todd

His noise is getting quieter, but I can still see it there still-See how he feels the skin of my hand against his, see how he wants to take it and press it against his mouth, how he wants to breathe in the smell of me and how beautiful I look to him, how strong after all that illness, and how he wants to just lightly touch my neck, just there, and how he wants to take me in his arms and-"Oh, God," he says, looking away suddenly. "Viola, I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"But I just put my hand to the back of his neck-And he says, "Viola-?"And I pull myself towards him-And I kiss him.And it feels like, finally.

And she says, __hen let__ just take the effing road and get ourselves to Hav

Spackle!_ Manchee barks, tho he__ too chicken to attack now that I__e held back. __packle! Spackle! Spackle!___hut up, Manchee,_ I say.__pack

Alright! You sir, you sir, how about a shave?Come and visit your good friend Sweeney.You sir, too sir? Welcome to the grave.I will have vengenance.I will have salvation.Who sir, you sir?No ones in the chair, Come on! Come on!Sweeney's. waiting. I want you bleeders.You sir! Anybody!Gentlemen now don't be shy!Not one man, no, nor ten men.Nor a hundred can assuage me.I will have you!And I will get him back even as he gloatsIn the meantime I'll practice on less honorable throats.And my Lucy lies in ashesAnd I'll never see my girl again.But the work waits!I'm alive at last!And I'm full of joy!

I take it that's where you met Todd.''Yep. Almost five years ago. Can you believe it?''Five years! You and Todd should be the poster couple for the 'Love Waits' campaign.'Christy laughed. 'It didn't seem that long. A lot has happened during those five years. But I do agree that true love is worth the wait. I'd wait another five years for Todd if I had to. He's the only man for me. Ever.

And then his noise falls completely silent-And he stops struggling-And looking right into my eyes-He dies.My Todd dies.

And I put my hand on her arm to stop her rowing.Aaron__ Noise roars up in red and black.The current takes us on.____ sorry!_ I cry as the river takes us away, my words ragged things torn from me, my chest pulled so tight I can__ barely breathe. ____ sorry, Manchee!_?___anchee!_ I scream.Aaron brings his free hand towards my dog.__ANCHEE!_?__nd Aaron wrenches his arms and there__ a CRACK and a scream and a cut-off yelp that tears my heart in two forever and forever.And the pain is too much it__ too much it__ too much and my hands are on my head and I__ rearing back and my mouth is open in a never-ending wordless wail of all the blackness that__ inside of me.

And I look right into his eyes, right into him as far as I can see, because I want him to hear me, I want him to hear me with everything I mean and feel and say.

And I put my hand on her arm to stop her rowing.Aaron__ Noise roars up in red and black.The current takes us on.____ sorry!_ I cry as the river takes us away, my words ragged things torn from me, my chest pulled so tight I can__ barely breathe. ____ sorry, Manch