It was the morning of Halloween when Rhonda opened up her kitchen door, walked in and started cleaning. The boys had made a proper mess of things. Dishes were piled up, the margarine had been left on the counter and the bananas were so dotted with black and brown spots that they could barely be considered edible. And what was that horrible smell?813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyT2L74Mwfz
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Rhonda sighed as she changed the garbage sack. There was a wicked crick in her neck and her back hurt. Such is the price of getting old she thought to herself. She took the trash out and threw it in the rubbish bin. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYfeS6I5ML2
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Mrs. Wiggins, from across the street, was doing the exact same thing. She had a gaggle of boys, too. Mrs. Wiggins was dressed in a baby blue bathrobe and slippers. She hadn't quite gotten her day going from the looks of it. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCVAVNvHM1v
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“Hello, Regina,” Rhonda said. “How’s Henry and Matthew?” Henry and Matthew were her two boys. They went to the same school as her Johnny, Mikey and Billy. They played football together and got on very well. So well that their families had spent many a summer day together having barbecues and swim sessions in the Wiggins’ pool. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeMYL95T3zc
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Much to her dismay, Mrs. Wiggins didn't return her cordial greeting. Mrs. Wiggins dropped the trash bag she was holding and it split open and spilled rubbish onto the sidewalk. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7v7PvgMkkt
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Regina Wiggins whimpered and ran back into her house with a look of terror on her face. “How very rude,” Rhonda said, but then she thought better of it. “Don't be judgmental,” she muttered to herself.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2bwGh4V76
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She remembered that Regina suffered from IBS. Irritable Bowel Syndrome. When she felt the need to run to the bathroom she had to go right away or an unfortunate accident was sure to follow. The IBS had taken it’s toll on her poor neighbor. Aged her prematurely. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7KGapwof0f
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Being the good neighbor that she was, Rhonda cleaned up the trash that Regina had spilled onto the sidewalk. She decided that she would bring Regina a nice cup of tea later and find out if she was all right. But not until she finished cleaning that dreadful kitchen.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡErAN9EVKBq
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She filled the sink with suds and water and began cleaning the dishes. Most of he kitchen had been put back in order, but there was still a dreadful smell coming from something. One of the boys had probably dropped a piece of fruit behind the trash can. It wasn't unusual. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxYagQNwbq
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The clinking and clanking from her cleaning of the dishes awoke her husband Eddie. Eddie walked into the kitchen and he paused at the door. He looked at Rhonda for what seemed an eternity, but was actually no more than a few seconds. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2clz4FHfAZ
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The look on his face was one of bewilderment and worry. “Well hello to you, too, dear,” Rhonda said. “Are you hungry?” she asked. “Have a seat and I'll make you a bite.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpseVkt4cRI
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Eddie stood there in his boxers and white tee shirt intently watching his wife of twenty seven years. His eyes were wide and his wispy, white hair was out of place. He took a step backwards. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzvG4OzOot5
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“Sit down if you want some breakfast, Eddie,” Rhonda said again. Eddie took a step forward and paused. He took another sheepish step. “Sit down, you unusual man,” she instructed him again. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL0t0adugkY
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Eddie pulled a chair out and sat at the table. Eddie’s eyes never left Rhonda as she stepped over to him, bent down and kissed him on the forehead. Eddie’s brow wrinkled in horror and confusion.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNmtHJB7Bv
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Rhonda grabbed a skillet that she had just washed and sat it on the stove. She walked to the refrigerator and shook her head when she opened it. “My word,” she said. “I really need to go grocery shopping. It's as bare as bones in the ice box.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡebbdE0fbAV
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She pulled out an egg carton and opened it. There were only two of them in it. Clicking her tongue, she took the two eggs and sat them next to the skillet. She ignited the burner and put a wee bit of olive oil into the skillet. Before long the two eggs were sizzling.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaKDccBB9MR
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“I would make you some toast, but it seems we are out of bread,” she said. Eddie watched her in silence. When the eggs were finished she dished them onto a plate and sat them in front of her husband. He just stared down at plate of eggs. Every now and then he would look up at his wife, who was now sitting across from him.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNsDekGgbTh
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“Well eat them,” she said with an annoyed tone. “Would a thank you and a good morning be too much to ask?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGMcpmL88M
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Eddie shook his head. “Thank you, dear,” he replied. “And good… good morning.” He picked up his fork and began to put small bites into his mouth. He chewed, but all the while he never took his eyes off of Rhonda. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyb4Y9myAex
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“I swear,” she said, “everyone has forgotten their manners today. It must have something to do with it being Halloween.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJArBZSJlR
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Eddie just nodded his head. The look of worry and confusion hadn't left his face. He took a few more bites of his egg. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJfLDeSIF5J
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“Well what is on your mind?” she said to him. “I can see something is bothering you. Out with it then.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbSXenF8oOY
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He sat his fork down and looked at her intently. “How?” he asked gingerly. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSpMqJQRhk4
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“How?” Rhonda asked. “How what?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQaf5kNoEn
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“How are you here right now?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3QNc8fIrz
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“What kind of question is that? I live here.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSb4tNRKPAc
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“But, but…”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMdEWLBvzR
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“But nothing. I live here. What kind of question is that? I swear, Eddie, old age is finally getting to you. Making your mind soft.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jZ9gD54bu
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Eddie picked up his fork again and took another bite. He sat the fork back down on the plate. “I don't know what's going on right now.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaVzSMeWdbM
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“You are sitting with your wife having breakfast,” she said to him. “As pathetic of a breakfast it is. I apologize for letting the shopping lax.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKPwXdHE75
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“I'm the one who does the shopping now,” Eddie replied. “I don't keep much here. I eat out most nights.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYu5qJdwp3a
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Rhonda rolled her eyes and stood up. She walked over to the garbage can and looked behind it. “Do you smell that?” she asked. “It smells like something's gone rancid.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnwcnGGdryz
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She searched the kitchen for a few minutes. Her husband stared at her the whole time. His look of worry turned to one of wonder. Then his wonder turned to seriousness. His eyes hung on the floor while she searched for what was rotten. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ27hpDSNbbt
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“I bet Mikey left a piece of fruit out,” she said. “It wouldn't be the first time and it won't be the last.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1oKAjCLYtr
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“Mikey doesn't live here anymore, babe,” Eddie answered. “None of the boys do.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56CeA3xDrL
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“Nonsense,” she replied.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5Zwy1tJ8v
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“Mikey is off in college now,” he said. “Johnny is in the army and Billy is working at the DMV. He has a family of his own now.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Llg1dFR7V
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“Ha ha. Very funny,” she said with no amount of amusement in her voice. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZB1Z7rkXVU
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“I'm telling you the truth, babe,” he said. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHkArBlLOu
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Rhonda grabbed the small pad that sat on top of the refrigerator and grabbed a pen. She started making a shopping list. “Is there anything you need from the market? Razors? A new toothbrush?” she asked. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFdOuSQMsh
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“Sweetheart,” he said, “you have to listen to me.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvXTs6jIRR
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“I don't have time for your nonsense,” she replied. “I have to get the house in order before the boys get home.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGYUk2jAFSU
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“Baby, the boy's ain't coming home,” he said, “I told you. They don't live here no more.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIx77LlV22c
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This time she slammed the yellow pad she was writing on down on the counter. “Enough with this nonsense, Eddie!” she declared. “I have enough to do without you adding to the list with your foolish pranks! I need to go to the market and get groceries and Halloween candy for the kids in the neighborhood. Now are you going to make yourself useful and help me or are you going to sit there and continue to be a horse’s ass?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEhr9ELyUtG
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Finally finding the courage, he stood up and walked over to his wife. He gently put his hand on her shoulders and turned her around to face him. “Babe,” he said quietly, “you've been dead for twelve years.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLtt4Jx95bP
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She lifted her eyes to meet his. “Rhonda,” he said, “honey, you've been dead for twelve years.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sVGiNqWZU
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Rhonda pushed him away. “Enough of your tomfoolery!” She cried out and then went back to writing her list. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvbgI3AATK1
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He put his hand on hers and stopped her from writing. “I'm not fooling you, babe,” Eddie told her. “You got in a car accident after you dropped the kids off for school. Twelve years ago today.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXwpJc9Pvo
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She put her pad down and sat the pen on top of it. What was he saying to her? Then suddenly it came back to her. Just like Eddie had said, she had been driving to the market after dropping off the boys and a van came out of nowhere and hit her station wagon. Then there was nothing but blackness. Until earlier when she walked into the kitchen. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2nuBW8rBfH
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Pulling out a chair for his wife, Eddie sat her down and then sat on the edge of the table. She looked confused. Almost as confused as Eddie did. “Okay,” she said in barely a whisper. “Okay. Will you help me find what that horrible smell is, Eddie? And then I'll go back to where I came from.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmv26ipHzBD
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Eddie nodded. “I would help you with anything, darling,” Eddie replied. “But I think what you are smelling is yourself. You been in the grave a long time.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrQgDKvdZlp
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“He’s right, mom,” came a voice from the entrance to the kitchen. It was Mikey. There he stood, grown and handsome. Beside him stood Billy. He was much older than he was the last time she saw him.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUrEJFLZRNm
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“My boys!” Eddie cried as he ran over to hug them. “When did you get here?” 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFLNDRnXyq
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Billy returned his embrace. “We got here a few minutes ago. It took us a few minutes to process what was going on, so we just sat quiet in the hallway.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Tvb9CYNcn
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“We figured you could use a few minutes alone,” Mikey added. “To sort things out.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdV5XtmCELj
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“Oh,” Eddie replied. “Where’s Johnny?”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlv7ecvYSZ
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“Johnny couldn't be here, pa,” Billy replied. “He's living overseas now. You know that.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvqmtfamdh9
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“Oh yeah,” their father replied. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOq0icPr0LT
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The boys turned their attention to their mother. “Hi, ma,” they both said. They took turns giving her a long hug. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBmT25vbOjD
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“I don't know how I got here,” their mother said to them. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8CVdRMOke
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“It don't matter,” Billy said softly. “But you can't be here anymore. It isn't right.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfe9Ws2DA9U
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Mikey took his mother’s decaying hand into his own. “You need to go be at rest again, ma,” he said. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCzI6CvQiw6
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“Okay,” Rhonda relied. She knew he was right. She didn't know where he came from, but she knew it wasn't natural for her to be where she was now.813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfLGisBuAZt
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Billy opened the back door and motioned for her to follow him. Holding Mikey’s hand all the while, she did. The four of them walked out into the back yard. Under a tall tree there was a hole dug in the ground. There was a wooden cross at the head of the hole. “That's where you came from, ma,” Mikey said to her. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxFKhAYtoR
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“I'm buried in the back yard?” she asked. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzum6GIo6BC
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“We had you in the cemetery for a while,” Billy answered, “but every year on Halloween you would dig your way out of your grave and make your way back here. It got to be a real hassle sneaking you back into the graveyard, so here you lay.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsYB36lOTA
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They all sat and just stared in silence for a few moments. Rhonda broke the silence. “I guess it's time for me to go,” she said. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgZxvdDrkq
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The boys and their father nodded. They boys took two shovels that were there waiting for them and turned the hole into a nice, deep, rectangular grave. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXSoizcTPFA
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They all said their goodbyes and their mother climbed into the freshly dug grave. As soon as she laid back in the dirt her eyes closed and she was gone once again. The life had slipped from her. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEZ6RElTbn
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“How did you boys know? Why did you come here? You aren't playing hooky from school are you, Mikey?” Eddie asked. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYWsRLzrUpL
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“No, pa,” Mikey replied. “I'm not playing hooky from school. I haven't been in college for ten years. I graduated. I have a family of my own now.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRlhlqJMRGe
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Eddie’s brow furrowed once again. “What?” he asked. “You just enrolled last year! You couldn't be done already!”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwBxaT2XUu
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“Billy patted his pa on the back. “It's true, pa,” he said. He's been out for years now.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJy4i5YLHu
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“This is insane!” Eddie exclaimed. “This whole morning has been bonkers!”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdtyGFbm1kL
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“It has, pa” Billy answered. “It is every year.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfAALHrKef
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“Every year?” Eddie said. “It ain't ever been like this! I would have remembered a morning this whacky!”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9jneB47jWd
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Mikey turned his father a half turn and nodded towards the east end of their back yard. A hole, not unlike the one Rhonda has come from sat there waiting. “It happens every year, pa,” Mikey replied. “We don't know why, but it does.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJT7bW0xAb5
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“Naw,” Eddie responded, shaken. “Naw it can't be right.” He looked at his hands. There was no decomposition of the skin like Rhonda had. There was no stink on him like there was on her. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVFpwOEBpHP
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“It is, pa,” Billy answered. “You died six years ago. Had a heart attack at the factory. On Halloween morning. Just like ma.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF2ivx0sank
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“But that ain't right,” Eddie muttered. “I ain't rotten like she was.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiWWA2NUWoQ
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“It's true, pa,” Mikey said. He put his arm around his father’s shoulders and led him to the hole. “Every year on Halloween you and ma both come back. We don't know why. You just do. And we don't know why you aren't rotten. We can't figure that out.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvkrGM4uuz4
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Eddie’s look of confusion turned to one of acceptance. “Well it is what is I guess. It was good seeing you boys again. You know your mother and I love you dearly.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJPV6waB09
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“We know,” Billy replied. “We love you, too.”813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xQlX919an
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The boys took their shovels and dug the grave while their father watched. When it was finished Eddie walked over to it and said, “I guess I'll see you next year,” he and the boys both laughed uncomfortably and Eddie jumped into the hole they had dug. As soon as his feet touched the dirt of the grave his body fell limp and lifeless once again. For another year at least. 813Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdmLpXEhwN
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