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It had turned dark when she heard so heavy rustle the brush It could be a deer, or it could be one of Pryde's beasts Sa Her body went rigid as the rustling sound beca on her

Her instincts took over as soed fro to the ground It let out a very huirl on the ground

"Rebecca?" Except even in the lint of copper hair "Prudence?"

The girl rolled over and Samantha saas her friend Prudence rubbed the back of her head Tears flowed down her pudgy cheeks Yet those cheeks weren't nearly so fat while her hair was er than she usually kept it Her entire body looked smaller, like that of a small child "Prudence, what happened? Did you fall in the fountain?"

"No, I didn't fall He duado"

"You're lying!" Samantha shouted She raised her club to strike "Take it back"

"I aham a baby Then when Rebecca and I went to the cave to find evidence, he threw soham and Rebecca, are they…dead?"

"No I left them at Mr Pryde's house In the cellar" Prudence started to sob "Rebecca took most of the water She's just a toddler now But she saved Molly"

"That doesn't make any sense Why would Uncle Hector do that?"

"Because he wants the water He wants to take it to the ! Uncle Hector would never do that He's a good man"

"He is not! Look what he did to me! And to Molly He almost killed us He would have if David hadn't saved us"

Sarip on the club loosened She lowered the stick to a less dangerous position She thought back to when she'd gone to the cave Uncle Hector and David had been fighting She hadn't seen Prudence or the others, but they could have left already

"No," she whispered "Uncle Hector wouldn't do that"

"Saerous"

"No he's not"

"Then how did I get little again?"

"Maybe you did it yourself"

"Why would I do that?"

"To o with hi You want to keep me here forever"

"That's stupid! I wouldn't ain just to keep you here Why won't you believe me?"