Base Nature (86 page)

H
i
s
b
ack
hit
the wall
and K
e
lly
w
a
s
g
r
a
bb
ing
at
him,
h
e
r
h
an
d
s
c
o
ld
o
n
h
is
fac
e
,
h
e
r w
o
rd
s a m
u
m
b
ling
b
ackg
r
o
u
nd
to
the
r
o
ar
o
f
b
l
o
o
d
i
n his
e
a
r
s.

G
a
rre
t
t
l
o
o
k
e
d
u
p
in
t
o
K
e
vin
’
s
sm
i
ling
fac
e
.
He had a
s
e
c
o
nd to
re
alize
that
he wish
e
d
the
man
de
ad
and
th
e
n
a
b
l
u
r
o
f
b
l
o
n
d
e
f
u
r
a
nd
g
nashi
n
g
t
ee
th
s
h
o
t
past
him and
the
o
t
h
e
r
man was g
o
ne
f
ro
m the
do
o
r
way.

*
*
*
*
*

“
Y
o
u
n
ee
d
t
o
wake
u
p, y
o
u
k
n
o
w.”

^{She
was small
bu
t
l
o
ng,
l
ike
o
ne
d
ay
s
he
w
o
u
ld
b
e
a v
er
y tall y
o
u
n
g la
d
y. H
e
r
hair
a}

d
a
r
k
a
ubur
n
m
e
ss
whippi
n
g
a
r
o
u
nd
h
e
r
h
e
ad
in
the
win
d
.
H
e
r
e
y
e
s,
cl
e
ar
g
ree
n
l
ike glass wa
s
h
e
d
s
m
oo
th
b
y the
ti
d
e
a
nd
th
e
n wash
e
d
u
p
o
n
the
san
d
. “
I’
m
ti
red
.”

A
nd he
was.
He was
s
o
d
amn
ti
red
.
A
ll
he h
e
a
r
d
was
the
ru
sh
and t
u
m
b
le
o
f
the wav
e
s
o
n
the sh
o
re
.
He
d
i
d
n
’
t
want
t
o
h
e
ar
the
re
st.
S
o
m
e
h
o
w
he had sc
re
w
e
d
it
all
u
p.
A
gain.

“
T
his
isn
’
t
like
y
o
u
a
nd
if
y
o
u
l
e
ave
L
iv
t
o
h
er
s
e
lf
n
o
w…
s
he
is
g
e
tting
the
same thing f
r
o
m
l
ife
sh
e’
s always
g
o
tt
e
n.”

“D
i
sapp
o
intm
e
nt?”
T
hat
h
ur
t
his
h
e
a
r
t
t
o
think
it.
He
d
i
d
n
’
t
want
to
d
isapp
o
i
nt
L
iv. He
l
o
v
e
d
h
er
.
L
o
v
e
d
h
e
r
m
o
r
e
than
he
had
re
aliz
e
d
till
fate
h
ad
pl
o
pp
e
d
him
h
er
e
o
n the
im
a
gina
r
y
be
ach
wh
er
e
appa
re
ntly
y
o
u
r
m
ind
w
e
nt wh
e
n y
o
u
r
b
o
d
y
d
i
ed
.

“
N
o
. S
o
lit
ude
.
A
nd
that is m
u
ch w
o
r
s
e
.”

G
re
at.
He
was
c
ur
sing
L
iv
to
m
o
r
e
s
o
lit
ud
e
if
he cav
e
d
in
a
nd
d
i
ed
.
G
a
rre
t
t
b
a
r
k
e
d
o
u
t
a la
u
gh.
H
is
ch
e
st
bur
n
ed
,
his h
e
ad
swam.
“W
h
o
the
h
e
ll a
r
e
y
o
u
a
n
yway?
I
was
e
xp
e
cting
at
the
v
er
y
l
e
ast
E
il
ee
n
if
I
was
g
o
i
n
g
to
h
o
v
e
r
o
n
the
c
u
sp
o
f
de
ath.
Ar
e
y
o
u an ang
e
l
o
r
j
u
st a figm
e
nt
o
f my l
u
nacy?”
E
ith
e
r
was p
o
s
si
b
l
e
,
he
k
n
e
w.

She
s
at
d
o
wn
th
e
n,
c
r
o
ss-l
e
gg
e
d
in
the
s
and
and
s
mil
ed
.
He saw
E
il
ee
n
in
that
smile and
his s
o
u
l sw
e
ll
e
d
with
l
o
ve
and
re
c
o
gnit
i
o
n that he
sti
l
l c
o
u
l
d
n
’
t
q
u
ite
g
r
asp.

“
M
y name
is
Au
t
u
mn.” “
Bu
t
that
’
s the
nam
e
—”

E
il
ee
n
’
s
g
ree
n
e
y
e
s,
the
a
ubur
n
hai
r
,
the
c
u
t
o
f
h
e
r
jaw
and the
tilt
o
f
h
e
r
h
e
a
d
.
“
O
f y
o
u
r
d
a
u
ght
er
.
I
f y
o
u
e
v
e
r
had
o
n
e
.”

“We
d
i
d
n
’
t,”
he
bre
ath
e
d
dee
p
bu
t
his h
e
a
r
t
c
r
amp
e
d
u
p
a
n
yway. “
Y
o
u
d
i
d
. She
w
a
s p
re
gnant
with me
w
h
e
n
it happ
e
n
ed
.”