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My htened up and jammed her fists onto her hips "I alk out into my front yard in whatever I want If Mr Timmons wants to complain, he can do so to deaf ears"

Mr Tiht To his son Who would then, I’reat day" She stood a step farther into the street to seeon the gas

She stayed right where she was and waved atdown the street

"Is it any wonder I turned out the way I did, with that wo toward the e

Twenty minutes later, I held ht before I needn’t have bothered The street had returned to business as usual The stores were open, cars were running along, and there was nary a dead body to be seen

The stranger had done a good job of cleaning everything up I didn’t even see ain…I didn’t re on the brakes In fact, I was pretty certainthe curb

My eyes never stoppedthe dirt lane A couple of others were already setting up in their spots They spared lance and a nod, but no one paidpeeked out of the lush foliage along the sides, and no one was lying in wait for h of relief and went about setting up

The day passed in a slow grind of anxiety and juer and dreading hi to ask her if she’d noticed anything special about the stranger But I didn’t do it I wasn’t sure why, just that I didn’t want to call attention to the situation I’d run over sooodness’ sake I didn’t want to paintti from the stress of the day, but he hadn’t co

The rain had picked up by the ti with purpose I parked next to the curb and sat for a, at best, and I was already operating on fumes

I really needed to move out I was much too old to be hovered over by rabbed the handle to get out A large shape looh my body "No!" Reactions still terrible, I slapped the

A girlish screa back fro for otten a fright and slapped the(usually she’d laugh heartily at my clumsiness), so I inition and clutched ht, but I clearly kne to run people over If that e had spooked my friend, I was ready with rubber and steel

The soft patter of raindrops fell against my windshield A woman with an u betweenHer littleto happen A zip of a spell or the roar of Death thundering toward ht Death rode a Harley

"What are you doing on my porch like a wet poodle?" I heard, a voice that would have Death turning his hog around and heading back the other way "Penelope! Get out of that car Are you trying to cause global war all by yourself? Get in here I have a roast in for dinner"

The breath exited s in a whoosh Just like that, the spell was broken The sense of caution that had pressed on hborhood, no erous than it had been yesterday

I climbed from my car and was immediately pelted by cold drops I ducked back in forto the porch My mother stood there with a scowl and fisted hands jammed into her hips, her default look Veronica stood next to her with a confused and troubled expression

"Did you eat your lunch?"me by

"Yes," I ht my mother’s antics were hilarious That was because she had norhter should wear bubble wrap

"Good Now…" Myoverme behind her "I’ll handle this"