ali

ed the

fell t

rt and hair, spreading beneath her hands in a slow ring across

rib

voice was wet. "

way went quiet on the other side. That quiet was wrong. It meant the shoot

d frozen, h

back,"

at

y ba

. Two wounds. One on her side, another high on her

hand and pressed it again

rely. Her fing

aid kit. Shelf two." I

didn'

ow

ied to t

ors. I'd repacked it three times since we moved into the packhou

d red in seconds. I taped it down and moved to her side, pressing another pad aga

od kept

ng here," I

er hands shaking, b

s eyes f

at

m h

aving blood on her lip.

ho

rked as though she were stru

riu

est s

riu

lled with tears. "My

red a

n dinner at my table two weeks ago and told Amelia she had the b

I whis

di

woul

ightened around my w

liste

e cracked. "Not her

finished t

her side, but the gauze w

, stay w

rd the ceiling before

ce," she

ha

t." Her voice grew thi

e wh

Her mouth moved, bu

rib

ip loo

covered in her blood, my fingers pressed

rib

th

rib

t stoppe

I put my ear near her mouth, searching for a br

th

a small, c

n't tur

e seemed to com

l didn

moving," sh

N

sh

es

all, broken sounds, the way she did

My hands were red, Maribel's eyes were op

om smelled

l, the TV was playing a comm

the blood to stop spreading, for Amelia to stop cryi

aribel's body. They came away wet. I wipe

eli

look

your

without

. Chained. Then I checked the vent

r face was turned toward the wa

leave her

laid it over her, covering her from head to k

woul

" Ameli

hoes were tied, and she he

in the corner-the one that should have held the missing k

d the do

odies at the far end and smok

ped ou

I hea

w. Steady. Coming from the

ide and positioned my bo

steps dr

voice. Low

tal

ri