the Dumpster again and
ending my vision in the process. She does something different this time though.
I watch closely as her left hand reaches behind the Dumpster and out of view.
“Face says you can talk to the spirits. He says you’ve been talking to Willis.
Is that correct?”
“Aruna,
if you don’t want my help, then I think we’re done here. Would you like me to
tell anybody you’re alive?” I say. “Barely.”
“Oh
my,” she says, laughing loudly again. “The bitch has a sense of humor. I’ll be
sure to let Face know. He’ll like that.” She pauses and somehow manages to hold
my gaze, Aruna not looking as stoned now. “Thing is I know exactly what you’re
thinking, Alix. We all do. You’re thinking you’re safe because of who your
daddy is. You’re thinking if things get too scary, you can just run to Clint
Keener the lawman and turn everything over to him. Truth is you’re nothing but
a bored little virgin schoolgirl who thinks a few visions have made her
invincible and ready for an adventure on the wild side.” She emits a soft grunt
and spits onto the asphalt. “You’re hoping the water doesn’t get too hot, but
honey, let me tell you something: you’re one step away from feeling the boil.
Alix Keener, you will crash and burn to your death if you try to expose,
weaken, or disrupt Perennial in any way.” She brushes a matted clump of sweaty
hair away from her eyes. “And girl, you better believe me when I tell you there
isn’t a damn thing your daddy will be able to do to keep you safe.”
“As
I said, Aruna, it looks like we’re done here.”
I
tighten my fists, sensing she’s about to try something desperate, something
stupid. She’s right, though: part of me does wish either the police or my dad
would show up right now to take her away, but I know that isn’t going to
happen. I’m terrified at the thought of violence, but I’m well aware the road
I’m embarking upon is loaded with it. Right now I’m thankful to Dad for all
those years of self-defense lessons.
“Just
one last thing,” Aruna says, lowering her head and looking sad and exhausted
now, her left hand still hidden as I walk a wide arc to my left to get around
her and onto the path. “Face wants you to have this.”
She’s
barely eight feet away and charges me with surprising speed for a strung-out
druggie, Aruna raising her left arm over her shoulder, sunlight glinting off of
something sharp and shiny in her hand: a knife about seven inches long and
easily capable of ending my life at seventeen. Dad’s fight lessons pay off for
the first time in my life. I don’t have time to think. All I can do is react. I
raise my right arm and chop the outside edge of my hand directly below Aruna’s
knife hand. I have a terrible vision of her future as I deliver a sharp left
jab to her chin. Aruna grunts and hunches over, stunned. Next I grab her left
wrist and the back of her neck and force her out away from me, twisting her
knife-holding hand inward and up, which allows me to bend her left wrist back
as far as I want while simultaneously landing a hard kick to her right knee. Aruna
screams from the pain and drops to her knees, her grasp on the knife easily
weakened enough for me to pry the weapon from her hand. She’s lucky I didn’t
break her left wrist, because that would’ve been my next move if she refused to
release the knife.
I
back off to create some space between us, keeping the silver weapon in my right
hand as Aruna breaks into tears and rolls onto her back. She’s rubbing her
wounded knee with one hand and cradling her aching wrist against her chest. Her
crying turns into childlike wailing. I feel bad for her, but I had to defend
myself.
I
hold the knife behind my back, stand over her, and say, “Aruna, you need to get
away from Face. You tell Face that any man who sends a girl to do his fighting
isn’t a man at all. He’s a pathetic piece of shit.”
“I’m
so sorry, Alix,” she says, genuine
ending my vision in the process. She does something different this time though.
I watch closely as her left hand reaches behind the Dumpster and out of view.
“Face says you can talk to the spirits. He says you’ve been talking to Willis.
Is that correct?”
“Aruna,
if you don’t want my help, then I think we’re done here. Would you like me to
tell anybody you’re alive?” I say. “Barely.”
“Oh
my,” she says, laughing loudly again. “The bitch has a sense of humor. I’ll be
sure to let Face know. He’ll like that.” She pauses and somehow manages to hold
my gaze, Aruna not looking as stoned now. “Thing is I know exactly what you’re
thinking, Alix. We all do. You’re thinking you’re safe because of who your
daddy is. You’re thinking if things get too scary, you can just run to Clint
Keener the lawman and turn everything over to him. Truth is you’re nothing but
a bored little virgin schoolgirl who thinks a few visions have made her
invincible and ready for an adventure on the wild side.” She emits a soft grunt
and spits onto the asphalt. “You’re hoping the water doesn’t get too hot, but
honey, let me tell you something: you’re one step away from feeling the boil.
Alix Keener, you will crash and burn to your death if you try to expose,
weaken, or disrupt Perennial in any way.” She brushes a matted clump of sweaty
hair away from her eyes. “And girl, you better believe me when I tell you there
isn’t a damn thing your daddy will be able to do to keep you safe.”
“As
I said, Aruna, it looks like we’re done here.”
I
tighten my fists, sensing she’s about to try something desperate, something
stupid. She’s right, though: part of me does wish either the police or my dad
would show up right now to take her away, but I know that isn’t going to
happen. I’m terrified at the thought of violence, but I’m well aware the road
I’m embarking upon is loaded with it. Right now I’m thankful to Dad for all
those years of self-defense lessons.
“Just
one last thing,” Aruna says, lowering her head and looking sad and exhausted
now, her left hand still hidden as I walk a wide arc to my left to get around
her and onto the path. “Face wants you to have this.”
She’s
barely eight feet away and charges me with surprising speed for a strung-out
druggie, Aruna raising her left arm over her shoulder, sunlight glinting off of
something sharp and shiny in her hand: a knife about seven inches long and
easily capable of ending my life at seventeen. Dad’s fight lessons pay off for
the first time in my life. I don’t have time to think. All I can do is react. I
raise my right arm and chop the outside edge of my hand directly below Aruna’s
knife hand. I have a terrible vision of her future as I deliver a sharp left
jab to her chin. Aruna grunts and hunches over, stunned. Next I grab her left
wrist and the back of her neck and force her out away from me, twisting her
knife-holding hand inward and up, which allows me to bend her left wrist back
as far as I want while simultaneously landing a hard kick to her right knee. Aruna
screams from the pain and drops to her knees, her grasp on the knife easily
weakened enough for me to pry the weapon from her hand. She’s lucky I didn’t
break her left wrist, because that would’ve been my next move if she refused to
release the knife.
I
back off to create some space between us, keeping the silver weapon in my right
hand as Aruna breaks into tears and rolls onto her back. She’s rubbing her
wounded knee with one hand and cradling her aching wrist against her chest. Her
crying turns into childlike wailing. I feel bad for her, but I had to defend
myself.
I
hold the knife behind my back, stand over her, and say, “Aruna, you need to get
away from Face. You tell Face that any man who sends a girl to do his fighting
isn’t a man at all. He’s a pathetic piece of shit.”
“I’m
so sorry, Alix,” she says, genuine
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