Bob: Chapters 1–3

"Never mind,” I say. I realize I’m squeezing something in the hand that Gran is not holding. I open it and see one of the black chess pieces. A pawn.

I glance at Beth Ann, who is still wiggling in her seat. Our eyes meet. As if she knows what I’m thinking, she quits her pre-crying and makes her someone feed me whimper.

My hand reaches for the doorknob. I know exactly where the light cord is, and I watch my hand reach out and pull it. The light flickers on.

Below that, clothes on hangers dangle from a bar. There’s a tutu with sequins and a few summer dresses for someone a lot smaller than me.

Right now, Beth Ann is so small she can barely keep a shirt on. One shoulder is always falling out of the neck hole. If I try to fix it, she cries.

Meditated a few times after hearing Gran play a self-help tape on the benefits of calming the mind. This was actually not bad even though my legs cramped from sitting cross-legged.

She was abducted by aliens.

I narrow my eyes at her. This is not easy, because I don’t actually have eyelids. I focus on looking skeptical and nonplussed.

I narrow my eyes at her. This is not easy, because I don’t actually have eyelids. I focus on looking skeptical and nonplussed.

She takes in my firm stance and my disapproving expression and my toes, tapping on the carpet.

Lips turned up at the ends. Like I said, it was a potentially fake smile.

"I’ve heard that before,” he mutters from the other side.

It’s called a drought. It’s bad for the plants, bad for the animals, and bad for the people who live around here.

The zombie is hovering over the pirate ship again, this time with a Lego monkey in his hand.

"It doesn’t feel like the middle of the night, though I admit that a closet is not the best place to decide what time it is. There is a certain timelessness to closets. This one, anyway.”

There was a big gash next to my ear, but it wasn’t as bad as what I had been imagining.

I get to Z and trail my finger down the pages like I’ve seen Dad do. I move past zest (spirited enjoyment, gusto), past zodiac (a celestial path), and land on zombie. We lean in together to read the definition.

I get to Z and trail my finger down the pages like I’ve seen Dad do. I move past zest (spirited enjoyment, gusto), past zodiac (a celestial path), and land on zombie. We lean in together to read the definition.

I get to Z and trail my finger down the pages like I’ve seen Dad do. I move past zest (spirited enjoyment, gusto), past zodiac (a celestial path), and land on zombie. We lean in together to read the definition.

I get to Z and trail my finger down the pages like I’ve seen Dad do. I move past zest (spirited enjoyment, gusto), past zodiac (a celestial path), and land on zombie. We lean in together to read the definition.