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Mom scans the room and I knohat she sees: e for daughters ill probably never return for longer than a one-night visit With Nora and Clara gone, the walls are barren except for the thousands of pushpin holes put there by my sisters in the blue paint I could add my personality to the rooraduate, I’ll join the ranks of gone

Moe of my bed and her forehead wrinkles as she notices the clutter "What’s this?"

I gather up the papers and stuff them into my backpack "Schoolwork How’s Elsie?"

I should ask how Clara is, but I won’t Lia into her new environraduate Maybe she will Maybe she won’t I have to be honest, after being abandoned on the side of the road, I don’t have it in me to care

"She’ll be fine I’m sorry we haven’t had a chance to talk--just the two of us--since I’ve been ho care of everyone while I was gone Thank you"

Not like Dad would kno things went He was on the road more than he was home, but no one perished, nor was anyone physically scarred for life It’s too early to judge the e for teeks

Mom reaches over and curls over the ends of ht locks so up when I was gone, but in everything you do Your dad’s proud, too He told ht"

I flinch as if she’s shoving a pickax into my chest

"So" Morins It’s forced and it’s hby my room She’s here because she’s smelled blood "I’m late, but as proaze If only she’d said those words over awould be different

Mo me, and the moment she strolled in the door, Zac vomited Paul and Elsie weren’t too far behind Mo "alltru

Guess I could tell her, but instead of Mo to Shan of Terror, I’d also have to explain how I’rave I can’t see