I tried to focus. I saw, I saw, I saw a shadow cutting in front of the glow. Moving past the flashlight? The porch light? A flurry of movement, a sloping outline. Rushing across the grass toward me.

Part Two

ROWAN

Dark world tilting, falling down. Yard zigzagging under my feet. Grass in my mouth. Lifting, tugging, stumbling. Thick fingers digging into my armpits. Pulling me up, dragging me, lifting me. Seconds. Minutes. Hours? I am moving away.

Where are you taking me?

Stop.

I want to be home.

Stop it. Please stop it.

My head hurts. Hurts bad.

Grunting then, and I’m down on the hard ground. Something cold against my cheek. I curl into a ball, but the stomping, smashing will not leave my skull. I clap my hand on the wall. Damp cement. Am I back under the bridge?

Everything is spinning.

Spinning.

Stop.

It won’t slow down.

MAISY

In the middle of the night I woke up. Rain was tapping my window and coming in on my pillow. I got up and closed the window and then I heard Gloria downstairs. She was screaming like crazy. No one was screaming back. I knew she was on the phone to Telly.

“You can’t just come and go whenever you want—”

…

“—being selfish.”

…

“Not until we’re all back together, you’re not.”

…

“You think there’s no consequences?”

Then she stopped and next was an angry slam. Maybe she broke the phone. I hugged my chest but my heart wouldn’t slow down.

I waited and waited and maybe I went back to sleep because I didn’t hear nothing else. When I opened my eyes again birds were cheeping and orange light was going across my ceiling. I got out of bed and snuck down the hallway. I passed Rowan’s room, but his bed was still empty. I tiptoed down the stairs and into the kitchen. Chicken was far back under the table. He was whimpering out a dream, but there was no sign of Gloria. The phone looked okay, but the phone book was on the floor.

I pulled open the sliding doors and went outside. Wind lifted up my hair. The sun was at the top of the trees and the backyard was wet and sparkly. Something extra sparkly was on the grass, but when I went over, it was just tinfoil. A big triangle, enough to cover two roast chickens. We had that once when Telly got his new job at the garage. Rowan wanted all four drumsticks, and when Telly said it was okay, Rowan ripped them off and sucked the bones clean. He could have them again if he came home. I just knew Gloria wouldn’t be mad, and she’d say yes.