nched to a halt on the gravel road

d in the warmth of the car, gesturing for his

lack umbrella, stepping out into the freezing, torrential

in battered against the nylon of her umbrella. The sou

slate-gray headstone nestled under a w

ing epitaph. Just his name and the dates. It

n the wet dirt. She reached out with a trembling hand. Her index finge

e. She closed her eyes, desperately trying

lt burned out. She just stared at

of Alex's giggles. Evelina's sudden, piercing scream. The back of

She pulled out a small, slightly worn plush rabb

ught for him the day he d

ke it was lined with broken glass. Her v

he whispered t

ect you. And I let them brand me

shed against her face and soaked through the right shoulder of her co

e stone until he

oison on her tongue. "I will tear her life apart pie

ther. He was so blind. He threw away the only perso

umbrella. Corinne snapped her head around. She shot him a glare so lethal, so f

let the freezing rain soak her to the bone. It was a physical p

purple with the dawn, the rain stopped. A sin

pped and cracked in protest. He

gile, grieving mother was gone. The woman who turn

hey are all buried,"

Her strides were long and rigid, her heels

Justus looked at her dripping hair and blue lips. He picked

stared straight ahead at the

et pocket. She dialed a heavily

tocol," Corinne c

red on the other end. "Understood. A

pted tone, but he didn't pry. He slowly lowered the towel, choosing to ke

ne. The gears of absolute destruction had b