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“And if I choose not to betray him?”

“Then, you won’t get the next clue, and you’ll never find the treasure”

And reedy hunters

I look down to the ground, knowing if there is a heaven and hell,h You couldn’t be a father for the first twenty-plus years of my life, and now that you’re dead, you decide to teach me some lessons?

I look at Diego, defeated “What do I do now?” What if I love him?

“You betray hiet the treasure You protect your child That’s what you do”

I squeeze ston hates me I don’t knohy he wants to kill ive me

20

Langston

I’ve worn down every inch of the dirt floor within this one-room house while I wait for Liesel to return Fear flood

sto her

Is she in pain? Is she suffering, and I’ive myself if so

Finally, light streams into the house as the back door opens, and Liesel steps back into the room alone

I run to her and wrap her possessively intoto act tough and try to pull away; instead, she sinks into ht as I want

I slowto slow hers Hers stays quick for severalmy steady breath Only then do I speak