But she was like a mom. B was… not. I fell in love with her. But she was head over heels for Angel still, even after she killed him. Well, then came...the day I figured out he was back. I… um…’ ‘You cut yourself?’ Dawn asked incredulously. ‘No. No. I didn’t just cut myself, like you did. You cut yourself to block out the pain. For me, the pain was too much. I tried to kill myself. I took a knife from my kitchen, and I stabbed myself in the gut. As soon as I did it, though, I was scared. I. The Raketh Horde approaches the heart of my kingdom almost without opposition. My army is disorganized, leaderless. You've seen how even my own guard acted toward me, even if you don't remember what Gort experienced. How much do you remember of his life?" I know the language and something of the customs," he answered slowly. "I'm all right as long as I react without stopping to think. I remember your name, and Gort's. The soldier I killed was called Morvin. He was from Gort's village. None of. No, please not that, anything but that, I plead in my mind. Long seconds pass, as I hope he is only going to threaten me. Sadly, my heart falls and fresh tears spring from my eyes as he removes my beloved collar. I plead with my eyes, wanting him to return it to me, to collar me again.He turns away, walks over to the wall, and hangs it on a hook there. He has not said anything to me since he came home, except that I should go to my room and ready myself for a severe punishment, and that he was. ‘Come on,’ Joanne said, starting for Fran’s cabin. Jimmy and Bruno, having consumed several six-packs of beer, were driving up the road which led toward the lake’s entrance. They’d decided the tree company owed them something, like a chain saw, for firing them and were planning to go in and take one from the truck left in at the lake. A car went by them. ‘Hey! Ain’t that the kid who’s been screwing that woman we been watchin’?’ Bruno asked. ‘Yeah,’ Jimmy replied, ‘I think it was. An’ that old.