He was over me at once, his foot stepping down hard on my leg. I heard the sickening snap before I felt it, although I felt it too; but then I did feel it, and I'd wished I hadn't. I couldn't even begin to hold back my scream of agony, and then I looked at it, and saw it was totally broken, and I knew: he had broken my leg by stepping on it. I twisted up to reach for my leg, but he was still standing on it! Smiling!
"Would you like to rethink your last request?" he asked pleasantly. His toe nudged my broken leg and I heard a piercing scream. With a shock, I realized it was mine.
"Wouldn't you rather have Fredward try to find me?" he prompted.
"No!" I shouted. "No, Fredward, don't—" and then something smashed into my face, throwing me back into the broken mirrors.
Over the pain of my leg, I felt a sharp rip across my scalp where the glass had cut into it. And then the warm wetness began to spread through my hair with alarming speed. I could feel it soaking the shoulder of my shirt, hear it dripping on the wood below. The smell of it twisted my ignat all curly.
I was pretty sure my brains were leaking out.
Through the nausea and dizziness and all the dripping, I saw something that gave me a sudden, final shred of hope. His eyes, merely intent before, now burned with an uncontrollable need. The blood was driving him mad. No matter his original intentions, he was one step away from sucking me dry.
'Let it be quick now,' was all I could hope as the flow of blood from my split head sucked my consciousness away with it. My eyes were closing and

451

Chapter 22

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