ie

en stripped do

nd bare. The only things that remained were my suitcase and a few small wo

ock broke

stood in the doorway, holding a cream

d, a faint smirk p

ook

nvita

the kind that whispered money. Embo

horn & C

en, th

e Marcus had bought out for an entire day, just

. I was twelve. We had eaten cotton candy until our fing

er seen him look like a human

the photo of him

e exact s

h me-sharp, viscer

comfort, I realize

quietly with a

ou need

n't,

ze to the invitati

whispered, her voice thick with nostalgia.

was a

my phone and

g home, Da

ced with concern. "You so

"I just... I need to

efore he co

ere Marcus Thorn had never adopted

small sculptur

k of wood when I was sixteen. It was rough, ugly even

then. He had simply put it

refully into a

pened with

d of securit

l personal items that don't fit the aest

hick finger at

d of th

u

ul wa

he box containing the Desert F

" he mu

at!" I yelled,

gnor

k the Don for some money to fund your little hobb

ity

tax write-off. A good deed

he tossed the box into

g inside

ring fantasy that M

as g

ut into th

eir hands and knees,

ow," one said, her voice l

ed. "Miss Ellie was alw

into th

urd

room and locked

the calendar

ee

sed ou

d to th

mmed with red.

jaw w

ction. "You have to stand up. Yo

ts until my nails

n was g

out the

ung in the s

to disappe

ut the cord. I th

just the sound the world m