p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"strongspan style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"A/N This is my first OFC! I've set this in an au after season nine, in which Dean has dealt with the Mark of Cain and Cas's grace is /span/strong/p
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p id="docs-internal-guid-62474d79-2a34-3911-441a-9aeac716e18a" dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Mallory hated the classroom and everyone in it, and the feeling was mutual./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Well, to say mutual might have been an exaggeration. It had been three months, and after the first hour and a half of cold flat rejection of all types of friendship, even the most chipper lets-be-friends kids had more or less left her alone. At this point, most people had stopped noticing her, but now she had a presentation on the cold war to deliver, and 7 minutes in which to emblazon herself on the minds of each and every peer desperate to graduate./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Mallory spoke bluntly, not wasting words. She had her hands in her pockets and was leaning against the blackboard. Damnit, she wasn't supposed to do that! Quickly pushing herself forward, she changed the slide and resumed speaking./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Once she finished, the class applauded politely, and she was forgotten once again. Simple as that./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Later that day, as she walked home, Mr. Landon called out to her from where he was washing his car. "Aren't you pretty today, sweetie?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Mr. Albert Landon was 72 with hearing and memory problems, and completely innocent. Mallory almost always stopped to chat with him on her way home, although it was mostly because Erica insisted on it./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Leaning on the picket fence, Mallory responded in a raised voice, "Thank you, Mr. Landon."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Must charm all the boys at school in that getup."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""No, Mr. Landon." Because Mallory was wearing a blue blouse and knee-length skirt with her wispy hair tied in a ponytail, and the boys were charmed by tank tops and short shorts and bleached blondes./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""You got a boyfriend yet?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""No, Mr. Landon."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Well how're you s'posed to get married then?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""I'm not going to, Mr. Landon."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Mr. Landon pulled a face. "You're gonna get married. Pretty girl like you? I'd bet on it."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Mallory forced a smile. She'd had this conversation with him at least twice this week, and it didn't get better each time she repeated it. "We'll see, Mr. Landon," she said, "I have to go now. Erica is waiting for me."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Of course, sweetheart. See you soon."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Goodbye."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Mallory continued on her way, adjusting her wispy, reddish-blonde ponytail. Although she didn't see it, Mr. Landon's wrinkled face grew pale when he saw the dark pentagram tattoo on the back of her neck./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;" /p
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p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"The unavoidable bang of the screen door alerted the entire house to her presence, but Mallory still shouted, "Erica, I'm home!"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"It was a household thing, announcing you were home. Erica, who was 48 and a determined good samaritan, liked it when Mallory participated in household things. And when Erica was happy, everyone was happy. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"When Erica wasn't happy, everyone was extremely uncomfortable./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Hi, sweetie," she said, bustling down the stairs excitedly, "How was school?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Good," lied Mallory./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Well, I'm glad. Oh, by the way, Davy and I are going out tonight."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""That's good," said Mallory, feigning interest. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""He's going there straight after work, there's a function down at the fire hall."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Dave worked as an electrician outside of town. Erica raised a long and steady stream of foster kids until they turned 18. Mallory was the last, a 'rescue puppy' as Erica had quickly regretted joking./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Are you having dinner there or am I on my own?" Mallory asked. It was an innocent question, but one she regretted almost instantly./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Erica hugged her tightly. "If you're feeling like that I can stay," she murmured./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Mallory patted her awkwardly on the back. "You should go," she responded sincerely, "I'm fine, really."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Are you sure?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Fighting back an eye roll, Mallory answered, "Yes."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Erica let her go and patted her cheek in a moment of awkwardness. "You're such a good kid, you know?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Yes, Erica. Can I go to my room now? I have homework."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Of course, sweetie," Erica promised, "Do you want me to make dinner?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Mallory, who was already halfway up the stairs replied, "No. I can make myself a grilled cheese sandwich."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Okay, then."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"But Mallory was in her room at that point, the door closed neatly behind her. It was a sickening pink, with three beds with matching pink bedspreads and girly books on the bookshelf. This used to be the girls room, and even though Mallory was the only kid in the house, all three beds were still there, neatly made./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Keeping your bed neatly made was a household thing, but Erica didn't check on a regular basis. Even at her most cynical, Mallory had to admit Erica's respect for privacy was great. Her other guardian's blatant disrespect and their kids pestering nosiness was part of the reason her file had a footlong warning list./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Which is why it was great Erica had welcomed her with open arms, willing to put her 'troubled' past behind her and lead her to a bright future./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"At least, that's was the cross-stitch in the kitchen said./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"But Mallory crawled underneath the third bed, the one that had been unused for so long it was caked in dust and began pulling out boxes and bottles. She had no intention of moving forward. Her past wasn't troubled. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"She pulled out an enormous book. Huh, she thought, glancing at one of the bottles, she was almost out of lamb's blood. No matter. She spread her ceremonial mat and began thumbing through the book./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;" /p
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p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Mr. Landon was sitting at his kitchen table, rubbing his sore knee. What had that doctor said about arthritis? Something absurd. What were they thinking these days anyway? /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"He smacked his knee in frustration./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"And his entire lower leg fell to the floor, pooling blood. His foot popped off at the ankle and his toes rolled under the fridge. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Mr. Landon gasped in shock more than pain. The smell rose up like a wall, making him gag./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"But even as he reached towards his missing appendage, beyond certain that this was just a dream, a bad dream, his right arm fell off at the shoulder, breaking apart at the joins as it splashed into the bloody pool. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Jenny!" he managed to yell, falling forward./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Jenny was the name of the girl his daughter had hired to take care of him in his old age. Quite naturally, he was more than capable of taking care of himself, thank you very much./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"And even so, it was too late. Jenny had gone home for the day, and his head was rolling towards the door./span/p
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p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;" /p
p id="docs-internal-guid-62474d79-2a34-3911-441a-9aeac716e18a" dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Mallory hated the classroom and everyone in it, and the feeling was mutual./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Well, to say mutual might have been an exaggeration. It had been three months, and after the first hour and a half of cold flat rejection of all types of friendship, even the most chipper lets-be-friends kids had more or less left her alone. At this point, most people had stopped noticing her, but now she had a presentation on the cold war to deliver, and 7 minutes in which to emblazon herself on the minds of each and every peer desperate to graduate./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Mallory spoke bluntly, not wasting words. She had her hands in her pockets and was leaning against the blackboard. Damnit, she wasn't supposed to do that! Quickly pushing herself forward, she changed the slide and resumed speaking./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Once she finished, the class applauded politely, and she was forgotten once again. Simple as that./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Later that day, as she walked home, Mr. Landon called out to her from where he was washing his car. "Aren't you pretty today, sweetie?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Mr. Albert Landon was 72 with hearing and memory problems, and completely innocent. Mallory almost always stopped to chat with him on her way home, although it was mostly because Erica insisted on it./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Leaning on the picket fence, Mallory responded in a raised voice, "Thank you, Mr. Landon."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Must charm all the boys at school in that getup."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""No, Mr. Landon." Because Mallory was wearing a blue blouse and knee-length skirt with her wispy hair tied in a ponytail, and the boys were charmed by tank tops and short shorts and bleached blondes./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""You got a boyfriend yet?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""No, Mr. Landon."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Well how're you s'posed to get married then?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""I'm not going to, Mr. Landon."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Mr. Landon pulled a face. "You're gonna get married. Pretty girl like you? I'd bet on it."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Mallory forced a smile. She'd had this conversation with him at least twice this week, and it didn't get better each time she repeated it. "We'll see, Mr. Landon," she said, "I have to go now. Erica is waiting for me."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Of course, sweetheart. See you soon."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Goodbye."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Mallory continued on her way, adjusting her wispy, reddish-blonde ponytail. Although she didn't see it, Mr. Landon's wrinkled face grew pale when he saw the dark pentagram tattoo on the back of her neck./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;" /p
hr /
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"The unavoidable bang of the screen door alerted the entire house to her presence, but Mallory still shouted, "Erica, I'm home!"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"It was a household thing, announcing you were home. Erica, who was 48 and a determined good samaritan, liked it when Mallory participated in household things. And when Erica was happy, everyone was happy. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"When Erica wasn't happy, everyone was extremely uncomfortable./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Hi, sweetie," she said, bustling down the stairs excitedly, "How was school?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Good," lied Mallory./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Well, I'm glad. Oh, by the way, Davy and I are going out tonight."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""That's good," said Mallory, feigning interest. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""He's going there straight after work, there's a function down at the fire hall."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Dave worked as an electrician outside of town. Erica raised a long and steady stream of foster kids until they turned 18. Mallory was the last, a 'rescue puppy' as Erica had quickly regretted joking./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Are you having dinner there or am I on my own?" Mallory asked. It was an innocent question, but one she regretted almost instantly./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Erica hugged her tightly. "If you're feeling like that I can stay," she murmured./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Mallory patted her awkwardly on the back. "You should go," she responded sincerely, "I'm fine, really."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Are you sure?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Fighting back an eye roll, Mallory answered, "Yes."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Erica let her go and patted her cheek in a moment of awkwardness. "You're such a good kid, you know?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Yes, Erica. Can I go to my room now? I have homework."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Of course, sweetie," Erica promised, "Do you want me to make dinner?"/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Mallory, who was already halfway up the stairs replied, "No. I can make myself a grilled cheese sandwich."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Okay, then."/span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"But Mallory was in her room at that point, the door closed neatly behind her. It was a sickening pink, with three beds with matching pink bedspreads and girly books on the bookshelf. This used to be the girls room, and even though Mallory was the only kid in the house, all three beds were still there, neatly made./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Keeping your bed neatly made was a household thing, but Erica didn't check on a regular basis. Even at her most cynical, Mallory had to admit Erica's respect for privacy was great. Her other guardian's blatant disrespect and their kids pestering nosiness was part of the reason her file had a footlong warning list./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Which is why it was great Erica had welcomed her with open arms, willing to put her 'troubled' past behind her and lead her to a bright future./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"At least, that's was the cross-stitch in the kitchen said./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"But Mallory crawled underneath the third bed, the one that had been unused for so long it was caked in dust and began pulling out boxes and bottles. She had no intention of moving forward. Her past wasn't troubled. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"She pulled out an enormous book. Huh, she thought, glancing at one of the bottles, she was almost out of lamb's blood. No matter. She spread her ceremonial mat and began thumbing through the book./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;" /p
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p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Mr. Landon was sitting at his kitchen table, rubbing his sore knee. What had that doctor said about arthritis? Something absurd. What were they thinking these days anyway? /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"He smacked his knee in frustration./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"And his entire lower leg fell to the floor, pooling blood. His foot popped off at the ankle and his toes rolled under the fridge. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Mr. Landon gasped in shock more than pain. The smell rose up like a wall, making him gag./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"But even as he reached towards his missing appendage, beyond certain that this was just a dream, a bad dream, his right arm fell off at the shoulder, breaking apart at the joins as it splashed into the bloody pool. /span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;""Jenny!" he managed to yell, falling forward./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"Jenny was the name of the girl his daughter had hired to take care of him in his old age. Quite naturally, he was more than capable of taking care of himself, thank you very much./span/p
p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 10pt;"span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; color: #000000; background-color: transparent; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"And even so, it was too late. Jenny had gone home for the day, and his head was rolling towards the door./span/p
