She faced the wall, her sleep-tousled hair hiding her face as he slipped into the room. Across from her bed was a lounge chair, piled high with an as...ortment of clothes. He reached to turn the knob on the lamp next to the bed, and angled the light so it wouldn’t shine on Melody’s face. With his eyes adjusting to the light, Bryan looked around her room. The walls were a light yellow, pale sunshine yellow she’d told him once. An attempt to enhance the room with false brilliance she couldn’t get. The weather was hot and sunny, typical for a June day. The drive was uneventful as he was approaching the Village of Phelps, which lay on his path on Route 96. In the distance he saw a flagman stopping traffic. The traffic line was pretty long. It didn't look like cars were moving."There goes dinner."A man wearing a hard hat was walking by. Jim called to him."What's the problem up there?" he yelled over to the workman."Big brine spill at the sauerkraut factory; took the bridge out temporarily;. Here I was a teacher, 28 years old, being scolded in front of students most of whom I teach on a daily basis. I felt so small, so humiliated, but knew I could not win a fight against Mrs Lewis. “So Laura, a dress, which I understand you purchased when out with the students, whilst you were supposed to be looking after them.” I nodded my head in horror and had to admit, “Yes Mrs Lewis.” Mrs Lewis smiled, knowing I was in the wrong. “That is how come the others wandered off, and why the whole. He sucked it into his mouth, letting his tongue slurp around the circumference. All he tasted was ice, and again a hint of another taste. The more time his tongue spent on the alien stick of ice, the more he wanted to know about it. His thoughts were interrupted by a door opening. The sleepy figure of Katrina crept into the room. She yawned wide and shook her hair. ‘Hey, roomie,’ she said in a sleepy voice. Her eyes adjusted to the light and she saw him with the stick of ice in his mouth. Sleep.