Breaking the Fall

An Edgar Award Finalist: A lost teen allows a friend to draw him into a suicidal game

Stanley chose the house carefully. It has 3 chimneys and a perfect lawn. Stanley knows it’s nicer than any place he will ever live—and tonight, he’s breaking in. His friend Jared calls it a game. Sneak in, steal something, and get out. You’ll be invisible in the darkness, Jared promises. You’ll get high on fear. But when the homeowner awakes during the break-in, Stanley’s not invisible, and the fear tastes like ash in his mouth. The man has a gun, and Stanley escapes just before the bullets start to fly.
 
Jared says Stanley did pretty well for a 1st-timer; he’ll have to try again. Soon Stanley begins to understand the lure of danger, and as Jared draws him closer and closer to the brink, he learns the games have only just begun.