THE DEBT SHE PAID IN SMILES

ng she said to any of them that night that sounde

m take it. It seemed like the last true thing she could give him - no

y grabbing her so even she wants to

ause that was the shape of the three of them -

to do it" Ryen said as

heeks "We will definately meet in another life baby" Jasper whi

hugged her from behind and put the knife

he three men of her life and

, not the smile of madness, it was the smile of som

agged breathing and Ryen's silent tears an

all of them, her eyes stayed o

andles finally

h

ing happening. Let's go there," she said, dragging Ira toward a crowd

ehana asked as soon as

of them called out. "Fin

id, pointing up. "A kitten is stuck o

the tree. "Look, look! There's a little kit

Rihana, silently waiting for her best friend t

up and save

s went wi

e to do with her' Ira loo

heights. I don't know how t

her d

s - what'll happen to her if you don't?" Rehana said, turning Ira's face toward the kitten, w

eo

tly, I don't think she want

gle step back, a wrinkled h

, you have

sked, genuin

d dramatic. "Young people the

nce when did helping be

could finish. "That poor kitte

ly going to j

have no he

king over each other, a chorus of disa

helplessly, corn

ew both hands up in surrend

t into delighted ap

areful, one shaky foothold at a time. After several minutes of undignifi

e kept her voice sweet, syrupy. "Don't d

like she was posing for a toothpas

died her outst

eo

zero warnin

mid-smile.

and gracefully on all four paws, shake out its fur

This little devil could climb do

full rant at the sky - and that

h-

k her, the last thing that flickered across her vision was the face of a dev

ready dri

d for him with ev

A

wallowed e

rld went black was Rihana's face hovering above he

lapping her hands over her ears but the

open, and the sentence died in her throat

ied, realizing with horror that she w

the street sh

d of packed dirt and uneven stone stretched out bef