Blood From a Stone (202 page)

S
he
pu
ll
ed
back
and
s
t
a
r
ed
at
h
i
m
f
or
a
m
o
m
en
t
.
H
i
s b
l
ue e
y
es
d
r
a
w
i
ng
her
i
n
li
k
e a
m
o
t
h
t
o a
fl
a
m
e.

“
S
o,
y
ou
sa
i
d
y
ou
had
t
o
t
e
l
l
m
e
so
m
eth
i
ng about
l
ast n
i
g
h
t
.
I
f
y
ou
’r
e
not
d
it
ch
i
ng
m
e,
t
hen
w
hat
i
s
it
?
”
S
he
s
m
il
ed, hop
i
ng
t
o
li
g
h
t
en
t
he
m
ood.
“
I
s
i
t
so
m
e
t
h
i
ng about
t
h
i
s
t
h
i
ng
w
it
h
y
our
b
l
ood? I
k
now
y
ou
’
v
e been h
i
d
i
ng
so
m
e
t
h
in
g
.”

H
e
s
i
g
hed.
H
ere
goes.
H
e
m
i
ght
l
ose
her
r
i
ght
no
w
, but
t
here
w
as
no
t
urn
i
ng back.

“
R
e
m
e
m
ber
l
ast
n
i
g
ht
be
f
o
r
e
I
l
e
f
t
y
our
house,
I
as
k
ed
y
ou
t
o
p
r
o
m
i
se
t
hat
y
ou
’
d
s
til
l
tr
ust
m
e
t
o
m
o
rr
o
w
?
A
nd
y
ou sa
i
d
y
ou
w
ou
l
d. We
ll
…I
w
ent
so
m
e
w
he
r
e.”

H
e
pu
ll
ed
her
ce
l
l
phone
fr
om
h
i
s
poc
k
et
and
qu
i
e
t
l
y
set
i
t
on
t
he
t
ab
l
e
i
n
fr
ont
of
he
r
.
S
he
l
oo
k
ed
pu
z
z
l
ed.
“Wha
t
?
Y
ou s
t
o
l
e
m
y
ce
l
l
phone?”

“
R
ead
t
he
m
essa
g
e,” he sa
i
d.

S
he
t
apped
t
he
sc
r
een
and
he
w
a
t
ched
h
er
exp
r
e
s
s
i
on as
she
r
ead
t
he
t
ext
about
t
he
littl
e
bo
y
.
T
he
s
m
i
l
e
t
hat
qu
i
c
k
l
y
t
u
r
ned
t
o
conce
r
n
and
t
hen
d
i
sbe
li
ef
as she
r
ea
li
z
e
d
w
hat
i
t
m
ean
t
.

S
he
d
r
a
gg
ed
i
n a deep b
r
ea
t
h and sat
b
ack
i
n
t
he boo
t
h
tr
y
i
ng
t
o
r
e
m
a
i
n
ca
l
m
w
h
il
e
she
ad
j
us
t
ed
t
o
t
he
i
n
i
ti
al
shock and
i
m
p
li
ca
ti
ons.

T
hey sat
t
he
r
e
i
n s
il
ence
f
or
w
hat
see
m
ed
li
k
e
an e
t
e
r
n
it
y
be
f
o
r
e she
fi
na
ll
y
spo
k
e.

“
H
ow
cou
l
d
y
ou?”
S
he
shook
her
head.
“
H
ow cou
l
d
y
ou ha
v
e done so
m
e
t
h
i
ng
so s
t
up
i
d…so se
lfi
sh.”

“I
had
t
o,” he sa
i
d so
ftl
y
.

“
NO
.
Y
ou
d
i
dn
’
t
ha
v
e
t
o.
Y
ou
chose
t
o.
T
he
r
e
’
s
a d
iff
e
r
ence.”

C
ho
i
ces.
M
ax
i
m
us
t
o
l
d
h
i
m
he
’
d be
m
ak
i
ng so
m
e…and
so
he
had.
W
it
h
a
l
l
cho
i
ces co
m
es a r
e
su
l
t
…or a consequence.

“
Y
eah.
I
chose
w
hat
I
chose.
Wou
l
d
y
ou
ha
v
e
done any
d
iff
e
r
en
tl
y
?”
H
i
s
e
y
es
bo
r
ed
i
n
t
o
he
r
s.
“
L
ook
m
e
i
n
t
he e
y
e
and
t
e
l
l
m
e
t
hat
y
ou
cou
l
d
k
now
t
hat
y
ou
had
t
h
e
po
w
er
t
o hea
l
, and see h
i
m
l
y
i
ng
t
he
r
e and
j
ust
w
a
l
k
a
w
a
y
.”