Blood From a Stone (84 page)

C
H
AP
T
E
R
NIN
E

H
e
w
as
runn
i
ng
and yet
h
i
s
l
egs
w
ou
l
dn
’
t
m
ove.
F
i
gh
ti
ng
aga
i
nst
t
he
i
cy
co
l
d
f
ee
li
ng
t
hat
w
as
surg
i
ng
i
n h
i
s ve
i
ns
t
hat
w
as
t
rave
li
ng up h
i
s
l
egs
t
o
w
ard h
i
s hear
t
.
T
hat
o
l
d
f
a
m
ili
ar
f
ee
li
ng
t
hat
he
knew
w
ou
l
d
co
m
e
as
h
i
s
body
s
l
o
w
ed, h
i
s
organs
began
t
o
l
ose
f
unc
ti
on and he
w
ou
l
d s
t
r
ai
n
t
o ho
i
st h
i
s
body
up
t
o
it
s perch be
f
ore he
t
urned
i
n
t
o a s
o
li
d b
l
ock of s
t
one.

H
e
f
ought
i
t
harder
t
h
i
s
ti
m
e…he
had
p
ro
m
i
sed
her
t
hat
he
w
ou
l
dn
’
t
m
ake
her
regret
t
he
k
i
ss
t
hey
’
d  shared ear
li
er
and
now
here
he
w
as
a
l
ready
break
i
ng
it
.
Bu
t
w
a
it
!
I
t
w
asn
’
t
ti
m
e.

T
h
i
s
cou
l
dn
’
t
be
happen
i
ng.
N
ot
no
w
.  It
had  o
n
l
y been
one
day!
T
hen
aga
i
n
he
’
d
reca
ll
ed
f
ee
li
ng
a s
t
range ch
il
l
m
ore
t
han
once
i
n
t
he
past
24
hours.
P
erhaps
T
he
C
h
ange
w
as
co
m
i
ng
f
or
h
i
m
sooner
t
han he expec
t
ed.

H
e
began
t
o
run…kno
w
i
ng
f
u
l
l
w
e
l
l
t
he
r
e
w
as no runn
i
ng
f
rom
it
.
W
here
he
w
as
go
i
ng,
he
d
i
dn
’
t
kno
w
.
O
n
l
y
t
hat
he
needed
t
o
get
f
ar
a
w
ay
f
rom here…
f
ar
f
rom h
i
m
se
l
f
i
f
t
hat
w
ere
on
l
y
poss
i
b
l
e.
A
nd ye
t
…
i
f
he d
i
dn
’
t
m
ake
i
t
back
t
o h
i
s
perch
w
hat
w
ou
l
d
beco
m
e
of
h
i
m
w
hen
he
a
w
oke
t
he
next
ti
m
e?
H
e d
i
dn
’
t
care.
H
i
s
l
egs
t
ook o
f
f
runn
i
ng of
t
he
i
r
o
w
n accord….runn
i
ng
f
rom
h
i
s
pa
i
n,
runn
i
ng
f
rom h
i
s
f
r
u
s
t
ra
ti
on.
R
unn
i
ng
f
rom
w
hat
he
f
e
l
t
f
or
W
ill
o
w
.
A
nd
yet
t
hey
w
ou
l
dn
’
t
m
ove.
Sudden
l
y
he
f
e
l
t
a
sear
i
ng pa
i
n creep
i
ng
t
hr
o
ugh h
i
s
m
usc
l
es…but
t
hen
not
so
m
uch
pa
i
n
as
hea
t
.
H
e
l
ook
e
d
do
w
n
t
o
see
t
he
ground
open
i
ng
up
benea
t
h
h
i
s
f
eet
and
t
he
fi
ery p
i
t of
he
l
l
ya
w
n
i
ng
w
i
de
l
y
t
o
scoop
h
i
m do
w
n
i
n
t
o
it
s
dep
t
hs.
H
i
s
l
ungs
burned
w
it
h
every
brea
t
h
of
h
i
s
exer
ti
on
as
h
e
ran,
t
ry
i
ng
t
o escape.

S
a
m
son
opened
h
i
s
e
y
es,
s
w
eat
soa
k
ed
and
g
asp
i
ng as
he
bo
lt
ed
up
ri
g
ht
on
t
he
couch
w
he
r
e
he
’
d
been s
itti
ng
w
a
t
ch
i
ng
t
v
j
ust
a
f
ew
sho
r
t
m
i
nu
t
es
a
g
o
a
ft
er
d
ri
v
i
ng back
t
o h
i
s
p
l
ace
fr
om W
ill
o
w
’
s.
O
r
so
he
t
hou
g
h
t
.
H
e
l
oo
k
e
d
at
t
he c
l
oc
k
.
N
ea
rl
y
t
w
o
hou
r
s
had
passed
and
he
’
d
d
rift
ed
o
f
f
t
o
s
l
eep. S
l
eep!