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It was the last breath I took Just gone like that Every cell was shocked and screaen was suddenly cut off My heart stuttered in o of in tilted his head just asI was suddenly flying backward and breathing again The breathing didn’t help, though Just as soon as I got any as,table The impact jarred me all the way down to the tips of ht fixture, knocking it back I fell forward, led to breathe through the waves of pain

A screae erupted from Mom as blood trickled down the side of o full Luxen She athed in intense, beautiful white light

The air crackled with power I could feel it inout--

He was too fast

Shooting forward, he lashed out, swinging his ary smacked into the wall Dust plu it up into the air

I cried out as she went down, the couch flipping and landing on her God, that couldn’t be good I had to get up I had to--

He was there, his hand curling around aze to his This was it This was--

"No, I’ s to hurt you"

32

Shivering in the cooler air, I forced oti attention, and hehad probleuy had a lot ofissues

He was sitting on the grass a few feet froainst a tree He’d dragged me out of the house, and it had been a blur because he moved so incredibly fast, but I didn’t think ent that far I was sure ere in the woods that surrounded the subdivision

I’d lost my shoes somewhere I think on the road outsidehad been torn off all the way to ed on a branch Soed too That hadn’t stopped hiht My treether

I was trying not to think of my mom and what kind of condition she was in, because if I did, I’d lose whatever precious control I had, and I couldn’t afford that right now if I wanted to survive this

"He really has no idea who I am?" he asked, nose pinched "At all?"

"No," I whispered, wincing Talking in exhaled loudly "Well, that’s a blow to the ego I shouldn’t be surprised, though" He tilted his head back and stared up at the stars peeking through the bare branches "He forgot about us ain"

My head had taken a few knocks Probably a few toounder ether

"Whywhy are you doing this?" I ignored the lancing pain along my jaw "Why did you kill those people?"

"I already told you why"

"But that familyand Andy--"

He frowned "I didn’t kill them I’m kind of offended that you think I run around ai people"

I opened my mouth, but I was unsure of how to respond to that, but ould he lie? He’d easily admitted to Colleen’s and Amanda’s murders

"By the hat should I call you? Evie? Nadia? Evelyn?" He paused, and I saw he pupils of his eyes burn white "Peaches?"

I sed hard and croaked out, "Evie"