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But I aet there just as he does

‘Wait,’ I say

He turns, looks at , and it is like a dagger inside I almost slink away But I have to talk to him I have to find the words that will put an end to his plans

‘Ben, please Can we talk? Mulances across the roo to the parents of one of the others

‘Co the car park in the shadow of the hall

‘Are you angry with me?’ I say, and then want to bite it back There are so ; that could wait

He shakes his head ‘Of course not But I a to keep away from you I don’t want you to associate with o down…’ He pauses ‘I don’t want you to get in trouble’

I sigh ‘Does thisto go through with it?’

‘You didn’t really think I’d change my mind, did you?’

‘I didn’t, I just hoped But at least wait until we can see Aiden again He can tell you how they did it, give you a better chance’ Talk you out of it

Ben shakes his head ‘Listen to e my h it ‘And I don’t think from what he said that Aiden really knohat they did, anyhow’

‘Please, Ben I don’t want anything to happen to you’

His eyes soften ‘What I’d really like to do now is drag you off into the woods and kiss you’ But around us cars are pulling in, collecting children; there are eyes everywhere He takes ers ‘This will do for now’

‘Ben you have to listen to reason Please’

‘We’ve covered this ground, haven’t we?’

‘How exactly are you going to do it?’

‘I’ve started going through equip out this weekend’

‘So soon?’

‘Yes Mu away to Dad’s sister who had a baby; Dad is already there I convinced them I could stay here on my own’

I stare at him miserably ‘Please, Ben…’

‘Kyla, listen If this works, we can cut yours off, too We can run away soether Without our Levos no one could keep us apart’

‘What about the AGT?’ I whisper, quietly as I can ‘Have you given up that idea?’

He shakes his head

‘So Just you, anisation Sounds like heaven’

‘Think about it We could change the world’

Muo’

‘No smiles, Kyla?’

I sluet home I escape tea and syhts Ben, cutting off his Levo: screa in pain If he somehow survives, Ben in the AGT

I have to stop hiles

‘Here: this is the switch You push the saw along this track The diamond wheel should make quick work of his Levo The key is to cut it off as quick as possible before the pain and shock cause death, but not so quick the hand goes as well Wherewhen the pain hits instead of pushing through it Understand?’

‘Yes’ I am calm, observant Interested in the experi, eyes dilated His hand immobilised on the table He reeks of whisky

I flick the switch The wheel spins, whining as it hits speed

Pushing it closer and closer, I glance up and see the subject’s eyes Blue, wide: not scared Not yet

‘Watch what you are doing!’

I look back to the saw as it touches the Levo Sparks fly in an arc

‘More pressure!’

The screains

I pull the saw back

‘No! He’ll die now if you don’t cut it off and do it fast’

But I’h my skull I clench es: the screaone And in his place is Ben

‘No! Ben, no!’ I lunge for the machine, to stop the saw before it reaches hiht around me and hold me firm

‘You must stay in control You know the rules’

‘No!’

‘You’re next’

I fight, kick Struggle, scratch and screaood I’m strapped into a chair, my arm to the table

The sahines…

Bzzzz…