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It was night by the time Hollis made it back home. His fingers and face were smarting with cold and red enough to warrant a trip somewhere medical. He went around the back and opened the gate, trudged through the garden.

He didn’t want to startle his ma, and he didn’t have enough energy to answer any questions.

He didn’t think anyone heard the building collapse now that he was here. It wasn’t exactly a skyscraper, and it was far away. The police should have at least come to the city limits to check something like that out, but no one showed up. Even after he sat there for an hour.

Waiting.