Base Nature (27 page)

T
ru
e
N
at
ur
e

L
iv th
o
u
ght it
was the
kind
o
f
thi
n
g
that w
o
u
ld
make
h
e
r
sc
re
am.
She
had
bee
n t
err
if
i
e
d
mak
i
ng
the
de
cisi
o
n to
c
o
me
h
ere
.
D
o
wn
r
ight
s
haking
as sh
e’
d
l
o
ck
e
d
u
p
h
e
r h
o
u
se
and h
urr
i
e
d
ac
r
o
ss
the
sil
e
nt
st
ree
t
t
o
his
h
o
u
s
e
.
S
o
h
is
s
e
c
re
t
s
h
o
u
ld
make
h
e
r sc
re
am,
s
he
th
o
u
ght.
L
o
r
d
k
n
e
w
sh
e’
d
h
ad
e
n
o
u
gh to
sc
re
am
at
dur
ing
h
e
r
lif
e
.
T
his
d
id n
o
t
m
a
ke
h
e
r
sc
re
am.
T
his
sti
l
l
e
d
h
e
r
bre
ath
in
h
e
r
l
u
ngs
s
o
that
all
she c
o
u
ld h
e
ar
was the
p
o
u
n
d
ing
o
f
h
e
r
h
e
a
r
t
a
nd
the panting
o
f
the
b
ig
s
m
o
k
e
-
g
r
a
y
w
o
lf
at
h
e
r
f
ee
t.
He c
o
ck
e
d
h
i
s h
e
a
d
,
t
o
n
g
u
e
pink and
m
o
ist and
s
ee
m
e
d
to
wait
f
o
r
h
e
r
re
acti
o
n.

“
G
a
rre
t
t?”
T
he
w
o
r
d
was
m
o
r
e
o
f
a
s
igh
th
a
n
sp
ee
ch
and
she
t
e
ntativ
e
ly
re
ach
e
d
o
u
t
a hand
t
o
his m
u
zzl
e
.
H
e
r
hand
was shaki
n
g
bu
t
n
o
t f
r
o
m
f
e
a
r
,
L
iv
re
aliz
ed
.
F
r
o
m a
dre
naline
a
nd
e
xcit
e
m
e
nt
and
a
maz
e
m
e
nt.
“
I
s
that
re
ally y
o
u
?”

T
he
g
re
at
be
ast
app
e
a
r
e
d
to
n
o
d
,
g
iving
a
sm
a
ll
ch
u
ff
that
wasn
’
t
a
whine
and wasn
’
t
a
w
himp
er
.
Wh
e
n
h
e
r
h
a
nd
s
ur
viv
e
d
the
br
i
e
f
st
r
o
ke
o
f
his
n
o
s
e
,
she
pl
u
ng
e
d h
e
r
han
d
s in
t
o
his thick f
u
r
wit
h
o
u
t
t
h
inking.

T
he
w
o
lf
re
st
e
d
h
i
s
h
e
ad
o
n h
e
r
b
a
r
e
t
h
igh,
his
h
o
t,
h
e
avy
bre
ath
b
l
o
wing
b
ack
the
re
d
f
o
ld
o
f h
e
r
r
o
be
.
She
rubb
e
d
a
nd
st
r
o
k
e
d
and
re
main
e
d
sil
e
nt
a
s
the
h
e
at
o
f
h
i
s
f
u
r s
ee
m
e
d
to
w
r
ap
a
r
o
u
nd h
e
r thi
g
h,
h
e
r fing
er
s,
h
e
r han
d
.
“
Y
o
u
d
o
n
’
t
sca
r
e m
e
,”
she s
a
i
d
. “N
o
t
o
ne
b
it.
S
o
i
f
this was
a t
e
st…”
She
be
nt
h
e
r
h
e
ad
and
s
o
me
sma
l
l
pa
r
t
o
f h
e
r
sat
b
ack
i
n
amaz
e
m
e
nt.
She
k
iss
e
d
the w
e
t,
b
lack
tip
o
f
his
n
o
se and
sta
re
d
in
t
o
ic
e
-
b
l
u
e
e
y
e
s.
T
he
e
y
e
s
o
f
a
pass
i
o
nate
a
nimal
and at
the
r
ight
tim
e
,
s
he
was
s
ure
,
the
e
y
e
s
o
f
a p
er
f
e
ct
h
u
nt
er
.
A
k
ill
er
.
A
nd
y
e
t,
no f
e
a
r
.
“So
if
y
o
u can
change
b
ack,
I w
o
u
l
d
n
’
t
mind picking
u
p
wh
er
e
we l
e
ft
o
ff.”
She
p
u
sh
e
d
the tips
o
f
h
e
r
t
o
e
s
i
nto
his
wa
r
m
g
r
ay
f
u
r al
o
n
g
his
ha
u
nch
e
s
and he
ma
d
e
a
s
o
ft
s
o
u
nd in
h
is
b
a
rre
l
ch
e
st.
I
t
happ
e
n
e
d
alm
o
st
t
o
o fast
f
o
r h
e
r
e
y
e
s
t
o
take
n
o
t
e
,
the shift
f
r
o
m
be
ast
t
o
man.
A
nd
th
er
e
he st
o
o
d
,
sw
e
ats
at his f
ee
t,
c
o
ck j
u
tting
o
u
t ha
r
d
a
nd
h
i
s m
o
u
th han
g
ing
o
p
e
n j
u
st a little
in s
ur
p
r
is
e
.