The walking dead

logized to her parents,

, even asking for seconds.

e could get

bara said, “I’m so happy

iane said. “I can’t live m

the drugstore. Can

e you can

—unlike her other shower

impses of that scene from

od. This felt good. If she

ck of paranoia, it would be

prove to herself that

il she was about to leave

t lost her balance and had

e front door so she

nearby and said

aid, recovering quickly.

th maybe one-inch heels,

ns

come with you,”

ne said, “it’s a five-minu

you

er and said, “D

,” Diane sai

as a perfect November da

were gone from the trees

r. She was enjoying being o

’t get nervous and paranoi

e felt like she was being

y weren’t there somewhere.Her heart was racing and s

her was probably right—

ut she wanted to prove to

rrible paralyzing fear she

man

: “New York never hap

r happened, New York ne

she didn’t feel like she wa

and backed out of the d

away, looking in the rear

Lexus, was following he

side

o get the things she ne

the checkout line, som

ound suddenly, maybe eve

ey

rson who had bumped her

old. The old woman could’

’t l

Then she closed her eyes

ever happened, New Y

s she saw that the girl

like … well, like she was a

d to be crazy. If she was

a

ane was barely afraid. H

he felt clammy—especiall

obbly. She was proud of he

dly constituted resuming h

. Maybe if, over the next w

l trip somewhere—shoppin

d to being around strange

es of New York—woul

d once or twice in the

ing her, but her paranoia

e on herself with unrealistic expectations.

ternoon, but it was hard n

n would be like. Maybe wi

nto her own apartment. She

f touch with some of the

ople to socialize with. Ev

a good, solid Michigan g

b and, most important, he

rbs used to terrify Diane

parents’ life. But now that

nd, really, was that

ay and parked in front of

d in the fantasy of her fu

uch an awful life. It would

red to her now. She was thr

on, that she had to be in a

ts and attending club open

ine tastings, acting so sel

cribe the wine to whomev

being fake. She just want

k Michigan girl. It would

here or transform into s

being who she was and wh

ht here,

e, feeling better than s

. In the next instant the

orward into the darkness,

rom under the pillow, it

she wouldn’t

y in the dark