Radio Free Death,

Thanks for your review. Keep in mind that I haven't learned anything serious yet about placement in writing. That, I know, I need to do. You corrected me on the "Him" part. I only capitalize it because, in this case, it is a proper noun. Him refers to He Who Walks Behind the Rows. And, in Gatlin, he is somewhat of a figurehead.

I didn't fully say Malachi agreed to become Kennedy's friend. I didn't say he took a liking to her either. He knows about her Bystander world. The whole cult is trying to persuade as many children as possible to join so they won't run into obstacles later. You'll learn more about that later in the book.

Before the great massacre at Hanson's, Kennedy Stone was an optimistic person and only saw the best in particular people. If there was no best, she'd be straightforward with it. Although, Kennedy only sees a time where Malachi was pure and innocent from the violence to come. Malachi only sees an obstacle in her and is driven to overcome it. While he plays the part of a returning friend, in the chapters to come, you'll see the the heartless thing the cult has turned him into. Again, thank you for your review. I appreciate it and hope you keep reading.

~M&M


My mind was stuck on Hanson's the whole day. We could talk about everything! I could finally see why Malachi was separating himself from me, what they were doing in the cornfields, and learn about his obsession with Him. I scribbled more things in my notebook. It had been a long, restless day. Malachi barely had any classes with me which made things worse. Courtney did though. A folded page of composition paper landed silently on my desk. I glanced over and saw the big smile of Courtney. I unfolded the note and saw, in Courtney's handwriting,

You look distracted. I wrote back,

Sorry, I have a lot of things going on. I passed it to her and soon got the reply of,

Things like what? My reply was,

Malachi invited me to Hanson's later. I've just been so excited. A serious face fell onto Courtney when she read it.

You are a Bystander, Kenn. Don't get caught up in their mess. Don't be one of them. I rolled my eyes when I received her part of the conversation. Courtney always thought of me rather naive at the sound of Malachi's name. I wrote back, I know,

Courtney. But, he's a good guy—just corrupted by Him. Courtney gave me a face of disbelief. Who's side was she taking? She furiously scribbled something on the sheet and slapped it on my desk. Unfortunately, that was all it took. Out teacher had apparently seen us passing notes before she came up and snatched it away. But, right at the last second when our faces were filled with despair, I saw her answer.

Don't trust him. We are Bystanders. We stick togeth–

A smile danced across my lips when, finally, the last bell rang. The consequence of patience had been biting at my bones. Maybe it was what Courtney said that was making me feel odd. I was led off track when she came out so boldly. She made me feel pledged to being a Bystander. My only desire at the time was to reach Hanson's to meet with Malachi. Courtney had to be away from my thoughts. When the bell rang, I dashed out of the school or hell, same thing.

Suddenly, I was forced to greet the hot, bloody air. It brushed up against the sides of my face and flung my hair behind me. I forced a smile and walked to Hanson's, the diner. It wasn't very far away. Hey, Gatlin wasn't a very large town. It was one you'd hear about in love stories. Except, this wasn't a love story. Hanson's was a small, rectangular building with a faded yellow paint job. Old Cadillacs and other jalopies sat outside, by the road. The adults were coming out of church from some town meeting. I saw my buddy, Job, as I passed. He caught up with me.

"Hello, Job." I greeted, ruffling up the boy's neat hair. Job was a sweet little kid. He had a boyish face with sparks of energy for eyes—nothing like Malachi.

"Hello, Kennedy. Where' you going?" He asked with a young, energetic voice.

"Hanson's," He smiled.

"Dad and I are going there, too!" I glanced around and saw Job's father who was catching up with us. "Hey, Kennedy, how's your dad?" Job's father asked.

"Oh, he's fine. Is Sarah still sick?" His eyes lowered at that question. She must still be, I thought.

"Yeah, nothing is getting better. I was just about to call home to check up on her. Oh, tell your old man that the guys and I are going out to pool tonight if he wants to come." I nodded.

"I'll tell him that, sir."

"So, you going to Hanson's?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm meeting Malachi." His face darkened. I knew Job's father never approved of Malachi or any of the other kids who were included in whatever. Job's father preferred himself, his family, and, especially, his son out of it. Maybe he knew for sure what was going on. There was no way to know.

"Kennedy, you know Malachi isn't a good friend for you to have. It's best to stay away." He remarked sternly.

"I'm sorry, sir. Malachi is my best friend. I have to give him a shot." He gave me an understanding smile, and we walked ahead.