11.2 Citing Strong and Thorough Textual Evidence Worksheet

1. In the train platform, the clock does not tick; it prowls. 2. I keep a locket on my palm, a small weight against forgetting. 3. Seconds slip under the door like smoke, smelling faintly of metal rails and rain. 4. The hands of time circle my throat, polite as a necklace. 5. Outside, people hurry as if they cannot hear the soft footsteps. 6. I smile anyway, because even fear needs a face.

1. Nadine arrived at a hillside cemetery early, rehearsing gratitude in their head. 2. They carried a sketchbook like an offering, careful not to wrinkle the hope in it. 3. The welcome speech began with praise and ended with a reminder of who could be replaced. 4. The air held cold grass and iron, and Nadine felt their smile stiffen into something decorative. 5. "Lucky me," Nadine thought, tasting the words like pennies. 6. On the way out, Nadine thanked everyone with perfect manners.

1. Isla insisted the argument at a laundromat at midnight had been "nothing," barely worth remembering. 2. Yet they could recite every pause, every swallowed word, as if it were scripted. 3. They described a small flashlight on the table--the scratch, the smudge--more clearly than a photograph. 4. The air smelled of soap, coins, and humming dryers, and Isla swore that was the only thing they felt. 5. Still, their story changed each time they told it, shifting blame like furniture in the dark. 6. In the end, Isla believed whichever version hurt less.