"Just that," she answered, motioning vaguely toward the little clockwork device on the ground. "I threw it...but it didn't break."

She shivered a little, trying not to think about the spinning gears and wheels, and the grinding noise they made as they turned. There were other things to focus on--Sam's voice. The soft blanket. The lump in her throat, even.

She swallowed hard. "This awful thing? I had to wear it. All my other ones turned out the same way."