Cutter (29 page)

De
e
Dee’
s
hea
d
i
s
ben
t
ove
r
m
e
agai
n
an
d
sh
e
i
s
preparin
g
m
e
fo
r
he
r.
Bu
t
jus
t
a
s
I’
m
readie
d,I
tur
n
he
r
aroun
d
an
d
I
forc
e
he
r
fac
e
agains
t
th
e
glas
s
o
f
th
e
passenger’
s
windo
w
.

‘He
y!
Don’
t
pla
y
s
o
—’

I
ra
m
m
y
wa
y
int
o
he
r
an
d
sh
e
squeal
s
. 

‘N
o!
Don’
t
d
o
tha
t!
N
o!
’

I
plung
e
int
o
he
r
agai
n
an
d
he
r
fac
e
smack
s
agains
t
th
e
windo
w.
Thi
s
i
s
unnatura
l,I
tel
l
mysel
f,
whic
h
i
s
wh
y
I
enjo
y
i
t
.

‘
Unnatural beast
,’
sh
e
calle
d
m
e,
al
l
thos
e
year
s
bac
k.
Bu
t
ther
e
wa
s
nothin
g
unnatura
l
abou
t
m
e
the
n
. Sh
e
wa
s
th
e
on
e
wh
o
contradicte
d
natur
e.
I
t
wasn’
t
m
e
.

‘Pleas
e!
You’r
e
hurtin
g
m
e!
’

Thre
e
mor
e
thrust
s
an
d
i
t
i
s
finishe
d.
Sh
e
slump
s
dow
n
ont
o
he
r
sid
e
o
f
th
e
ca
r
an
d
turn
s
t
o
m
e.
Sh
e
ha
s
he
r
han
d
raise
d
a
s
i
f
she’
s
abou
t
t
o
sla
p
m
e,
bu
t
sh
e
see
s
th
e
knif
e
i
n
m
y
han
d
befor
e
sh
e
ca
n
follo
w
throug
h
.

‘O
h
Jesu
s!
O
h
m
y
Go
d!
’

I
tea
r
he
r
fu
r
coa
t
of
f
afte
r
I
hi
t
he
r
wit
h
m
y
fis
t.
M
y
blo
w
land
s
squarel
y
o
n
he
r
templ
e
an
d
th
e
forc
e
stun
s
he
r.
She’
s
stil
l
awak
e
. I wan
t
he
r
awak
e.
There’
s
n
o
ethe
r
thi
s
tim
e.
She’l
l
kno
w
exactl
y
what’
s
happenin
g
t
o
he
r
.

I
ge
t
ou
t
o
f
th
e
ca
r
an
d
g
o
aroun
d
t
o
he
r
sid
e.I
thro
w
th
e
fu
r
coa
t
i
n
th
e
bac
k
sea
t
afte
r
I
ope
n
he
r
doo
r.
The
n
I
dra
g
he
r
ou
t
b
y
he
r
hai
r.I
stan
d
he
r
agains
t
th
e
sid
e
o
f
th
e
automobil
e
an
d
I
hi
t
he
r
o
n
th
e
sid
e
o
f
th
e
hea
d
agai
n
.

Sh
e
fall
s
t
o
th
e
col
d
groun
d
o
f
th
e
barre
n
cornfiel
d.I
ope
n
th
e
trun
k
o
f
th
e
ca
r
an
d
I
remov
e
th
e
bo
x.I
wal
k
bac
k
t
o
he
r,I
clutc
h
he
r
lon
g
blond
e
hai
r,
an
d
I
dra
g
he
r
fiftee
n
fee
t
awa
y
fro
m
th
e
ca
r.
She’
s
wooz
y
an
d
unabl
e
t
o
ris
e.I
remov
e
th
e
stake
s
an
d
th
e
leathe
r
strap
s
fro
m
th
e
bo
x,
alon
g
wit
h
th
e
woode
n
malle
t
.

I
ben
d
dow
n
an
d
ti
e
th
e
strap
s
t
o
he
r
fee
t
an
d
he
r
wrist
s.
The
n
I
driv
e
th
e
stake
s
int
o
th
e
har
d,
froze
n
soi
l.
Sh
e
scream
s
whe
n
he
r
hea
d
clear
s.
Bu
t
i
t
i
s
al
l
righ
t.
N
o
on
e
ca
n
hea
r
he
r.
M
y
closes
t
neighbo
r
i
s
fa
r
awa
y,
an
d
ther
e
ar
e
to
o
man
y
tree
s,
to
o
muc
h
vegetatio
n,
betwee
n
m
y
far
m
an
d
th
e
nex
t
propert
y
fo
r
anyon
e
t
o
hea
r
he
r
crie
s
.