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He capturesoff like that--youelse and your shock’s just nu the pain Honestly, I don’t even kno you made it out alive"

Neither do I It happened just like , irl with the pink hair She drove off with this guy who I… as drinking That’s what I was doing… I was trying to chase her down And I couldn’t get a signal on my phone" I pat my empty pockets "How far is your car?"

"It’s just up the road, at the turnoff I didn’t want to leave it parked in the street and cause another accident" He grabs my hand and we hurry to the turnoff, where a black 1960s GTO, with red racing stripes, is parked The door is open and the headlights and engine are running, the exhaust huffing out smoke He hops into the driver’s seat and checks the bars on his cell phone

"No signal," heit into the cup holder

I tapthe forest Rav, where are you? I’m worried

"Let et checked out," Asher says "I’m sure your friend’s et a signal And you should call the police"

"No thanks I’ with death and I avoid them at all costs "And no police"

"I think you should go You aze ot a pretty wicked cut on your head"

I walk around the front of the car, heading for the passenger door "Can you please take et my mom to take me, after I tell her about the car" I pause as anotheraround, like ht in front of you?"

He ducks his head as he climbs out of the car "I haven’t seen anyone else on the road"

I grip the door handle as a spout of dizziness crashes through ht have seen who hitthe front of the car, and stops when he reachesat all about what the car looked like?"

I shake my head and start to pull the door open "I only saw the headlights"

"Here, let et that" He extends his arm out and then opens the car door

"Thanks," I say, picturing Asher in a fedora and pinstriped suit, like it’s the 1940s and guys were gentle my head, I slide into the car and he slams the door shut The inside of his car is nice Reupholstered leather seats, a crack-free dashboard--this is what one, resting at the bottoer see, feel, or taste

I sigh heavily What does it mean if my death has vanished?

Asher hops into the car and buckles his seatbelt, then he glances at " I fastenat the bottom of the lake It was actually ently squeezesmy hand I tense froh my body

"It’s okay" I stare out theat the profiles of the trees as he brushes his thumb across the inside ofapart anyhich is why the brakes probably went out" But deep down, I wonder if it had anything to do with the creeper at the party or the guy he supposedly saw in o of ainst my damp clothes

I wrap er"

He lets out a slohistle "Fuck, that sucks"

I shrug again, watching the road as we curve through the mountains and around the lake "It was just a car I’ll live"

"So were you close with your dad?" His voice edges cautiously

I pick at the black fingernail polish on my thumbnail "Yeah, ere pretty close I moved in with him when I was four and lived with him until he vanished"

"How did he die?" he asks and adds, "You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to"

"I’m not sure," I say quietly "The cops never found his body, but they found his car parked up in the rey eyes expand "That has to be hard for you--not knohat really happened to hilass painted in blood on the windshield, the rass in front of the car, and the black feathers everywhere "It is and I really don’t like to talk about it"

He offers a sympathetic look and wisps of his dah my mom loves to talk about my dad, it still hurts sometimes"

"How did he die?" I ask "If you don’t "

It’s quiet for a moment as we arrive at the rih the trees and out into the valley The town is silent, everyone tucked away safely in their beds, and porch and streetlights speckle the fields and houses like fireflies

The speed li down the car "He was killed on the… job" He avoids eye contact without the ith a confused look on his face

It see back details "Where did he work?"