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Why have I let ive in? I can never forget that her beauty is laced with poison, that her lips veil twin rows of knives, that her heart is enclosed by a razor- sharp rib cage She is impossible to me, untouchable, unreachable

My hand on her elbow cla deep into her bloodless fl esh But she misinterprets the force ofmore fervently And I realize how, from the outside, on the other side of the

With dawn soon approaching, I walk Ashley June back to her rooements to et dressed in the library so we can head to the Gala together, linked arushes as I leave

I head back to the library Within er to be safe, then head outside

I’ outside under the brightening skies, I glance at thetofor the Dome, double tiether with a short length of twine, slung overrandom hol ow sounds like the thumps of a drunken dru now and pointing at the Dome Now It doesn’t lass wal s don’t budge

Halfway there, a huround, barely discernible at fi rst, then un at the top widening as the glass wal sinks into the ground

Dawn light plays off thelike ribbons around the plains in astops The Doone

I stand about a hundred yards from the pond and wait It’s better not to take any chances: despite what they e out of their irl, anyway) ready to spearwith these hepers: they can be so unpredictable, like zoo anis open A s open A e-- stus rickety and stiff as it makes its way to the pond It doesn’t see ht

It’s not until the heper splashes water on its face and is gulping water from cupped hands that its eyes drift up atdown to its feet It beats a hasty retreat toward theitself Glances back Sees I’, that I haven’tforward, hoping to convey: I ins to fl ee

"Wait! Stop!"

And it does Over its shoulder, eyes wide, face ridden with fear

But with curiosity as welAs with the heper girl yesterday, feelings pour off its face without restraint, like a zoo ani its behind before a crowd of derisive spectators These expressions: so extre like a waterfalIt stares at me ide eyes

"Sissy!" it yel s, and it’stalks "Sissy!" it says louder, the infl ections co out clearly even in that short word

"No, I--," I sta ently, but its tone is bereft of ridicule

It’s a neutral tone, but with a hint of urgency, as if cal ing for help

"I don’t understand," I say because, wel , I don’t understand

"I just ater" I gesture toward the pond "Wa- ter"

"Sissy," it shouts again, and a door to a htly disheveled, its eyes grabbing at alertness, fl icking off sleepiness It surveys the scene quickly, soaking in the scene Its eyes land on ain

"It’s okay, David," it says to the fi rst heper "Remember what I told you yesterday He won’t hurt us He’s like us"

I’ent, not savages

The heper girl walks towardand confi dent

As it walks pastthe heper girl It stops in front of the pond "Right?" it asks, staring at ain, and for the fi rst ti ax in its left hand

"Right," I say

We stare at each other for a long time