Ember (23 page)

He
r
m
ind
drift
e
d
b
a
ck
to
a
noth
e
r
ti
me,
wh
e
n
th
e
fog
h
a
d
not
been
as
thick
but
sh
e
h
a
d
been
w
a
lking
a
lon
e,
h
e
r
thoughts
just
as
distr
a
ct
e
d
.
T
h
a
t
night
sh
e
h
a
d
me
t
H
im
.
He
h
a
d
s
a
v
e
d
h
e
r
fro
m
a
p
a
ir
of
str
ee
t
roughs
.
A
shiv
e
r
th
a
t
h
a
d
noth
i
ng
to
do
w
ith
th
e
cold
rippl
e
d
ov
e
r
h
e
r
skin
a
nd
tight
e
n
e
d
h
e
r
nippl
e
s
.
T
h
a
t
str
a
ng
e
ma
n
of
d
a
rk
a
nd

sh
a
do
w
s
h
a
d
a
pull
th
a
t
dr
ew
h
e
r
in
still
.
S
tr
a
ng
e
l
y
,
sh
e
h
a
d
w
a
nt
e
d
to
beg
hi
m
to
st
a
y
,
or
p
e
rh
a
ps
t
a
k
e
h
e
r
w
ith
hi
m,
wh
e
r
e
v
e
r
it
wa
s
th
a
t
h
e pl
a
nn
e
d
to
go.
I
ns
a
n
i
ty
.
And
y
e
t
…

S
h
e
took
a
br
a
cing
br
ea
th
.
G
uilt
pluck
e
d
h
a
rd
at
h
e
r
h
ea
rt
b
e
c
a
us
e
sh
e
could
not
ignor
e
th
a
t
a
virtu
a
l
str
a
ng
e
r
h
a
d
t
a
lk
e
d
to
h
e
r
,
h
a
d
look
e
d
at
h
e
r
as
if
h
e
und
e
rstood
h
e
r
d
a
rk
e
st
s
e
lf
.
W
hy
didn’t
sh
e
f
ee
l
th
a
t
w
ith
Ma
rtin?
He
h
a
d
been
h
e
r
fri
e
nd
a
ll
h
e
r
lif
e.
S
h
e
lov
e
d
hi
m.
Be
ing
w
ith
Ma
rtin
g
a
v
e
h
e
r
a
s
e
ns
e
of
pl
a
c
e.
He
wa
s
h
e
r
history
,
a
nd
wou
l
d
be
h
e
r
futur
e.
W
hy
th
e
n
did
sh
e
continu
e
to
think
of
so
me
on
e
sh
e
wou
l
d
n
e
v
e
r
s
ee
a
g
a
in
wh
e
n
h
a
ppin
e
ss
wa
s
h
e
rs
to
gr
a
sp?
I
s
this
wh
a
t
th
e
y
r
e
f
e
rr
e
d
to
as
pr
ewe
dding
jitt
e
rs?

F
rowning
,
M
ir
a
nd
a
op
e
n
e
d
th
e
scr
ee
ching
g
a
t
e
of
h
e
r
ho
me,
th
e
sound
am
plifi
e
d
a
nd
sh
a
rp
in
th
e
fog
.
S
l
ow
l
y
,
sh
e
cli
m
b
e
d
th
e
cru
m
bling
front
st
a
irs
.
Lights
burn
e
d
b
e
hind
th
e
gri
m
y
p
a
rlor
w
indo
w
s
.
Ma
rtin
m
ust
be
c
a
lling
.
Fa
th
e
r
didn’t
wa
st
e
th
a
t
m
uch
l
am
p
oil
for
h
e
r
,
a
nd
Ma
rtin
wa
s
th
e
only
visitor
th
e
y
h
a
d
a
ny
m
or
e.

An
un
e
xp
e
ct
e
d
gust
of
w
a
r
m
th
hit
h
e
r
ch
ee
ks
as
sh
e
wa
lk
e
d
insid
e.
O
n
its
h
ee
ls
wa
s
th
e
h
ea
dy
sc
e
nt
of
rich
,
ro
a
sting
mea
t
.
He
r
sto
ma
ch
gru
m
bl
e
d
in
r
e
spons
e.
He
r
frown
gr
ew
as
sh
e
took
off
h
e
r
li
m
p
bonn
e
t
a
nd
d
am
p
glov
e
s
.
S
inc
e
wh
e
n
did
th
e
y
splurg
e
on
ro
a
st?
And
who
wa
s
cook
i
ng
it
?