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             ,,*APT] ,,FIVE
              ,,! ,,/ILL;S

  ,MY F/ ACT 2F ,I W5T 96! PANTRY 0
6FA/5 ! DOOR 2T ! KIT*5 &! SCULL]Y4 ,B !
PANTRY 0 EMPTY2 E SCRAP ( FOOD _H G"O4
,APP>5TLY1 ! ,M>TIAN _H TAK5 X ALL ON !
PREVI\S "D4 ,AT T 4COV]Y ,I DESPAIR$ =!
F/ "T4 ,I TOOK NO FOOD1 OR NO DR9K EI1
ON ! ELEV5? OR ! TWELF? "D4
  ,AT F/ MY M\? & ?ROAT 7 P>*$1 & MY
/R5G? E2$ S5SIBLY4 ,I SAT AB 9 ! D>K;S
(! SCULL]Y1 9 A /ATE ( DESPOND5T
WRET*$;S4 ,MY M9D RAN ON EAT+4 ,I ?"\ ,I
_H 2COME D1F1 =! NOISES ( MOVE;T ,I _H
BE5 A3U/OM$ 6HE> F ! PIT _H C1S$
ABSOLUTELY4 ,I DID N FEEL /R;G 5 6CRAWL
NOISE.SLY 6! PEEPHOLE1 OR ,I WD H G"O
"!4
  ,ON ! TWELF? "D MY ?ROAT 0 S PA9;L T1
TAK+ ! *.E ( AL>M+ ! ,M>TIANS1 ,I
ATTACK$ ! CR1K+ RA9-WAT] PUMP T /OOD 0!
S9K1 & GOT A C\PLE ( GLASS;LS ( BLACK5$
& TA9T$ RA9 WAT]4 ,I 0 GRTLY REFRE%$ 0?1
& EMBOLD5$ 0! FACT T NO 5QUIR+ T5TACLE
FOLL[$ ! NOISE ( MY PUMP+4
  ,DUR+ ^! "DS1 9 A RAMBL+1 9CONCLUSIVE
WAY1 ,I ?"\ M* (! CURATE &(! MANN] ( 8
D1?4
  ,ON ! ?IRTE5? "D ,I DRANK "S M WAT]1 &
DOZ$ & ?"\ 4JO9T$LY ( EAT+ &( VAGUE
IMPOSSI# PLANS ( ESCAPE4 ,:5"E ,I DOZ$
,I DR1MT ( HORRI# PHANTASMS1 (! D1? (!
CURATE1 OR ( SUMPTU\S D9N]S2 B1 ASLEEP
OR AWAKE1 ,I FELT A KE5 PA9 T URG$ ME
6DR9K AG & AG4 ,! LI<T T CAME 96!
SCULL]Y 0 NO L;G] GREY1 B R$4 ,6MY
4ORD]$ IMAG9,N X SEEM$ ! COL\R ( BLOOD4
  ,ON ! F\RTE5? "D ,I W5T 96! KIT*51 &
,I 0 SURPRIS$ 6F9D T ! FRONDS (! R$ WE$
_H GR[N "R ACR ! HOLE 9 ! WALL1 TURN+ !
HALF-LI<T (! PLACE 96A CRIMSON-COL\R$
OBSCUR;Y4
  ,X 0 E>LY ON ! FIFTE5? "D T ,I HE>D A
CURI\S1 FAMILI> SEQU;E ( S.DS 9 ! KIT*51
&1 LI/5+1 ID5TIFI$ X Z ! SNU6+ & SCRAT*+
(A DOG4 ,GO+ 96! KIT*51 ,I SAW A DOG'S
NOSE PE]+ 9 "? A BR1K AM;G ! RU4Y
FRONDS4 ,? GRTLY SURPRIS$ ME4 ,AT ! SC5T
( ME HE B>K$ %ORTLY4
  ,I ?"\ IF ,I CD 9DUCE HM 6-E 96! PLACE
QUIETLY ,I %D 2 A#1 P]H1 6KILL & EAT HM2
& 9 ANY CASE1 X WD 2 ADVISA# 6KILL HM1
LE/ 8 AC;NS ATTRACT$ ! ATT5;N (!
,M>TIANS4
  ,I CREPT =W>D1 SAY+ 8,GD DOG60 V
S(TLY2 B HE SU45LY )DREW 8 H1D &
4APPE>$4
  ,I LI/5$--,I 0 N D1F--B C]TA9LY ! PIT
0 /4 ,I HE>D A S.D L ! FLUTT] (A BIRD'S
W+S1 &A HO>SE CROAK+1 B T 0 ALL4
  ,=A L;G :ILE ,I LAY CLOSE 6! PEEPHOLE1
B N D>+ 6MOVE ASIDE ! R$ PLANTS T
OBSCUR$ X4 ,ONCE OR TWICE ,I HE>D A FA9T
PITT]-PATT] L ! FEET (! DOG GO+ HI!R &
?I!R ON ! S& F> 2L ME1 & "! 7 M BIRDLIKE
S.DS1 B T 0 ALL4 ,AT L5G?1 5C\RAG$ 0!
SIL;E1 ,I LOOK$ \4
  ,EXCEPT 9 ! CORN]1 ": A MULTITUDE (
CR[S HOPP$ & F"\ OV] ! SKELETONS (! D1D
! ,M>TIANS _H 3SUM$1 "! 0 N A LIV+ ?+ 9
! PIT4
  ,I />$ AB ME1 SC>CELY 2LIEV+ MY EYES4
,ALL ! MA*9]Y _H G"O4 ,SAVE =! BIG M.D (
GREYI%-BLUE P[D] 9 "O CORN]1 C]TA9 B>S (
ALUM9IUM 9 ANO!R1 ! BLACK BIRDS1 &!
SKELETONS (! KILL$1 ! PLACE 0 M]ELY AN
EMPTY CIRCUL> PIT 9 ! S&4
  ,SL[LY ,I ?RU/ MYF \ "? ! R$ WE$1 &
/OOD ^U ! M.D ( RUB#4 ,I CD SEE 9 ANY
DIREC;N SAVE 2H ME1 6! NOR?1 & NEI
,M>TIANS NOR SIGN ( ,M>TIANS 7 6BE SE54
,! PIT DROPP$ %E]LY F MY FEET1 B A LL
WAY AL;G ! RU2I% AF=D$ A PRACTICA# SLOPE
6! SUMMIT (! RU9S4 ,MY *.E ( ESCAPE _H
-E4 ,I 2GAN 6TREM#4
  ,I HESITAT$ = "S "T1 & !N1 9 A GU/ (
DESP]ATE RESOLU;N1 &)A HE>T T ?RO2$
VIOL5TLY1 ,I SCRAM#D 6! TOP (! M.D 9 :
,I _H BE5 BURI$ S L;G4
  ,I LOOK$ AB AG4 ,6! NOR?W>D1 TOO1 NO
,M>TIAN 0 VISI#4
  ,:5 ,I _H LA/ SE5 ? "P ( ,%E5 9 !
"DLI<T X _H BE5 A /RA7L+ /REET ( -=TA#
:ITE & R$ H\SES1 9T]SP]S$ ) ABUNDANT
%ADY TREES4 ,N[ ,I /OOD ON A M.D ( SMA%$
BRICK"W1 CLAY1 & GRAVEL1 OV] : SPR1D A
MULTITUDE ( R$ CACTUS-%AP$ PLANTS1
KNEE-HI<1 )\T A SOLIT>Y T]RE/RIAL GR[?
64PUTE _! FOOT+4 ,! TREES NE> ME 7 D1D &
BR[N1 B FUR!R A NET"W ( R$ ?R1D SCAL$ !
/ LIV+ /EMS4
  ,! NEI<B\R+ H\SES _H ALL BE5 WRECK$1 B
N"O _H BE5 BURN$2 _! WALLS /OOD1 "S"TS
6! SECOND /ORY1 ) SMA%$ W9D[S & %ATT]$
DOORS4 ,! R$ WE$ GREW TUMULTU\SLY 9 _!
RO(.S ROOMS4 ,2L ME ! GRT PIT1 )! CR[S
/RU7L+ = XS REFUSE4 ,A NUMB] ( O!R BIRDS
HOPP$ AB AM;G ! RU9S4 ,F> AWAY ,I SAW A
GAUNT CAT SL9K CR\*+LY AL;G A WALL1 B
TRACES ( M5 "! 7 N"O4
  ,! "D SEEM$1 03TRA/ ) MY REC5T 3F9E;T1
DAZZL+LY B"R1 ! SKY A GL[+ BLUE4 ,A
G5TLE BREEZE KEPT ! R$ WE$ T COV]$ E
SCRAP ( UNO3UPI$ GR.D G5TLY SWAY+4 ,&
OH6 ! SWEET;S (! AIR6







