PUZZLE PIECE 44
THE HUMMING
Repugnant spirits,
They’re creeping back for a view,
What am I to do?
Dare I play with a demon?
What will happen if I do?
Ryder was silent for a long time, his face contorted in pain. It appeared as if he was channelling every resource to lift himself out of this undesirable situation. I flinched, waiting for the battle. He closed his eyes and did something unexpected. He hummed. The humming was unlike anything that I’d ever heard. The sound of it ripped into my ears like a treacherous earwig crawling into the deepest cavity of my eardrum. I felt my eyes smart. It was a strange dulling sensation, reminding me of an appalling allergic reaction I’d once had. My eyes drooped, forcing me to fight against the need to drift off to sleep, a sleep from which I do
