The Decoding of Lana Morris - Laura and Tom McNeal

Lana is 16 and has been put with foster parents Whit and Veronica along with Tilly, Carlito, and Garth, who are special needs children. Carlito goes around and touches everones shoulders like he is blessing them. Garth loves superheroes and wears superhero t-shirts every day, and does not liked to be touched. Tilly loves the color pink and will eat only pink colored food. Lana does not like Veronica at all. Lana's nick name for her is Ice Queen. One day Lana decides to hitch a ride with Chet, the next door neighbor, and his friends. They go to the town of Hereford where Lana goes into a Oddments and Antiques shop. She finds a ladies drawing kit in a trunk for $2. She buys it and on the way back home she draws Chet. After she's back home Veronica is not happy she took off and says that she found pills in Lana's room while cleaning. She then draws Veronica on the paper from that kit and also erases part of her arm. Later that night Veronica is in a car accident and her left arm is severed just above the elbow, just like Lana's drawing. While Veronica is recovering Lana takes over the cooking and the cleaning of the house. Lana becomes even closer with Tilly, Carlito, and Garth who become like family to her. Then Social Services shows up saying that they are going to take them away and put them into separate foster homes. They then make a break for it and with Chet driving they make their way back to Hereford where she feels truely at home.
T.B. 7/2/07