When Dr. Tanner dropped Zoey off at the house after her blood tests, she was annoyed to find Verna waxing Aunt Flory's upper lip in the living room. As usual, Verna had a cigarette dangling from her mouth. "Don't leave that door hanging open," she scolded Zoey. "The gnat hatches are as thick as fog today. I swear I swallowed a handful of them just coming in from my car."
Verna wasn't exaggerating. Thick clouds of gnats swirled like smoke in fields and ditches across the county. Windshields were caked with the harmless, black bugs. Zoey let the door slam behind her, secretly pleased when Verna jumped.
"Heavens, child," Verna complained. "Are you trying to wake the dead?"
"Sorry," Zoey said. "It's the wind."
"How did it go?" Aunt Flory asked cautiously. "How are you feeling?" She yelped
