i asked father if we could build across the river . could i let harm come to her , and not feel terrible , even if shed brought all this misery on herself ? he had n't felt any when they 'd first entered and ben was in front of him ... let me tell you , death is not pretty . when i reached the top of the stairs i glanced back down into the empty darkness . or was that just in movies ? it reached out one oversized hand . damn it , why had he never considered this before ? 