#gerald'sgame

It was an end to the horror, and for the time being that was enough.

She had caught the stink of her own fear, it was as strong and compelling to her as the smell of the sandwich leftovers was to the dog, and it quickly carried her into a state that was not just panic but a kind of temporary insanity.

Jesus, sometimes I can't believe how dumb people can be. They ought to make it a law that you have to get a license, or at least a learner's permit, before you're allowed to talk. Until you pass your Talker's Test, you should have to be mute.

Time speeds by faster when you are eavesdropping on conversations about yourself.

If anyone ever asks you what panic is, now you can tell them: an emotional blank spot that leaves you feeling as if you've been sucking on a mouthful of pennies.

Sometimes, she was discovering, it was impossible to take the mind's advice, no matter how good it was. Sometimes the body simply rose up and slapped all that good advice aside. She was discovering something else, as well - giving in to those simple physical needs could be an inexpressible relief.

The total solar eclipse lasted just over a minute that day...except in your mind. In there, it's still going on, isn't it?

That was the bottom line. Her father stuck up for her, and her mother stuck it to her.