red hill - jamie mcguire

light-brown hair. She’d kept the same simple shoulder-length hair cut since she was four. Her natural
waves made it bouncy, but it seemed like her worry had weighed that down, too. “I’m going to try to
help Uncle Skeeter. I want you to stay in here, okay You’re safe in here. I won’t be gone long.”
Zoe nodded quickly, glancing back to Gary and Eric as they pounded the last nails into the last
board.
“Good girl,” I said, kissing her forehead.
Skeeter was on one knee, both arms wrapped around his wife. She leaned against his chest, her
face blotchy and glistening with sweat. Skeeter stared at the floor, whispering something to her, with
the same hopelessness in his eyes as the woman we passed on the bridge. His young and healthy wife
was dying in his arms, and they both knew it.
Doris filled a glass with water, and leaned down to hold it to Jill’s lips. She took a few sips and
then spit it out, leaning down to the bucket, emptying her stomach once more.
“We need the doctor,” Doris said.
“The doctor’s dead,” Gary said, dropping the hammer on the table next to Jill. “So is his wife, and
kids. They’re all walking around out there with milky eyes and bite marks.”
Jill sniffed once, and looked up at her husband. “Skeeter.”
“No,” he said, shaking his head, still staring at the floor.
“Skeeter, what if I hurt the people in here”
“No.”
“What if I hurt you”
“No!”
“What if I kill Zoe” she pleaded, tears streaming down her reddened cheeks. Her breath skipped,
and she pulled Skeeter’s face down so his eyes met hers. “Don’t let me hurt that baby, Skeeter.”
Skeeter’s bottom lip quivered. “But what about our baby”
I stood up straight, away from the doorjamb I was leaning on. “What”
“What was that” Doris said.
“Jill’s pregnant,” Skeeter said, his voice desperate. “Seven weeks. Dr. Brown just called her this
morning.”
I leaned down and grabbed my knees. I couldn’t imagine the agony he was feeling. They didn’t
deserve this. They’d been trying to conceive since their wedding night, and now Skeeter would lose
them both.
Jill touched her forehead to Skeeter’s chin, and then looked up at him with a weak smile. “We’ll
be together, and we’ll wait for you.”
Skeeter broke down, burying his face into Jill’s neck. “I can’t do it, Jillybean,” he sobbed.
The first window in the sanctuary crashed, and everyone but Skeeter froze. Sounds of searching
hands on the wooden boards made my skin crawl. I leaned back to see Zoe, Barb, and Ms. Kay turned
around in their seats, staring at the broken glass on the floor. The boards were holding, but I could
still feel my heart pounding against my rib cage. Eric stood next to the broken glass, inspecting the
board, and then he nodded, assuring us that they would hold.
“Wait. What are we talking about here” Reverend Mathis said, bringing my attention back to the