se always felt heavy, th

ike a shard of glass pr

humming an old tune while gatheri

a familiar feeling, a cold dread that a

ing certainty that had settled in

at out something hungry, a

I s

ng itself from the dense treeli

oug

cold, fixed on Gran

luid deadliness,

ath hi

and

was a r

ing as she saw my face, then

, a sound that vibrated throug

er face pale, tripping ov

k another step

ur neighbor, Mr. Hen

me?" he yelled, h

opened. Sh

ad swiveling, momentarily

lunge for our back door, f

g the wooden door shut just as th

ood g

ont window, my heart ha

, dusty yard, its tail twitching. It s

erpetually worried expression, rushed

imal, his fac

ined. "Your dad! He's a deputy! Get

ad, tears sti

ssal, his voice dripping with annoyance as Jessi

come, Ma

d? There's a cougar trying to get

's the county fair over in Monroe. He won't bel

gathered on the

all

ther, worshipped the g

ow in his life, the cons

im, a story David himself had spun. She thought Jessica was a balm to

s far uglier

Linda's. And the lie