Fourteen –––––––– I leaned against Talin, waiting for Jonah to return. Talin and Fulton each had their wool blankets on. They were tethered to the carport. The van sat only a few feet away. The chickens remained in their cage, wrapped with blankets, resting against the house. I stared at the small window on the back door of the only real home I’d ever known. Jonah appeared, his features backlit by the fire inside. His face was thinner; he’d lost weight in the last two weeks. We all had. The effect on Jonah was what body builders worked so hard to attain: bulging muscles, no body fat. I was always hungry. The few calories we ate every day were not enough. Quinn and JP always ate first and were allowed to eat their fill. The rest of us were allowed enough to survive. It was Charlotte and

