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The whole structure of his face collapses, his pallor washing out He drops into a crouch

"Epap?" I say, stepping out from the shadows

He ju ainst his lips Then flicks his chin in the direction of theStaying low, I sidle over to hi outside

A dark lithe figure cut in the white snow A girl

Staring right at us

13

SHE IS AS stationary as we are

A young girl; I put her at thirteen or fourteen She looks like a wood elf with her pixie-cut bleach-white hair and waifish figure A black scarf is cinched around her neck, dark like the shell of a black scorpion She’s expressionless as her eyes swivel froain

"No suddento keep my lips as still as possible

"The shutters, we need to close theive her a reason"

We stay very, very still

"What now?" Epap asks

"I don’t know"

She takes a step toward us Pauses Lifts an arer points directly atout to her," I say

"No!"

"Have to This cabin offers as much protection as a paper lantern If she wants us, she’ll have us"

"No--"

"She doesn’t knoe are Otherwise she’d be at us already I go out, lure her in Then we pounce on her"

"That’s not going to--"

"It’s the only play we have Noake Sissy Quietly" I push through the front door

I have lived a them my whole life I know their mannerisms, can ape them down to their s a trace of fear As I step off the front porch, I pause at the riht, my eyes half-lidded for effect I letnot to kick up any puffs of snow I layer onat

And then I remember

The blood onat me aneith fervent interest Her ar then widening

She takes a step toward s beco through the snow, through the night air, like a whispered curse

I steady o for the neck first

Froh the open door, I hear Epap--"Sissy, wake up wake up wake up!"--his voice as distant as the stars

And the girl--

So Hasn’t even covered half the distance yet Her arround on all fours Her chest is heaving fro up around her

And then it hits me all at once I study her even as she draws closer,confirmed

But not yet There’s one last test And it’s an all or nothing

I raise er, the one dappled in blood

Her eyes flick tothere for one endless second Then shift back to my face, unmoved

She’s not one of them She’s one of us

"Hey!" I shout, not sure what to say next "Hey!"

And still she keeps running atof feet on floorboards, drawing closer

I spin around, ar down the hallway; I see her dier about to be unleashed "Sissy, wait!"