" The long pause caused me to speak, "What's that?" "Sitting here I can feel the energy you give off and I thought you would be good for a wom...n. I wasn't trying to imply that you needed one. I am sorry." I thought I had wounded her pride and was beginning to think it was time for me to go home when we heard the shower running from across the house. "Close that door Rick, we have company," Barb hollered. I wasn't sure what to do at this point. Part of me was interested in. She clasped her hands to her stomach, an aching radiating out from it, one she knew threatened to remain with her, for the rest of her life. The two highlanders disappeared from view, as they entered the house and Therese turned away from the window, to find Douglas standing in the doorway looking at her. Her face took on one of surprise at feeling she was caught spying and held thoughts that he could read her mind and what she was thinking. She flushed a bright red and became nervous, hoping. After I had killed The girls innocent face filled my mind again. Her face was never far, frozen in that awful moment. Her eyes had bulged as her fingers had clawed ineffectually at the garrote. Guilt racked my soul, I could not let her death be in vain! Her death had to mean something! Otherwise I had murdered her for nothing, and that would mean I was nothing more than a I pushed the guilt away, I was a Patriot. I did what was necessary to defeat the Tyrants. I gripped Annihilation, raising. I looked at my left arm, itwas suspended but didn’t have a cast like my right armdid.One of my legs, too, was in a cast. I tried to shrug myshoulders to the girl but that, of course, was a badidea. A jolt of pain went thought my left shoulder.Probably had been dislocated, I thought – a brokenclavicle I heard later. “Not so good,” I croaked. “Doyou know who ran you over?” she inquired next. I wiggledmy head a little in an effort to shake no.“I should.