The Last Day of My House

Read the whole story

Every word, start to finish. The pictures come next — painted around your child, from one photo.

1. For Maeve, and for the doorframe.

   For Ezra, and for the doorframe.

   For Sana, and for the doorframe.

   Dedication

2. Everything was in boxes by eight. Beds, books, winter coats: all cardboard now, stacked and labeled. The van was coming at noon. The house had gone very quiet, the way you go quiet when you hear your name.

   Everything was in boxes by eight. Beds, books, winter coats: all cardboard now, stacked and labeled. The van was coming at noon. The house had gone very quiet, the way you go quiet when you hear your name.

   Everything was in boxes by eight. Beds, books, winter coats: all cardboard now, stacked and labeled. The van was coming at noon. The house had gone very quiet, the way you go quiet when you hear your name.

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3. The front door would not open. Not locked: holding. And the stairs had thirteen steps, which was one more than yesterday. Maeve counted twice, going up, going down. Thirteen both ways. The house had never once had thirteen steps.

   The front door would not open. Not locked: holding. And the stairs had thirteen steps, which was one more than yesterday. Ezra counted twice, going up, going down. Thirteen both ways. The house had never once had thirteen steps.

   The front door would not open. Not locked: holding. And the stairs had thirteen steps, which was one more than yesterday. Sana counted twice, going up, going down. Thirteen both ways. The house had never once had thirteen steps.

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4. Maeve pushed. Both hands, then a shoulder, then everything. The door did not push the way stuck doors push back. It held, the way a hand holds.

   Ezra pushed. Both hands, then a shoulder, then everything. The door did not push the way stuck doors push back. It held, the way a hand holds.

   Sana pushed. Both hands, then a shoulder, then everything. The door did not push the way stuck doors push back. It held, the way a hand holds.

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5. So the hallway got longer. Quietly, while Maeve was walking down it, the way a shadow gets longer without moving. The door went further off. The welcome mat stayed exactly where it was, looking innocent.

   So the hallway got longer. Quietly, while Ezra was walking down it, the way a shadow gets longer without moving. The door went further off. The welcome mat stayed exactly where it was, looking innocent.

   So the hallway got longer. Quietly, while Sana was walking down it, the way a shadow gets longer without moving. The door went further off. The welcome mat stayed exactly where it was, looking innocent.

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6. Fine, thought Maeve, and went for the window instead, one leg over the sill, the practiced way, the way she was not supposed to know.

   Fine, thought Ezra, and went for the window instead, one leg over the sill, the practiced way, the way he was not supposed to know.

   Fine, thought Sana, and went for the window instead, one leg over the sill, the practiced way, the way she was not supposed to know.

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7. The window opened onto the kitchen. The kitchen window opened onto the upstairs hall. The house was folding itself up with Maeve inside, room into room, like a fist closing around something it wanted to keep.

   The window opened onto the kitchen. The kitchen window opened onto the upstairs hall. The house was folding itself up with Ezra inside, room into room, like a fist closing around something it wanted to keep.

   The window opened onto the kitchen. The kitchen window opened onto the upstairs hall. The house was folding itself up with Sana inside, room into room, like a fist closing around something it wanted to keep.

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8. Maeve shouted at the walls. Rude things, true things, the kind you cannot take back. The house went cold and dark and did not answer. Somewhere upstairs, a fourteenth step arrived.

   Ezra shouted at the walls. Rude things, true things, the kind you cannot take back. The house went cold and dark and did not answer. Somewhere upstairs, a fourteenth step arrived.

   Sana shouted at the walls. Rude things, true things, the kind you cannot take back. The house went cold and dark and did not answer. Somewhere upstairs, a fourteenth step arrived.

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9. Then Maeve sat down on the bare boards and put a hand flat on the floor, the way you would on a dog hiding under the bed. The house was not being cruel. It was frightened of being empty.

   Then Ezra sat down on the bare boards and put a hand flat on the floor, the way you would on a dog hiding under the bed. The house was not being cruel. It was frightened of being empty.

   Then Sana sat down on the bare boards and put a hand flat on the floor, the way you would on a dog hiding under the bed. The house was not being cruel. It was frightened of being empty.

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10. The pencil was in the last box she opened, of course. Maeve carried it to the doorframe, to the ladder of little marks and dates, and added one more. Higher than all the others. Then she wrote the date.

    The pencil was in the last box he opened, of course. Ezra carried it to the doorframe, to the ladder of little marks and dates, and added one more. Higher than all the others. Then he wrote the date.

    The pencil was in the last box she opened, of course. Sana carried it to the doorframe, to the ladder of little marks and dates, and added one more. Higher than all the others. Then she wrote the date.

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11. The house went warm, all at once, like a held breath let go. The thirteenth step put itself away. Down the hallway, which was a hallway again, the front door clicked.

    The house went warm, all at once, like a held breath let go. The thirteenth step put itself away. Down the hallway, which was a hallway again, the front door clicked.

    The house went warm, all at once, like a held breath let go. The thirteenth step put itself away. Down the hallway, which was a hallway again, the front door clicked.

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12. The door swung open onto the ordinary street and the waiting van. When Maeve looked back from the step, every pencil mark had gone from the frame. The house had taken them, to keep.

    The door swung open onto the ordinary street and the waiting van. When Ezra looked back from the step, every pencil mark had gone from the frame. The house had taken them, to keep.

    The door swung open onto the ordinary street and the waiting van. When Sana looked back from the step, every pencil mark had gone from the frame. The house had taken them, to keep.

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13. In the new house the doorframe was blank, and smelled of paint. Maeve stood against it, heels flat, chin level, and started again from the bottom.

    In the new house the doorframe was blank, and smelled of paint. Ezra stood against it, heels flat, chin level, and started again from the bottom.

    In the new house the doorframe was blank, and smelled of paint. Sana stood against it, heels flat, chin level, and started again from the bottom.

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