Ember (4 page)

“
R
un
,
M
ir
a
nd
a,
run!
”

But
e
v
e
n
as
M
ir
a
nd
a
fl
e
d
a
nd
f
e
lt
sh
a
rp
sp
a
rks
of
fl
ame
kiss
th
e
t
e
nd
e
r
skin
a
long h
e
r
n
a
p
e,
sh
e kn
e
w
h
e
r
v
a
nity
h
a
d
ruin
e
d
e
v
e
ryth
i
ng
.

M
ir
a
nd
a
r
emem
b
e
r
e
d
a
ti
me
wh
e
n
sh
e
did
not
f
ea
r
.
W
h
e
n
lif
e
wa
s
co
m
fort
a
bl
e,
a
w
a
r
m
cocoon
in
which
sh
e
b
a
sk
e
d
.
W
h
e
n
sh
e
’d
awa
k
e
n
e
d
ea
ch
day
to
a
fir
e
ro
a
ring
me
rrily
in
th
e
gr
a
t
e,
h
e
r
ma
id
dr
aw
ing
b
a
ck
th
e
h
ea
vy
s
a
tin
curt
a
ins
at
h
e
r
w
indo
w
to
l
e
t
th
e
sun
shin
e
in
b
e
for
e
s
e
tting
a
silv
e
r
tr
a
y
upon
a
st
a
nd
by
h
e
r
bed.
Ah
,
th
a
t
tr
a
y
,
fill
e
d
w
ith
fl
a
ky
littl
e
p
a
stri
e
s
,
succu
l
e
nt
hothous
e
fruits
,
a
nd
a
pot
of
hot
chocol
a
t
e.
T
hos
e
sc
e
nts
a
lon
e
could
ma
k
e
h
e
r
shiv
e
r
w
ith
h
a
ppin
e
ss
.

And
now?
N
o
w
h
e
r
roo
m
wa
s
d
a
rk
a
nd
cold
.
T
h
e
s
a
tin
dr
a
p
e
s
w
e
r
e
gon
e,
r
e
pl
a
c
e
d
w
ith
tir
e
d
w
ool
e
n
h
a
ngings
fill
e
d
w
ith
a
const
e
ll
a
tion
of
hol
e
s
th
a
t
l
e
t
in
silv
e
r
st
a
rs
of
whit
e,
m
orning
light
.
T
h
e
b
e
dding
b
e
n
ea
th
h
e
r
h
ea
d
wa
s
not
fr
e
sh
a
nd
plu
m
p
but
old
a
nd
l
u
m
py
,
n
ee
ding
to
be
w
a
sh
e
d
a
nd
a
ir
e
d
—
b
a
ckbr
ea
king
work
th
a
t
wou
l
d
h
a
v
e
to
be
s
ee
n
to
l
a
t
e
r
.

S
il
e
nt
l
y
,
sh
e
s
a
t
up
a
nd
swung
h
e
r
l
e
gs
ov
e
r
th
e
sid
e
of
th
e
cr
ea
king
bed.
He
r
f
ee
t
me
t
w
ith
ic
e—
cold
w
ood
.
T
h
e
T
urk
i
sh
rugs
h
a
d
been
sold
r
e
l
a
tiv
e
ly
ea
rly
on
as
th
e
r
e
wa
s
a
lw
a
ys
a
good
ma
rk
e
t
for
such
things
.
S
h
e
fu
m
bl
e
d
a
round
for
h
e
r
worn
slipp
e
rs
,
which
w
e
r
e
fortun
a
t
e
ly
fr
ee
of
v
e
r
m
in
,
a
nd
th
e
n
scuffl
e
d
ov
e
r
to
th
e
wa
sh
bin
.
I
c
e
h
a
d
for
me
d
a
round
th
e
edges
of
th
e
w
a
t
e
r
-
fill
e
d
e
w
e
r
,
so
sh
e
w
a
sh
e
d
quickly
.

Y
e
s
,
M
i
r
a
n
da
r
e
m
e
m
be
r
ed
c
o
m
f
o
r
t
q
u
i
t
e
w
e
ll
.
O
n
l
y
n
ow
did
sh
e
r
ea
li
ze
th
a
t
th
e
a
bs
e
nc
e
of
it
mea
nt
its
r
e
pl
a
c
eme
nt
w
ith
const
a
nt
f
ea
r
a
nd
worry
,
an
a
ch
e
th
a
t
n
e
v
e
r
fu
ll
y
l
e
ft
h
e
r
sto
ma
ch
.
S
h
e
rubb
e
d
th
a
t
region
of
h
e
r
torso
as
sh
e
st
a
r
e
d
into
th
e
m
irror
.
S
h
e
did
not
s
ee
h
e
r
f
a
c
e.
S
h
e
did
not
s
ee