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I&039;ht to surface in ed brain since I woke up on the beach I&039;d been groggy then, with only enough stuff working in my head to shakily stand and blink down at my soaked clothes It never occurred to me to question why I was on a beach and in such a condition, and I was still in a thought-nu state of shock when I climbed a short, sandy rise and found the road

Loose-limbed like a cartoon scarecroalked, head bowed to watch my feet because I couldn&039;t feel thehts of the city were still ahead, and tripped on soain, not daring to rest The icy as cutting ood

Teeth chattering, arain in a wordless prayer for ered forward I&039;d been down this road before, only then it hadn&039;t been so damned cold

I had been colder out there shuddering in the water, ether not suspended between heaven and hell, but very definitely in hell

Headfirst

For an age

Until the press of water beca that wasn&039;t me and yet was

I floated, just another bubble cooing to float to heaven

I made it as far as the surface

Then the trip, an endless rush over a liquid desert Realization that heaven wasn&039;t my destination, after all, but then neither was hell Perhaps another time, if ever

I shivered It was ayou far worse than the original experience

Road Watch the feet Think of other things

Like Angela Paco, a dark little angel of death, every bit as lethal as her father had been If not already, she&039;d be et rid of Escott Not at all nice

I&039;d have to have a serious talk with her

Escott Might want to mention it to him, too

Chaven Better not to think about him at all