er punch. I was winded. Seriou

have never woken up. W

elt damp and heavy. It smelled like dirt, but also some

going a mile a minute. You k

ir, his jaw tight like he was chewin

trying not to shout. And you still b

dn't think it would co

l better? I threw my hands up in t

die, he said quietly

o my own ears. You don't know that. I f

and it felt weirdly good and steadying at t

e heebie-jeebies. There was a ton

d his confident words. You should h

ow. What matters is that it saw us. Next time, it won't just w

hink there's going to be a next

ark, like the midnight sea.

e water immediately. I knew it wasn't just some dog-I mean

y hand. We gott

why I didn't. But the way he was holding on, like he needed me

go because I

he breeze wasn't moving. I felt like something was watching us,

like a guitar string wound way too tightly. He was a predat

I asked, hating how

e safe,

What's your idea

o read. Somewhere it won't follow

is that,

a branch snapped close by, a

oze s

nake. My heart jumped into my throat. Whatever it was,

d my hand. Ru

rough the br

, and it was hard to breathe. But I didn't stop, and neither did Ethan. I was a te

ees behind us. It was getting closer fast.

d I immediately wanted to

rd us. Its shape was changing like smoke running up the si

e saw at the cliff a

much, muc

rned. The trees blurred by. But I could feel it q

st. We weren't

eath; he was holding my hand and s

s from the side. It

, and I may have blacke

hen n

up in

pain was everywh

ke a truck had run over me; then backed up and ra

vision. The first thing I saw was a firelight. The se

is golden eyes were watching me w

voice smooth with a nas

I hurt too much. Where.

. Somewhere sa

was a

ones; it was in every n

ch turne

was as if he was smack

hat do you mean, gone? Why w

my jaw with his fingers. Let's

y spine, and I

o

eakin

not to totally freak out. I d

onated through my whole chest. Oh, honey, yo

all teeth, and that

sound brave even though I was an