face.
“She kept her car running,” I said.
“She must be planning to go somewhere else. Maybe she just stopped back to check on you.”
“Where else would she be going? It’s too weird.” I watched as Delia climbed out of her car. She stood stiffly for a moment, as if she’d forgotten what to do next, and then she slammed the door, too hard. She began making her way up the walk, her movements slightly awkward and stilted, like her limbs wouldn’t quite work right. I involuntarily took a step backward, apprehension blooming in my chest. Something wasn’t right.
Mick pushed himself off the couch, watching me warily, his face growing alarmed. “Shit, Lore. What is it?”
I shook my head and we listened to the key moving in the lock. “Something is off. She’s not right.”
The door opened and Mick and I stood watching each other, round-eyed.
“Lorelei.” The voice sounded raspy and too low, as if Delia hadn’t used her vocal cords before.
My heart leapt into my throat. I spoke low, so only Mick could hear me. “That is not her.”
His eyes widened. He barely whispered, “Who the hell is it?”
“It looks like her but that is definitely not her,” I said under my breath.
Delia’s footsteps thumped loudly, slowly, up the stairs.
“Looooooreleeeeeeeeiiiiii,” the voice rasped, sounding like sand spinning through a blender.
“We have to get to the door,” I said.
He nodded, held a hand up, palm out, in a gesture telling me to stay put.
I nodded, stepping back.
He moved toward the stairs and stood at the landing, looking down at Delia, whose head was bobbing just above the railing as she climbed the next step.
“Hi Delia!” Mick said cheerfully. “I’m Mick. I’m a friend of Lorelei’s. She isn’t here right now.”
Delia stopped dead in her tracks. I squatted down.
“Where is she?” Delia croaked.
He paused. “She had to go down to the police station to answer questions about Kerry,” he said. “She asked me to stay here and let you know when you got home.”
Only the sound of heavy breathing could be heard, a deep rattle from an endless well.
Then the smell hit me. Fetid, like something dead. Rotting.
I felt myself shaking, and was afraid I’d fall over. I leaned against the couch to steady myself. I squeezed my eyes shut. Oh, please go away. Whatever you are, just go away .
Without another word, Delia’s footsteps began descending the stairs. I knew without looking, and with mounting horror, that she was going down them backwards.
A drop of sweat rolled down my neck and between my shoulder blades. I hoped that the Delia thing couldn’t smell fear.
Whatever it was, it wasn’t human.
***
“You can’t stay here, Lore.” He stood at the window, making sure Delia didn’t come back while I sat, stunned, on a chair away from the view from the window. “She’s definitely coming back when she finds out you aren’t at the police station.”
“She walks into that station, the cops are going to know something is up,” I said, looking up at him. I was still trembling. “That thing is not Delia.”
He looked back at me. “She didn’t look right, Lore. Her eyes…they looked…black.” Mick wrapped his arms around himself. “I could swear I saw something dark swimming behind them.” He stared at me with haunted eyes. “It was the spookiest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Fear sat heavy in my belly, making it cramp. I moved a hand over my abdomen and leaned over slightly, waiting for the cramp to subside. I chewed my bottom lip.
“Are you okay?” Mick moved forward, crouching in front of me, his hand on my knee.
“I will be. I’m just really freaked,” I said, my words made breathless from the pain. “Something got her. Changed her.”
“I’ve never seen anything like it. I hope I never do again. Some strange shit is going on in this town,” Mick said. “Do you have any family you can stay with until things…go back to normal? Assuming they go
“She kept her car running,” I said.
“She must be planning to go somewhere else. Maybe she just stopped back to check on you.”
“Where else would she be going? It’s too weird.” I watched as Delia climbed out of her car. She stood stiffly for a moment, as if she’d forgotten what to do next, and then she slammed the door, too hard. She began making her way up the walk, her movements slightly awkward and stilted, like her limbs wouldn’t quite work right. I involuntarily took a step backward, apprehension blooming in my chest. Something wasn’t right.
Mick pushed himself off the couch, watching me warily, his face growing alarmed. “Shit, Lore. What is it?”
I shook my head and we listened to the key moving in the lock. “Something is off. She’s not right.”
The door opened and Mick and I stood watching each other, round-eyed.
“Lorelei.” The voice sounded raspy and too low, as if Delia hadn’t used her vocal cords before.
My heart leapt into my throat. I spoke low, so only Mick could hear me. “That is not her.”
His eyes widened. He barely whispered, “Who the hell is it?”
“It looks like her but that is definitely not her,” I said under my breath.
Delia’s footsteps thumped loudly, slowly, up the stairs.
“Looooooreleeeeeeeeiiiiii,” the voice rasped, sounding like sand spinning through a blender.
“We have to get to the door,” I said.
He nodded, held a hand up, palm out, in a gesture telling me to stay put.
I nodded, stepping back.
He moved toward the stairs and stood at the landing, looking down at Delia, whose head was bobbing just above the railing as she climbed the next step.
“Hi Delia!” Mick said cheerfully. “I’m Mick. I’m a friend of Lorelei’s. She isn’t here right now.”
Delia stopped dead in her tracks. I squatted down.
“Where is she?” Delia croaked.
He paused. “She had to go down to the police station to answer questions about Kerry,” he said. “She asked me to stay here and let you know when you got home.”
Only the sound of heavy breathing could be heard, a deep rattle from an endless well.
Then the smell hit me. Fetid, like something dead. Rotting.
I felt myself shaking, and was afraid I’d fall over. I leaned against the couch to steady myself. I squeezed my eyes shut. Oh, please go away. Whatever you are, just go away .
Without another word, Delia’s footsteps began descending the stairs. I knew without looking, and with mounting horror, that she was going down them backwards.
A drop of sweat rolled down my neck and between my shoulder blades. I hoped that the Delia thing couldn’t smell fear.
Whatever it was, it wasn’t human.
***
“You can’t stay here, Lore.” He stood at the window, making sure Delia didn’t come back while I sat, stunned, on a chair away from the view from the window. “She’s definitely coming back when she finds out you aren’t at the police station.”
“She walks into that station, the cops are going to know something is up,” I said, looking up at him. I was still trembling. “That thing is not Delia.”
He looked back at me. “She didn’t look right, Lore. Her eyes…they looked…black.” Mick wrapped his arms around himself. “I could swear I saw something dark swimming behind them.” He stared at me with haunted eyes. “It was the spookiest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Fear sat heavy in my belly, making it cramp. I moved a hand over my abdomen and leaned over slightly, waiting for the cramp to subside. I chewed my bottom lip.
“Are you okay?” Mick moved forward, crouching in front of me, his hand on my knee.
“I will be. I’m just really freaked,” I said, my words made breathless from the pain. “Something got her. Changed her.”
“I’ve never seen anything like it. I hope I never do again. Some strange shit is going on in this town,” Mick said. “Do you have any family you can stay with until things…go back to normal? Assuming they go
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