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The wind engulfed the rest I heard Cleirls, but I couldn’t uinning to think they had left, when, without warning, so sharp jabbed me in the side

"Ow!" I yelped

"Get up," Cle a shovel against the back of my neck, the tip of it cold on my skin

I did as she said

"Now turn around," she said "And keep your hands out so I can see the Dante’s presence disappear into the distance, and turned around

"Who were you with?" Cleroup of girls stood behind her

"No one," I said quickly "I am alone"

"That’s a lie We heard voices"

"Do you see anyone else? I’m here alone"

Clementine studied me "I heard a boy’s voice You ith a boy An Undead boy" Her eyes wandered to the spot in the distance where Dante had disappeared

"That wasto talk to the dead," I persisted I had to distract her "This is the Monitor section I thought I could contact one of them to ask about the Nine Sisters There’s no one else here but me"

"Then why could I feel you? Why did you feel like an Undead?"

"Because I died once Re whether or not I was telling the truth I saw her falter, and before she could react, I grabbed the shovel and twisted it out of her arms With more ease than I expected, I flipped it around and pointed the tip at her

Her friends see, but they were too terrified of et close Noas in control

I pushed the tip of the shovel into Clementine’s neck "Why did you followtoAnd I was right"

"Do you really want to knohat I was doing?" I asked, holding the shovel steady

Cle

"Okay, I’ll tell you Or how about this? I’ll show you"

"Fine," she said, though I could tell she didn’t trust me

"Bend down," I said

She did as I said

"Wipe away the frost frohten as she rubbed her pallinted in her eyes as she glanced over her shoulder at me "Is this a joke?"

I turned the shovel around and held out the handle to her "No I caht to find it"

Cautiously, she took the shovel fro aze, she knelt down and read the inscription

"‘Here it is laid to rest,’" she read, and turned to me "The secret of the Nine Sisters is buried here?" she asked, as if she didn’t believe it

The grave before her was her than the others, the soil loose and scattered about the grass as if it were fresh Or recently unearthed? I didn’t know if the secret was there or not, but I did realize then that s

"I don’t know," I said Whoever I had been in my vision --Dante or otherwise--had never made it to the bottom of the hole

"You really don’t know," Cleirls to start digging

I wanted to leave, to be anywhere but here, where everything--the headstone, the shovels, the girls tossing dirt over their shoulders-- to tellmy mind?