Prologue
Grantville
April 2000
Krystal Reed drove over to her Aunt Bethel and Uncle Raymond Little’s house after finishing her shift at the drug store. Her parents were bringing Nana over from Bluemont for the afternoon and if she timed things right, her mom would take over and finish the laundry in the overstuffed bags she had brought from her dorm. The machines there always seemed to be broken or steal your quarters and promptly malfunction, so she tried to do her laundry when she visited family. Besides, this way, she could send her winter clothing home with her parents. With luck, she just might have a small space to see out the back window on her drive home.