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Elsa saw Loreda at the train depot, huddled against the closed door, hanging on to a suitcase the stor to yank out of her hand

Elsa parked the truck and got out Thin halos of golden light glowed at the streetlamps, pinpricks in the brown murk

“Loreda!” she screamed, her voice thin and scratchy in the maw

“Mom!”

Elsa leaned into the storm; it ripped her dress and scraped her cheeks and blinded her She staggered up the depot steps and pulled Loreda into her arhtly that for a second there was no stor, just them

Thank you, God

“We need to get into the depot,” she said

“The door’s locked”

Aexploded beside theo of Loreda and clawed her way to the broken , clilass teeth in the sill, felt sharp points jab her skin

Once inside, she unlocked the front door and pulled Loreda inside and slammed the door shut

The depot rattled around them; anothercracked Elsa went to the water fountain and scooped up soreedily

Elsa slu so badly she could hardly see

“I’m sorry, Loreda”

“He wanted to go west, didn’t he?” Loreda said

The walls of the depot clattered and shook; the world felt as if it were falling apart