ali

take the

disappeared behind me. Amelia sat in the back seat with h

ere we were going

ust w

. I pulled into the lot at 11:40 p.m. and switch

the car

ia n

to the of

An old TV played behind him, and the coffee beside his

oom,"

any ni

ne

the car, and finally at

ed," he sa

nted

am

ar

slid the key across the coun

nd of the lot.

as we passed them. Seven on the left, six on the right.

rner, pointed at the stair

o

k beside the ice machine. He was e

Probably

bab

bathroom and closet. A bed, dresser, TV, brown curt

ng un

hain and deadbolt, then wedged t

e the bed, still w

re the

ooked

t yours. Not

no

phone. You don't speak to anyone

her

. Lights stay low. The

n at a low volume. A cooking show wa

d. If I say 'bathroom,' you lock yourself

ip tr

a lot of

kno

e to do al

es

hy

f her and looked into

ou. And because I

g her arms around my neck. I held her tightly, wi

n't make th

it into my shoe. The burner phone I'd bought three months

de. No sign

e bed. Amelia drank water from a bottle I'

aid

indow. Small and hig

o

idn't

r argued

, her forehe

st it, then the back of

a

you o

tir

you s

N

ly. She always did whe

ter I'd packed in a hurry. Her inh

r read one hun

he number for

t. At one hundred and three, I'd have to find a pharmacy. And if it reached one

eside the bed and le

n't s

ice machine started

behind my back, and look

d beside t

Tall. Hands i

't gett

there, looking down the

dn't

er di

and walked back

k. By 3:15, I was sitting on the floor with my back against th

rd

breath to give me one thin

I just had to sur

teps sounded i

. Not mine.

e behind my back, and lo

dark jacket was wa

sto

ly stood on the other side of the door,

oice low and calm, r

tal