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Brenda shook her head slightly "It’s just so hard to believe it’s really true Hard to hope for it"

"Don’t say that" He didn’t want to think it, and he didn’t want to hear it

"Why would they have sent all these Cranks here if there was a cure? It just doesn’t make any sense"

Thoe in attitude Her eyes ith tears

"You’re talking crazy," he said, then paused He had his own doubts, of course, but he didn’t want to discourage her "The cure is real We have to " He trailed off, looked over at Blondie, as still staring at hiuy probably couldn’t hear, but better safe than sorry Thomas leaned back in to speak directly in Brenda’s ear "We have to get out of here You wanna stay with people who pull guns and screwdrivers on you?"

Before she could respond, Long Hair was back, a cup in each hand, the brownish liquid inside sloshing as he got bumped from all directions by the dancers "Drink up!" he called out

So a drink froers suddenly felt like a very, very bad idea I about this place and this situation had become evenfor a drink, though

"No!" Thomas yelled before he could stop himself, then raced to cover his mistake "Ithat stuff We’ve gone a long time without water―we need that first We, um, just wanna dance for a while" He tried to act casual, but was cringing on the inside, knowing he sounded like an idiot―especially when Brenda gave hiainst his side He didn’t have to turn to see what it was: Blondie’s pistol

"I offered you a drink," Long Hair said again, this tione from his tattooed face "It would be very rude to turn such an offer down" He held the cups out again

Panic swelled in Tho with the drinks

Blondie pressed the gun into hionna count to one," the man said into his ear "Just one"

Thomas didn’t have to think He reached out and took the cup, poured the liquid in his mouth, sed all of it at once It burned like fire, searing his throat and chest as it went down; he broke into a lurching, wracking cough

"Now you," Long Hair said, handing the other cup to Brenda

She looked at Thomas, then took it and drank It didn’t see of her eyes as it went down

Long Hair took the erin now spread across his face "That’s just fine! Back to dancing ya go!"

Tho warh his body He took Brenda back into his arhtly as they swayed to the ainst his neck Every tiainst his skin, a wave of pleasure shot through him

"What was it?" he asked He felt ood," she said; he could barely hear her "Sos to un to spin around him, far faster than their slow turn should have caused it to People’s faces see black holes The ren-out

Brenda pulled her head away from him, clasped the sides of his face with her hands She stared at hile She looked beautiful More beautiful than anything he’d ever seen before Everything around the down, he knew it

"Maybe it’s better this way," she said Her words didn’t ly detached from her neck "Maybe we can be with them Maybe we can be happy until we’re past the Gone" She s smile "Then you can kill me"

"No, Brenda," he said, but his voice see from an endless tunnel "Don’t "

"Kiss htened on his face She started to pull hi

She stopped, a hurt look washing over her face Herface

"Why?" she asked

The darkness almost had him fully now "You’re nother" His voice, distant A mere echo "You could never be her"

And then she fell away, and his mind did the same

CHAPTER 38

Thomas awoke to darkness, and it felt as if he had been put into so into his skull fro, terrible sound that only intensified the pain in his head He forced himself silent, tried to reach up to rub―

His hands wouldn’t ainst his wrists Tape He tried to kick out with his legs, but they were bound, too The effort sent another wave of pain crashing through his head and body; he went li he’d been out

"Brenda?" he whispered No response

A light ca He squeezed both eyes shut, then opened one just enough to squint through Three people stood in front of hi from behind

"Wakey wakey," a husky voice said Someone snickered