alnifolia)
This plant is found near rivers and on moist, wooded hillsides; the ripe berries are sweet and excellent eaten raw or made into jams. The inner bark is used in anti-inflammatory eye and ear drops, and the berries relieve constipation. According to American folklore, the plant will bloom when the ground is ready to bury the winter's dead.
"I found more hair," Polly said.
Polly sat at the kitchen table while her mom put out cereal for dinner. Her mother was still in her work clothes; she'd had no choice but to go back to the office full-time. There were bills to pay, and it had been ten days now. Some people had already stopped asking about Bree first thing.
Polly had never thought much about her mom's job. It had been nothing but a bunch of big wordsâ
ecosystem management, environmental regulatory compliance
âuntil her mom came home
one day with a fat report labeled "Environmental Impact Analysis: Mountain Winds Development." Then everything made sense. Her mother was the one who had to decide when, or if, the Leyland Corporation could break ground in the woods.
"Please," her mom said, massaging her forehead. "You have to stop."
"But it's proof."
Her mom slammed her hand down on the table. "The police won't even test that lock of hair you gave me! What good would it do them? They say Bree could have been in the woods anytime, and they combed the forest. I've been out there too, Polly. What do you think I do during my lunch hour and after work?" Her eyes got all buggy, and Polly leaned away. "I go out there and leave things for her! Food, clothes, her winter boots. If there's even a chance that you were right..."
Polly nearly told her mom to ask Baba what she knew about Bree, but all of a sudden she wasn't sure if either of them really wanted to know the truth. If Baba wasn't watching over Bree, then what chance did her sister have to survive?
"I want you to come straight home from school every day," her mom said. "I can't worry about you too."
Polly stared into her bowl of bran flakes.
Why not?
she almost said.
Don't I count?
But by then her mom had gone up to the Crying Room, and conversation was done.
***
Jenny Gardner and Kate Eardly, two members of Bree's Fab Five, showed up Tuesday after school. Polly opened the door and got a scare, as she always did, at the sight of their black-rimmed eyes and pale faces. They used to be pretty, but now they were ghouls dressed in black boots, white makeup, and AC/DC T-shirts. Polly couldn't even tell the color of their auras, yet they were smiling, something they'd rarely done before.
"Polly," Jenny said. "You mind if we come in a minute?"
Polly did mind, actually. Her mother was at work and her dad a half-hour drive away. What if one of the Fab Five took out a knife? She had no idea what they were capable of.
"Um."
"Look," Kate said, "we know it's, like, not exactly Disneyland at your house these days, but we left some things in Bree's room."
They slipped into the living room like shadows. Jenny walked to the fireplace, where she smirked at an outdated family photoâPolly's mom and dad with their arms around each other, Bree and Polly pigtailed and smiling in front. Jenny had vampire eyes, so light green they were almost clear.
"My mom will be home soon," Polly said, hoping that would make them leave.
"We'll just be a second," Jenny promised.
They headed upstairs, and though Polly knew she ought to stop them, she wasn't sure how. In the past, they'd always played deaf when she spoke to them, or pretended they couldn't see her. She followed them into the Crying Room, where they began pawing through Bree's dresser drawers.
Polly knew what they were looking for: pot, cocaine, the latest pills. Jenny went to the closet and grabbed Bree's suede jacket. After rummaging through the pockets, she tossed the coat on the floor and yanked at a blouse.
"Hey!" Polly said.
Neither of them listened. Kate spilled out the contents of jewelry boxes while
This plant is found near rivers and on moist, wooded hillsides; the ripe berries are sweet and excellent eaten raw or made into jams. The inner bark is used in anti-inflammatory eye and ear drops, and the berries relieve constipation. According to American folklore, the plant will bloom when the ground is ready to bury the winter's dead.
"I found more hair," Polly said.
Polly sat at the kitchen table while her mom put out cereal for dinner. Her mother was still in her work clothes; she'd had no choice but to go back to the office full-time. There were bills to pay, and it had been ten days now. Some people had already stopped asking about Bree first thing.
Polly had never thought much about her mom's job. It had been nothing but a bunch of big wordsâ
ecosystem management, environmental regulatory compliance
âuntil her mom came home
one day with a fat report labeled "Environmental Impact Analysis: Mountain Winds Development." Then everything made sense. Her mother was the one who had to decide when, or if, the Leyland Corporation could break ground in the woods.
"Please," her mom said, massaging her forehead. "You have to stop."
"But it's proof."
Her mom slammed her hand down on the table. "The police won't even test that lock of hair you gave me! What good would it do them? They say Bree could have been in the woods anytime, and they combed the forest. I've been out there too, Polly. What do you think I do during my lunch hour and after work?" Her eyes got all buggy, and Polly leaned away. "I go out there and leave things for her! Food, clothes, her winter boots. If there's even a chance that you were right..."
Polly nearly told her mom to ask Baba what she knew about Bree, but all of a sudden she wasn't sure if either of them really wanted to know the truth. If Baba wasn't watching over Bree, then what chance did her sister have to survive?
"I want you to come straight home from school every day," her mom said. "I can't worry about you too."
Polly stared into her bowl of bran flakes.
Why not?
she almost said.
Don't I count?
But by then her mom had gone up to the Crying Room, and conversation was done.
***
Jenny Gardner and Kate Eardly, two members of Bree's Fab Five, showed up Tuesday after school. Polly opened the door and got a scare, as she always did, at the sight of their black-rimmed eyes and pale faces. They used to be pretty, but now they were ghouls dressed in black boots, white makeup, and AC/DC T-shirts. Polly couldn't even tell the color of their auras, yet they were smiling, something they'd rarely done before.
"Polly," Jenny said. "You mind if we come in a minute?"
Polly did mind, actually. Her mother was at work and her dad a half-hour drive away. What if one of the Fab Five took out a knife? She had no idea what they were capable of.
"Um."
"Look," Kate said, "we know it's, like, not exactly Disneyland at your house these days, but we left some things in Bree's room."
They slipped into the living room like shadows. Jenny walked to the fireplace, where she smirked at an outdated family photoâPolly's mom and dad with their arms around each other, Bree and Polly pigtailed and smiling in front. Jenny had vampire eyes, so light green they were almost clear.
"My mom will be home soon," Polly said, hoping that would make them leave.
"We'll just be a second," Jenny promised.
They headed upstairs, and though Polly knew she ought to stop them, she wasn't sure how. In the past, they'd always played deaf when she spoke to them, or pretended they couldn't see her. She followed them into the Crying Room, where they began pawing through Bree's dresser drawers.
Polly knew what they were looking for: pot, cocaine, the latest pills. Jenny went to the closet and grabbed Bree's suede jacket. After rummaging through the pockets, she tossed the coat on the floor and yanked at a blouse.
"Hey!" Polly said.
Neither of them listened. Kate spilled out the contents of jewelry boxes while
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