“At least stay here for the night,” Jeremy said. “We’ve got some beds upstairs in the gymnasium. Weatherman says there’s going to be snow tonight. You don’t want to be outside.”

The girl bit her lower lip hard, the pale skin turning pink from the blood. “I can’t,” she whimpered. “It’s too dangerous.”

“It’s more dangerous to stay outside tonight. You’ll freeze to death before midnight.”

“Not upstairs,” the girl said. “Ground floor, near a door. Maybe under a table here.”

“We can’t do that,” Jeremy said. “Center rules. After hours, no one is allowed in the kitchen area.”

“What about the room where everyone watches TV?”

“It’s going to be loud in there, we keep the TV on all night. You won’t get any sleep.”

“That’s fine. I wouldn’t get any sleep anyway,” the girl replied.

“All right. I’ll find you a blanket, or a sleeping bag, or something, then,” Jeremy said. He stood. “Do you have a name, by the way?”

“Sara,” the girl said. “Sara Rosenthal.”