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"Yeah, sure All right" I didn’t have the energy or ue I had hit a wall of the fuck-its and I honestly didn’t care what he learned or what he saw "Coot one hell of a throwing arm" I tilted my head to indicate the roohts were off Nick knocked the nearest switch with the back of his hand and stood aside to let me in, and to let the door shut behind us with a soft click I walked past hi lamps at the corners Then I went to the bedside la it all in, all the light Every stray ray or bea down on the edge of the bed "Hey Caroline Read We knoho you are and ant to talk Show yourself, you crazy old broad We want to knohat’s going on, and we think you can tell us"

Nothing Nick froze, deer-in-the-headlights

"Come out and talk You reo Work with me, and I’ll see if I can’t help you"

And there she was, in the ht the movement abovestill and steady, eyes narrow and hair wild

I don’t need your help

Nick didn’t see her, but he sawto ht shoulder Kneeling on the bed behind h I didn’t detect any pressure on theof the covers to indicate a body’s pressure on it

"Maybe you do, ht you needed help, didn’t they? That’s why they sent you away You wanted help, or you needed help, but you didn’t kno to ask for it"

You don’t knohat you’re talking about She didn’tin full sentences--which was an i

"Then explain it toany sense"

They did it to make me quiet I couldn’t tell on them, even when I tried No one believed No one listened And I’m the crazy one? I’love?

She looked confused for a moment It’s a riddle, she toldabout?"

They have not flesh nor feathers, nor scales nor bone, but they have fingers and thuloves I lost one, and now you can see the cut I et a better look at her naked wrist, but she wasn’t solid enough to see much there

I knohat they said I knohat they told people, and I knohy Because if I’ I saybecause it came from me So if I’m mad, then no one has to listen

"Caroline, no "

Leave then I don’t care

"You should We ht believe you"

Nick kept his mouth shut but watched where my eyes went, and watched me close I appreciated his patience I knew it looked like I was talking to myself, but I also knew that he trusted me and would wait

I sahat they did, she said When she said it, her hair--which had been shining and swiainst her scalp and to sit on her shoulders

"What did they do?"

Killed theht," I whispered to Nick "She’s said so about the church"

Burned the church down to hide what they did Blaht she was going to fade away altogether

"Don’t--no, don’t Caroline, come back Caroline?"

They killed theh wood to burn the on?" Nick asked, since the , and now herCaroline, who killed them? Can you tell es and her hair began to crackle again, signaling so question, she said