Fallout (Crank 3)

“You’ve got to be kidding me, right?”

Who paints a house like this?

Doesn’t matter how it looks

outside. It’s what’s inside that

counts. You’ll like the Clooneys.

SO SAYS SHE

What else would she say,

anyway? She opens

the trunk, and I

grab my

bag. Not much in it, but

only one thing matters—

my cell phone. My

lifeline

to the real world.

The one I’m about to

walk into is

prete

nd.

The uneven sidewalk

tries to trip me. The step

sags beneath my weight.

I don’t

want to see what’s

beyond the door, but

it opens at the bell. I

need it to

be nice inside.

I need something

solid to