[ But his heart is sinking, turning to lead in his chest. His daughter had been many things, but she had never been jealous. Never possessive. Always eager to meet new people, to get to know them, to help them however she could.
She'd been a better person than him, in that way and so many others.
Evie's tugging at his shirt, saying nothing, but clearly worried. Trying not to antagonize the girl, with little success.
The girl. But it's not a girl at all, is it? Not Sarah. Not his baby girl.
She's sobbing now, face pressed into his neck, and slowly, hating himself, he lifts his eyes, looks into the mirror. Looks at the creature wrapped tightly around his torso, the dead gray skin. He can't see her face, the black holes for eyes, the monstrous mouth of sharp teeth, but he doesn't need to. He'll never forget that sight.
Joel takes a breath, and it hitches only slightly. He sets his jaw, and then, slowly but firmly, takes Sarah's (not Sarah's) wrists in his hand and, gently but with an iron grip, starts to pry her off. ]
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[ But his heart is sinking, turning to lead in his chest. His daughter had been many things, but she had never been jealous. Never possessive. Always eager to meet new people, to get to know them, to help them however she could.
She'd been a better person than him, in that way and so many others.
Evie's tugging at his shirt, saying nothing, but clearly worried. Trying not to antagonize the girl, with little success.
The girl. But it's not a girl at all, is it? Not Sarah. Not his baby girl.
She's sobbing now, face pressed into his neck, and slowly, hating himself, he lifts his eyes, looks into the mirror. Looks at the creature wrapped tightly around his torso, the dead gray skin. He can't see her face, the black holes for eyes, the monstrous mouth of sharp teeth, but he doesn't need to. He'll never forget that sight.
Joel takes a breath, and it hitches only slightly. He sets his jaw, and then, slowly but firmly, takes Sarah's (not Sarah's) wrists in his hand and, gently but with an iron grip, starts to pry her off. ]
Let go.