She unlocked the door of my room...

~.. and came in. There was a hypodermic in her hand.

I was too weak to fight her. She jammed the needle

into my arm with sadistic fervor.

I could hear the wind and rain outside. I knew

the river was rising. It would be flooding soon. I could

hear a heavy knocking against the front door. Then a

voice calling. A man s voice.

She went over to the window and looked out.

"Yes?"

I heard a voice shout, "Is everybody all right out

here, Mrs. Kinsolving?"

"Yes. Yes, we re all right."

I sat up, pushed back my sweat-plastered hair. I

started trying to get out of bed, clinging to the foot

of it. I could hear another voice down there now. It

was Red, the young bus driver who had brought me

here. "Mrs. Kinsolving," Red called, "that girl who

came out here yesterday-"

Mrs. Kinsolving said in her loud, flat voice, "She

has gone. I drove her back to the motel last night."

I was on my feet, swaying. "Red-Red!" I shouted

hoarsely.

She slammed the Window down and pushed me

back. "They ve left," she said. "Now go to sleep."