Base Nature (19 page)

L
iv
gath
ere
d
h
e
r
sw
e
at
e
r
t
i
ght
a
r
o
u
nd
h
e
r
m
i
dd
le
a
nd
f
o
ll
o
w
e
d
be
hind
him, wa
t
ching
him
t
e
st
the
l
o
cks
and the
b
as
e
m
e
nt
do
o
r
.
He t
u
gg
e
d
the kitch
e
n
do
o
r and p
u
sh
e
d
b
ack
the
c
ur
tains
to
m
a
ke
s
ur
e
the
win
d
o
ws w
er
e
d
o
wn.

“
Bu
t
y
o
u w
er
e
b
l
eed
ing,
G
a
rre
t
t.”
His
n
a
me
f
e
lt
h
e
a
v
y
o
n
h
e
r
l
ips.
L
ike
she was sayi
n
g
m
o
r
e
than
j
u
st
a
w
o
rd
.
M
o
r
e
than
j
u
st
a
nam
e
.
I
t
f
e
lt
v
er
y
m
u
ch
l
i
ke
it
h
e
ld p
o
w
e
r
and
she
lick
e
d
h
e
r
lips
t
o
c
o
v
e
r
the
n
er
v
o
u
s tingle
i
n h
e
r
m
o
u
th.

“I was.
Bu
t
I cl
e
an
e
d
it
u
p
and it
w
a
sn
’
t
n
e
a
r
ly
as
b
ad
as
it
s
ee
m
ed
.”
He
t
ur
n
e
d
and she was
r
ight
o
n
h
i
s
h
ee
ls.
T
h
e
y
w
er
e
v
er
y
c
l
o
s
e
.
C
l
o
s
e
r
than
s
he
had
re
aliz
e
d
a
nd
L
iv c
o
u
ld
s
e
e
h
o
w l
o
n
g
h
i
s
e
y
e
lash
e
s
w
er
e
and
h
o
w
white
and n
e
at
his t
ee
th
w
ere
.
She
saw the
ca
r
am
e
l
spatt
er
ing
o
f f
re
ckl
e
s
ac
r
o
ss the
fine
br
i
d
ge
o
f
h
is
n
o
se
and
the
s
mall
b
its
o
f g
r
ayish
s
i
lv
e
r
mix
e
d
in
t
o
his
d
a
r
k
c
o
ff
e
e
hai
r
.
U
p
c
l
o
se
h
is
bre
ath
s
m
e
ll
e
d
l
ike
n
ighttime

and
g
r
ass and
cinnam
o
n. “
I
…”

He
p
u
t
h
i
s
han
d
s
o
n h
e
r
a
r
ms,
s
o
ftly.
N
o
thi
n
g
ha
r
sh a
b
o
u
t
his t
o
u
ch.
T
he
c
o
ntact
re
ach
e
d
o
u
t
wa
r
m
t
e
n
dr
ils
o
f
s
e
nsati
o
n.
Sh
o
o
ting
d
o
wn
h
e
r a
r
ms
i
nto
h
e
r
f
i
ng
er
tips. Sp
re
a
d
ing
th
r
o
u
gh
h
e
r
be
lly
and l
o
w
e
r
still.
L
iv
cl
e
nch
e
d
h
e
r
thi
g
hs
t
o
g
e
th
e
r
to
sti
l
l
the wa
r
m
be
ating
p
u
lse
that
had sta
r
t
e
d
be
tw
ee
n
h
e
r
l
e
gs.
I
t
d
i
d
n
’
t
q
ue
ll
the s
e
nsati
o
n,
it
o
n
l
y
ma
d
e
it
w
o
r
s
e
.
She
ma
d
e
a
s
mall
l
o
st
s
o
u
nd in
h
e
r
th
r
o
at
and he smil
e
d
d
o
wn
at h
er
.
“
M
ind
if I
ch
e
ck
m
y han
d
iw
o
r
k
u
pstai
r
s
t
o
make
s
ur
e
it
’
s
o
kay?”

H
e
r
v
o
ice
w
a
s
g
o
ne
be
ca
u
se
his han
d
s
w
er
e
still
o
n h
e
r
and
f
o
r
the
fi
r
st
tim
e
,
she st
o
o
d
v
er
y
cl
o
se
t
o
a
man
w
h
o
se
e
vi
de
nt
p
o
w
e
r
s
ee
m
e
d
t
o
b
e
int
e
nti
o
nal
l
y
p
r
o
t
e
cting h
e
r
inst
e
ad
o
f
bu
llying h
er
.
“S
ure
,”
she
said
bu
t
it was m
o
r
e
o
f a s
i
gh.

He
g
e
ntly
m
o
v
e
d
h
e
r
to
the
si
d
e
and
walk
e
d
past
h
er
.
Bu
t
his
v
o
ice
had
g
o
ne
dee
p
e
r
and
he s
ee
m
e
d
a
b
it
p
re
o
cc
u
p
i
ed
.
“
G
o
o
d
.
T
ha
n
k
y
o
u
,
it
will
make me
f
ee
l
be
t
t
e
r and
th
e
n
I’
ll g
e
t
o
u
t
o
f y
o
u
r
hai
r
.”

“
Y
o
u’r
e
n
o
t
in
my
hai
r
,”
she said and th
e
n
la
u
gh
ed
.
T
hat
had
bee
n
br
illiant.
Bu
t
s
he f
o
l
l
o
w
e
d
G
a
rre
t
t
’
s
br
o
ad
b
ack,
s
wa
t
h
e
d
in a
cl
e
an
bu
t
w
o
r
n
de
nim
shi
r
t,
u
p
h
e
r
st
e
ps
to the
s
e
c
o
nd
f
l
oo
r
.
He
t
oo
k
a
r
ight into
the
hallway and
h
e
a
de
d
t
o
h
e
r
bedr
oo
m
as
if h
e’
d
bee
n
th
er
e
a th
o
u
sand
tim
e
s.
T
hat
t
h
o
u
ght
ma
d
e
the
w
e
t
be
at
o
f
h
e
r
p
u
lse
in
h
e
r
p
u
ssy that m
u
ch
w
o
r
s
e
.
W
o
u
ld
it
b
e
inapp
r
o
p
r
iate
to
j
u
mp
h
im and
th
r
o
w him to
the
bed
?
She
e
y
e
d
him
again.
He
was
way
t
o
o
b
ig.
Sh
e’
d
n
e
v
e
r
f
e
ll
him.
I
t
w
o
u
ld
b
e
l
ike
t
r
ying
t
o
f
e
ll a t
re
e
o
r
a lamp
p
o
st.

She
s
mil
e
d
a
nd wh
e
n
he fi
n
g
er
e
d
the
ed
g
e
s
o
f
the ply
w
oo
d
s
he f
e
lt
h
e
r
b
o
d
y sh
udde
r
s
ympath
e
tically.
L
iv
w
o
u
l
d
n
’
t
m
ind
be
ing
that
plyw
o
o
d
r
ight
a
b
o
u
t
n
o
w
and the
th
o
u
ght sh
o
ck
e
d
and
th
r
ill
e
d
h
er
.
“
L
o
o
ks
g
oo
d
,”
G
a
rre
tt
sai
d
,
t
ur
ning
fast.
H
i
s
e
y
e
s flick
ere
d
si
l
v
e
r
and
th
e
n
g
r
ay
a
gain. She
d
i
d
n
’
t f
ee
l
f
e
ar
this tim
e
.
S
he
f
e
lt
dr
awn.