Until she stumbles across the painting that seems to echo her own chaotic mindset. Until she meets the unfriendly artist behind the stormy painting and discovers his secrets.
All Zachary Adams wants is to be left alone. His canvases, and the unending scope of the ocean and sand, are his life. They direct him—fill his hours. Bring him focus. Until she enters his life. She dredges up memories of the past—the haunting images he has hidden for years; the fears he has never shared. A story he keeps buried below the surface.
Can she make him see what he is missing? Can he trust her enough to believe?
Together they embark on a journey where their pasts collide and threaten to tear them apart. Will their fragile bond hold or wash away with the ebbing tide?
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<b>Genre </b>Adult Contemporary Romance</div>
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<b>Expected Publication Date </b>October 14th 2014</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22748863-beneath-the-scars" rel="nofollow"><img alt="goodreads-black-200x200" class="aligncenter wp-image-3173" src="http://houseofmalfunction.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/goodreads-black-200x200.png" height="54" width="54" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>About the Author</b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<a href="http://houseofmalfunction.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/author-logo.jpg" rel="nofollow" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="author logo" class="alignleft wp-image-4201" src="http://houseofmalfunction.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/author-logo.jpg" height="214" width="214" /></a>Melanie Moreland lives a happy and content life in a quiet area of Ontario with her husband and four children. Nothing means more to her than her friends and family, and she cherishes every moment spent with them.
Known as the quiet one with the big laugh, Melanie works for the sporting teams of a local university. Her (box) office job, while demanding, is rewarding as she cheers on her team to victory.
While seriously addicted to coffee, and somewhat challenged with all things computer-related and technical, she relishes baking, cooking, and trying new recipes for people to sample. She loves to throw dinner parties and socialize, and also enjoys traveling, here and abroad, but finds coming home is always the best part of any trip.
Melanie delights in writing a good romance story with some bumps along the way, but is a true believer in happily ever after. When her head isn’t buried in a book, it is bent over a keyboard, furiously typing away as her characters dictate their creative story lines to her even more inspired tales, for all to enjoy.
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Connect with Melanie Moreland!</b></span></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/MelanieMoreland" rel="nofollow">Goodreads </a>| <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Melanie-L-Moreland/512254118848084?ref_type=bookmark" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a> | <a href="http://www.twitter.com/morelandmelanie" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b></div>
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