She Lies Twisted (9 page)

“
I am totally, crazily, obsessively into xylography, I hate reality shows, and I play the harmonica.” James held up his arms with a smile. “There!” He said, sighing and sagging against the back of his seat. “Now you know everything about me. Your turn.” I smiled.

“
You would've loved my sister,” I said as I dug into my food with renewed fervor. “She always wanted to date a boy who would play the harmonica for her.”

Misery loves company.

After dinner, James and I walked back to the house. I had decided to let him stay there while we got this whole 'indefinite' grim reaper thing sorted out. He had no where else to go and I needed information. For the moment, it was a win-win situation. I was actually starting to feel some of the fog from Boyd's death melting away when I turned the corner onto my street and saw that all of the lights were on. It was weird to see any lights on in our house after seven. Grandma Willa liked to check in early and sleep late. I picked up the pace and motioned for James to hurry up.

Grandma Willa was standing in the front yard in one of those old fashioned night gowns that old people in the South like to wear. It looked like a white canvas sack to me but I was sure that fashion was the last thing on her mind. If she still had one that is.

“
Shoo!” She was shouting, flicking her hands at one of the trees that lined the edge of the front yard. “Go on, get out of here!” I put a hand to my forehead and turned to James.

“
Go ahead and go inside. Wait in the downstairs bedroom for me.” He nodded but didn't move. I raised my eyebrows at him. The neighbors were starting to come out of their houses to stare. It was time to defuse the situation or deal with social services again. The last thing I needed was for some snot nosed social worker to try and place me with the state. James began to drag his feet towards the front door. I decided that was as good as I was going to get and walked up to my grandmother. I placed my hands on her tiny shoulders and leaned down.

“
Come on, Mom, let's go back inside and I'll make you some tea.” Grandma Willa always responded better when I called her Mom. She thought I was my mother anyway and if I played into it, it just made things that much easier. She ignored me and bent down to pick up a rock. I looked up as she tossed it at a bunch of quivering leaves near the top of the tree. Bright colors flashed as something skittered down the trunk and disappeared into the bushes on the opposite side. My spine twinged in warning.

“
Watch out!” It was James. I ducked, taking Grandma Willa with me. A burst of red exploded above our heads and smashed into the tree. Bits of bark burst out at us like shots.

“
No dogs in the yard!” Grandma Willa screamed as she attempted to rise. I pushed her back down and stood. The red blur skidded to a stop in some of Anita's prized begonias. I swallowed a lump of fear and tried to ascertain exactly what it was that I was looking at. It was no bigger than a coyote and bore a striking resemblance to something I'd seen in Final Fantasy VII.

“
What the hell?” The words had barely left my mouth when the dog-cat thing turned and started down the brick walkway towards James. Tails like whips (I think I counted
six
) slashed through the hedges on either side as the animal bore down on James. He paused briefly before turning back towards the house and slamming the door in the thing's face. I didn't blame him. It
was
scary but after crashing into the door and nearly taking it off the hinges, it turned around and came at me. Grandma Willa was still screaming and pointing and if I'd been a passerby, I would've sworn we were having a block party. Every house in the neighborhood was gawking from doorways and second story balconies, standing on their lawns and restraining their ridiculous dogs. They seemed concerned but not scared.

They can't see it!
I realized as I moved to stand in front of Grandma Willa. But I had no delusions that it wasn't really there. I had seen firsthand what one of these things could do. But why didn't James just touch it and send it back like he'd done before? I shoved my grandmother out of the way and rolled just in time to miss the rows of double teeth and claws. The time for thinking was past, it was time to act. I searched around the grass frantically. I needed a tree branch, one of Anita's shovels, anything really. I was afraid to see what the creature would do to me if all I had to fend it off with were my bare hands.

A whistle broke across the night.

The monster's triangular ears swiveled back. It paused in the slow, stalking circle it had been pacing around me and twisted its neck 180 degrees back to look at James. He was standing in the doorway of the house with a fire poker clutched in his skinny hands.

“
You have to touch it!” James screamed as the thing shook its red fur and started to pick up speed for another charge. At least it was easily distracted.

“
Touch it?” I was confused. That was James' job, right?

“
Just trust me!” James yelled as he pulled his arms back like he was preparing for a grand slam. “I'll explain later!” His voice was starting to shake as the dog trotted closer. I shook myself and pulled my hood up. It was like putting on a helmet. It made me feel stronger. I started to run through the grass. The creature turned around again, almost lazily this time. It had started with such fervor.
Maybe it's getting bored?
I thought as I paused and waited for it to charge me again.

“
Two fingers,” James said and touched his forehead between his eyebrows. “The third eye.” I held out a shaking hand. The dog monster grinned. It
grinned
just like the sandman had. It was horrid and twisted and it made my stomach hurt. I faltered. Flanks bunched, muscles contracted. It was coming straight for my face.

James screamed something I couldn't hear and I cowered back, arms over my head. A thought crossed my mind that I wouldn't die but that this was going to
hurt
and then I heard a sharp yelp and glanced up. The animal was lying on its side in the grass, a glowing arrow protruding from its side. The light around the arrow pulsed like a heartbeat while the creature lifted up its head and licked the blood streaming from the wound. For a moment, I was reminded of a German Shepard licking its side. I almost felt sorry for it.

Grandma Willa walked barefoot through the grass and paused next to me. She balanced on her toes and kissed my cheek. “Good girl, Marilyn,” she said and started limping back towards the house. Blue and red flickered across the white of the shudders and I felt my breath catch in my throat.

Cops.

James turned around and slid the fire poker under the welcome mat before standing up and pulling up his own hood. What will they say about the stitches? I wondered. What about the front door? How much can they see?

I turned around and came face to face with Margaret Cedar's brother. For the life of me, I couldn't remember his name. The neighbors continued to gawk as he glanced around the yard with a glint of suspicion in his gaze. I risked a look over my shoulder. The dog monster was panting heavily, thick streams of drool dripping across its paws as blood drained from its body and pooled on the dirt under the roses. I almost screamed when a figure stepped out from the shadows.

It was one of the harpies. I couldn't remember their names but I recognized her as the black one I'd met at the beach. She smiled at me. I turned back around and tried not to let my hands shake.

“
We've received a call about a domestic disturbance,” Mr. Cedar said as he cast a disapproving glance at his partner. The other cop, who I didn't recognize, was still sitting in the passenger seat of the car doing something on his phone. It looked like he was texting. “And don't even get me started on how much trouble you're in at school.”

“
No, no,” I said as I gestured at James to join us. He kept his head low and dragged his feet down the walkway like he was feeling put out by having to do it. I hoped he was acting or I was going to have to remember to be pissed off at him later. Mr. Cedar, whose name tag said Brandon, leaned down to look at James' face.

“
Lord boy,” he exclaimed pulling back. “What have you done to your face?” I pulled the sleeve of my sweatshirt back and showed him the stitches in my wrist. I could see James' eyes flashing with alarm. I knew what I was doing. People saw what they wanted to see and believed what they wanted to believe. This would work. People were just too predictable.

“
We're practicing for a play,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. I decided to ignore his other comment. School could wait. That dog thing could get up at any minute. I needed to make this quick. Brandon Cedar raised his eyebrows. James pushed back his hood. “It's just makeup.”

“
It's true, uh, dude.” I cringed.
Don't lay it on too thick,
I thought at him. “You know, it's like a rendition of Tim Burton's
Corpse Bride
for the stage. Real cool, huh?” Brandon stared at the front door and then at the ruined patch of begonias and then he smiled.

“
Mrs. Ruby,” he said and stepped between James and me. There was an adult on the scene now, never mind the kids. Kids lie. Kids are trouble makers. I squeezed my fists in anger. James rested a hand on my arm.

“
It'll be okay,” he whispered as he followed the cop up to the house.
Please be normal.
I thought desperately. Grandma Willa was unpredictable. She could be talking philosophy one minute, staring at the wall in silence the next. I never knew what to expect.

“
Brandon Cedar!” She exclaimed as he came to a stop on one of the front steps. “I never did thank you for bringing Tatum home after her and Maggie's little play sessions.” I breathed a sigh of relief and grabbed James by the arm. I dragged him past the cop and Grandma Willa and into the pretty bedroom. I closed the door until there was just a little crack and leaned my ear against the opening.

James sat down on the bed and waited in silence. I could tell he was bursting to tell me something.
Should've thought of that last night when you were eating my Rice Krispies.
I stifled my anger. It wasn't really directed at him. I was coming down from an adrenaline rush. As soon as my body realized it wasn't a flight or fight situation, I'd be okay.

Mr. Cedar thanked my grandma with a promise to check up on us sometime next week and left. I sagged against the door with relief.

“
I can't believe it,” I breathed as Grandma Willa hummed her way up the stairs and disappeared into a bedroom.

“
You should go thank your grandma before we go outside,” he said, face serious. “She obviously cares about you.” I scowled as I stood up and opened the door.

“
She's just too senile to remember what happened,” I said stomping over to the busted front door.
How'd we get away with that one?
James followed me quietly.

“
She saw it, Neil,” he said softly.

“
She's crazy,” I replied, avoiding his previous statement. “She has hour long conversations with my dead mother on a regular basis.” I stepped out the front door and into the back of a harpy with a glowing bow clutched in her hand.

“
It's lovely to see you again, Tatum,” she breathed in a voice that was two parts Marilyn Monroe and one part harpsichord. I shied away from her and approached the dog thing. James stopped on the porch next to her.

“
Thanks,” he said, his macabre face lighting with a genuine smile. “I thought
Tatum,
” he winked at me. “Was done there for a second.” I rolled my eyes and never thought to wonder how the harpy knew my name when I'd never told her. That was the least weird thing I'd seen that night.

“
The demon has been incapacitated,” she replied simply, dropping her wings to the ground and gliding forward with long, graceful steps. Black feathers trailed behind her like the train of the world's most beautiful dress. My chest twinged with jealousy. I'd always wanted wings.

“
Demon?” I asked, taking a step away from her. Despite the fact that she'd saved me from a pretty nasty attack, I still wasn't quite comfortable with the ethereally beautiful bird woman. Maybe I never would be. Her black lips twisted into a half smile.

“
A soul that has been released but has not yet passed through or over. A wanderer, a lost one, a poltergeist.” I held up a hand and she paused. I had the feeling that if I didn't stop her, she could go on forever. “You must pass him through,” she said to me. I glanced back at James. He nodded. Action first, explanation later, I got it. I knelt down in the grass. Blood soaked into my jeans making me sick.
This isn't the same.
I told myself.
This isn't Boyd.
I squeezed my eyes shut.