Page 97 of The Corruption of Hollis Brown

Washed off ice and salt and grass and herbs, diluted purification.

Slipped beneath the tincture to come out new.

Then, in the murky space before sleep, when Hollis was limp in Walt’s grasp and warmer than the hollow on a summer day, Walt pulled him back to the surface. He kissed the curve of their palm, and then licked it just once.

You make me shiver.

Silt

Yulia opened her door and stared at them. They stared back.

“I’m sorry,” Hollis said. “I shouldn’t have kept this from you. I should have trusted you.”

“Stay here,” she said, and opened the door wider.

There was a tape square drawn out on the living room floor and several bundles of herbs and sticks laid carefully on the border. Annie was seated in the middle of it. Yulia backed away, slow and without blinking until she too was inside the square.

“Close the door. Go sit on the couch.”

Hollis followed her instructions, taking off his shoes by the door politely, then settled in front of them. Annie still looked like she’d been crying.

“We can’t tell who we are talking to, so we have a few tests. It’s obvious that you guys can talk to each other, and I assume you’ve been doing so for the past few months. I wouldn’t be surprised if you know enough about each other to answer anything basic and even some unique things without us being able to tell. However, what’s most important to us—more than anything—is that Hollis is even in there at all. Do you understand?”

Hollis nodded.

“Okay,” Yulia said. “Finish this poem.”

To his surprise, it was Annie who started reciting. “‘I met the most beautiful turtle today. Her head was hidden in her shell. Those lovely eyes were peeking at me. She was scared I could tell.’”

Hollis immediately covered his face with his hands.

“‘I . . . I’m . . . a dime-a-dozen toad. Nothing . . . super special about me. I seem the same as everyone here, in the toad community?’”

I haven’t heard this since I was nine. Our teacher would sing it when kids fought each other, until everyone sang together and didn’t want to fight anymore. Even Yulia wouldn’t know this song.

They waited for him, Yulia angry and Annie afraid.

“‘Will you be my friend . . . ,’” Hollis whispered. “‘Oh, toad, nobody talks to me here, and I beg you it’s been a long time. I have been waiting on the sidelines wishing for someone so kind.’”

Annie reached a hand past the circle, so brave it made Hollis want to cry. He wanted to take her hand, but Yulia tugged Annie back.

“We’re not finished,” she snapped. “You’re in Hollis’s body. Even if Hollis is in there, we don’t know if he can control it. Last year when our other PE teacher broke his leg skiing, we had a sub who forced us all to learn how to square-dance for a semester. I want you to do the square dance.”

Hollis was horrified. “Like . . . from memory? Without music?”

Yulia held her phone up. “You’d better.”

“Yulia, I’m not good at dancing, and I barely remember it.”

“Try.” She pushed play.

Hollis stood up by the door.

If you laugh at me I’ll kill you.

He bumbled through a few steps until he could manage some of the routine. Yulia’s face slowly shifted from anger to amusement.

“Can I stop now?”