"Hey, those are mine," Kate said, just barely managing to keep the matches out of Jeff's grasp. It felt like he was moving at super speed and she was trying to move through water or jelly. All of the sudden, her limbs felt heavy, like they were made of lead and she made a soft noise of annoyance, struggling with the matches.

"And why can't I?" she asked, finally getting one free and nearly tripping over the books in the process. "Everyone seems to hate it. They don't talk about it much, because everyone here pretends to be happy most of the time, but they all hate it, even if they don't say it." She was trying to light the match as she spoke, striking it against the back of the book until, finally, there was a spark.