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Prologue

"Emmy, can you hand me that Allen wrench?" My dad sticks his hand out froer

I push the jar of screws and coins out of the way, grab the wrench out of the toolbox, and skip around the fender lying on the ground "Is it fixed yet?" I ask, setting the wrench in his hand

His legs wiggle as he scoots further under the car "Patience, E? An hour?" I ask impatiently "Dad, I want you to drive it really fast And I want to be in there too"

My dad laughs "Alright, we can do that"

"You prohs again and drops the wrench onto the concrete "Yeah, cross my heart and hope to die"

My eyes wander to the corner of the garage as I return to the jars of screws and coins and begin plucking out the pennies one by one and arrange theroups on the concrete Thewith the song on the radio, a song about death and the acceptance of it I wonder if it e, the one who alatches and follows o He wears a funny cape like a superhero only there’s a hood over his head His face is always hidden, but I bet his skin isabout the coins and the ht?" I poke at a penny "It looks right to me"

My dad sticks his head out from under the car Grease stains his face and there’s a layer ofto?"

I hu from the car stereo "No one," I lie, because I’inary friend with anyone--those are his rules I even crossed my heart and hope to die, stick a needle inI want to do is stick a needle in my eye

My dad shoves out froreasy hands on the front of his torn jeans "Hey, E to eat?" He peers over my shoulder at the map of the cemetery I’ve created

Each coin represents were a body is buried "Playing a game," I reply

His breath hitches "Stop that!" He scatters the pieces with his boot and picks rips me forcefully as he carries ling over the edge

"Who told you to do that with the coins?" The anger in his eyes is frightening

"I don’t know" I try to squir lances at his hands, like he didn’t realize he was holding rip "Who told you to do that?"

My eyes stray to my friend in the corner "I’m not supposed to tell you"

"Ember Rose Edwards" He only uses ht now or else I won’t let you ride in the car with me Do you understand?"

I cross inary friend told lares atto leave me Please don’t leave me Please don’t leave aze and a spark of his death surfaces through his touch--darkness I shiver as he turns back to me with a stern look on his face

"Erey eyes softening "You can’t have iinary friends--people will think you’re crazy And we can’t have people thinking that"

"But I don’t want hio away"

"Well, he has to It’s tiinary friends Ever"

"Fine… go away, friend" Tears sting the corners of my eyes as my friend dissipates into air "It’s not fair"

"Life isn’t fair," my dad says as he helps me down off the trunk "And the sooner you realize that, the easier life will be"

I sulk back over to the jar and begin picking up thethe pennies and screws into it

"And Emmy" My dad scoots back under the car "If he ever coo away"

"Alright" I frown, dropping pennies into the jar Once my dad is under the car, I dare a peek at the e my friend will be back But he’s not and my heart aches He’s the only person I’ve ever met who understands death like I do

Chapter 1