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She clung to the door and the r oof the car. ?What was that? Simon, w hat was that??
Simon?s head was in his hands on the w heel. ?A deer. A hulking gr eat stag just cr ashed
into the w indscr een. Didn?t you see it? I couldn?t avoid it. It hit us befor e I even saw it!?
?Oh no!? Beth flung the door open and flew out of the car. The blizzar d slapped her face
and she slipped on the slush under her feet. ?Get out, Simon!? she called. ?We?ve got to see
if it?s OK.?
Simon got out and sur veyed the car. It sat askance to the r oad, nose dow n in the
snow dr ift cover ing the ditch. He gr oaned. ?No!?
?Simon, I can?t see it. I can?t see the deer. Do you think you killed him??
?I don?t know. It can?t have done it much good. Look at the car ! How ar e w e going to get
it out of ther e? This is a nightmar e!?
Beth looked at the car. Its door s gaped open, and its headlights cut like the beams of
beacons thr ough the flur r ying flakes of sleet and snow , tur ning them a sickly yellow.
?Silent night, holy night,? floated fr om the car. ?Round yon Virgin Mother and Child, Holy
Infant so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace? ?
Beth looked at Simon, and she squir med, shr inking back in aw kwar d discomfor t. He
caught her eye and star ed back at her. Neither moved. Neither spoke. The silence betw een
them became a viscer al pain, and Beth spoke simply to br eak it.
?I can?t even see any blood? ? she hear d the fear in her ow n voice as it tr ailed off and
stopped.
The moment had passed. Simon had to shout over the how ling w ind. ?What did you say??
?The deer !? Beth yelled. ?He?s not her e. I can?t even see a tr ail of blood. We have to help
him!?
?Oh, that? It must be ther e. Beth, I don?t think w e can help it. I hit it pr etty har d. We
have to get the car out of this ditch.?
?But w hat if he?s not dead? You have to put him out of his miser y. We can?t just leave
him.?
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