I keep my eyes forward and my steps steady, forcing myself to move like I belong out here.
The unmistakable whir of a window rolling down cuts through the morning stillness.
I glance over briefly, forcing a tentative smile.
"Good morning," the officer says.
"Good morning," I answer, fighting the instinct to grab Izzy and run.
"Where are you headed?" he asks, his tone easy, almost friendly.
"We're catching the six o'clock bus to Indianapolis," I say, keeping my voice steady.
"The two of you? All by yourselves?"
"We're going to visit our grandpa," I say without hesitation.
His eyes narrow slightly. "Where are your parents?"
"They're dead," I say, the words bitter in my mouth. I hope he’ll take pity on a couple of orphans and just let us go.
He hesitates. "I'm sorry to hear that. Would you mind stopping for a second?"
Panic claws at my throat.
"My sister has to go pee," I blurt. "We need to get to the station quick."
"I don't have to pee," Izzy pipes up brightly.
My heart drops straight to the pavement.
"What's your name,young lady?" he asks.
"Dani," I say, squaring my shoulders and bracing for what I know is coming.
"Dani," he repeats, his voice a little firmer now. "I need you to stop walking. I have a few questions."
"We really have to get going," I say, my voice thin and shaky as I struggle to remain calm.
"I need you to stop so we can talk," he says again, this time cutting the engine and stepping out of the cruiser.
We keep moving.
"Dani," he calls, sharper now, footsteps crunching after us.
Over the thundering of my heart, I hear it—the sharp slam of another car door.
There’s two of them.
I feel the first tear slip down my cheek before I even realize I’m crying.
"Dani?" Izzy’s tiny voice trembles beside me, full of a question I don’t have an answer to.What’s happening?
I tighten my grip on her hand, wishing I could protect her from everything.
"Dani." A different voice slices through the tension, cutting across the distance between us.
Izzy and I keep moving, each step bringing us closer to the station. I can see it now, the door, the buses parked in the back. We’re almost there.
