It's just the way things are." she shrugged. "It's no one's fault." "Or everyone's.

She carried a knife inside of herself now, one that was always cutting her. She could feel it every time she swallowed, every time her thoughts strayed from the splendor of the wild.

At least one thing was consistent about her life: It just kept on getting more complicated.

Turns out if you never lie, there's always someone mad at you.

Tally sighed, tipping her feet again to follow. "Maybe that's because they have better stuff to do than kid tricks. Maybe partying in town is better than hanging out in a bunch of old ruins." Shay's eyes flashed. "Or maybe when they do the operation-when they grind and stretch your bones to the right shape, peel off your face and rub all your skin away, and stick in plastic cheekbones so you look like everyone else-maybe after going through all that you just aren't very interesting anymore.

It's amazing how quickly nature consumes human places after we turn our backs on them. Life is a hungry thing.

All that glitters is not hovery.