Fallout (Crank 3)

The cop starts the car, turns carefully

around, and I rack my memory for the right

phone number. When Grandma Marie answers,

relief floods through me, and I rush to tell the story

she is so not expecting to hear. I hang up.

“My grandpa will come get me in the morning.”

Hunter

CHRISTMAS DAWNS SILVER

It’s the way crisp sunlight

plays on the new snow,

all sparkling. Clean. The sky

is clear. Brilliant blue.

And I am up way too early.

I wasn’t the first one up.

Scott was off at daybreak,

on his way to Bishop to collect

Summer. Surprise!

Guess who was coming

to Christmas dinner, only to

be waylaid by a Hummer.

Guess she and some guy

named Kyle were lucky

enough snow had fallen

to soften their rollover. Some

cop named Officer Strohmeyer

insisted on talking to Kristina.

>

Mom got on the phone, and

when the guy found out

who she was, he went all star-