“I kissed him, and even though it hurt my mouth, I didn't mind; Wyatt's kisses were worth suffering over.”

“1821," I told him, noting mailboxes of castles and pirate ships and the street numbers painted on them. I had to fis hmy penlight from my pack to see the numbers; streetlights were scarce, and the sky bulged with low, sooty clouds instead of helpful moonlight.”

“The red color infesting Wyatt's lure spread like licks of flame until the entire stretch of rattling glass was full of bloody-colored pinwheels throbbing like sick, misshapen hearts.”

“I don't even register on the freakometer.”

“It disturbed me that he saw things in such black-and-white tones. I sure didn't. For me, the world was a confusion of color.”

“They can't even decide what flavor of crazy I am.”

“Even if you were Hannibal Lecter himself, around here you're nothing special.”