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Christina screaht, but before she made impact with the wall of stone a body stepped between her and the wall

Matt was free and I ran for the crumpled up pair on the floor of the cavern Christina was unconscious but alive I slung her over one shoulder as I tugged upward on a groaning Jim, who looked to be both in pain and out of breath

Matt yanked on his other arether we had him on his feet I left hi them two at a time inmy friends and in a way I was, but I knew they understoodso Matt, Jim, and I were all in our early forties We had lived and experienced life We'd had our tragedies and our good times, but Christina had only had sixteen years in which to experience life and that by all accounts hadn't been that good

It was more important that Christina live to celebrate her seventeenth birthday than for any of us has-beens to have another year added to our lives Christina needed to meet a boy, fall in love and have children of her own yet

I'd only known her for less than teeks and yet like Jiladly die if itI was pretty sure Matt felt the saroup of worshipful hopefuls screae at the escape of their prey and iant boomed out over all of them

"Leave them! Finish the rite of inhabitation so that you can becohty even as you see that I ao out and reclai and dance and welcome my brethren into your hearts so that you e, with its bountiful pleasures that we have in store for all of you who seek to be gods of and in yourself"