Living Dead Girl (12 page)

All those cries, and no one ever heard them.

Finally, I spoke, I speak, and no one listens. Not even her.

Ray's hand on her arm, he is here now, he heard what I said, her eyes widen but it is too late.

I watch her see what her world will soon be.

SHE SCREAMS.

I didn't. I didn't even think of it, too stupid, too scared, too slow, I was at the aquarium, adults were everywhere my teachers were there all my friends were there my birthday was coming soon I had new lip gloss and the hat I had on was too big, even with my hair shoved up under it and then-—

And then, later, I screamed and no one came. I screamed and no one heard but Ray and he said oh no, no, no, don't do that like he would stop hurting me but then he did and smiled gums bared teeth yellow-white sharp chewing me apart down to the bone.

She screams and Ray shakes her, yanking her forward and back, and her voice cuts off in shock, no one has ever done this to her you can tell no one has ever hurt her no one has ever really shown her what hurt is.

"Let her go." Jake, from the bushes, just like I thought, daisy-eyed, voice slurred.

Gun in his hand.

RAY LAUGHS, A REAL LAUGH, THE high-pitched giggle that makes me curl into myself, cringing, and Jake blinks, slow, bewildered, this is his dream, this is the one where he's the hero, and starts to frown. Bad guy isn't supposed to be laughing. Bad guy is supposed to be scared.

See all that, see his thoughts, and Ray knocks the gun out of his hand and then turns his arm slightly, fist into Jake's jaw, nose, smash into his face.

Jake falls to the ground. Eyes open. "Lucy?" he says, "Lucy?" and Annabel starts to cry, tries to twist away. Ray steps on Jake's hand, grinding down the bones, and Jake howls, Annabel wide-eyed looking everywhere and nowhere.

Looks right at me and I feel my heart beat, heavy thud in my chest, slow, so slow, and she sees me, really sees me, living dead girl who she will soon be.

"Come on," Ray says, something in his voice I've never heard before, strange uncertain note, and I open my mouth scream run! For her, for me.

RUN.

She does, slipping little girl fast into the bushes. Ray swears, grabs my shoulder, no messing around now, yanks me around, spins me in front of him like we are dancing, claw into meat, teeth into flesh, and the world roars, shaking the way the sky rattles when thunder comes. My stomach twists like it's opening from the inside, burns like lightning must, my body snapping harder than even Ray can move me.

"You stupid bitch," Ray says, voice emptied out, my death in his eyes, and the world roars again, his fingers sinking deep inside me as his head cracks back, red blossom where his right eye was, staggering forward, crashing down, taking me as he falls, skin blood bone on me, running all over me, running into me.

"Alice," he says, and then again. "Alice?"

Then he is silent, a dark heavy weight on top of me. Pressing me down into the ground. Where all things must go. Where we one day will all be. Death to make the living.

"I did it," Jake wheezes and his face, strange hazy far away, peers at me. "I did it. Two shots but I did it. Where the fuck's my phone? Call the police, call Mom and Dad, call Todd and--Lucy? Lucy? Where are you?"

I want to push Ray off me but I can't move and he is dead, he is gone, and the pain in my stomach is hotter than the one in my shoulder, deeper, and when Jake says my name, phone at his ear, smeared like something melting, he touches my side and lifts up fingers dark like night.

"Oh no," he says, and then "oh no no no" and other words into his phone, hurry I meant to stop him but she moved or something she was there she was with him.

Yes, I was with him. Ten years old and in his car, say yes you will come with me.

Say it.

Good.

I don't have to close my eyes to sleep now it is coming for me I am so tired everything strange, slowed down, quiet, and Lucy--her name is Lucy she will never be called Annabel will never want to forget Lucy is her name. Will be able to keep it.

Lucy kneeling by me, wiggling her hand into mine, little fingers shaking and warm.

"Kyla," I whisper, dark swimming up all around me, filling me up. My name is Kyla Davis I live at 623 Daisy
Lane will you please take me home now? Please?

Yes, Ray said but he didn't he never did he kept me with him keeps me with him still but now-—

I don't remember sleeping without him by my side heavy weight pushing me down but now I don't feel him at all, Lucy's hand like a ghost, little voice saying what? What? What did you say?

I AM FREE.