Base Nature Read Online Free PDF Page B

y,” K e lly said and he c o u ld t e ll s he was c r ying.
    “ I’ m be t t e r o ff al o n e , K e lly. G i ve Ch e st e r my l o v e . A nd take g oo d ca r e o f y o ur s e lf be ca u s e I m iss y o u ,” he said and h u ng u p the p h o n e .
    He was glad he had h u n g u p s o ftly. His f i r st i n stinct had bee n to dr ive the o l de r wall ph o ne in t o the c r a d le with e n o u gh f o r ce t o p u sh it i nto the wall. “ Bu t that w o u l d n ’ t have d o ne a ny o ne any g oo d , w o u ld it?”
    He p u t h i s h e ad d o wn and t r i e d t o catch his bre ath. I f he c o u ld simply g e t his p u lse u n de r c o nt r o l it w o u ld b e fin e . A ll he h e a r d at fi r st was the r o a r ing o f his o wn b l o o d in his e a r s. T h e n the tick o f the cl o ck. T h e n the f e w h e a r ty c r ick e ts w h o re f u s e d to give u p th e ir mat i ng s o n g s to a u t u mn ’ s chill. A nd th e n he h e a r d the s o ft snif f le and whimp e r ca rr i e d o n a bur st o f O ct o be r win d . T he dr y l e av e s that cl u ng to the tall t ree s i n h i s ya r d alm o st bur i e d the s o u nd bu t h e’ d j u st h e a r d it o n the p h o n e , so h i s al re a d y k ee n e a r s w er e t u n e d to its m o ur nf u l nat ure .
    L iv was c r ying. He p u ll e d the b ack do o r sh u t as he h urr i e d o u t and d o wn the r ick e ty p o r ch st e ps that de sp er a t e ly n ee d e d re placing. H e’ d h a ve to d o it fast s o he c o u l d n ’ t think a b o u t it. T hinki n g a b o u t it w o u ld int r o du ce l o gic, l o gic w o u ld ru le it o u t, h e’ d capit u late t o g oo d s e nse and n o t g o . S o be tt e r t o h urr y and ou t r ace his o wn g o o d s e ns e .

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    He th o u ght a b o u t clim b ing u p the way he had e a r li e r bu t g i ving h e r a h e a r t attack wasn ’ t his int e nt. So G a rre tt k n o ck e d like a n o r mal, sane man, o r the c l o s e st he c o u ld mimic. T he fi r st r o u nd o f k n o cks br o u ght h e r to the st e ps. He h e a r d the f o ur th st e p d o wn the f light sq ue ak as s he s t oo d , t r ying to de ci d e what to d o . He call e d o u t to h er , “ L iv! I t ’ s m e , G a rre t t, f r o m ac r o ss the st ree t. I th o u ght I h e a r d s o m e thing, I th o ug ht I’ d ch e ck o n y o u .”
    He k n o ck e d s o me m o re , light e r n o w, so as n o t to sta r tl e . He c o u ld f ee l h e r in th er e w e ighing h e r o pti o ns. Tr ying t o de ci d e wh e th e r o r n o t to t ru st h im. A nd j ud ging b y what he had s ee n o f h er , he c o u l d n ’ t b lame h e r m u ch. L iv M cC o y s ee m e d n e a r ly as d amag e d as he was. She w a s r ight o n the o th e r si d e o f the d oo r . G a rre tt p u t his palm t o the white w o o d and said m o r e s o ft l y, “ I t ’ s m e , L iv, G a rre tt G u staf s o n. Can y o u at l e ast t e ll me y o u’r e o k ay?”
    He h e a r d h e r bre ath e , h e r h e a r t sp ee d u p, h e r e y e s b li n k. I t was as if G a rre tt c o u ld h e ar h e r be ing. I f he h e ld h is bre ath and f o c u s e d w o u ld he h e ar h e r b l oo d f l o w? H e r

 
     

     

    fing er s m o v e ? H e r hair whisp er ?
    G a rre t t s h o o k his h e ad t o cl e ar it and s he said to the c r ack wh er e do o r m e t jam b , “H o ld o n a s e c o n d , I’ ll u n d o the cha i n.”
    She was g o ing t o t ru st him. G a rre tt wasn ’ t s ur e w h y bu t his b o d y f e lt a h u n dre d p o u n d s l i ght er , h i s mind br ight y e ll o w. He f e lt, in fact, h appy. I t had bee n a l o ng, l o ng tim e .

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    E nt r y

    “What a r e y o u d o i ng h ere ?” L iv p re ss e d h e r face t o the small c r ack and st ud i e d h i s fac e . C o nc er n. T hat was what she saw. C o nc er n and a h an d s o me l e an face lit milk-white b y m oo nl i ght. S o m e thing i n his face l o o k e d mil d ly h a u nt ed . She re c o gniz e d it be ca u se she had