| 3:10a |
@@@@@I looked around
my dark, cramped holeThere
@@@@@I looked around
my dark, cramped holeThere weren't a lot of options visibleBut I could barely contain my fear
at the thought of speaking up and making a request, even of the bizarre but friendly Jeb
I rocked back and forth, debatingMy hips ached from curving to the bowled shape of the cave
He was looking at me again, his face a deeper color under the white hair than usual
“You've been stuck in here for a while,” he said“You need to… get out?”
I nodded
“Don't mind a walk myself His voice was cheerfulHe sprang to his feet with surprising
agility
I crawled to the edge of my hole, staring out at him cautiously
“I'll show you our little washroom,” he continued“Now, you should know that we're going to
have to go through… kind of the main plaza, so to speakI think everyone will
have gotten the message by now Unconsciously, he stroked the length of his gunMy bladder was so full it was a constant pain, impossible to ignoreBut to
parade right through the middle of the hive of angry killers? Couldn't he just bring me a bucket?
He measured the panic in my eyes–watched the way I automatically shrank back farther into the
hole–and his lips pursed in speculationThen he turned and started walking down the dark hall
“Follow me,” he called back, not looking to see if I obeyed
I had one vivid flash of Kyle finding me here alone, and was after Jeb before a second passed,
scrambling awkwardly through the opening and then hobbling along on my stiff legs as fast as I
could to catch upIt felt both horrible and wonderful to stand straight again–the pain was sharp,
but the relief was greater
I was close behind him when we reached the end of the hall; darkness loomed through the tall
broken oval of the exitI hesitated, looking back at the small lamp he'd left on the floorIt was
the only light in the dark ca |