My Soul to Lose

Em didn't truly understand about my panic attacks - no one did. But she'd never pushed me to explain, never tried to ditch me when things got weird, and never once looked at me like I was a freak.

Kaylee do you know why you are here?" "Yeah. Because the doors are locked.

She watched me with a creepy sort of detached curiosity, as if I were a bug crawling across the sidewalk in front of her. I wondered briefly if she was the ant stomper type.

I couldn't see who swam in the darkness, who wore shadows like a second skin.

Relief washed over me like that first air-conditioned breeze on a hot summer day.

They'd had to empty their pockets and turn over Aunt Val's purse to the security guard. That way, I wouldn't be tempted to try to kill anyone with her lip gloss and her travel-size pack of tissues.

shuffled their way through the cattle shoots in front of each restaurant’s counter.