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She popped the clip out with practiced ease and loaded the bullets in one by one Each one made a multi-part click When she was done, she slid the clip back into the handle of the pistol and piled the gun and herShe walked away, shoulders slumped, tread heavy

“I can’t watch this again We don’t need to watch this again,” I said

“No,” Messenger agreed

Less than ten le round into her brain and die within seconds

“Herthat she would play those last few ain in memory and in dreams She would blame herself She was bla herself and then her husband

A question occurred to ht even answer “If she had tried to kill herself and survivedwould she have been visited by the Messenger of Fear?”

“Should she have been?” he asked me

I thought about it for a while, standing in that glooe I don’t knohy, but it felt necessary to h what Samantha was about to do, what she had in fact already done

“Yes,” I said at last “She has no right”

“She is a girl with a crippling er said

“Yes,” I agreed “And Kayla deserves to be punished A long and terrible punish pushed Samantha to the point where she couldn’t endure it anymore But”

“But?”

“But there has never been, and there never will be, a reason to take your own life”

“Because?” He was genuinely curious, I think He atchinghe rarely did

“Because hty years, whatever the nuhty percent still to come That’s too early to declare defeat and surrender People despair and yet go on, and e Career Love Children,up when you’re sixteen?” I shook ly sin”