Contents
Chapter 17
Overview
Casey feeds and warms the mysterious girl, noticing old cigarette-burn scars that confirm abuse. While the girl guards a blood-leaking backpack, Casey resolves to involve authorities. A switchblade labeled “ELEANOR” reveals the girl’s name, though she rejects it, deepening the mystery and tension around her past and the blood.
Summary
Startled by the blood seeping from the girl’s overstuffed backpack, Casey returns to the kitchen to keep dinner from boiling over and silently offers a dry sweater. She cooks spaghetti, recalling her father’s playful pasta test, and notices the girl’s wary gaze as she prepares the meal.
When the girl removes her wet outer layers, Casey spots small circular scars on the girl’s bare arms—old cigarette burns—confirming a history of abuse. Casey serves a generous plate of spaghetti, which the starving girl devours, and provides seconds with bread while keeping conversation gentle to build trust.
As Casey weighs her responsibility to protect a vulnerable child and her duty to alert authorities, the girl retrieves her switchblade and grips it defensively. Casey notices a name scrawled on the handle and studies it while maintaining calm.
Seeing “ELEANOR” printed on the knife, Casey asks if that is the girl’s name. The girl glares but does not deny it, stating she hates her full name and offers no alternative. Casey mentally notes the name to share with police once she can make contact, while the ominous, blood-leaking backpack remains unaddressed.
Who Appears
- CaseyShelters and feeds the girl, notices abuse scars, and resolves to alert authorities; identifies the name Eleanor on the girl’s knife.
- EleanorRed-haired runaway; starved, defensive, with cigarette-burn scars; clutches a switchblade labeled with her name and rejects using it.