Michael’s voice came muffled through the thick old wood, “Are you guys all right?” “Yeah,” Alison called back. “Are you?” “Besides my head, I think I broke my shin against the stupid bed. Other than that, I’m fine. Let me…

At the first working traffic light, Mr. Nunios stopped. They were near a ragged cluster of two-story apartments with sagging balconies. “Look at this,” Mr. Nunios grumbled. “Some crooked real estate developer puts up a bunch of cheap apartments and…

The minivan turned off the main road and wound through streets lined with shaggy trees, weathered cottages and tangled gardens. Mr. Nunios shook his head. He sounded pretty disgusted, “I’m telling you, I haven’t seen one road sign since we…

An old woman watched them from her perch on a stool behind the front counter. She was round and flabby. Parts of her oozed over the side of the stool. Her face was red and rough. Above her scowl, her…

At the table, Olivia swallowed her last bite of awesome cheeseburger. Mr. Nunios was right; the food was great. The old wood paneling made everything dark, but antique stained glass lamps, each one different, hung over the tables. In the…