Chapter One

Life’s pretty easy, I think. I do my chores, I take care of my little siblings and I do art. I always know what chores to do (I help keep the pigs and cows and grind up meat and harvest when it’s the season for it), and I always know where I gotta be and when, even though I've got a bad memory. For example, I always know when it’s dinner time cus you can hear the dinner bell all across the property, out to the road and even to the gas station halfways between the house and the town.

I like to go out there to draw on the walls in chalks and pastels and all that. Anything I've got. There hasn’t been working pumps or any lights on in there in years, so I can do basically whatever I want there and it gets bleached out in the sun or washed off in the rain. Just gotta watch out for babies left on the road.

But I can hear the dinner bell, anyways, so I gotta get back home.

The land’s all flat out here, just tall grass and one long road, so I can see the lights from the house all the way down from the road, and that’s a mile at least. I get to follow that light all the way through the grass and weeds (and more than a few snakes down there) all the way home.

By the time I get into the kitchen, everyones already sitting in their places, and the only reason I wasn’t making them wait was because Mable Anne and Mama Jean were still setting the tables. It always takes a while cus we got a lot of mouths to feed, eight adults and twelve kids. Even then, we can get a new sibling anyday, y’know?

“Sarah Jean, wash up and sit down already!”

Oh! I gotta make sure I don’t space out all the time. I wash my hands and wipe the sweat off my face and take my place between Jackson Reid and Mabel Anne’s seat. We’re all sat by age order, adults and teens at the big table, kids at the second table, except for the babies, Billy Joe and Judy-bean, cus they gotta sit with Aunty Belle and Mama Jean to get fed. I gotta feel bad for them and Norma Jane too cus it smells like burgers and they’re too small for them and Norma Jane’s sensitive to hot stuff cus she’s got a gap in her mouth.

I just wiped my face, but I’m already sweating again. It’s hot in the kitchen, surrounded by bodies and fresh cooked food and I'm still in my work clothes. Most of the others got here before me and are already dressed down, except Tucker Lee but that's only cus I don't think I’ve ever seen him with more than a muscle shirt and jeans.

Mabel Anne and Aunty finish setting the tables and sit down and Joey Ray stands up, “Alright, family, give your thanks and let’s dig in.”

“Thank you for cooking Aunty, thank you for cooking Mabel Anne.” We all say it together, cus we always thank the cooks before dinner.

“Jackson helped Tucker Lee grind the meat, thank him too.”

“Thank you Jackson Reid.” I think Jackson’d be excited to help with the meat even if it didn’t get him thanked. The kid’s always liked cutting things up.

With thanking done, we can all fix our plates and dig in. I like my burgers with lots of veggies cus I like the crunch, but I'm about the only one who does. I fix up my burger and spoon whatever sides we've got on my plate and start in.

The table's all quiet for a minute while everyone's taking their first bites, the kid’s table’s never quiet, so I look around while I got the chance.

At the top of the table, Mama Jean is helping Aunty Belle with the twins and Tucker Lee is already half done with his burger in the first bite. Joey Ray and Mae Lynn are taking it more slow, probably cus they haven't eaten since breakfast. Mabel Anne is mostly helping Pops to eat his own food on account of him being really really old.

A Lot of the other kids were eating pretty fast, now that I think about it. Probably cus we didn't get to eat much today either.

Most of us got sent off in the morning since a stranger came up to the house uninvited. Sometimes we get visitors from town, but mostly its people in suits. Trucker says they're working with the state to try and see if Joey Ray's taking care of us. I think it's silly so many of em get sent, cus Joey Ray's the best brother I think we could get. Doesn't matter though, cus they always leave before we can get back to the house after chores.

"Remember, we're doing baths after dinner," Mae Lynn gets our attention, catching each of our eyes, "If you wanna go into town tomorrow, get clean tonight."

We all give our 'Yes mam's, but I don't think I'm gonna go. Town is pretty boring when you've been a hundred times. All the kids think we're weird and the adults can't be trusted, so we mostly just explore while Mae Lynn and Tucker Lee sell our extra meat and eggs. We used to have goats to sell milk from but they all got sick a few years ago and we don't have the money for new ones.

Plus, there's this lady out there, y’know? I see her in the general store some days, and she always gives me a funny look. It scares me sometimes, but Tucker Lee’s always there to scare her off.

No use lingering on the bad, though, s’what Mama Jean says.

If you asked me, best thing about riding out is getting to sit in the back of Trucker's truck, though. She drives fast and the roads outside of town are bumpy and unfinished so it's like a rollercoaster the whole way there. Plus she always brings a little extra cash for us to play with.

When I'm done with my food, Aunty Belle sends me out with the bits and guts we couldn't use to throw into the pig pen, even though no one else is done yet. I think she lets me go cus I like the pigs so much. They're real nice and most of them are way bigger than me, and they love scraps after dinner.

When I get out there they're already waiting by the gate for me, sweet faced and staring at the bucket of blood and bits I'm holding. I take a minute to pet my favorites, and toss them their dinner. I’m not allowed to name them, since we gotta eat 'em one day, but I still think I can tell them apart.

Inside, I could hear everyone talking about their days, the twins babbling with each other, the kids table plotting how to get exactly what they wanted in town tomorrow.

Life's pretty easy.