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Ellis

Age seven

Earnshaw Estate

Dallas, Texas

“He’s weird”

I grippedon the grass He was dressed all in black—black shirt, black pantsand strangely, a black vest with pockets I’d never seen anyone but a grown-up wear one of those before His hair was black—short at the sides but long on the top It kept falling into his eyes His eyes that looked silver in the path of the sun They were actually light gray I’d never seen that color in a person’s eyes before

“Ellis” Eddie pulled on rip

“He’s new And he doesn’t know anyone” I leaned in close to Eddie, hbor His Stetson shielded his eyes He alore a Stetson Said he wanted to be a Texas Ranger one day like his uncle I thought he’dto ht I snuck out of my room and listened at Papa’s office door I heard him say Heathan’s ave hirounds keeper” I shook my head “I heard he didn’t want him either but had no choice His mummy’s nowhere to be found She ran away and left him all alone”

Eddie’s blue eyes widened “His ave him away? What did he do to scare her?” I looked back across the grass at Heathan He had a ed in answer to Eddie’s question I didn’t knohat he’d done

“He doesn’t lookhim hard “I think he’s older than us I heard one of ht I was seven

“When youa butterfly” Eddie looked over his shoulder at Heathan “He’s killing ants right now He’s really weird, Ellis Why does he keep killing things?” He paused “I think he’s too strange to be friends with” He took a deep breath “My uncle says to stay away fro you in trouble one day You know I can’t get into trouble if I want to be a Texas Ranger”

“I wanna go talk to hirass I ran until I was out of breath and came to a stop beside Heathan I made sure my headband was still in place and my hair was smooth

Heathan didn’t look up atA pile of dead ants lay under the lass in his hands S them die too?” I asked, and his back bunched under his shirt