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I glanced at Kayla’s bookshelf and was not surprised to find Poe and Lovecraft amid the Roths and Greens and Krauses Kayla had an interest in the gothic

The Facebook posting sat there, long enough to be read, and then the “Likes” began to add up quickly And then the “Shares”

Kayla switched to her Twitter feed and posted a pointer to her Facebook status And those tweets were retweeted and favorited

And just like that, the one thing Samantha Early had ever done that made her feel worthy and important was turned into a dirty joke

Kayla included a sound that Samantha was supposed to have made

That was the genius moment, I knew I could practically feel Kayla’s dark pleasure, knowing that this, above all, would be the stiletto to Samantha’s heart

Gurgle, gurgle, Sammie said

It was silliness It was false

It killed Samantha Early

“Consider what you have just witnessed,” Messenger said “Think on it, Mara, and come with me”

It sounded like an invitation, but of course it was no such thing Before I could blink, we had left the now cold and reain with Liam and Emma

11

“I OFFER YOU A GAME,” MESSENGER SAID

“What game?” Liam demanded

Messenger would not explain “If you win the gao free to consider what you have done If you lose the gareatest fear”