The children went to the entrance of the cave to see a line of torches approaching. The sound of drums grew louder as the torches came closer. They stopped at the foot of the hill so that the children in the cave could see them.
Every child in Eternity had gathered at the base of the hill. The boys carried pitchforks, knives, and boards for weapons along with their torches. The drumbeat came from a line of girls banging on pots and pans. They continued drumming as a group made its way through the crowd. Veronica stood at the head of the group, along with a trio of boys dragging a squirming Molly.
"Joseph, we know you're in there. Come down and I promise Molly won't be hurt. More so, I mean. I'll give you thirty seconds to answer and then I'll cut her throat."
"I'll come down when you let her go," Joseph shouted back.
"I'm afraid I can't let her go. She has to answer for the murders of poor Helena and Phyllis. But I promise if you come down, she'll only be locked up in the cellar for a while. Think it over. You have twenty seconds."
"What do we do?" Prudence asked.
"I'll go down there," Joseph said.
"Joe, you can't!" Samantha said. "She kiww you!"
"It won't matter if you use the fountain to go back in time and stop her. It'll be like none of this ever happened."
"Aw wight," Samantha said. She kissed Joseph for what might be the last time. "I won't faiw you this time," she said as she let him go.
"I know you won't." As Joseph started down the path, someone emerged from behind a rock to grab him. Samantha cried out a moment before a net descended upon her, Prudence, and Wendell. Two boys came out of hiding, shouting with triumph.
Samantha kicked and clawed at the netting, but it was too strong for her tiny limbs. The boys dragged the net down the path, leaving them at Veronica's feet. She knelt down and reached through the netting to grab Samantha by the hair. "This must be my lucky day," Veronica said. "As soon as I get the fountain back, you and I are going to have ever so much fun."
"No!" Joseph shouted. He tried to break free from his captors until one of the boys elbowed him in the stomach. Samantha screamed at this and again tried to get out of the net, but couldn't.
"Take them back to town," Veronica said. Before letting go of Samantha, she whispered, "This time you and your little friends aren't going to escape me." As the boys dragged the net towards town, Samantha began to cry for having failed yet again.