This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, remember. The girl was a "Lolita" by arrangement: forever the victim, the passenger, taken against her free will; her name, Natalie, a fake, just one of many; her whereabouts, sticky notes blowing in a typhoon; her existence, seasonal, a casino card constantly shuffled-the moment she's dealt, she's reshuffled again! She is more ghost than human; I never thought in a million years we'd find her-and definitely, not like this. I figured we'd go broke, end up going our separate ways, both empty-handed and lonelier than ever. It never dawned on me that I could walk away from this deal, having received something in return, unless we somehow rescued her, and he held to his promise to take me to Mount Laurel, though I have no idea what's in store for me there. But I would have to work quickly. One can never foretell the night's return...
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