Base Nature (106 page)

He s
h
o
u
ld
v
er
y
w
e
ll
s
hift
a
nd
st
a
y
that
w
a
y
bu
t
the
act
o
f
s
hifting
sca
re
d
him.
What if
he
g
o
t
st
u
ck?
W
hat
i
f
it
m
a
d
e
him
w
e
ak
er
?
G
a
rre
tt
de
ci
de
d
to
j
u
st
stay
as
he was
u
ntil he
h
ad
t
o
shift.

“I
f
o
u
nd
th
e
s
e
,”
s
he
sai
d
,
c
o
ming
in
and h
o
l
d
i
n
g
u
p
small
pack
e
ts.
“
A
spi
r
in.
Pre
p
a
ckag
ed
.
T
h
e
y
d
o
n
’
t
e
xpi
r
e
u
ntil
the
be
ginning
o
f
n
e
xt
y
e
a
r
.
A
nd this
is
g
oo
d th
r
o
u
gh this
m
o
nth.
Lu
cky
u
s.” She
smil
ed
, waving a t
ub
e
o
f anti
b
i
o
tic c
re
am
at him.

“Y
e
ah,
if
y
o
u
h
ave
t
o
g
e
t
s
h
o
t,
d
o
it
be
f
o
r
e
the
o
intm
e
nt
g
o
e
s
b
a
d
,
am
I
r
ight?”
He t
r
i
e
d
t
o
la
u
gh and
winc
ed
.

She ca
u
ght
it,
f
r
o
wning,
sh
a
king
h
e
r
h
e
a
d
.
“
G
a
rre
tt,
l
e
t
’
s
j
u
st
g
o
h
o
me
a
nd
w
e’
ll w
o
r
k it
o
u
t.
I’
ll
b
ite
the
bu
ll
e
t.
I’
m
a
b
ig gi
r
l.
I
f
y
o
u
can
’
t
d
o
the
tim
e
,
d
o
n
’
t
d
o
the
c
r
—”

“
N
o
.
I’
m
f
i
n
e
.
Y
o
u’r
e
o
v
erre
acting.
I
t
’
s
bee
n
a shit st
o
r
m
o
f
a f
e
w
d
ays,
y
e
ah?”
He g
r
inn
ed
,
b
iting
h
i
s
lip to
k
ee
p
f
r
o
m wincing again. “H
e
lp
me
u
p
and
wash m
e
,
b
a
b
y.
M
ake
me
cl
e
an.”

L
iv
la
u
gh
e
d
bu
t
the
la
u
gh
was
f
o
r
c
e
d
and
that
kill
e
d him
a
littl
e
.
“I
d
o
ub
t
th
er
e
is any way
t
o
make
y
o
u
cl
e
an,
y
o
u
d
i
r
ty
p
er
v
er
t.”

G
a
rre
t
t
st
o
pp
e
d
and t
o
u
ch
e
d
h
e
r
fac
e
.
T
o
o
k
it
i
n
his
han
d
s
and t
ur
n
e
d
h
e
r so
he c
o
u
ld
ki
s
s
h
er
.
She
had
s
u
gar
a
nd
f
r
o
sting
o
n
h
e
r
lips
a
nd
c
o
ff
e
e
o
n
h
e
r
t
o
ng
ue
.
His c
o
ck sti
rre
d
a
nd
s
he
sh
i
v
er
e
d
.

“
Y
o
u
s
h
o
u
ld
n
o
t
e
v
e
n
be
—”

“
I’
d
have
to
b
e
de
ad
n
o
t to
want y
o
u
,” he
sai
d
, c
u
tting h
e
r
o
ff. He
ki
s
s
e
d
h
er
.
Kiss
e
d h
e
r
l
o
ng
and
s
o
ft
and th
e
n
ha
rder
.
He
n
eed
e
d
h
e
r
t
o
k
n
o
w
h
o
w
m
u
ch
o
f
h
e
r
was
in
him n
o
w. H
o
w m
u
ch
o
f
his h
e
a
r
t
she
o
wn
ed
.
A
ll
o
f
it. “I
l
o
ve
y
o
u
, so
y
e
ah,
I’
d
have
to
b
e
de
ad
and
bur
i
e
d
n
o
t
t
o
want y
o
u
,
L
iv.”

L
iv
s
h
o
ck
e
d
him
b
y
ru
nning
h
e
r fing
er
tips
d
o
wn
the l
e
ngth
o
f
h
is
ha
rd
-
o
n
so that this
time
he shiv
ered
.
“W
e
ll,
I’
d
have
to
b
e
de
a
d
,
e
m
b
alm
e
d
and
bur
i
e
d
t
o
n
o
w
want y
o
u
.
Bu
t
r
ight
n
o
w
I
want
y
o
u in
the
t
u
b so
we can
g
e
t
this
w
o
u
nd
cl
e
an.
I
f
y
o
u
be
hav
e
, may
be
,
j
u
st may
b
e
I’
ll give
y
o
u
a little
n
i
bb
l
e
.”

She
h
e
lp
e
d
him
f
o
r
wa
r
d
and he
palm
e
d
h
e
r
ass,
sq
uee
zing
j
u
st
a
b
it
t
o
o
ha
r
d
s
o
she j
u
mp
ed
.
“
Ni
bb
l
e
?
B
it
e
.
I
want a
b
it
e
.”

L
iv
s
h
o
o
k
h
e
r
h
e
a
d
,
b
l
u
shing.
He
c
o
u
ld
sm
e
ll
the
ru
sh
o
f
b
l
o
o
d
to
h
e
r
s
kin,
it sm
e
ll
e
d
o
f lat
e
-
b
l
oo
m
ing
r
o
s
e
s. “Y
e
ah, y
e
ah,
i
n the
t
u
b
with
y
o
u
, w
o
lf
bo
y.”