a single flickering fluorescent light, the angry faces of the townspeople sta

hoing in the hall, "thought he could just c

illed the room. I could feel

rom my truck. Righ

ed to intervene, but they shouted her down. This was their town, the

ost valuable thing I owned. I handed it over to Hemlock, the weight of it leaving my wrist for the firs

night air did nothing to cool the shame that burned inside me

ocelyn a

aleb was saying, his voice full of

not weak and sick, but sharp and mocking. "The

kes seven, by the way. Seven pra

," she giggled. "Then

medicine, my humiliation... it was all a game. A bet. Ten

lindly until I found myself in front of Mrs. Gable's small

noc

ession softening with p

orry about what

, my voice hollow.

sk. "Your father called. He finalized the paperwork. The union apprenticesh

ld have thought about Jocelyn, about not want

f here," I said without a seco