tevenso

my stomach, sending a shockwave of pain through my body. I doubled

ice dripping with contempt. "It's not 'my boy.

other! I swear to you, he is my brother! I'll do anything. I'll leave G

in the quiet park. "You think I need your permis

. I collapsed onto my side, my body a knot of agony. Through a haze of pain, I could see Fred and his friends

elf up, to crawl towards Joel, to do something, anything. My arm g

tinctively clo

felt n

ust a profound, terrifying coldness that

o

a silent scre

, no,

he searing pain in my ribs, the dizziness that made the world spin. My shaking

th

raying, bargaining with a God I

le

that had beaten in time with

was

as d

yself of my clothes and my dignity, and

away on the wind. The Holly who loved and hoped and pleaded for mercy ceased to

pain was a distant hum, unimportant. My mo

nd faced J

her take a step back. The smug, triumphant smile

. Devoid of all emotion. It didn't eve

king about?" she stammere

wards her. "You

shrieked, her voi

the world was her face, the face of the woman who had stolen the on