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Lia the air out of our lungs I tried to lift my head to see exactly what had happened, but there was this weight--this solid, invisible slab of stone--keeping ainstat my back, but ainst ht between us, and for awhere one of us began and the other ended He sed hard, the pulse in his throat close enough forthecolumn of his spine "Hey!" he shouted "Who’s there?"

The only response was another shove froround, Liaainst the dusty floor as we slid I watched the e speed, tracking together like a single bea to coht I saw a dark shape move out of the corner of my eye, but it looked h ribbons of ripped shower curtains, the body lotion, the bleach, to the line of cash registers at the front of the store

"Cut it out!" Liam yelled "We’re--"

There are so An ice crea off

No, I thought, Not now--not here!

We slid to a painful stop at the checkout lanes, the i every sense out ofsilence before the once-dead store lights surged into brightness And then, the cash register flashed on, conveyer belt sputtering to life--first one lane, then the next, and the next Every single one, falling to order like soldiers The nuns above blinked between yellow and blue, like a dozen warning signals, faster than ht it was White Noise; all at once, the building’s security alarms, intercom system, and televised displays went off, a hundred different voices screahts snapped on, electricity pouring through the more than hollow, dusty veins

Liaainst a checkout lane Chubs was next to her, his face ashen

After only a few seconds of Zu’s power surge, the lights on the registers began to pop like firecrackers, dropping strearound

She had onlyto draw the attention of our attackers away froh for an escape Out of the corner ofus toward her, but therip on me slacken suddenly, but fear kept o Lia fear--because we pushed to our feet, shouting for her to stop

"Turn her off!" soo!" Lia spray from a nearby display I saw him lift his arms, ready to yank Zu aith his abilities, but Chubs was faster He tugged the glove off Zu’s other hand and pulled it over his own, then all but ripped her arhts went out Just before the overhead bulbs exploded, I saw Zu’s face as she ca eyes were ri out against the full flush of her oval face The sudden darkness gave Liaround