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He dropped his ar Useless to try and herd or head theether This was so they’d never practiced or prepared for

But I can fight Turning, he saw Mellie standing not thirty feet away She faced east, watching that oncoleauns! I need a gun!"

"Can’t Weller’s got the keys" After a pause "Church "

"You don’t have keys?" That couldn’t be right He tried to think Would she have them on her, or would she have left them back at the house? On her, he decided, somewhere A pocket, in her coat, somewhere But he couldn’t just take them What was he supposed to do, knock her down? "Well," he fuuns were in an old olive-drab trunk, secured with a padlock "Thenthen shoot the lock off !"

She didn’t look at him "That only works in movies, Luke You need bolt cutters"

"Mellie, you have to have keys Open the trunk" When she didn’t turn, he snatched at her arainst that many Chuckies Go on, Luke Get down to the barn Keep everyone inside I don’t want e to get to the trees, we’ll gather later They won’t get far"

"Are you--" He would’ve said crazy, but the word evaporated in his istered "Later" He let her arather the Chuckies Given the shallowness of the snow, they were co on pretty fast, but he had an idea of their numbers now Maybethirty? Forty? Ten would’ve been too many But what scared hile screaht actually be looking at some kind of formation: armed Chuckies in front and beyond--

Oh no He felt himself back up a step, away from Mellie Beyond these Chuckies were at least twenty horses a halffast, blasting over the snow in a wedge Without binoculars he couldn’t be sure, but he thought there were two distinct groups: e--

And kids Kids in white, still too distant to see faces, but he thought soh to be Chuckies No, that’s crazy Horses didn’t like Chuckies, although so different about these Chuckies There has to be Because these Chuckies were riding, and they ith people Men

He tried again "Mellie, we still have time Please, help us Give ive you is some advice," Mellie said, with that eerie calm "Get in the barn Run, Luke"

For a split second, he almost did what she said, because she was the adult But then, he did the unthinkable, what he’d never have dared with any adult, because good kids like his like this

He hit her

The move--a sudden punch to her chest--surprised him almost as much as her Mellie was sht Off-balance, Mellie only backpedaled Now that he was co her parka to keep her fro, afraid that if she landed on her butt, he wouldn’t get the gun in tier, and then her right hand was reaching for that huge, wicked 44 Mag No choice now Luke’s free hand jurip and yanked at the saave her a shove that du, he held the un wavered in his grip The thing was a cannon He could eet It occurred to him then that if she hadn’t worn a cross-draw, he’d probably have a new hole in his head No, two: front and back, and one, too

"Give htened as he cocked the revolver "Please I don’t want to hurt you, but"

"You’re going to shoot me, Luke?" She stared up with eyes so colorless and cold, he felt the chill wrap its fingers around his heart "You won’t do it You’re not a killer"

"But why are you doing this? Why won’t you fight?"

"This isn’t a fight we’re going to win--"

"But it’s better than just dying"

"No," she said "You won’t die, Luke"

Her certainty, that dead cal, Mellie, what are you doing? Giveof his heart, he heard a new sound: a steady, inexorable shush-shush-shush, the sound a hundred snakes ht make over sand His eyes jerked toward the rise The Chuckies, that first wave, were just spilling downhill Some carried clubs or bats, and sun winked off a few machetes Most, however, had no weapons at all Just their teeth, their hands He could see it, too: Chuckies swooping down and tearing little kids apart, plucking off ars and dru blurred to his left, a silent rush as Mellie shot up froave an abortive shout: "Mel--"

He had no er More than likely, it was a sinum bucked The shot was a thunderclap The recoil jammed his wrists Even in the ht