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Chapter One

Cozette

They say it’s the most wonderful ti about my life

It’s a feeeks until Christ away from the only life I’ve ever known

Saying I’ht be a better fit But freaking the eff out is probably more accurate

I’ve been driving for three hours in a stolen car and I’as and sleep In that order

Getting off the highway, I pull into the parking lot of the first grocery store I can find I have less than a quarter-tank of gas, and I’ll get to that after I get sorowls as I put the car in park, step out and I zip upout Then I triple check that I’ve locked the doors

I have fifty bucks in ure that’s plenty to geta ure out the rest of my life

The bag of shoes in the back seat see of cash They’d have to sift through rand in cash with ht look suspicious Besides, the parking lot is nearly e

Joe and Max were passed out cold when I left this ht before They thought I wasn’t brave enough to leave, and until last night I wasn’t But I heard the About me About their plans And I decided then and there that the unknoas less scary than what I did know And what I did knoas that they planned to trade ht the drug lord who basically owned theht as well own me too

I blink back tears as I walk into the grocery store Now is not the tirab a cart and fill it with comfort food Hot cocoa packets, marshmallows, oatmeal, mac and cheese and cans of chicken noodle soup This year I can’tfor the holidays — roasted turkey and lazed carrots and rolls fresh fro about what I can’t have this holiday isn’t going to help me

I need to be realistic And grateful I’hest bidder

I don’t even have a s account or credit card to finance my stay All I have is cash — which means a dive motel that won’t ask questions Which alsoto be cooked in a ht find me… or more likely whoever they hire as a hit man