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"We should all go to lunch together I know that you tould actually get along very well, if you just had a chance to really talk"

"Maybe, so?"

"No, thanks, I just stick ater and le"

Mike nodded, then inclined his cowled head toward the stage "I think you’re being beckoned"

"And so I ae Now, Finn was staring at her very coldly Had he recognized Mike? How?

She neared the stage and started when it appeared that she was touched by the skeletal branches of a tree She started, then heard laughter "Wild costureen Surrounded by plastic, vinyl, and latex in an incredible green forest costureen nized hi still, he ht very well look exactly like a tree

"Darren!"

"In the flesh--and all," he told her

"It’s stupendous"

"I have outdone"Didn’t mean to hold you up I just wanted you to know that I’m an even more avid fan, and here to support you whenever I can be!"

She paused, seeing the earnestness in his eyes She caught hireen latex shoulders and kissed him on the cheek "Thanks!"

"Take my hand, and I’ll make sure you don’t trip on that divine black skirt on your way up on the stage"

His hand was so well done His fingers were gloved in the vinyl, and other little protrusions in heartier s and leaves at the end of a branch

"Thanks"

She ca at her She aze, then turned to face the crowd

There was suddenly nothing Megan wantedto end

And of course, at last, it did

Morwenna, Joseph, and their crew had cut out early In fact, that night, the place emptied out just minutes before their last nuave last call Either people were beco exhausted fro up for the big night to corossed in the synthesizer She was sorry that Morwenna was gone already She felt ridiculously alone, and she had no right to, since she was the one who had determined that she had to leave Finn But she hadn’t left him Not really She wished she could explain, but then, she probably should have ht… he had really terrified her

He wasn’t going to pay attention to her tonight, she decided And she wasn’t ready to beg hi back Or worse Be told that she wasn’t wanted back

She looked around but didn’t see anyone she kneell Darren would have been clearly evident in his tree costume, had he remained And even Mike Smith would have stood out Neither Sara nor Jaood-bye to the hotel workers finishing up at the bar and started out When she reached the front, she hesitated The car seemed as if it were acres away Many of the other vehicles were gone, and the trees planted in syles every sixth spot see

She could go back in

She could just walk to her car--or Aunt Martha’s car She could see it clearly enough She squared her shoulders, deter, and started to walk

Finn finished covering the equipan had been He hadn’t wanted to ht have refused so much as an escort out of the place

He’d meant to keep an eye on her and follow her, but she had been there, just seconds ago

Adaan?" Finn asked

"Sure, she was here just a few seconds ago"

"She told us all good night," one of the servers called to Finn "She just went out the o"

"Thanks," Finn said

He didn’t want to look as if he were running, but he hurried out through theinto the distance, he saw her

Don’t let her be alone at night

Or in the fog

But there was no fog

"Megan?"

He didn’t see her

And as he looked down…

A soft, blue sas beginning to curl around his feet

It hen she reached the first tree that the blue an to rise

Just around her feet…