Chapter 1

1997

 Mason City, an industrial town in North West Iowa, was beginning a steep decline. In 1988 the Edmar Hotel collapsed causing the town to demolish it completely, a piece of it's history gone forever, in 1996 they shut down the drive-in movie theatre and in that same year a prominent and beloved journalist was abducted and never seen again.

The town stood alone, connected by small farming communities, but Mason City was unique, it was small, urban, and at times infamous.

Jenny doesn't normally mention that she lived in Mason City for five years. The five years she lived with her grandmother. What she remembers about her grandmother is blurry, as blurry as the memories of being a small child. Only ten percent are real tangible memories. Unfortunately, the ten percent are also the memories that have loomed over her for the rest of her childhood. 

Bright orange and muddy brown, a green lettuce leaf swallowing you whole. She remembers that too, the giant burger bounce house in front of the new Burger King. Her five older siblings running inside it as she sits in the middle with her legs crisscrossed, flying up and down and then a knee hit her in the face. 

"Mom, Jenny's crying again," her older brother Andy shouts from inside the whopper. 

Barbara Andolina. Her name became melodic once she married into a large Italian family from Rochester, New York. "Get her out of there," she shouts to her son. 

Little Jenny's body rolls out of the inflatable burger. Her left hand covering her face. She's not really crying, more a low pitched moan. Barbara tries to remind herself that her daughter is only five, she needs help, and she could be hurt badly, but all Barbara wants to do is tell her to suck it up. 

No, that's not what Nona would do, she was always worried about someone's ailments, she always had a helpful fix to anyone's bruises, scrapes, or emotional wounds. Barbara was determined to raise her kids like that, despite her own upbringing. 

"What's wrong?" Grandma shouts, her voice is so raspy it's almost a whisper, at all times. 

Barbara looks at her mom and shrugs as she tries to pry Jenny's fingers from her eye. She reveals a large goose egg on her brow.

"Why does she always get hurt? You need to control your kids Babs." 

Barbara goes inside the brand new Burger King to gather a cup of ice and an ice cream cone. She's used to tuning out the jabs from her mother. Her mother, LeeAnne Harrington, a tall woman with long legs and a broad set of shoulders. She had white hair that she permed and it rested delicately on top her head. Her face was aged, with fine lines, and her eyes were so crystal, almost clear, she wore black rimmed coke-bottle glasses for her poor eyesight. LeeAnne Harrington was always the boss, ran her own business, ran her family like it was a business and never liked an ounce of criticism. 

Jenny remembers that day, the last day she spent with her grandma. The core memory being inside the burger bounce house. Yet, sometimes when she hears her mom and dad talk about her. Grandma. She remembers the door cracked open from the clown themed room she was sharing with her two sisters and Grandma's muffled raspy voice.

"Why don't you love me as much as your mother-in-law?"

"What did I do to deserve this? You can't move away, I will be alone. I did everything for you, Babs, everything." 

"What? I never hurt you. I protected you." 

"Get out."