I stomped along the side of the circle near the ditches until I got to our driveway. With the streetlamp gone out, our house looked extra empty. Only some of the moon was shining, and it was hard to see, but I went closer. Beside the house the woods were just a big wall of black, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the wolves living in there. My heart popped up when I saw a man sitting on our porch. He was skinny with a tiny, tiny head and his arms sticking straight out. He rocked back and forth and I was going to run back to Shar’s but I didn’t want to talk to Pearl about Rowan because it was horrible and how can you help someone who was already dead? And then I saw the man was just the shadow of Gloria’s chair.

Tears came out of my eyes. My cheeks were stinging.

I checked the front door and the sliding doors. They were locked up tight, but the shed was open. Inside was so dark. None of the moon could get in the dirty window. I felt Rowan’s old bike. I knew it was his because there were plastic things clipped on the rusty spokes. When Rowan rode his bike they made a click-click sound. I pushed down next to the front wheel and bumped my head hard on a block of wood. I cried loud but no one came. Something made a loud clap. I think it was a mousetrap, but it didn’t catch the mouse because I could hear it behind me tearing at paper.

I waited and waited and Gloria did not come home. It wasn’t cold, but my teeth were chattering. I put my head on my knees and closed my eyes. I didn’t care if a wolf snuck out of the woods and stole me. I hated Shar. She was ugly and mean. Inside and out. Mrs. Spooner said we should ignore people like that, but I couldn’t. Gloria made me go to her house. Aunt Erma said she was like my big sister. She was the worst big sister. Rowan would hate her, too. He’d punch her in the stomach if he knew what she did. He’d kick out her rotten teeth. I missed Rowan. I missed Rowan so much.

I curled up as tight as I could. Then I felt something furry shoving against my face. A wolf! My eyes popped open, and then I saw Chicken. I hugged him. He was so warm. But how did he get in here? How did he get outside our house? Maybe Gloria was finally back.