Three Years In Chains, A Lifetime Of Vengeance

the puzzle box and landed in my hand. The litt

edges into a heart. Lily loved sha

ble and cut out heart after heart, then stuck them everywhere she could reach. At one po

in thick red crayon. The petals spread w

even block letters had been wr

g stopped f

a word

y two people who unders

oom. Warm light filled the room while Lily curled against me in her st

head, think for a second, and then shout the answer with

ld beg while gripping the corner of

to a hug. My heart always filled with pride

.. Where

d around the small

faded. It clearly wasn't some

zzle box? Did she write it when she

m the word. The second and f

OS

ing. Another memory followed right after. T

ma," Lily said happily, "this is my new friend, Rose Lloyd! Sh

me what they had made together. She held up two drawings done with crayons. E

. "Lily said you like flowe

a friend brought warmth to my heart. Even with everythin

ng word coul

through the darkn

trying to leav

limits of what she could do, she used the p

would come back

blurred wi

up, and my hear

ushed through me. My b

t, I bare

ly changed from black to blue an

ance. A new day had arrived. A n

fountain outside caught the morning lig

ooked calm. Inside m

felt unfamiliar. My eyes were red and swollen. My

le was already eating brea

table, and the smell of fruit an

p shirt and wool vest gave him

face. "Good morning, Anna," he said. "Yo

d stepped forward and placed hot co

s night. "I found a cardboard piece from her puzzle box. It points to a girl

y's death hasn't crushed you. It seems to have given you strength instead." After a short pa

" I answered honestly. "If I go by myself, I might l

l beside the dining table. A few minutes later, a woman in her early thirties

oked toward me. "Anna, this is Katherine Morris, my assistant

o meet you, Anna. Mr. Smith already explained your sit

hat I saw instead was re

of relief se

brought the car around. She drove a black

ross the city. Store windows displayed decorations. Strings of colored lights stretched across th

truck my hea

, I made a Christmas card for L

the three of us together. Beneath the picture I

her she ever received it. Michael

She glanced at me through the rearvie

d fixed on the

aid quietly. "Did she have a tree? Did she open any pres

Katherine di

t what really happened, you'll be able to do some