Cedar Woman (117 page)

li
qu
id
tasted
li
k
e
p
e
rf
u
m
e –
fl
o
wery
o
r
s
o
met
h
i
n
g. T
h
en
it
h
it t
h
e
b
ack
of

her
throat!
She
felt
as
if
h
e
r
esophagus
w
e
re
clos
i
n
g!
H
e
r
ears
burn
e
d and
h
e
r
t
h
roat spas
m
ed.
She coughed,
sp
u
tte
r
ed
an
d
f
ou
g
h
t
t
o
r
e
g
a
i
n
h
e
r brea
t
h.
Ju
m
pi
ng
from
her
chair,
Jo-Ann
raced
ov
e
r
and
beg
a
n
patting Lena
o
n
t
h
e
b
a
ck.

“
Oh,
I
am
s
o
r
r
y.
I
j
u
st
assume
d
...well,
dr
i
n
k
it
sl
o
wer.
I
pr
o
m
i
s
e y
o
u’ll
c
o
m
e
to
l
ov
e
it!”
Jo-Ann
r
o
se
f
r
om
her
gre
e
n,
vi
ny
l
chair
again a
n
d refilled
h
er
g
lass.

“
N
o
w,
I
li
k
e
m
y
m
ar
ti
n
i
’s
d
ry
–
v
e
ry
d
r
y
.
T
o
s
o
m
e
t
h
a
t
m
ea
n
s
a

s
p
lash
o
f
v
e
rm
ou
t
h
o
v
er
ice
a
n
d
t
h
en
add
g
i
n
to
t
h
e
ri
m
.
Ot
h
e
rs
will
ta
k
e a
p
itc
h
er
f
u
ll
of ice, fill it with
v
e
r
m
ou
t
h
,
po
u
r
t
h
e
v
e
r
m
ou
t
h
b
ack
i
n
t
o
t
h
e
bo
ttl
e
a
n
d
t
h
e
n
a
d
d
t
h
e
g
i
n
.
Me...
w
ell, to
m
e
a
d
ry marti
n
i
is
t
h
e
v
er
m
ou
th
is
al
l
o
wed
to
sit
on t
h
e
sa
m
e
s
h
elf
as
t
h
e
g
i
n!
”
J
o
-Ann
s
m
iled and
wa
i
v
ed
h
e
r
g
l
ass
i
n
sa
l
u
te
,
sp
l
a
s
h
in
g
s
o
m
e
of
t
h
e
l
i
qu
i
d
on
t
o
t
h
e f
l
o
o
r as
she
a
g
ain
plu
n
k
e
d
i
n
to
h
e
r
l
o
u
ng
e
r
w
h
ile
taking
a
l
o
n
g
dr
a
g
f
rom her ci
g
arette.

“
You
m
ean,” Lena
looked
a
t h
e
r glass
an
d
b
a
ck
at
J
o
-
A
n
n
,
“
I’m dr
i
nk
i
ng strai
g
ht g
in
?
”

“
Sure!” J
o
-Ann
sai
d
.
“It
w
o
n
’t
h
u
rt yo
u
.
Now, I
ha
v
e
to
g
o upstai
r
s
a
n
d
do
a
f
e
w
m
o
re
t
h
i
n
gs,
a
n
d
t
h
en
w
e
’re
o
f
f
to
di
n
n
e
r
.

R
e
m
e
m
b
er,
I
’
m
bu
y
i
ng
!”

W
i
t
h
t
h
at,
J
o
-
A
n
n
s
tu
bb
e
d
out
h
e
r
c
i
gare
t
te,
r
o
se
f
r
om
her
cha
i
r,
a
n
d
h
e
a
d
e
d
towar
d
h
er
stair
s
t
h
a
t
le
d
t
o
t
h
e
seco
n
d
flo
o
r
,
w
h
ic
h
Lena
kn
e
w
she
wou
ld
re
co
gnize,
a
s
t
h
e
la
yo
u
t
w
ou
l
d
be
a
m
irror
c
o
py of
h
e
r o
w
n –
m
inus
t
h
e falling plas
t
er.