Base Nature (54 page)

“W
h
y
d
id
y
o
u
l
e
av
e
?”
S
he
said
it
be
f
o
r
e
she
c
o
u
ld
s
t
o
p
h
er
s
e
lf
a
nd
f
o
u
nd
that she was
finally
af
r
ai
d
.
T
he q
ue
sti
o
n
sca
re
d
h
er
.
L
iv
p
u
t
a
hand to
h
e
r
ch
e
st
to
t
r
y
to
still
h
e
r n
o
w-
p
o
u
n
d
ing h
e
a
r
t.
A
n imp
o
ssi
b
ility
bu
t
s
he
t
r
i
ed
.

He
g
la
re
d
at
h
er
,
al
m
o
st
l
i
ke
he
was
a
ng
r
y
bu
t
q
u
ickly
s
h
o
o
k
h
i
s
h
e
ad
and
r
an a hand th
r
o
u
gh
his
h
a
i
r
.
G
a
rre
t
t
t
o
s
s
e
d
his
u
n
e
at
e
n
o
n
i
o
n
r
ing
o
n
the t
r
ay
and
f
r
o
wn
ed
. “
Le
t
’
s
j
u
st
s
a
y
that
I
l
o
st t
o
o
m
u
ch
to
live
th
er
e
a
n
ym
o
re
.
A
nd
de
spite
h
o
w
m
u
ch
I
l
o
st, the
pack…”
He s
h
oo
k
h
is
h
e
ad
aga
i
n,
s
e
aling
his
m
o
u
th
i
nto
a
tight
l
i
ne
o
f
d
isapp
o
intm
e
nt.

“
T
h
e
y l
e
t
y
o
u
d
o
wn?”

H
i
s
e
y
e
s
re
gist
er
e
d
s
h
o
ck
f
o
r
j
u
st
a
m
o
m
e
nt
a
nd
th
e
n
he
gave
a
br
isk
n
o
d
.
“Y
e
s, th
e
y
l
e
t me
d
o
wn.
I’
m
willi
n
g to
wag
e
r
that
y
o
u’r
e
fam
i
liar
with this?”

“Y
e
s, I
a
m.
M
y
st
e
p
d
ad
be
at
my
m
o
m fai
r
ly
re
g
u
la
r
ly
bu
t
wh
e
n I
w
o
u
ld
s
a
y anythi
n
g…
A
nd
o
ne
time
I
t
r
i
e
d
to
h
e
lp
h
er
.
T
o
ld
a
t
e
ach
e
r
at
sch
o
o
l
and sh
e
…”
T
he m
e
m
o
r
i
e
s
o
f
h
e
r
f
r
act
u
r
e
d
chil
d
h
oo
d w
er
e
still
t
o
o
m
u
ch
s
o
m
e
tim
e
s.
L
iv
f
e
lt
h
e
r
th
r
o
at sh
r
ink
two
s
iz
e
s
and
h
e
r
e
y
e
s
fl
o
o
de
d
with
t
e
a
r
s.
She
b
li
n
k
e
d
f
ur
i
o
u
sly
to
t
r
y
to
cl
e
ar

th
e
m.

“She ma
d
e
e
xc
u
s
e
s
f
o
r him
a
nd
b
asically
ma
d
e
y
o
u
o
u
t
to
l
o
o
k
like
a
l
ia
r
?”
G
a
rre
tt t
o
o
k h
e
r
han
d
, his th
u
mb
maki
n
g s
o
ft sw
ee
ping a
r
cs
ac
r
o
ss h
e
r
s
kin.

L
iv
n
o
dded
,
n
o
t
t
ru
sting
h
e
r
v
o
ic
e
.
She
manag
e
d
a
n
o
th
e
r
b
ite
o
f
h
e
r
s
an
d
wich
so that she
w
o
u
l
d
n
’
t
have
to
talk.

G
a
rre
t
t
l
e
an
e
d
in
and
wav
e
d
away
a
n
err
ant
be
e
ci
r
cling
the
s
o
d
a
cans.
“Y
o
u k
n
o
w that
’
s
c
o
mm
o
n
i
n
victims
o
f
a
bu
s
e
.
O
ne
o
f
my
br
o
th
er
s
i
s
ma
rr
i
e
d
to
a
w
o
man
w
h
o
was ma
rr
i
e
d
be
f
o
re
.
She said
it
t
oo
k
h
e
r y
e
a
r
s
t
o
n
o
t
c
o
v
e
r f
o
r the
as
s
h
o
le
be
ating
h
e
r
o
n
a
re
g
u
lar
b
asis.
S
o
m
e
wh
er
e
in the
mix it
be
c
o
m
e
s
a sick
k
ind
o
f s
y
m
b
i
o
tic
re
lati
o
ns
h
ip.”

“What cha
n
g
e
d
h
e
r
min
d
?”
L
iv f
e
a
r
e
d
she
kn
e
w the
answ
er
.

“H
e
r
d
a
u
ght
er
.
She
c
o
u
l
d
n
’
t
d
o
it
a
n
ym
o
re
.
She
was af
r
aid
it w
o
u
ld
sp
re
ad
t
o
h
e
r
d
a
u
ght
er
.”

L
iv
saw
h
i
m
c
o
ming
at
h
e
r
i
n
h
e
r
min
d
.
Hand
r
ais
ed
,
fist
c
o
ck
e
d
a
nd
th
e
n
h
e
r m
o
th
e
r
j
u
mping
i
n
f
r
o
nt
o
f h
er
,
t
a
king
the
b
l
o
w.
Bu
t
she
d
i
d
n
’
t
l
e
ave
h
im.
N
o
p
e
.
A
nd
a f
e
w
tim
e
s
M
a
r
ga
re
t
ha
d
n
’
t
bee
n
fast
e
n
o
ug
h
to
int
er
c
e
p
t
the
b
l
o
ws.
She
sw
a
ll
o
w
e
d what
f
e
lt
like a
la
r
ge
r
o
ck
bu
t
was
o
n
l
y
c
o
o
k
e
d
bee
f
a
nd
sai
d
,
“I g
ue
ss
m
y
m
o
m
w
a
sn
’
t q
u
ite
at
that
p
o
int. He
l
e
ft h
e
r
f
o
r
a
n
o
th
e
r
w
o
m
a
n.
T
h
e
y w
er
e
s
t
ill ma
rr
i
ed
,
s
he
was still maki
n
g
e
xc
u
s
e
s.
Bu
t he
g
o
t ti
re
d
o
f h
er
.”

“Did he
e
v
e
r
hit
y
o
u
?”
G
a
rre
tt
ask
ed
.
His
face
s
h
o
w
e
d
a
q
u
i
e
t
kind
o
f
r
ag
e
.
A
n
e
m
o
ti
o
n
he was
t
r
ying
t
o
s
u
pp
re
ss
and
t
h
o
u
ght
he
w
a
s
s
u
cc
e
ed
ing.
She want
e
d
to
k
i
ss him
f
o
r
it.

“J
u
st
o
nce
o
r twic
e
.”
A
nd it
wa
s
n
’
t
a
li
e
.
Bu
t
she
d
id l
e
ave
o
u
t
the pa
r
t
a
b
o
u
t
h
im t
r
ying m
o
r
e
o
ft
e
n.

G
a
rre
t
t
d
i
d
n
’
t
l
oo
k
like
he
be
li
e
v
e
d
h
e
r
bu
t
he
kiss
e
d
the
b
ack
o
f
h
e
r
han
d
.
A g
e
st
ur
e
that
s
t
o
le
h
e
r
bre
ath
and
ma
d
e
h
e
r
la
ug
h
at
h
er
s
e
lf.
H
o
w
e
asy
was sh
e
.
“
O
kay, l
e
t
’
s
dr
o
p all
this h
e
avy
bu
llshit
a
b
o
u
t
p
e
o
ple
we
can
’
t
c
o
nt
r
o
l.
Le
t
’
s
go
h
o
me
and
g
e
t
bu
sy.”