Part 4 (1/2)

Then a human shape wavered into my view. It was coming up the sidewalk near the house. I watched and waited, antic.i.p.ating, as the shape moved across the freshly cut gra.s.s. I could see the person, and then a colored halo around their shape. Blues, greens and sunny yellow swirled around together, swaying back and forth, rocking to the motion of the person's movement.

”Hey Sale, what are you doing standing there?”

It was my brother Kyle moving towards me, dressed in shorts and a tank top, his usual attire.

Realizing that my eyes must be doing the freaky ink thing for me to see in that way, I lowered my gaze and pretended to study my feet. I didn't want Kyle to see them. He would freak out.

”Someone rang the doorbell. I just came out to see who it was.”

As he approached the stoop, he glanced one way then the other obviously trying to figure out if I had lost my mind or something. ”Okay? So who was it?”

I shook my head, still keeping my head downcast. ”Ah, no one I guess.”

He came up on the stoop but paused at my side before going into the house. ”Are you alright?”

”Yeah, I'm fine.” I rubbed at my eyes. I couldn't go back into the house with them the way they were. Someone would call my mom and I'd be back in the hospital and probably end up undergoing a bunch of painful tests. ”Where were you anyways? I thought you were in your room.”

”I was over at Brian's playing a little b-ball.” After looking at me funny, he went into the house. ”Are you coming back in?”

”Yeah, in a minute. Just leave the door open.”

”Okay,” he said, a quirk in his voice, then the last bit he mumbled under his breath, ”weirdo.” But I heard him anyway.

His little comment didn't surprise me--Kyle and I were complete opposites. He was tall and fair haired, as I was short and well, I colored my hair monthly, so I guess that didn't count. He loved sports and was on the school basketball team. I managed to play a mean game of air hockey once in awhile down at the pool hall. Academically, we were about the same. Both of us raked in B's, with a few C+'s mixed in the bunch. However I did manage to score an A last term in art. Thankfully my teacher had a great sense of humor and thought my sculpture of a sperm cell constructed entirely out of tampons was inspired.

Music and movies also differed. While I leaned toward the hardcore, including loving horror movies, Kyle was really all about the Pop. Although I did think Superbad was a freaking hilarious film. I mean who couldn't love McLovin? And Michael Cera I thought was cute as h.e.l.l.

After a few more minutes I gave up trying to find out who was watching me, if anyone. I rubbed at my eyes until they stung, but finally my vision returned to normal. I glanced around the yard one last time before heading in.

Out of my peripheral I thought I saw movement in the shadows along side the house, but instead of stopping and checking it out, I shook the feeling off and went back to my room. I had enough of being freaked out for the day. I figured I was over quota.

I pushed open my bedroom door with the intention of lying back down on my bed and picking up the phone to order pizza. It was past six and my stomach was starting to grumble. But when I entered, a high pitched shrill, like the emergency broadcast system signal, invaded my ears. I clutched at my head trying to drown the offensive sound out.

”What the h.e.l.l is that?” I yelled over the clamor.

Both Chloe and Jamie regarded me strangely. ”What are you talking about?” Chloe asked.

”That noise. What the h.e.l.l is it?”

”It's Malice, dummy. It was on your iPod,” Jamie said.

Chloe frowned. ”I told him I wasn't sure if you'd want to listen to it, considering.”

”This isn't Malice. It can't be.” I took my hands off my ears and moved toward the iPod dock speakers. All I could hear was the ear piercing whine of static coming through the tiny holes.

Then when I strained, really strained, I could hear whispered words.

You are mine...

You belong to me...

You want me beyond all reason...

You will never love someone as much as you love me...

And then like a slap in the face, the sting radiated down my body.

Salem, I know you're listening...

I stumbled backwards. Feet tangled, I tripped over the pile of shoes and magazines on the floor and ended up on my a.s.s.

Chloe put out her hand to help me up. ”What's the matter with you?”

I stared at her, the whispered words still caressing my ears like a lover's fingers. ”Shut it off.”

She hesitated, a look of concern pinching her already thin face.

”Shut it off!” I screamed.

Startled by my outburst, Jamie fumbled with the dock but finally managed to pull the iPod out of it, instantly stopping the music. He set the device down on my dresser. ”Holy s.h.i.+t, Salem. What's your problem?”

”Leave her alone.” Chloe pulled me to my feet and put an arm around my shoulders. ”She's had a rough few days.”

Still shaking, I allowed Chloe to guide me to the bed and sit me down. She sat beside me, her hand rubbing my shoulder. I appreciated her effort to calm me even if it was completely pointless. Jamie just stood on the other side of the room staring at us, unsure of what to say. I couldn't blame him.

Neither of us had told him about the incident after the Malice gig. All he knew was that I got into it with another girl and ripped out her nose ring. I didn't want to tell him about the rest. I still wasn't absolutely sure I'd been raped or a.s.saulted. I'd definitely been drugged, that much I was positive about, but the rest was still foggy.

There'd been a few times while I was still in the hospital where I wanted to ask the doctor if he'd examined all of me and found anything odd. Or if he'd done a toxicology test on my blood and found RBH floating around in my system. But I'd been too embarra.s.sed to ask. It wasn't really a good topic for small talk. I'd also been so eager to get out of the hospital; I didn't want to give them any more reasons to keep me there.

After a few seconds of silence, Jamie cleared his throat. ”I'm going.” He headed for the door. ”My dad went back to school shopping and who the h.e.l.l knows what he came back with. I swear to G.o.d the dude thinks I'm still twelve.”

I didn't respond. My ears still tingled from the static in the music. I swiped at them, digging my fingers inside. They itched as if a thousand baby spiders were crawling around.

”Later,” Chloe said.

”I'll see you guys at school.” He left shutting the bedroom door behind him.

”Do you want me to call your mom?” she asked.

I shook my head. I didn't want to have to explain anything to my mom. Because, well, I couldn't explain it. I had no freaking idea what was happening to me. Maybe I was going insane. Maybe I'd contracted a serious STD and it was affecting my brain. Syphilis. That was it. My brain was slowly being eaten away by it. At least, I thought that was how the disease worked. I didn't really pay attention in health cla.s.s.

A violent s.h.i.+ver racked my body. ”Just sit with me for awhile, okay?”

Without a word, she settled her head against mine and squeezed my shoulder, and I knew she'd stay with me as long as I needed her to. To the end of days or until I fell asleep, whichever happened to come first.

Chapter 7.