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I feel kind of bad "I know, but you have to be careful"

She wipes away thedown her cheeks with the back of her hand "Do you think I was slipped a roofie or so her by the shoulders, I guide her to the bed and she curls up in a ball like a scared child "Do you remember what happened with Laden?"

She shakes her head quickly and hugs a pillow to her chest "Everything’s all blurry" Her eye twitches--her lying tick "But Eht"

My muscles tense and my lips burst with a hundred questions, but her cries turn to hysterical sobs I sigh, deciding not to press untilsome pajamas, I head toward the bathroom to shower

"E? And what did you do to your head?"

"It’s a long story," I say and yawn, stretchingafter you’ve got soht on, okay?"

After a hot shower and fresh set of clothes, I stare at ht My heart stopped beating, and then revived, all because of Asher But how did he save randma died, and her life entered me

I tiptoe back intoup the bed, so I cover her up with a blanket, noticing bruises on her wrists and elbows Her shirt is torn and there’s a small scratch across her shoulder blade in the shape of an X

"What happened to you tonight?" I whisper, placing a finger lightly on the spot, and she winces and rolls over

My brain is growling and rab a blanket, snatch a black marker from my dresser, and situate on the closet floor, near the wall that displays the rest of s As I press the marker to the wall, it’s like my hand is possessed

Like a feather in a dust storh life, helpless and oht declares and the wind expires

Then it flies to the land of stones and etchings

And beco away

I decide ht so I set thethe tip to the wall again I scratch down X after X until they nearly cover the wall, pushing so hard it peels through the paint Then, in the center, I sketch an hourglass

Once I’m done, the marker falls froain, but the drawing stays Is this after to lose my mind, just like my dad?

I fall back on the floor, exhausted Seconds later, I drift asleep

Chapter 5

A week before e, his behavior and attitude more offish than usual One day when I cae with his head tucked under the hood of the car and the engine running I hurried and pushed the garage open and he coughed as the door rolled open

"Sorry, E "I didn’t realize it was shut"

I trotted down the steps and peered under the hood "Dad, are you okay…" The inside of the hood was covered in little red X’s "What are those?"

"I’ot there" He slaetting squished between the ot everything under control What I need for you to do is find that necklace Grandave you"

"The maroon stone one?"

He perked up, his shoulders straightening, his chin elevating, along with his mood "Yeah, do you knohere it is?"

I shookin the boxes in the basement, if you want"