Page 53 (1/2)

1

Kennedy

Our van crunched its way up a gravel path that led to our new home It looked like the sort of place that was built on a Native Around Thick forest circled the crooked two-story farine I’d look out ht to see darkened silhouettes of creepy children standing along the tree line Other than the e’d coap in the trees was a thin path near the back of the property where a fancy stone gate stood

I squinted toward the gate Unlike everything else I could see, the gate appeared to be well kept and clean

“You know,” I said towheel “This is where Stephen King sets all his novels Did you intentionally buy a house that would have given him a massive bon—”

“Kennedy Stills!” Myher head Her hands scrabbled around her bosom for the cross she wore around her neck She clutched it,I can to protect this child from the sin of this world, but she’s still—”

“Dirty as a chimney sweep,” I added in a bored tone “But you didn’t letI was definitely going to say boner”

My mom was a mountain of a woman Thick boned Thick haired, even It stood up from her head no matter how she chose to style it, like a wall of rounded red flames She was also pretty hting and the hoet out Period

I hoped e that this year If I wasn’t sick, I’d be starting h school in a feeeks Well, technically, I was turning eighteen next ht my mom would’ve shot doo years of school instead of one I’d opted with the less greedy route

The van rolled to a stop in front of a slightly run-down farht address?”

My et oing to snap at me for it, I opened the door and carefully pulledposition

Getting up rip on the handle by the door and ht