8

When she looked around the attic, she didn't see anything that may be of any use to her. The place where she had been laying only had the mattress, the oilcloth, and a little blue book.

When she looked around the attic, she didn't see anything that may be of any use to her. The place where she had been laying only had the mattress, the oilcloth, and a little blue book.

It was the story of a girl who'd felt lost in her own hometown, in her own family. Who'd been looking for... something, something she could never quite reach. When she finished, she was weak with fear and horror. Bright spots danced and shimmered before her eyes. There was so much pain in these pages. So many schemes, so many secrets, so much need. It was the tale of a girl who'd been looking for... something, something she could never quite reach. But that wasn't
She recalled every detail at this point.

The bridge, the raging river, the dread as the air fled her lungs and she was left with nothing but liquid to breathe, the way that it had hurt, and the last second when it had ceased hurting, when everything had stopped, when everything... ended.

Oh, Katherine, I was so terrified, she thought, and the same terror was inside of her again. In the woods, how could she have acted like that to Katherine? How could she have forgotten him, all he meant to her? What had caused her to act that way? Oh, Katherine, I was so frightened.

But she understood, deep down in her core of knowledge, that nobody got up and walked away alive from a drowning like that. Nobody got up and walked away alive from a drowning like that.

She got up slowly and walked to gaze at the shuttered window, where the darker pane of glass served as a mirror and reflected her image back to her.

There was nothing deceitful or malicious about this face, but at the same time, it was slightly different from what she was accustomed to seeing. It was not the reflection that she had seen in her dream, when she had ran down a hall of mirrors that appeared to have a life of their own.
There was a faint sheen to her complexion and a telltale hollowness around the eyes. Elizabeth pressed hands to her neck, on each side. This was where Katherine and Dominic had each taken her blood. Had it really been enough times, and had she truly taken enough of theirs in return?

It had to have been, and from this moment on, for the rest of her existence, she would have to eat in the same manner as Katherine did. She would have to...

She got down on her hands and knees and pressed her face against the unfinished wood of the wall. She said to herself, "I can't." Oh, please, I can't; I can't.

She had never been particularly religious, but now her fear was welling up from a place deep within her, and every fiber of her being joined in the scream for assistance. "Oh, please," she thought. "Oh, please, please, help me." She didn't ask for anything in particular; she just begged for someone to save her.


couldn't put her ideas together that far. All she could say was, "Oh, please help me, oh please, please." she couldn't put her thoughts together that far. All she could say was, "Oh, please help me, oh please, please."
Her eyes were still smeared with shadows, but there was resolution in them. Her face was still very pale, but it had an eerie beauty to it, like exquisite porcelain that was lighted from the inside.

She had to find Katherine. If there was any assistance available for her, he would be aware of it, and if there wasn't, well, then she needed him even more. She didn't want to be anywhere else except with him.

As she left, she took extra precaution to securely close the entrance to the attic behind her. Alaric
She looked up at the calendar on the wall and saw that the days leading up to December 4 had been marked off. It had been four days since the previous Saturday night, which meant that she had slept for four days straight. Saltzman must not find her hiding location.
She had to force herself to leave the safety of the house, and then she felt a gnawing paranoia about being out in the open. She slunk along beside fences and stayed close to trees, ready to melt into the shadows. She felt like a shadow herself. When she reached the front door, she cringed from the daylight outside. It hurt. Even though the sky was so overcast that rain or snow looked imminent, it hurt her eyes.
-or a ghost, dressed in Honoria Fell's long white gown, in which case she would terrify everyone who happened to get a glimpse of her.

She passed what appeared to be deserted houses, forsaken yards, and closed stores. Eventually, she saw parked cars lining the street, but they were empty as well. Her extreme caution, however, appeared to have been in vain because there was no one on the streets to see her. It appeared as though the town had been abandoned.

And then she noticed a form against the sky that stopped her in her tracks. It was a steeple, white against the dense black clouds. Elizabeth's legs shook as she made her way toward the structure.
herself creep closer to the building. She'd known this church all her life; she'd seen the cross inscribed on that wall a thousand times. But now she edged toward it as if it were a caged animal that might break loose and bite her. She pressed one hand to the stone wall and slid it closer and closer to the carved symbol. She was afraid that it might bite her.

She let her hand slide down the arm of the cross until it softly covered the inscription, then she leaned against the wall and let the tears to fall. Her eyes welled up and she felt a tightness in her throat as her fingers extended out to touch the arm of the cross.

I did things I shouldn't have, she thought to herself. I thought about myself too much; I never thanked Matt and Denis and Merit for everything they did for me. I should have played more with Margaret and been nicer to Aunt Judith. But I'm not evil. I'm not damned. I did things I shouldn't have. I thought about myself too much; I never thanked Matt and Denis and Merit for everything they did for me. I should have been nicer to Aunt

As soon as she regained her vision, she gazed up at the structure. She recalled that Mr. Newcastle had mentioned a church; she wondered whether he was referring to this particular one.

She sneaked inside the church by the back entrance that went to the choir loft, crept up the steps without making a sound, and peered down from the gallery to make sure no one was following her. She avoided the front of the church and the main entryway.

Suddenly, she understood why there had been so little traffic in the streets. It was as if everyone in the neighborhood had left.


When Elizabeth arrived at Fell's Church, she saw that every seat in every pew was occupied, and the back of the church was packed solid with people standing. As she stared at the front rows, she realized that she recognized every face; the people in those rows were members of the senior class, neighbors, and friends of Aunt Judith. Aunt Judith was also present, and she was dressed in the black dress that she had worn to Elizabeth's parents' funeral. Elizabeth also noticed that Aunt Judith was wearing the black dress

When Elizabeth arrived at Fell's Church, she saw that every seat in every pew was occupied, and the back of the church was packed solid with people standing. As she stared at the front rows, she realized that she recognized every face; the people in those rows were members of the senior class, neighbors, and friends of Aunt Judith. Aunt Judith was also present, and she was dressed in the black dress that she had worn to Elizabeth's parents' funeral. Elizabeth also noticed that Aunt Judith was wearing the black dress
"... "Let's talk about our experiences with this one-of-a-kind young lady," he said before stepping away.

Elizabeth felt as if she had a loge seat at a play as she observed what transpired in the aftermath. She was in no way engaged in the actions taking place on stage; she was only a spectator, yet it was her life that she was seeing.

The Carsons had known her since she was born, and Mr. Carson reminisced about the days she and Sue had played in their front yard in the summer. He had a frog in his throat while talking about the lovely and accomplished young girl she had become, and he had to pause and take off his glasses.

Sue Carson went up. She and Elizabeth hadn't been close friends since elementary school, but they'd remained on good terms. Sue had been one of the few girls who'd stayed on Elizabeth's side after Katherine had come under suspicion for Mr. Tanner's murder. However, now Sue was crying as if she'd lost a sister. Elizabeth and Katherine had remained on good terms.

She wiped her tears and said, "After Halloween, a lot of people weren't friendly to Elizabeth," she remarked, and continued on. "And I know it hurt her." But Elizabeth shown a lot of strength. She did not alter herself in any way in order to be in accordance with the expectations of other people. And for that, I had the utmost respect for her... Sue's voice faltered as she continued, "When I was running for Homecoming Queen, I wanted to win, but I knew it wasn't going to happen, and that was OK with me." Because Robert E. Lee should have had Elizabeth as his queen if he ever had one. And I believe that she will continue to be now, because that is how all of us are going to remember her. When Sue tried to continue, the reverend had to guide her back to her seat since she was unable to keep her balance while speaking. "And I hope that for years to come the girls who will attend to our school could remember her and reflect about how she stayed by what she felt was right..."

Even the meanest and most spiteful of the senior class females were forced to admit that they had been wrong.
Girls Elizabeth knew for a doubt despised her were sniffling and sobbing, and spiteful girls were sniffling while holding hands. All of a sudden, she was everybody's greatest friend.

Incredulous, Elizabeth nestled closer to the railing while other children, even young boys, sobbed. Despite the fact that it was the most upsetting thing she had ever seen, Elizabeth was unable to look away.

Frances Decatur stood up, her already unremarkable features becoming even more unremarkable as a result of her anguish. "She went out of her way to be pleasant to me," she said, "She let me have lunch with her."
It was the same with every individual who went up to the pulpit; no one could find enough words to praise Elizabeth. Elizabeth felt it was nonsense. The only reason I talked to you in the first place was because you were helpful in finding out information about Katherine.


"I've always admired her..." "I've always admired her..." "I've always admired her..."
"One of my absolute favorites among the pupils..."