Miles made his way back to the Tuck house slowly. His mind was going so fast he thought he might explode. Had he just done what he though he had? He thought over the scene. Meg was upset, trying to bait him into an argument. He played along, then changed directions so suddenly he had left her speechless. He had handed her a ring. Then he had run, afraid of an answer. He hadn't felt so out of control for a century.
The Tucks were packing up, leaving. It was getting too dangerous for them in Treegap. The people were too close. Winnie and Jesse were saying a tearful goodbye, which Jesse desperately hoped was only temporary. Miles did too, for his brother's sake. Weary of worrying, Miles concentrated on loading the wagon.
Time mattered little to the Tuck family. They had more of it than they could stand. But in that one moment, every age of the earth could have fit into a second, or so it seemed. The woods were quiet, as if taking a deep breath of apprehension. Miles blinked, and a man in a yellow suit walked into the clearing.
Miles didn't hear the words the man was saying. Thoughts pounded his brain. This man was not to be trusted. Then he heard something that caught his interest. "That girl was a liar. Should have made it easy on herself. Instead, she played loyal and died for it. She carried a pretty trinket though." Suspended from the man's fingers was a ring on a chain. Every eye turned to Miles.
Unable to believe it, Miles shook his head. "You lie."
"Oh, does this mean something too you then? Perhaps, yes, perhaps it's you who gave this pretty little thing to her."
Miles was sick of this man. "Where is she? What have you done to her?" She wasn't dead, she couldn't be.
But the man had turned his attention to Tuck. "Avoid more heartbreak for your family. Tell me where it is, and I'll leave. I don't want to have to hurt anyone," he concluded, waving his gun.
"You'll die long before we'll tell you anything."
Then man nodded. "I thought you'd say that." Another shot rang through the forest; this time the bullet ripped into Jesse's stomach. Winnie screamed, but Miles just helped his brother stand up. While attention was on Jesse, the man seized Winnie and placed the gun to her head. Silence prevailed.
Again, the man's words faded for Miles. Mae was coming behind slowly, an old rifle in her hand. Winnie was struggling, so Miles gave her a look that told her to be still. The butt of the rifle made a sickening thud as it connected with the man's skull. Winnie was dragged down as he fell, pure terror evident on her face. Then it was over.
Nothing was right. Nothing was as it had been. Tuck ran to a distraught Mae as she flung the rifle away. Jesse held a confused Winnie as she cried. Miles was still trapped in a place where seconds were hours. He moved slowly away from his family and toward the collapsed form of the man. Taking the ring from his hand, Miles felt a tear slip from his eye. It wasn't true. It couldn't be. It wasn't.
To Miles it felt like only a second, but the world saw minutes pass before Tuck placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Ride. They're coming to take her home. Get out of here while you can." Miles looked up and, saw the compassion and concern in his father's face, nodded.
"Come on Jesse. Let's go." He didn't watch the goodbye; instead he mounted the horse. Jesse swung up behind him. Miles spurred the horse forward, not daring a look back, not wanting to think.