The day Cassie won the first grade science fair, she came skipping clumsily into the garden with me after school. 

I hadn’t invited her to come with me, but I suppose that’s how all little sisters function: without invitation. Besides, Cassie was like a dog; she followed me wherever I went, did whatever I asked. If I told her to roll over, she would… if I told her to do anything, she would. I was only eleven then, but I...

The day Cassie won the first grade science fair, she came skipping clumsily into the garden with me after school. 

I hadn’t invited her to come with me, but I suppose that’s how all little sisters function: without invitation. Besides, Cassie was like a dog; she followed me wherever I went, did whatever I asked. If I told her to roll over, she would… if I told her to do anything, she would. I was only eleven then, but I...

Her office was both sickening and fascinating. She urged me to touch her stuffed animals. I was terrified; I obliged anyway; ran my fingers through the dog’s matted fur, along the cold scales of the snake, across the velvet-like rabbit’s coat...
Then I noticed four pictures on her desk: a dog, a snake, a rabbit. Once, they had been real and alive, with eyes that blinked and hearts that beat; now they would be her pets forever. 
The last picture...

Her office was both sickening and fascinating. She urged me to touch her stuffed animals. I was terrified; I obliged anyway. Ran my fingers across the dog’s matted fur, along the cold scales of the snake, through the velvet-like rabbit’s coat...
Then I noticed four pictures on her desk. A dog, a snake, a rabbit. Once, they had been real and alive, with eyes that blinked, hearts that beat; now they would be her pets forever. 
The last picture was...