dy toward the ball which she held high in the
air.
At the same time, it was tightening around her chest, forcing air
out of her lungs.
It all happened so fast that it was only when she gasped,
“Somebody take th’ ball,” that the others leaped to her aid. Bonnie was
the first to get there, tearing with her fingernails at the greenery that was
squeezing Meredith’s chest. But each blade was like steel, and she
couldn’t rip away even one of them. Neither could Matt or Elena.
Meanwhile, Sage was trying to lift Meredith bodily—to pluck her from
the earth—and having no more success than the rest.
Meredith’s face, clearly visible in the light still shining from the
hole, was going white.
Damon snatched the star ball from her fingers just before the
tangled greenery running up her arm could reach it. He then began
moving literally faster than the human eye could track, never stopping in
any one place long enough for any plant to grasp him.
But still, the grass around Meredith was tightening. Now her face
was turning blue. Her eyes were wide, her mouth open for a breath that
would not come.
“Stop it!” Elena screamed at Shinichi. “We’ll give you the star
ball! Just let go of her!”
“LET GO OF HER?” Shinichi bellowed laughter. “MAYBE
YOU’D BETTER LOOK TO YOUR OWN INTERESTS FIRST