Beyond Reach

Crushed cranial vault.  Visible extrusions of brain tissue through multiple scalp lacerations.

She tried to keep up, tried to focus on the fat grey threads of jelly that laced what remained of this man's head.  Memories, she told herself.  Intelligence.

The very stuff of what we are, of what we do.  Billions of nerve cells that should have warned him to take care when crossing the road.

She closed her eyes and took a tiny step backwards, secretly glad that something like this could still shock her.