again. "Callie and I have things to talk about."
Kick like hell underneath. Kyle shot forward and slugged the boy in the face, like Jeff had hit Callie, as hard as he could.
Then he ran like hell.
"Run Callie, find some adults!" he screamed as Jeff bellowed and took chase.
Kyle sprinted straight for the road that Del and Tim would be driving up. If they could see him before Jeff caught him, they'd protect him. He knew they would. At least Del would. Kyle pivoted, cutting around a tree. "Too slow!" he yelled as Jeff barreled past. "I'll bet Callie runs faster than you!"
It was true, too. As big as Jeff was, he was slow as an ox. Not that Kyle had ever seen an ox run. But that's what people said. He grinned to himself and swerved as Jeff came plowing by. Kyle put his fingers in his ears, wiggling them and sticking his tongue out as Callie had done through the window.
Jeff let out another roar and with a sudden spurt of energy dashed out and caught Kyle's shirt. "Gotcha! Now you're gonna get it."
Kyle ducked out of his shirt. It tore a little as he wrestled out but he was free. He ran across the road, Jeff right behind him.
A blue car swung around the corner.
Kyle dove into the nearby leafage. He heard the screech of brakes. There was a yell of panic and a loud crunching sound and two thumps in succession. Kyle looked up and saw bloody splatter on pavement with a twisted body in the middle. A blue car was stopped right past it, red tracks trailing behind.
Kyle ran to the twisted heap and reached for what seemed like the thumb side of a wrist. He felt only a faint and weakening pulse, then it disappeared. He heard car doors opening and closing but Kyle was already at Jeff's chest, pushing on it up and down, right in the middle like Pa had taught him. Even though the head was turned to the wrong side of the body and all he could see was matted red hair. Up and down, up and down.
"Kyle!" Del's voice. "Oh, God." He felt her hands wrap him and pull him away, but he kicked and she let him go.
"He'll die!" Kyle cried. Push on the chest, don't stop. Can't stop.
A larger, stronger hand took him and pulled him roughly away. Kyle fought but Tim lifted Kyle straight off his feet, off of Jeff. "Del, call the ambulance. And the police."
Kyle blinked, trying to pull away again, but Tim held him tightly and dragged him toward the car. "No! He's going to die!" Kyle fought, twisting and pulling and kicking.
He saw her, standing at the edge of the road. Callie's eyes were wide and damp with tears, her jaw quivering. "I didn't mean to!" he yelled at her. "It was an accident!"
But Tim threw him into the car and shut the door. And though Kyle pounded on the windows, screaming at the top of his lungs, she didn't seem to hear him or even look. Her gaze riveted on her brother's body. She turned and ran back into the trees.
"Callie!" Kyle cried out.
Chapter 8
I am convinced that we all have the capacity to be murderers.
Killing is a part of nature, killing is a part of survival.
Those who kill, survive.
Those who survive, propagate.
We have survived, and therefore, we are all born with the same set of genes.
We are all murderers.
-Tell, Adran L. "Murder is our Blood." The New Yorker, Dec 18, 2016. http://NYT.com/2016/18
The center of Haven was illuminated with five large lamps casting five burnishing ellipses into the strange, glinty, crystalline earth. Around Haven's center were ruins. Stacked and broken stones that felt like he was a spectator in a Roman Gladiator arena.
Jay stifled a cough from within the concrete recess that hid him. The Enforcers had come into Haven's center in tight formation, guns searching and pausing with practiced rhythm. The Chief Enforcer was in their middle and he pointed, called out orders. The spaces immediately received tripletted shots. Warnings. One
Kick like hell underneath. Kyle shot forward and slugged the boy in the face, like Jeff had hit Callie, as hard as he could.
Then he ran like hell.
"Run Callie, find some adults!" he screamed as Jeff bellowed and took chase.
Kyle sprinted straight for the road that Del and Tim would be driving up. If they could see him before Jeff caught him, they'd protect him. He knew they would. At least Del would. Kyle pivoted, cutting around a tree. "Too slow!" he yelled as Jeff barreled past. "I'll bet Callie runs faster than you!"
It was true, too. As big as Jeff was, he was slow as an ox. Not that Kyle had ever seen an ox run. But that's what people said. He grinned to himself and swerved as Jeff came plowing by. Kyle put his fingers in his ears, wiggling them and sticking his tongue out as Callie had done through the window.
Jeff let out another roar and with a sudden spurt of energy dashed out and caught Kyle's shirt. "Gotcha! Now you're gonna get it."
Kyle ducked out of his shirt. It tore a little as he wrestled out but he was free. He ran across the road, Jeff right behind him.
A blue car swung around the corner.
Kyle dove into the nearby leafage. He heard the screech of brakes. There was a yell of panic and a loud crunching sound and two thumps in succession. Kyle looked up and saw bloody splatter on pavement with a twisted body in the middle. A blue car was stopped right past it, red tracks trailing behind.
Kyle ran to the twisted heap and reached for what seemed like the thumb side of a wrist. He felt only a faint and weakening pulse, then it disappeared. He heard car doors opening and closing but Kyle was already at Jeff's chest, pushing on it up and down, right in the middle like Pa had taught him. Even though the head was turned to the wrong side of the body and all he could see was matted red hair. Up and down, up and down.
"Kyle!" Del's voice. "Oh, God." He felt her hands wrap him and pull him away, but he kicked and she let him go.
"He'll die!" Kyle cried. Push on the chest, don't stop. Can't stop.
A larger, stronger hand took him and pulled him roughly away. Kyle fought but Tim lifted Kyle straight off his feet, off of Jeff. "Del, call the ambulance. And the police."
Kyle blinked, trying to pull away again, but Tim held him tightly and dragged him toward the car. "No! He's going to die!" Kyle fought, twisting and pulling and kicking.
He saw her, standing at the edge of the road. Callie's eyes were wide and damp with tears, her jaw quivering. "I didn't mean to!" he yelled at her. "It was an accident!"
But Tim threw him into the car and shut the door. And though Kyle pounded on the windows, screaming at the top of his lungs, she didn't seem to hear him or even look. Her gaze riveted on her brother's body. She turned and ran back into the trees.
"Callie!" Kyle cried out.
Chapter 8
I am convinced that we all have the capacity to be murderers.
Killing is a part of nature, killing is a part of survival.
Those who kill, survive.
Those who survive, propagate.
We have survived, and therefore, we are all born with the same set of genes.
We are all murderers.
-Tell, Adran L. "Murder is our Blood." The New Yorker, Dec 18, 2016. http://NYT.com/2016/18
The center of Haven was illuminated with five large lamps casting five burnishing ellipses into the strange, glinty, crystalline earth. Around Haven's center were ruins. Stacked and broken stones that felt like he was a spectator in a Roman Gladiator arena.
Jay stifled a cough from within the concrete recess that hid him. The Enforcers had come into Haven's center in tight formation, guns searching and pausing with practiced rhythm. The Chief Enforcer was in their middle and he pointed, called out orders. The spaces immediately received tripletted shots. Warnings. One
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