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Chapter 85

Author: R. L. Ankney
last update Last Updated: 2024-10-29 19:42:56
He was still too far away for my liking but a quick glance around showed no imminent danger. So, I forced my pent-up breath out and turned to Marcus who had yet to get out. He was sitting quietly looking out across the flat sandy landscape as if he could see something in the darkness that I did not.

"What's up, Marcus?" I asked quietly.

He didn't budge, didn't answer. It took me a moment to make sure he was still breathing.

I reached over and gently shook his shoulder causing him to jump ten feet. If he had been a cat, he would have been on the roof.

"Are you okay?" I asked him worriedly.

The panic painting his gaze slowly melted. Too, slowly. But the uneasiness and fear did not. I looked over and caught Benny's attention then pointed to where Johnny was still using the brush. Benjamin nodded immediately.

I slid in next to Marcus and wrapped my arm his tiny broad shoulders. Sometimes it was easy for me to forget his age. Seven was way too young to act as old as he did. He ha
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    The sunlight shined through the gossamer curtains and hit my face. I awoke gently, blinking several times as my eyes tried to adjust to the light. As the window became clearer and clearer, I couldn't place it. I sat up trying to remember where I was. "Vicki?" said a deep voice from behind me. I turned and behind me were the sleep hazed eyes of my husband. Everything hit me at once and I began to shake. He wrapped me in his arms as he had done every morning since our return. We got back to that tiny shore side town to find Craig, Erin and Marcus had been waiting for us at the edge of the pier. They had greeted us like heroes, and I hadn't been able to stop holding Marcus or checking him over to make sure he was okay. Other than the rope burns he seemed physically okay. There was a haunting look in his eyes, but he refused to talk about what had happened while he had been an Eater. I had been forced to let it go after a while, but not before I made him promise to talk to me when

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