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When the , she slowed down until she found an open way It was like a blind person using a cane, but so much more badass

From time to ti for so drop"

She was verydrops

She tossed a pebble finally and did not hear it clatter on stone "Ah I believe we have the long drop" She edged forward until, sure enough, she could sense a gap in the floor

She crept to the edge of it on hands and knees She positioned herself in a way to see straight doard "Eyes open, don’t flinch," she told herself

She aier

Shotguns were never exactly quiet But in the confines of theoff

Thean indelible iht down

The echo of the blast went on for some time It sounded a bit like when a jet broke the sound barrier Most likely Drake would hear, unless this shaft went down even farther than she iined

Brianna s"

Two explosions Two stabs of light

No way to kno far away they were The sound said a long way The light seemed nearer Impossible to tell

It could be anyone Brianna Astrid Or just any nuht be lost in the darkness

"Definitely a gun," Sa

He did not believe it had come froht More like in a line to where he thought Perdido Beach ht be Which was not his objective He wasn’t on a mission to find and rescue Astrid, if that was her He was on adefiantly to no one

If it was Astrid, and if she was in a fight, then having whoever she was fighting--ive everything away If it was Astrid--and he’d already convinced himself it was--he needed to move fast He wouldn’t just have to walk tentatively into the dark, lighting his path back to hoht into darkness

Sam fixed in his an to trot, lifting each step high to avoid tripping He ht his foot and he slammed facedown into the dirt

"That’s one," he said Stood up, and started running again