ora whispered, the

abbed her by the hair and dragged her into the

than us?" she snarled,

op water over her head. They slapped her, kicked her,

o broken to fight back. She curled i

hed, standing over her. "Not s

anvas of bruises. Her face was swollen, her li

red. One of them kicked

as no r

one muttered. "I

started shouting for the guards. "Hey!

ried out on

l belongings from the office were waiting for her in a cardboard box on h

g in pain. She didn't bother cleaning herself

broke the silence. A m

re coming to visit you nex

group chat for he

on this Saturday! It's been so l

rough her head. She fumbled for her

stared at her reflection. A pale, br

the messages, her words cheerful and

t to see

un! I'll

ne last t

the city, a place only she and August knew. A

ps. From her pocket, she pulled out a delicate sil

all those years ago. She had saved for months to afford it. He h

n his rage and pain, he had ripped it f

ept it ev

on one of the tree's branches. A

he whispered to the wind. "B

a sapling. Now, it was tall and

look, then turne

in the wind, as i

ld classmates greeted her warmly, their

! We all heard you were workin

uld answer, t

Hughes on his arm. They were

d Cora's, and she gave her a l

been talking to her

bumped into Cora. In that brief moment of contact, Ha

he grabbed Harlow's wrist

wrist, his grip like a vise. "What do you think you're doing

ct. "It's nothing, Auggie. C

her a look of deep suspicion. He pulled Harlo

elt like a des

president decided to play a sl

e of their smiling graduation

tuttered, t

to a shocked, ho

to see, was a grainy, private vi