Page 21 (1/2)

But the Chucky had two

31

Well, the crows didn’t come at her Instead, they oiled out of Ellie’s way as they had before Once she was out and down the raside the ramp all the way back to where it joined up with the death house’s front wall and sliders She knew nothing about geometry, but the point where the ramp was married to the entrance was over her head At her last physical, the pediatrician said she was of average height: Four feet, plenty of rooht that what she had inall the way back to her horse cut fifteen ave her a stitch in her side Even with the exercise, she was also very cold, shivering as the sweat between her shoulder blades and over her face ian to wick away

"Oh-k-kay," she said to theas she wrapped up its reins Her face was so frigid her lips was nu none of it Balking, the horse huffed an enor in its hooves "Please," Ellie panted Hooking the bridle, she tried dropping her weight Skinning its lips frole for a bite while pivoting and ai, Ellie snatched her hand back as the horse’s teeth clacked on air and dodged a hoof that whizzed past her head to plow into her pri for the trees and spilling a trail of tip-ups in its wake The heavier auger whipped around in a coae, she darted forward and grabbed the auger’s handle, dragging it back before Bella could slice a leg "Calm down I’m sorry, okay?"

This was bad Without Bella, she would have to either wait or walk, and both were out Too long; we’re wasting ti her skin so badly she wanted to peel right out of it, she forced herself to hile Bella stomped and blew She had to fix this Her teeth sawed at her cheek How did you cal away the head But she had to be on the horse for that, and besides, theanywhere Her probleo anywhere Must be a way to take its head, though She thought back over what she knew about spooked horses Precious little But there was a bookFlicka? No, Black Beauty The fire James ties a scarf around Black Beauty’s eyes

Her hand crept to her neck Chris had her coat, but she’d kept her fleece and wool scarf Carefully, slowly, she unwrapped the loops of wool, then bunched the scarf into a fleece pocket

"Okay, girl," she said,; she could see its hide twitching When her hand found Bella’s bridle again, Ellie resisted the urge to pull or do anything but stroke the animal’s neck "Easy," she said as the horse tossed and blew a loud and long horsey raspberry Ellie kept stroking, telling the horse, It’s fine, that’s good, it’s okay When the horse was only breathing and no longer staht for just a second--you watch; this only works in books--then reached up and draped the scarf over Bella’s eyes

To her astonishment, the mare didn’t toss or evenand then running out of the horse’s powerful shoulders Still talking nonsense, she tied the scarf, lightly knotting it behind the horse’s jaw

"All right, let’s go," she said, cautiously gathering up the reins, bracing herself for the bolt Bella would surely try The horse did tug but only once

It was, Ellie decided, a good omen In five minutes, the h the trees Bella’s ears pricked, angling toward the sound like radar dishes honal

Don’t bolt, please don’t shy Ellie held her breath but then thought that if she didn’t get spooked, the horse probably wouldn’t either Thefrom a beach Ellie led the horse all the way to the point where the ramp met the slider and felt a burst of elation Her saddle was just even with the ra the reins over the horse’s head so they draped over the horn, she scurried up the ramp The slider complained, and thatinside to where Mina, tail thu, patiently waited This has to