“I've got a lot of homework to do, and none of it has anything to do with school.”

“I can't help but think of the dance that I'm not going to.It's not that I want to go to a dance. I'd go milk cows with Jocelyn if I could. Or do whatever kids around here do for fun.”

“I'm sixteen with what I hope will be a long life ahead, but I'm willing to give it up, to give anything to let her live, to let her make it through the night.”

“She ever marry?""No."The no sounds like "not in a million years." Like Aunt Alice couldn't marry, like she has one arm and horns sticking out of her head and she talks in tongues. Or maybe has several tongues to talk with.”

“What?" I ask. I don't get anything about this day. Everything is just off."Are you sure?""Am I sure where I live? Yeah. Steeple Drive.""Your cabin is on this road?""Is it just me, or is everything I'm saying slightly freaking you out?”

“Was she always that friendly?" I joke."She saw Robert. At least I got that out of her.""Maybe she buried him in the backyard.""Stop.""Did you smell it in there?""Yes.""That wasn't a normal smell. That wasn't the sort of something's-gone-bad-in-the-garbage smell. That was the sort of Dahmer-next-door smell.""Stop it.""I'm serious," I say."It's probably just some dead animal.""Oh, well, in that case, it's fine.”

“Things like this don't happen back in Libertyville, Illinois. You don't get lost in the woods behind your house.You don't get trapped inside a fortress-like wall ten feet tall.”