She sucks in another breath, tightly clenches her eyes together as well as her hands. “S-S-Steven?” she says softly, but as before finds no answer coming. She unclenches her eyes and meets his empty gaze with bewilderment.

“Hell-ll-llo li-litt-ttle kit-tt-tty,” he murmurs through long dead lips. “W-h-hy are you run-nn-nning?”

“P-P-P-Please,” she sobs through trembling lips. “P-P-Please d-d-don’t hurt m-me!”

His head tilts to the side, and his decaying lips press together, then he smiles broadly. “We are l-lo-ong past that ch-child. To not hurt you, I wo-ou-ould have to change what has al-lrea-ready taken place… And that is impossible.”