Gritting my teeth, I forced myself to look away and continued to drag my feet forward with as much dignity as I could muster under Ralph’s dead weight, but I could have sworn those eyes had shifted back to me again with somewhat less of that primal fury within them. It still sent a shudder down my spine.

I forgot about the pain, exhaustion, hopelessness, and even the intimidating stranger, when I heard the most bloodcurdling sound ringing across the sky like a shrill violin. With my nerves ...