@@@@@ As I stared into the dark at nothing in
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As I stared into the dark at nothing in particular, trying to understand what he wouldn't say, a
faint glow caught my eye at the far end of the hallway–dim but conspicuous in the black caveQuick, hide behind the boxes
Jamie's head snapped up, toward the yellow light that was getting brighter by the secondI
listened for the accompanying footsteps but heard nothing
“I'm not going to hide,” he breathed“Get behind me, Wanda
“No!”
“Jamie!” Jared shouted“I know you're back here!”
My legs felt hollow, numbDid it have to be Jared? It would be so much easier for Jamie if Kyle
were the one to kill me
“Go away!” Jamie shouted back
The yellow light sped up and turned into a circle on the far wall
Jared stalked around the corner, the flashlight in his hand sweeping back and forth across the
rock floorHe was clean again, wearing a faded red shirt I recognized–it had hung in the room
where I'd lived for weeks and so was a familiar sightHis face was also familiar–it wore exactly
the same expression it had since the first moment I'd shown up here
The beam of the flashlight hit my face and blinded me; I knew the light reflected brilliantly off
the silver behind my eyes, because I felt Jamie jump–just a little start, and then he set himself
more firmly than before
“Get away from it!” Jared roared
“Shut up!” Jamie yelled back“You don't know her! Leave her alone!”
He clung to me while I tried to unlock his hands
Jared came on like a charging bullHe grabbed the back of Jamie's shirt with one hand and
yanked him away from meHe held on to his handful of fabric, shaking the boy while he yelled
“You're being an idiot! Can't you see how it's using you?”
Instinctively, I shoved myself into the tight space between themAs I'd intended, my advance
made him drop JamieI didn't want or need what else happened–the way his familiar smell
assaulted my senses, the way the contours of his chest felt under my hands
“Leave Jamie alone,” I said, wishing for once that I could be more like Melanie wanted me to
be–that my hands could be hard now, that my voice could be stron