Page 46 (1/2)

Chapter One

Josie

Rope grazes, tightens, sears intooff the nose of the ht around my extremities

“Let o”

I say the words half-heartedly, knowing they’re expected, and knowing just as well that they won’t do a da everything won’t listen to pleas for aze of a creature who doesn’t feel His eyes flicker overback to focus on aze He wants to see the panic The pain The blood

People call hi worse Every second man and woman in this place is crazy It helps, so to keepI can think my way out of this

His eyes find aze that to hinificance than that I as plucked off

“Or at least do so me to the train tracks is a bad idea”

“Mouthy,” he says, his teeth gritted and yellowed He stinks of sour cabbage and the pickled slug beer which he drinks ht “Why’s it a bad idea?”

“Because everybody knows that heroes come and rescue ladies tied to train tracks It’s practically cliche Now you’ve tied et to me now”

I hope there’s one Please God Just one

“Sos are classics for a reason,” he says “But nobody is rescuing you It’s going to be hotter than sin soon enough You’ll start to cook right where you lie Train’ll be a mercy for you Quick Loud, but quick”

I rackto say, as if there’s so to me, but words are useless now Sass won’t do nothin’ for me Now I think about it, I don’t know if it ever has

“Beg me for mercy”

“What?”

“Beg un being cocked The barrel of a gun is pressed up underneath er It wouldto let this happen easy That would spoil his fun He’s bending overme from the nearly noon day sun

“Mercy?”

“Naw, girl Beg Cry pretty tears for ot ‘em inside you”