[Margaret's Perspective]
I put my arm around Elizabeth and kept stroking her back. I could feel she was still trembling.
"Don't be afraid. It'll be fine."
She was still wearing the outfit—the short pink skirt and a white off-the-shoulder top. But she didn't look as calm as she did when we met earlier. Her wide eyes, fluttering eyelashes, and pale face showed that she was shaken.
"What's wrong? What happened to you two?"
After seeing that Elizabeth was fine, I wanted to know what had happened.
Donald and the others were whispering to each other. But I knew that Donald wouldn't be willing to tell me when we went back.
He always wanted to isolate all dangerous things from me. He wanted nothing more than to find a plastic cover and lock me up seamlessly. This possessiveness always made me painful and somewhat sweet. I didn't want to accept his protection, but I was powerless to resist.
