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ME F ! SLIT1 ! CURATE _H G"O BACK 96!
SCULL]Y4 ,I 0 /RUCK 0A SU45 ?"\4 ,I W5T
BACK QKLY & QUIETLY 96! SCULL]Y4 ,9 !
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9 ! D>K;S1 & MY F+]S CAU<T A BOTTLE (
BURGUNDY4
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BOTTLE /RUCK ! FLOOR & BROKE1 & ,I
DESI/$ & ROSE4 ,WE /OOD PANT+ & ?R1T5+
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FOOD1 & TOLD HM ( MY DET]M9,N 62G9 A
4CIPL9E4 ,I DIVID$ ! FOOD 9 ! PANTRY1
96R,NS 6LA/ U T5 "DS4 ,I WD N LET HM EAT
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9/ANT ,I 0 AWAKE4 ,ALL "D & ALL NI<T WE
SAT FACE 6FACE1 ,I WE>Y B RESOLUTE1 & HE
WEEP+ & -PLA9+ ( 8 IMM HUNG]4 ,X WAS1 ,I
"K1 A NI<T &A "D1 B 6ME X SEEM$--X SEEMS
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OV]?R[ ( 8 9TELLIG;E1 6P]CV T MY SOLE
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9SANE4
  ,F C]TA9 VAGUE MEMORIES ,I AM 9CL9$
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& 9SAN;Y (! CURATE W>N$ ME1 BRAC$ ME1 &
KEPT ME A SANE MAN4
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SPEE*4
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TRO45 9 ! DU/1 & ,I HELD MY P1CE4 ,I
PR1*$ A3EPTA# FOLLY--MY ,GOD1 :AT FOLLY6
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CALL$ ^U !M 6REP5T-REP5T6 '''
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PRESS ( ,GOD60
  ,!N HE WD SU45LY REV]T 6! MATT] (!
FOOD ,I )HELD F HM1 PRAY+1 BE7+1 WEEP+1
AT LA/ ?R1T5+4 ,HE 2GAN 6RAISE 8 VOICE--
,I PRAY$ HM N TO4 ,HE P]CVD A HOLD ON ME
--HE ?R1T5$ HE WD %\T & BR+ ! ,M>TIANS
^U U4 ,=A "T T SC>$ ME2 B ANY 3CES.N WD
H %ORT5$ \R *.E ( ESCAPE 2Y E/IMAT+4 ,I
DEFI$ HM1 AL? ,I FELT NO ASSUR.E T HE
MI<T N D ? ?+4 ,B T "D1 AT ANY RATE1 HE
DID N4 ,HE TALK$ ) 8 VOICE RIS+ SL[LY1
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ALW FRO?Y REP5T.E = 8 VACANT %AM (
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HE SLEPT A:ILE1 & 2GAN AG ) RENEW$
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DESI/4
  8,BE /60 ,I IMPLOR$4
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9 ! D>K;S NE> ! COPP]4
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M/ H R1*$ ! PIT1 8& N[ ,I M/ BE> MY
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(! E>? 0R1SON (! O!R VOICES (!
TRUMPET--0
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  8,NAY10 %\T$ ! CURATE1 AT ! TOP ( 8
VOICE1 /&+ LIKEWISE & EXT5D+ 8 >MS4
8,SP1K6 ,! ^W (! ,"L IS ^U ME60
  ,9 ?REE /RIDES HE 0 AT ! DOOR L1D+ 96!
KIT*54
  8,I M/ BE> MY WIT;S6 ,I G6 ,X HAS ALR
BE5 TOO L;G DELAY$40
  ,I PUT \ MY H& & FELT ! M1T *OPP]
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0 FI]CE ) FE>4 ,2F HE 0 HALFWAY ACR !
KIT*5 ,I _H OV]TAK5 HM4 ,) "O LA/ T\* (
HUMAN;Y ,I TURN$ ! BLADE BACK & /RUCK HM
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/RET*$ ON ! GR.D4 ,I /UM#D OV] HM & /OOD
PANT+4 ,HE LAY /4
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SMA% ( SLIPP+ PLA/]1 &! TRIANGUL>
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XS WAY OV] ! FALL5 B1MS4 ,I /OOD
PETRIFI$1 />+4 ,!N ,I SAW "? A SORT (
GLASS PLATE NE> ! $GE (! BODY ! FACE1 Z
WE MAY CALL X1 &! L>GE D>K EYES (A
,M>TIAN1 PE]+1 & !N A L;G METALLIC SNAKE
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  ,I TURN$ 0AN EF=T1 /UM#D OV] ! CURATE1
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VIOL5TLY2 ,I CD SC>CELY /& UP"R4 ,I OP5$
! DOOR (! COAL CELL>1 & /OOD "! 9 !
D>K;S />+ AT ! FA9TLY LIT DOORWAY 96!
KIT*51 & LI/5+4 ,_H ! ,M>TIAN SE5 ME8
,:AT 0 X DO+ N[8
  ,"S?+ 0 MOV+ 6& FRO "!1 V QUIETLY2 E
N[ & !N X TAPP$ AG/ ! WALL1 OR />T$ ON
XS MOVE;TS )A FA9T METALLIC R++1 L !
MOVE;TS ( KEYS ON A SPLIT-R+4 ,!N A H1VY
BODY--,I KNEW TOO WELL :AT--WAS DRA7$
ACR ! FLOOR (! KIT*5 T[>DS ! OP5+4
,IRRESI/IBLY ATTRACT$1 ,I CREPT 6! DOOR
& PEEP$ 96! KIT*54 ,9 ! TRIANGLE ( B"R
\T] SUNLI<T ,I SAW ! ,M>TIAN1 9 XS
,BRI>EUS (A H&L+-MA*9E1 SCRUT9IZ+ !
CURATE'S H1D4 ,I ?"\ AT ONCE T X WD 9F]
MY PRES;E F ! M>K (! BL[ ,I _H GIV5 HM4
  ,I CREPT BACK 6! COAL CELL>1 %UT !
DOOR1 & 2GAN 6COV] MYF UP Z M* Z ,I CD1
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FIREWOOD & COAL "!94 ,E N[ & !N ,I
PAUS$1 RIGID1 6HE> IF ! ,M>TIAN _H ?RU/
XS T5TACLES "? ! OP5+ AG4
  ,!N ! FA9T METALLIC J+LE RETURN$4 ,I
TRAC$ X SL[LY FEEL+ OV] ! KIT*54
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Z ,I JUDG$4 ,I ?"\ T XS L5G? MI<T 2
9SU6ICI5T 6R1* ME4 ,I PRAY$ COPI\SLY4 ,X
PASS$1 SCRAP+ FA9TLY ACR ! CELL> DOOR4
,AN AGE ( ALM 9TOL]A# SUSP5SE 9T]V5$2 !N
,I HE>D X FUMBL+ AT ! LAT*6 ,X _H F.D !
DOOR6 ,! ,M>TIANS "U/OOD DOORS6
  ,X WORRI$ AT ! CAT* =A M9UTE1 P]H1 &
!N ! DOOR OP5$4
  ,9 ! D>K;S ,I CD J SEE ! ?+--L AN
ELEPHANT'S TRUNK M ?AN ANY?+ ELSE--WAV+
T[>DS ME & T\*+ & EXAM9+ ! WALL1 COALS1
WOOD & CEIL+4 ,X 0 L A BLACK WORM SWAY+
XS BL H1D 6& FRO4
  ,ONCE1 EV51 X T\*$ ! HEEL ( MY BOOT4
,I 0 ON ! V]GE ( SCR1M+2 ,I BIT MY H&4
,=A "T ! T5TACLE 0 SIL5T4 ,I CD H FANCI$
X _H BE5 )DRAWN4 ,PRES5TLY1 ) AN ABRUPT
CLICK1 X GRIPP$ "S?+--,I ?"\ X _H ME6--&
SEEM$ 6G \ (! CELL> AG4 ,=A M9UTE ,I 0 N
SURE4 ,APP>5TLY X _H TAK5 A LUMP ( COAL
6EXAM9E4
  ,I SEIZ$ ! OPPORTUN;Y ( SLI<TLY %IFT+
MY POSI;N1 : _H 2COME CRAMP$1 & !N
LI/5$4 ,I :ISP]$ PAS.NATE PRAY]S =
SAFETY4
  ,!N ,I HE>D ! SL[1 DELIB]ATE S.D
CREEP+ T[>DS ME AG4 ,SL[LY1 SL[LY X DREW
NE>1 SCRAT*+ AG/ ! WALLS & TAPP+ !
FURNITURE4
  ,:ILE ,I 0 / D\BT;L1 X RAPP$ SM>TLY
AG/ ! CELL> DOOR & CLOS$ X4 ,I HE>D X G
96! PANTRY1 &! BISCUIT-T9S RATTL$ &A
BOTTLE SMA%$1 & !N CAME A H1VY BUMP AG/
! CELL> DOOR4 ,!N SIL;E T PASS$ 96AN
9F9;Y ( SUSP5SE4
  ,_H X G"O8
  ,AT LA/ ,I DECID$ T X _H4
  ,X CAME 96! SCULL]Y NO M2 B ,I LAY ALL
! T5? "D 9 ! CLOSE D>K;S1 BURI$ AM;G
COALS & FIREWOOD1 N D>+ EV5 6CRAWL \ =!
DR9K = : ,I CRAV$4 ,X 0 ! ELEV5? "D 2F
,I V5TUR$ S F> F MY SECUR;Y4