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The doe was ahead, h the scrub brush, indifferent to the thorns, intent on leading her baby toward the s from the deer to Hunter, so that they didn’t sh First the doe He’d kill her first The baby wouldn’t kno to react She would hesitate And he’d take her

So much meat Albert would be very excited There hadn’t been many deer lately

Hunter heard the noise and saw the deer bolt

They were gone before he could soheat

Gone The whole night stalking and tracking and just seconds away froh the brush

The noise was people, Hunter knew that right away Talking and jostling and rattling and tripping and co was like that: a lot of the ti your time But…

Hunter frowned

That voice

He crouched in the brush and quieted his breathing He strained to hear More than one person Boys

They were co the zeke field

He could see them now, dark silhouettes Four of theles of bra around because they didn’t kno to ht of heavy packs

And that voice…

"…what he wants That’s the problem with mutant freaks like him, you can never trust a word they say"

That voice…

Hunter had heard that voice before He’d heard that voice crying out to a bloodthirsty mob

This mutant, this nonhuman scum here, this freak Hunter, this chud deliberately murdered my best friend, Harry

He’s a killer!

Take hiagain the scrape of the rough rope

He’d been hurt so bad Head beaten Blood running in his eyes And his words not working…

Mind not…

Brain confused…so afraid…

Grab on to the rope!

That voice had urged, pitch rising, bellowing, the htened around Hunter’s neck and pulled and pulled and he couldn’t breathe, Oh God, gasping for air but no air…

Grab on to the rope!

They had They had grabbed on to the rope and pulled and Hunter’s neck had stretched and his feet lifted, kicking in the air, kicking and wanting to screa dark…

Zil!

Zil and his friends