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Standing, her legs treht A lock of dark hair blew in her eyes, obscuring her vision “Hello?”

The figure lifted soe in front of their body She couldn’tcontinued, so she pushed her shoulders back, bracing herself, and calling louder “Hello?”

The shadow froze, and she felt, rather than saw, the figure’s gaze on her

Herif this was so herself to be brave Despite her self-assurance, nothing could quell her tangled nerves Not even the knowledge her grandmother would never put her in harm’s way

She sed hard, her throat raw, as the figure stepped forward until the light of the moon illue eyes blinking at her in the night, set deep in a handsome face “The park’s closed You shouldn’t be here”

The baritone of his soft voice reverberated through her chest

“Neither should you” He stepped closer until his features becah her head “Do I know you?”

The boy squinted, then nodded “We go to school together I’ht? We have cheether”

Abby didn’t move as she stared at him with narrowed eyes Was that the only place she knew him from?

“Why are you here?” Abby asked For the first tie object she had seen in the dark A garbage bag—the source of the clinking

She relaxed her shoulders, the tension draining fro coue

“Um, I collect the trash at the park It’s sort of a side job, but I couldn’t get down here this randma I’m sorry for your loss”

“How’d you hear about that?”

“You weren’t in class, and the teachers told us—”

“Why do people always say that?”