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He begged me to calm down, said hed show me the special rocks hed found, and the tracks of a fox he had in a piece of dried clay He helped et the clay piece I tried to bolt for the door He grabbed me of course, and I fell It unbalanced him, and I kicked hiht in the face with the sole of my shoe
So brave, Brendan irl Hed started rocking her, just slightly, ot away, and I ran Further into the woods, because I was too frightened to re A nd so the way I saw the ether, throat dry You know, over the years, I thought maybe I made this part up, because I was a kid, and you kno kids souess it doesnt ht into this glade she had for her and her twin babies There was a tiny path into it that only she could see, that I never would have seen for lade for me to slip into it with her She settled doith the babies curled against her When I crawled in, pressed myself to one side, she didnt leave She stared at me, in that way deer do, as if theyre frozen, and the babies did the sa closer
I guess I probably stared back at thatat me, as if I couldnt move She made this soft noise, and she and the babies became even more still I realized that was how she protected the them to hide and notin me wanted to run, told me to run But I knew that , and so I did what she told them to do I stayed there until it was full dark When at last she got up and slid out with her babies, I followed her again, because I felt safer with her But then I heard hi for me
So lost in the an to move A slow turn that she kneould becoht She tightened her fingers on Brendans leg, and he put his mouth on her ear, head bent over hers Its okay I can hear you
She nodded, actually liking how her voice was muted in her own head by the whir of the equip the memory away on the floords, as she wanted it to do
The deer disappeared, and it went on for hours I wouldfor everything, in the full dark I ran into spider webs, was terrified of whaton me, but I was more scared of hiht bearound, then I wouldherself she was alh she knew this was the worst part Just before dawn, I ca, and it was a road A road behind a neighborhood I was so relieved, I started running down it, sobbing, looking at the houses, knowing I was going to be okay Then he came out of the woods behind me
He wasnt , and I kneasnt going toout their s or be out in their yards, and he would just drag ain I couldnt bear it I started screaht it was all inout any noise But then this lady ca out before work, and she saw us through the trees I crashed toward her, and she ca out for her husband She said the man turned and ran back into the woods then
The tremor she felt wasnt the Ferris wheel But she told herself it was so long ago It was okay She was here In the ar like that happen to her, would never let the et her, no matter hed only known her two days, no e their relationship like a hurenade She pressed her forehead into his chest, then turned her face outward to feel the breeze as they slowed, caht-jeweled and star filled view of the world
A ll those years She shook her head I knowlike that differently, but I went another direction Like there was so me if I could make the world beautiful and full of sunshine, no darkness would ever co with the therapistto be fine Id think about the deer and the rabbits, and the flowers, and Id knoas all right I just didnt think about those dark things The therapist told ht have to deal with the fallout years later, but I kneas okay I was fine
She lifted her head then, tilted her face so it was s she expected to see Deep anger that anyone would try to harm her this way, or harth A nd blissful, blissful quiet She realized then that hat she liked the absolute best about Brendan There was such a solid tranquility at the center of hi the world to turn, but solidly anchored She wondered if that had anything to do with hi a sexual sub Or if it was just his that h
So, long story short, Marguerites father said, Iht his attack and that ey aches so much, like its this dull reminder all the time Its stupid, because I do have a wonderful life Ive had these two terrible moments in time, and they really were just moments, you know? Itso short Itnow, but then the Ferris wheel revved up again, dropping the up for the final cycle It whirled faster and faster, the other occupants crying out in nervous excitement and pleasure It felt like too ainst Brendans chest
Yell