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"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Too, the Changed--"

"Who? What?" Jarvis screa with him?" Chris asked

"Probably the pressure wave Scraain, "listen to o, we have to--" Suddenly, To tower

"What?" Chris asked "What do you--" Then, over the crackle of flames, Chris heard it, too: the sharp snap of brush, the stocolor, beco parkas and then jeans--and then he realized that what he saere Changed, a lot of the like invaders teleported from a distant planet

"Chris" Toed "Coo"

Oh my God Chris was paralyzed, rooted to the spot Jarvis was screa, I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t

"Chris!" Tom snapped him around so quickly Chris had to clutch Tom’s arms to keep his feet "I said, don’t look at them Get on your horse, Chris! Get on your horse, now!"

"O-okay," Chris gasped He took off in a stu his bay’s reins, Chris tried to boost to his saddle, but his feet wouldn’t work "Come on," he heard himself plead, "co debris, kicking wood, crunching glass Getting louder His back prickled Co closer, don’t look, don’t look, don’t! But then, he did snatch a glance--stupid--and a nail of terror jabbed his heart The Changed, soover the plateau, charging right for the his horse around "Don’t look! Co his boot in a stirrup, he grabbed leather and swam to an aard half-sit on his saddle Tried not to look Couldn’t help it The Changed, these children of Rule, were less than fifty feet away In the co day he could see their mouths open in silent snarls and their eyes, their eyes, so wide, so wild No weapons, only teeth and clawed fingers and--

Don’t look, Chris No voice but his own, one that wanted hi, appalling, awful: every nighthts and people died at train crossings and Moses covered his eyes No one can help but stare at the monster, because horror is a cousin to awe

"Chris, no, what are you doing? Chris!" Tom shouted as the same mo, Night finally shied, Chris’s panic co itself to a shocked animal that understood death was a hair’s breadth away The bay reared Not yet fully seated, Chris let out a strangled cry as the slide started He felt hi to fall into the Changed and their aret hi ht’s bridle "Chris, set your daet on!"

Sobbing out a breath, Chris scraht’s terrified eyes rolled; his head snapped back and slammed Chris’s face The bloas terrific, so hard that Chris’s vision blacked Stunned, he lost his grip, began to slu over his left leg and thigh, fingers clutching to pull hi ca hands suddenly fell away Another bang To Chris’s left, a Changed boy slapped both hands to the crater where his nose had been, and tuers claw his shoulder

"Don’t lose it,Chris onto the saddle "You can’t lose it, Chris, co to hisblack Glock in one hand and Chris’s shoulder in the other Another girl with very long, filthy hairdown, stuck the pistol in the girl’s face The Changed was so intent on hi! Her head shattered, skull and scalp and brains and blood and wild hair flaring in a wet spray

"Sit up!" Tom roared "Get up, Chris, sit--"

The crack of a shot, not fro of a bullet ricocheting off a tree Bellowing, Jarvis fired again This tiered as a red sunburst suddenly flared over his right breast The line didn’t exactly falter, but soave Chris the precious two seconds he needed to slot his foot into his stirrup