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Brayden looked at the setup and ri derisive I’e not to be a dick

Niko entered the circle I hadn’t heard hi Must have been a Boy Scout thing He looked slightly better than he did the night before But lowy

Niko sat down across the circle from Jake and Brayden I saw them meet one another’s eyes and look away An uneasy look, an appraising look

Sahalia ca white jeans and several white shirts, all flowing over each other She looked beautiful and very pure No makeup Respectful

I tell you, just when you think you know souitar

She sat cross-legged and put the guitar behind her, darting her eyes over to Jake and Brayden, to see if they were going to uitar Jake didn’t look at her Brayden s?

Chloe kept jangling the wind chimes until everyone had arrived and there was only one empty space: Astrid’s

"Where’s Astrid?" Max asked "Isn’t she co for her

"Let’s call her," Josie suggested "Maybe she’ll co "Astrid! Astrid!"

Chloe turned and started whacking the wind chi she would She had been gone for about twenty-four hours, at that point

I knew Astrid was safe There was nowhere she could go But I also knew sheherself up about what had happened in the bathrooet over it She’d just have to

Batiste sat there, still and pale The bruises around his neck were blue and brown It looked like he was dirty at the neck, which he probably was, anyway

Batiste didn’t call for Astrid He hadn’t gotten over what had happened either But he could I assuiven ," Josie said finally "Let’s start and maybe she will join in"

Chloe turned and struck the wind chih with the wind chimes," Josie said

"Sor-ry," Chloe said under her breath

Josie closed her eyes and took a long, slow breath She opened her eyes and began

"We are here to honor those who have died We don’t knoon outside But we can pray for those who have passed and hold theo on up to Heaven

"They don’t talk about Heaven very much at my church It’s a UU church--that’s Unitarian Universalist--and the UU’s sort of believe in the ideas froions, but don’t talk about Heaven and Hell and sins and all that

"But I believe in Heaven And that is where I see all the beautiful souls going People froood Whatever they believe about what happens after death, that’s what’s happening to them

"We each make our own Heaven, that’s what I think"

The little kids were starting to shift around and fidget

Josie nodded to Sahalia

Sahalia took out the guitar and strus," Sahalia said "It’s by Insect of Zero I don’t know if you know it, but anyway, here it is"

I didn’t know the song I didn’t even know the band

Sahalia started to sing and her voice was very gravelly and raspy A satisfying voice Like you had an itch in your ear and her voice could scratch it

Here’s what she sang:

Birdies in the sky, go fly away from me

Kitties on the couch, you cats just leave hting ood,

you’ll stay away

And leave gies on the street, just go the other way

I’ mood