Blood From a Stone (223 page)

“I
don
’
t
k
no
w
.
T
h
i
s
hasn
’
t
e
v
er
happe
n
ed
be
f
o
r
e
i
n any
of
m
y
o
t
her
Aw
a
k
en
i
n
g
s.”

S
he
p
i
c
k
ed
h
i
s
hand
back up
i
n
her
o
w
n and he
l
d
i
t
t
he
r
e 
f
or
a
m
o
m
en
t
,
r
unn
i
ng
her
fi
n
g
e
r
s
up
and
do
w
n
t
he
l
en
g
t
h of
h
i
s pa
l
m
.

“
D
oes
i
t
hu
rt
? I
m
ean…
w
hen
y
ou c
han
g
e
?
”

“
S
o
t
hen.
Y
ou be
li
e
v
e
m
e?”

“
Y
eah.
I 
g
uess
I  ha
v
e
t
o.
What
o
t
her
e
xp
l
an
a
ti
on cou
l
d
t
he
r
e poss
i
b
l
y
be?”
She smiled. “And I guess that certainly explains why you sound so poetic som
e
times…almost as if you’re from another century when you speak.”

H
e
squee
z
ed
her
hand.
“Yeah, as a matter of fact it does hurt
.
I
t s
t
a
rt
s
as
a
co
l
d
f
ee
li
n
g
…ch
ill
s…and
t
hen
m
y
w
ho
l
e
b
ody
j
ust s
t
a
rt
s
t
o
s
l
ow
do
w
n.
A
nd
be
f
o
r
e
I
k
now
i
t
I
j
ust
c
a
n
’
t
m
o
v
e an
y
m
o
r
e.
My
o
r
g
ans
s
t
a
r
t
t
o
shut
do
w
n…
m
y
b
r
ea
t
h
i
ng s
l
o
w
s do
w
n
t
o
no
t
h
i
n
g
.
My
v
i
s
i
on
s
t
a
rt
s
t
o
d
i
m and
e
v
en
t
u
a
ll
y
t
hat
f
ades
t
o
a
l
m
ost
no
t
h
i
ng
t
oo.
E
v
e
r
y
t
h
i
ng
j
ust
co
m
es
t
o
a sc
r
eech
i
ng
ha
lt
, un
ti
l
I
am
no
m
o
r
e
t
han a b
l
ock
of
s
t
one.”

H
er
e
y
es
w
e
ll
ed
w
it
h
t
ea
r
s.
“
I
’
m
…so s
o
rr
y
.
I
s
t
he
r
e an
y
t
h
i
ng
we can do
t
o
fi
x
t
h
i
s?”

H
e
bus
t
ed
out
l
au
g
h
i
n
g
.
“
I
’
v
e
spent
t
h
e
be
tt
er
pa
r
t
of
t
en
Aw
a
k
en
i
n
g
s
o
v
er
fi
v
e
hund
r
ed
y
ea
r
s
ti
m
e
tr
y
i
ng
t
o
do
j
ust
t
ha
t
.
I
’
v
e
e
v
en
tri
ed
k
illi
ng
m
y
se
l
f
t
o
end
a
l
l
m
y
m
i
se
r
y
.
B
ut
y
ou
saw
t
he
p
r
oduct
of
w
hat
w
ound
i
ng
m
e
does
w
hen
w
e
w
e
r
e at
V
e
l
v
e
t
.”

W
ill
o
w
’
s
m
i
nd
d
rift
ed
back
t
o
t
he
m
o
m
ent
ou
t
s
i
de
t
he c
l
ub
w
hen
S
a
m
son
had
sh
i
e
l
ded
her
and
S
asha
fr
om
C
i
s
co
’
s
v
i
c
i
ous
b
it
e.
S
he
k
new
h
i
s
a
r
m
had
been
t
o
r
n
up!
A
nd
y
et
t
he
r
e
w
as
not
a
m
a
r
k
on h
i
m
.

“
S
o
t
hen…
y
our
hea
li
ng po
w
e
r
s
a
l
so
ex
t
end
t
o
y
our o
w
n
body
.
T
ha
t’
s
w
hy
t
he
r
e
w
as
no
w
ound
on
y
our a
r
m
a
f
t
er
C
i
sco b
i
t
y
ou.”

S
he
sh
ift
ed
under
t
he
b
l
an
k
et
and
C
i
sco
ca
m
e
o
v
er
as
i
f
on
cue,
k
no
w
i
ng
t
he
y
’
d
been
t
a
l
k
i
ng about
h
i
m
.
She
pa
tt
ed h
i
s
head,
now
unde
r
s
t
and
i
ng
exac
tl
y how
i
t
had
been
poss
i
b
l
e
t
hat
t
he
v
i
c
i
ous
dog
t
he
y
’
d
encoun
t
e
r
ed
i
n
t
he
a
lle
y
w
ay
w
as now
her
best
fri
end, co
m
pan
i
on and
f
oot
w
a
r
m
e
r
.