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White lives are valued more highly than the lives of young people of color.

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Everyone in Howeville, Virginia knew about the Barnes Family Curse, but no one knew more about it than me.

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“They discovered the remains of two boys around 16-years-old who had been tied in chicken wire, tortured to death with power tools (belt sanders and drills), and then set on fire.”

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“I don’t know what he is going to do to you, but I can’t say you don’t deserve and I don’t think anyone is going to judge either of us when they find out what you did to him and why you made him run away.”

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“I know that’s why you’ve come here. At least, part of the reason. But I find myself compelled to inform you that this place isn’t safe…” She paused then, her eyes giving me a sharp once-over, before saying, “especially for you.”

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“This is what I’ll be using to open the packaging. It might get a little messy, so I’ve placed a few tarps on the ground. Hopefully that will catch most of the mess.”

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Popular theories include that they were faking their own deaths, went into a witness protection program, committed group suicide, were killed by a cult, or were involved in drugs/drug dealing.

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Plastered on the milk carton was a picture of what I recognized as me at an age so young my internal memory never ventured back there, probably about two years old, maybe three. The picture was tucked beneath the word MISSING and surrounded by information that was utterly foreign to me, including the name of the missing boy who looked exactly like me.