Just then, my phone started ringing. The ring must have been damaged by the water as well, so now it had a high, keening note - kind of the sound I imagine a mermaid might make if you punched her in the face.

The kids I talk to are readers, and the craziest, the most dedicated readers you will ever see.

You can never visit the same place twice. Each time, it's a different story. By the very act of coming back, you wipe out what came before.

I could pretend, at least, and if I pretended long enough, maybe I could make it into a reality.

Nothing was quite like it was supposed to be.

Tired, but not the kind of tired that sleep fixes.

What tinfoil?" he asked.