#perceives

     ‘ you think that would be the first hole you patch up, ’  he says to laura, despite effectively being a stranger standing in her home without introduction.  ‘ i suppose she wanted a garden more than she wanted not to fall helplessly to her death when getting up for a glass of water in the middle of the night. ’

   ‘ we can play again, ’  she looks over at laura dully, clearly uninvested in the outcome now that she has been declared undefeated champion of six straight games of monopoly, two games of sorry, and twelve games of connect four.  ‘ if it’ll make you feel better. i think we also have clue, but i should warn you, i’m a real sherlock holmes when it comes to solving mysteries. ’

“Have you ever been to Georgia?” She mispronounces the state’s name fantastically. “Worst fucking place on the planet. It haunts me. A whole entire place — fucking haunting me. Do you ever get like that, too?”

‘ you are? ’

     ‘ does it feel different to you? ’

    “now,” she squints and clasps her hands, as if on the brink of the most pressing inquiry. “on the subject of interpretive dance. thoughts, willingness, level of inclination?”

peace settles in her chest, and it's voiced by the softest of sighs as sam’s head lays against cool cotton. for the first night in weeks, she doesn’t fight exhaustion when it tugs at her eyelids.  “that means a lot to me, laura. thank you.”  sam smiles subtly, though laura will never see it.  “it’s just nice to hear a normal voice on the phone. every time i get a call, i ...”  sam trails off; that thought probably doesn’t need to be finished.  “—  this is good though. i feel safe.”