Page 95 (1/2)

"Coirl, still sprawled on the ground

"ButFroue, too "My dolly, I lostthe Savage’s carry strap on her shoulder, Ellie wheeled and tugged the little girl along in a stuh spare snow There was no clear path; she was bushwhacking through dense undergrowth that snagged and grabbed at her legs The little girl was stu, "Wait, wait, wait," but Ellie didn’t slon, didn’t reply, just kept on

il sa jbick going Spiky branches whipped her cheeks and stung her forehead, snarled in her hair Mina had pulled ahead by several paces, and Ellie followed her dog, thrashing through briary brush still crinkly with ice She didn’t like that she was et sounshots and braying horses, but the sounds were fast di, as noise always died in dense forest She would have to be careful not to lose the road entirely, because Tom and Chris would eventually come If they could If those explosions didn’tup one arm to protect her eyes, Ellie put her head down and plowed through, forcing a here none existed Tom will co All you have to do is hide

"Ah!" The little girl let out a pained cry "Stop, stop! I’m stuck, I’m stuck!"

"Quiet!" Ellie hissed Only people talk, you dummy; you want someone to hear? Impatient and scared out of her wits, Ellie saw that the twisted fingers of thorny brairl’s hair at the crown in a dense tangle "Okay, hang on," Ellie e "Just hold still"

"O!" the white-haired girl coirl bared her teeth "That hurts!"

"Well, it’s really tangled," Ellie said, so beside herself with fear, she thought about just going already Wincing against the sting of thorns, she fu Ears perked, ood But this stupid tangle just wouldn’t coray serrated blade in place with her thumb

The little girl’s eyes were saucers "What are you doing?"

"I’ it"

"Why? No"

Ellie opened her mouth to yell, then said, "I’irl’s chin was quivering again "My daddy called led" Another crackle of brush fro and she was focused on Dee, besides "I have to cut it, or we rip it Ripping will hurt Cutting won’t"

"Nooo," Dee said, blue eyes pooling again "It’s e under a gnarled clot of the girl’s hair, she sawed "It’ll grow back"

"But, but" Dee kept squir "Can’t you just chop the branches?"

"No, I can’t" She was going to stab this kid if she didn’t quit it "StopJust this last little--" Ellie’s insides went as still as she’d wanted Dee to be as Mina wenthuff

Oh boy Mina wasn’t looking the way they’d coo Behind her At her back

"What?" Dee said when Ellie froze "What is--"

"Shh!" Nerves clanging, Ellie bent, got her Savage, and slowly straightened When she shifted, a spiky pine bough broke with a crispy crinkle Mina’s ears only twitched Her dog didn’t break stance to look at her at all

"Oh" It was Dee, and Ellie recognized the tone froon: Hey Hey Everybody