Chapter 613

• I went back to where Adelie still sat against the wall, her eyes clenched tightly, and her hands over her ears. I touched her shoulder, and she screamed, but stopped the moment she saw it was me. I walked with her back to my Jeep in the quiet realm.
• I opened the back door, and put her down on the seat. I took my jacket off and put it over her upper body. She looked weak and malnourished, and I realized I was in over my head. She gripped the jacket tightly, and lay down on the seat.
• I started the Jeep and adjusted the heating for her before I drove away from the house that had been her literal nightmare. We had 55 miles to go, and she shivered on the backseat, but didn’t say a word. I could smell her fear, and I gripped the steering wheel tightly.