Saved a Life, Lost My Name

dn't

of the neighboring fences. The yards were sma

ging at the flickering torchlight, mome

rgrown backyard,

y a thicket of thorny bushes. I pushed

, dark, and smelled o

eath and wriggle

bwebs rained down on me. My shoulde

ing onto the damp, packed

pitch

hispered, my v

me from the direction

wards the sound, my

, it's m

tching me tightly. She

you shouldn't have

ma. We have to get out. Ca

houts and roars from the front yard

know, child. I

I'll help you. Cli

t. She was frail but sur

he wall, gritting my teet

Grandma

e's voice, low and u

s are through!" ano

and strong hands pulling from outside,

y breath, then scrambled up a

bundled into the a

l there, a cold pressure i

still at the

Emily?" Mike asked, his fa

But I'm going

ng for the dilapidated old tool shed at the very back of the property.

aked open. The ai

ed the clutte

en I s

racked pickling crock we sometimes used to store

ugar

pitifully, its

od ran

put it here.

knew

ss

it, stolen it from a den somewhere in the state park bordering the

wasn't just hung

her, looking

t cub, and my handling of

nt yard suddenly sound

ts turned to c

r knew. She knew

anding right