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I begin my descent down the stairs I knohere they creak, so I’m as quiet as a mouse When I’m halfway down, I stand on the tips offrom farther down the hall in my father’s study It’s where he spends most of his time

Lisa’s probably in there

I continue down the rest of the stairs, still keeping quiet, but forget about the spot on the last step When I put my foot down, the wood creaks too loud in this emptiness

I freeze because so tells, but no one comes

Those voices grow louder, though And I don’t hear Lisa I recognize my father as he speaks to anotherdown the hall toward the study

“I lost, too,” e I know froht He used to be different before then Laughing Always laughing We were a happy family once

“Not enough,” a man replies and the coldness in his voice makes me shudder

I hear the sound of furniture being ainst the polished wood, followed by a sob I’d never heard my father cry before the accident, but I know the sound well noish I didn’t

“Leave her be,” he finally says after a silence that I think will last forever

“I can’t do that, and you know it”

“She’s a little girl”

There’s a long silence, and I hold my breath so as not to make any sound

“Are you willing to buy her childhood then?” the stranger finally asks

My father weeps

“Well?” theminute

I should do so Call someone Lisa She’ll knohat to do But where is she?

So squeaks, the sound of wheels? Like a bicycle inside the house Scott always rode his bike inside even though he wasn’t allowed He never got in trouble for it No one ever got angry with ry

“Please,” my father starts to speak, but his voice is muffled, and I can only make out the last words, “—a child”

“Children grow into adults,” says the other man “Get on with it”