Helen expected a fresh volley of blood to soak Sprite’s side. None came.

“I said, ‘I’m fine,’” Sprite repeated, still looking to the sky. “Helen, you need to get ready now, cause trouble’s coming. And there’s not much we can do about it but wait for it to get here.”

Helen looked to the sky and didn’t see anything. She turned back to Sprite. “What are you talking about, honey?”

She glanced at Sprite’s side, but still no more blood than the small circle of red that surrounded the slit in her shirt.

Sprite kept watch, the speck growing larger.