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late, always too late.
    I look away. Something’s up in the trees … pink … a shoe … a small body tangled in the branches.
    Celine’s image pops into my head. She’s on the ground cowering. Now she’s gone. A sharp pain starts behind my ear, arcs to the top my head—again and again—like a short circuit. My breakfast backs up. I bend over and throw up. Everything starts spinning.
     

Chapter Three
    Amy
    I n town, a building—windows covered with boards … doors chained and locked. Tess parks the pickup behind it. Doesn’t want people to see the truck—not ‘registered’ … or something.
    Before we get out, she tells me the rules. Stay close. Don’t talk to strangers. She says the rules again while we're walking to the store. This time she adds a new one … keep my mouth shut about passing the truck up on the highway. Must not want anybody to know she was mean … scared the truck driver.
    In the store she buys beer, ice and cigarettes—gets me candy in a red wrapper. Not supposed to tell Bryce I got candy. When she’s paying for the stuff a woman comes up behind me. Her little girl says, “Hi. My name’s Alexis.”
    Shuffle my feet.
    “What’s your name?” she asks.
    Tess grabs my arm.
    “Mommy, why won’t she talk?”
    The woman whispers to the kid, but I can hear. “Honey, some children can’t talk.”
    “Mommy, why can’t she talk?”
    Tess lets go of my arm … digs into her pockets for money.
    Wanna say to the little girl it’s the rules. You’re not supposed to talk to strangers. They can hurt. The woman tells her, “Some children are born that way. But sometimes people get hurt real bad or get very sick and aren’t able to talk anymore.”
    I stare at the girl. My stomach twists in knots. Wanna tell her nothing’s wrong with me. “I … I….”
    Tess yanks me. “We better get up the hill. Bryce’ll be pissed.”
    Wanna say to Tess, we’re out of food. Need to get food. But she’ll thump me on the head. So, I keep quiet.
    Outside, Tess looks around to be sure no one’s watching … pushes me into the alley … pins me against the side of the store … her eyes dark … teeth clenched. “Do I have to watch you every second? You know the rules. What the hell are you doing talking to strangers?” She bites her lip. “You want to go back on that chain? If Bryce hears about this you’re going to. You should thank your lucky stars I’m not telling him—not this time, anyway.”
    We walk to the pickup. I take a lick of my candy, wrap it back up, stuff it in my pocket. Don’t know why the woman said something’s wrong with me. Why doesn’t her girl follow the rules?
    Headed back up the mountain, I’m still trying to figure out why the girl broke the rules. Tess stomps down on the brakes. Traffic’s stopped.
    She turns off the motor. “Hell, all I need is for some cop to come by and see my expired plates. No license—no insurance.”
    No idea what she’s talking about.
    Tess grips the steering wheel like she wants to rip it off. “We gotta let Bryce know I’m stuck behind a wreck. Damn trucker turned over his rig, sprawled across the highway.”
    Is it the truck driver Tess scared? Shut my eyes. Pound on my head … both hands … over and over. Don’t wanna think about it. Reach in my pocket. Feel the candy in its crinkly, red wrapper. I turn … look at her.
    She stares straight ahead. “If you start hoofing it right now and don’t dog it, you can be back up the mountain in maybe three, four hours—just in case I’m stuck down here forever. Tell Bryce there’s a wreck and I can’t get through. I’ll have to go back and get more ice. It’ll all be melted if I have to sit here half a day.”
    My heart jumps. He’ll be pissed no matter what. Everything’s always my fault.
    “If they clear this thing up sooner, I’ll pick you up on my way. Remember the rules. Don’t talk to anyone. And don’t tell Bryce about the damn truck driver. It’s the guy’s own