Act I Rex was not supposed to be on top of the kitchen cabinets. That was the first thing Noah Bennett told himself. Not that the dog…

Act I The bucket was already tilted before Emma realized anyone was standing over her. She had been dreaming of fire. Not flames exactly, but heat pressing…

Act I Lily Hart stood alone in the middle of the gym floor while every other little girl danced with her father. The music was soft. The…

Act I The cleaning cart rattled so hard one of the spray bottles fell sideways and knocked against the metal rail. Rosa Delgado hit the carpeted hallway…

Act I The blue bucket hit the floor before the hallway laughter did. It bounced once across the polished linoleum, tipped sideways, and spilled gray mop water…

Act I The dog’s yelp cut through the park like a child crying out. One second, the tan dog was standing near the edge of the stone…

Act I The kitchen was too small for the kind of fear inside it. The fluorescent light buzzed overhead, flickering against pale yellow cabinets, cluttered counters, and…

Act I The sled was too heavy for a child. Everyone would say that later. They would say no eight-year-old boy should have been able to pull…

Act I The puppy’s cry cut through the winter forest before anything human did. It was small, sharp, and terrified, rising between the dark pine trees as…