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‘Freaked out the huuards there until we ca?’

I nod ‘Oh, yeah I know that’

‘Most of us had no idea Totally blindsided us all’

‘She’s one of our captains now’

‘What?’ It’s hard to i

‘Yeah For real What kind of a scary world is that?’

I blink a couple of ti I can expect from her, it’s the unexpected

‘Your mom totally rocks’ The twins nod like little bobblehead dolls

‘Do you knohere she is?’ I ask

‘Yup,’ says Dee ‘We should be able to find her for you’

‘Thanks That would be great’

We step onto El Ca ready to hop froht It sounds like a fight coe is in that grove

I break into a sprint, running as fast as I can into the woods

19

We race into the grove, chasing the noise We’re not the only ones running through the trees But I can’t see details, and everything looks like shifting shadows in the deepening night

There are angry voices I’m pretty sure hellions don’t talk, at least, not in human voices I hope this is not the day that I find out otherwise

Beneath the canopy of trees, a group of shadows raise and drop their fists, kick, and yell at solimpse of the dried skins of the locust victi ripped clothes covered in dirt as if they recently crawled out of graves

Fists fly and pound into the victi with each i on?’ I ask as I run up No one see on?’ asks Du voice

Several of the locust stung glance at us They don’t stop their kicks, but one of them says, ‘It’s that bastard from Alcatraz He did this to us Created the monsters and fed us to theround I can’t see any details, but it’s obvious they’re talking about Doc

The twins must have reached the same conclusion They juh!’

‘The council has already said to leave hiuy off Doc

‘The Resistance council has no power over us We’re not part of your cauy whose face is as withered as dried salami skin ‘You’ve all rejected us And it’s because of him’ Another vicious kick