a deadly storm, an unsolved disappearance, and a small town brimming with secrecy;
an outcast girl, a boy who only knows how to hide, and the world against them;
what could go wrong?
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The morning after the fire has Boo feeling like she's just stepped off the platform of a prize fight. Sore muscles, achy lungs, and a voice that a frog would envy-she feels as hellish as she looks. Harry hadn't sounded any better; shortly after their near-death escape, a horrific sounding cough had begun in his lungs. He'd taken her home, but she hadn't heard from him after the numb hug he gave her before departing. After trying unsuccessfully to reach him, Boo resorts to making a quick trip to a Harrisford clinic in order to get checked out.
By order of the attending doctor, she's sent to Radiology for a chest x-ray. A woman with cropped hair and a perky smile is there to greet her at the door.
"Morning, doll, how we feeling today?" the girl chimes.
Boo flashes her a hesitant smile. "Like shit. I was in a fire last night, my lungs still hurt like hell."
The girl frowns, though the smile remains in her eyes. "Oh dear, well I'm glad you made it out, at least this far. I'm Maggie I'll be taking your pictures today. This will be over in a flash, don't you worry!"
Boo is placed up against a board, all while grimacing unsurely. Maggie flits around behind her, fiddling with buttons and lights. Boo feels hands on her shoulder blades, gently pushing her arms forward. "Chin up, arms forward, breathe in deep! Smile if you want, doll."
Maggie soon sends Boo on her way, who is then cleared and sent home with a prescription for cough medicine. She tries Harry's phone once more but is sent straight to voicemail; frustrated, she detours to the Little Bean for her early morning fix. To her surprise, the attention of every worker and customer alike is trained on the television hanging on the wall, where Garret and Lena are halfway through the morning report. Boo ambles up to the counter, unsure of why everyone seems so entranced by the news, when she realizes what's being covered.
The fire at the church.
Her stomach drops and she feels her own attention tether to the screen. The camera cuts to a junior reporter standing astride the charred church walls, fingers pressed to her ear as she waits for her cue.
"This is Sara reporting from the Jack Creek Baptist Church on Center Street, where behind me you can see the damage left by last night's events. Authorities are unsure of how the fire began, but it started around ten last night during an event hosted in the basement. Right now the only information available is that the fire began near the basement windows, and police believe it was set intentionally. No injuries have been reported so far, and the only damage to the building appears to be burn marks on the outside, smoke damage inside, and scorched grass."
Boo's heart flutters nervously. Sara says a few more parting words before the screen fills up with another image of Garret and Lena. The whispering around Boo begins shortly after, rippling out like a stone dropped in water.
"Set intentionally?" a girl says quietly to her friend. "Who would burn down a church?"
"Probably some kids high on meth," a burly mans laughs aloud. "Just looking to get their kicks."
