He　shook　his　head　slowly；　always　watching　my　face。

〃No。　They're　all　gone。　I　staved　behind　to　tell　you　goodbye。〃

〃Alice　is　gone？〃　My　voice　was　blank　with　disbelief。

〃She　wanted　to　say　goodbye；　but　I　convinced　her　that　a　clean　break　would　be

better　for　you。〃

I　was　dizzy；　it　was　hard　to　concentrate。　His　words　swirled　around　in　my　head；

and　I　heard　the　doctor　at

the　hospital　in　Phoenix；　last　spring；　as　he　showed　me　the　X…rays。　You　can　see

it's　a　clean　break；　his

finger　traced　along　the　picture　of　my　severed　bone。　That's　good。　It　will　heal

more　easily；　more　quickly

。

I　tried　to　breathe　normally。　I　needed　to　concentrate；　to　find　a　way　out　of

this　nightmare。

〃Goodbye；　Bella；〃　he　said　in　the　same　quiet；　peaceful　voice。

〃Wait！〃　I　choked　out　the　word；　reaching　for　him；　willing　my　deadened　legs　to

carry　me　forward。

I　thought　he　was　reaching　for　me；　too。　But　his　cold　hands　locked　around　my

wrists　and　pinned　them　to

my　sides。　He　leaned　down；　and　pressed　his　lips　very　lightly　to　my　forehead　for

the　briefest　instant。　My

eyes　closed。

〃Take　care　of　yourself；〃　he　breathed；　cool　against　my　skin。

There　was　a　light；　unnatural　breeze。　My　eyes　flashed　open。　The　leaves　on　a

small　vine　maple　shuddered

with　the　gentle　wind　of　his　passage。

He　was　gone。

With　shaky　legs；　ignoring　the　fact　that　my　action　was　useless；　I　followed　him

into　the　forest。　The　evidence

of　his　path　had　disappeared　instantly。　There　were　no　footprints；　the　leaves

were　still　again；　but　I　walked

forward　without　thinking。　I　could　not　do　anything　else。　I　had　to　keep　moving。

If　I　stopped　looking　for

h