Authors: Christina Leigh Pritchard
“You’re killing me,” Ally screeched. “Look at me!”
She was right. Her hair was turning gray and now it was silver. Her skin wrinkled and Ally looked seventy years old with only a part of her body outside the force field. He really was going to kill her. Somebody had to do something.
“Stop it!” I screamed. He couldn’t kill her. He wasn’t god. I ran over to him as fast as I could and knocked him down. Ally dropped to the ground and gasped for air. Her hair turned back into its normal pale blond and her skin was young again.
“Thank you, Lisa,” she whispered. “I really have changed. I—”
“You’re banished from school,” I pointed to the woods. “Don’t set foot on campus ever again for as long as you’re alive.”
“You can’t tell me what to do!” She growled, standing up. “I’m your creator. You owe me your life.”
“I agree with Lisa.” Alex stood up, placing his arm around my shoulders. “You must leave. Go to the shack and stay there next door to Millie.”
“She’ll die soon,” Ally complained. “Who will I have then?”
“Millie has some miles in her still; at least thirty more years. After that, who cares who you have? You don’t deserve company. If you try to come on campus again I’ll kill you and Lisa will stand by that decision.”
“You wouldn’t,” Ally snapped. “You’re not a killer.”
“I’ll stand by Alex.” I swallowed hard. Would I really let him kill her? Was he going to actually let her die? He didn’t toss her out completely. Was he scaring her? I concentrated hard, but he had too many thoughts. He was a mess.
Ally screamed, pulling on her hair. “I have changed, I have!” She stomped her feet and ripped out a chunk of her hair. “I don’t want to be alone anymore. I hate it! Everyday of my life—I’m alone. You’ve taken everything good that I have.”
“Goodbye, Ally,” I whispered. She looked into my eyes. Hers watered before she dashed into the woods.
“Were you really going to kill her?”
Alex frowned. “I don’t know. A part of me knew I should, but I love her and hate her at the same time. I always have to look like the bad one just to keep her from causing more trouble. Maybe now we all can have more freedom with her banished. I wish I’d thought of that.”
“Alex, I didn’t know she was like that.” Donna crept closer. “I thought she was just sad about Pete and Marie. I never would’ve dreamed she was the one who got Frank to touch Pig.”
“Come here, Donna, I need to erase your pain,” Alex said. I pulled away, watching as he touched her arm. “Lisa, when I’m finished, we must pretend she’s fallen and hit her head.”
I shook nervously, recoiling. He really could erase memories. Michael did forget me and now, he was erasing Donna’s memory of Ally and Pig. I needed to get away and fast.
Pig stood next to me, and as if he knew, pointed his nose east. “What, you want me to follow you?” I asked. He barked and raced ahead. I followed close behind. Anything was better than watching Alex erase Donna’s memories.
Twenty One
Rat Has A Secret
Pig and I ran all the way out behind Millie’s house. He stopped in front of the henhouse and motioned for me to look up. There, on top of the coop was Rat. His tail flicked angrily when he spotted us.
“Why’d you bring me to Rat?” I knelt down. Poor Pig. He longed to be held and loved but was unable because if anyone except Ally touched him—he’d kill them. What a horrible life he held. “Did Alex take one of my memories away, huh, Pig?”
He barked and pointed at the cat. What did he want me to do? “Rat knows all of our secrets.” Ally wept, slouching against the side of the coop. “He holds all our thoughts and if you ask him the right question you can learn the truth about anything. That’s his special gift or
curse
as I call it.”
“How do I know this isn’t some trick?”
“Why would Pig bring you to Rat if it were? Do you think he’d let you touch the cat if there was some horrible consequence awaiting you? He’s stopped Rat from touching you before; don’t you remember?”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because, as much as you and Alex doubt me, I have changed, maybe not enough but I want you to ask Rat about me, too and why I did the things I’ve done. I deserve some sort of chance. Everyone screws up and I just know you will forgive me if you ask Rat about me.”
“Pig, is this true? Should I touch rat?” He barked and Rat hopped down, inches from my feet. I knelt and took a deep breath. “Rat, what memories of Michael have been erased?”
I placed my hand on him and instantly I was in C I N Boarding School. Ally and Michael lay together on a bed in one of the dorms. He twirled pieces of her red hair in his fingers. It was redder than I’d ever seen before.
“I love you, Alison Moody.” Michael bit her earlobe. Pig rested in the corner, sleeping soundly.
“I love you more,” she giggled, wrapping her arms around him. “I think I’m ready now.” He kissed her neck softly, positioning himself. “You really do love me?”
“Yeah,” Michael pushed himself against her. “I do.”
“I’m nervous,” she said, placing her hands on his chest, “Maybe we shouldn’t.”
“It’ll be okay,” Michael said. I looked away, listening to the headboard bang against the wall. “Oh, Marie!”
I turned abruptly; eyes wide. Ally scrambled from underneath him. “Marie?”
“It was an accident,” Michael stammered, “You know I don’t like that girl.”
“We were making love and you shout
her
name? How do you explain that away? I don’t understand. Michael, you said you never cheated on me. You did, didn’t you?” Ally curled up in a ball and sobbed. “You had sex with Marie. You lying cheat. Get out!”
“Ally, okay, it wasn’t on purpose. It just happened. I’m in love with you, not her. She means nothing to me.”
“I said, get out!”
Pig stood up and barked, threatening Michael. “Look, Ally, I told you, Marie means nothing to me.” He stood in the middle of the room naked. I tried to avoid staring but I couldn’t.
Ally pointed at Michael. “Pig, sic him, now.” He charged but Michael jumped out of the way. He grabbed a pillow and raced out of the room, slamming the door shut. Ally covered her face in the pillow and wailed. “Why would he do this to me, Pig? I thought he loved me.”
I let go of Rat’s neck, shaking the thoughts out of my head. Michael had lied to me. He’d said he almost lost his longevity because he went to his father’s funeral. Did he even remember being in a relationship with Ally? “Ally, I—”
“Don’t tell me about whatever you saw. Alex erased my pain and I don’t want to know what he removed. He only takes away things when he feels someone can’t survive knowing the truth.” Ally sighed. “I never want to know. I remember being miserable but can’t remember why.”
“Rat, tell me who else Ally tried to kill and why.” I placed my hand on Rat again. I was in the woods behind the Mood’s old house next to the graveyard. Frank was young and with long black hair. It was tied back in a ponytail. His eyes were purple just like mine. Donna leaned against a tree. Her hair and eyes were much darker and she looked happy.
“Frank, did you mean it when you told me you loved me?” Donna grinned. “You aren’t still dating Ally, are you?”
“I’m yours; I’ll break up with Ally tonight.” He kissed her neck. His shirt was off and there was a tattoo of a dagger splitting a heart in half. His hands went to her belt. He unbuckled it and forced down her pants.
“Wait a minute,” Donna said, shoving him as hard as she could. “I never said I wanted to have sex.”
“Shut up.” Frank grabbed Donna by the neck. “You aren’t going to play hard to get anymore. That game is over.” He shoved himself against her and slapped her across the face. His body thrust hard and fast. She screamed and smacked his shoulders.
“Get off of me! Help!”
Ally stood next to me. I waved my hand and it sliced through her. I was watching the past. Her eyes watered and she pointed. “Pig, get him!”
Pig charged, attacking Frank’s leg. He yelled, kicking Pig aside. He yelped, rolling on his back. When Frank was done, he looked up at Ally.
“You’re next, you little tease.” He threatened, pointing at Ally. “Your dog just bit my leg. Look at the blood!”
“You’re no longer one of us,” Ally announced. “Pig took away your longevity. Your eyes are already returning to black. You’re a cheating scumbag; and a
rapist
.”
“How dare you!” Frank screamed, charging forward. Alex stood alongside Ally now and struck him with lightning. He flew backwards and smashed into a tree. He shouted and grabbed his arm.
“You broke my arm!” Frank screamed.
“Leave, right now!” Ally ordered. “If you don’t go I’ll tell everyone what you’ve done to Donna.”
Frank ran towards the railroad and hopped across. Instantly, he grew ten years older. He looked over at Ally and stuck out his middle finger. “I should’ve raped
you
instead.”
I let go of Rat and took deep breaths. So, Alex erased that memory from both Ally and Donna. What a horrible, horrible man Frank was! Why would Alex allow him to come back? For what purpose?
Ally cleared her throat. “Do you understand me better now?” She whispered, ripping blades of grass from the ground.
“Rat, show me what happened today between Donna and Ally.”
I was walking alongside Donna and Ally. They were trekking through the woods laughing and teasing Pig with a piece of beef jerky.
“C’mon, Pig.” Donna laughed, prancing on her tiptoes. “Remember when we had silly crushes on Frank? Back before he lost his longevity.”
Ally stopped and glanced at the very tree where Frank raped Donna. “Does this tree look familiar to you?”
Donna stopped, shrugging her shoulders. “It’s a tree, Ally.”
“It was you, wasn’t it? You took my boyfriend away, didn’t you?” Ally sobbed, leaning against the tree. Her fingernails dug into the bark. “He raped you and I saved your life. But that never would’ve happened—he never would’ve tried to rape you if you weren’t flirting with him behind my back! You’re the one who’s the traitor. How could you? How do you live with yourself? Donna, no wonder you’re always alone. No one at C I N trusts you. You’re a back stabber and a boyfriend stealer!”
Donna charged forward. “No one raped me. I was never your friend! You’re a miserable person, Alison Moody, I hate you!”
Pig raced out of the bushes and growled, showing his fangs. “Go away, Pig.” Ally ordered but he did not back away.
“He doesn’t scare me. He’s a stupid dog full of himself.” Donna flipped her hair over her shoulders and stomped away. Ally and Pig ran towards the little house. She fell over Jane Mood’s grave and wept bitterly.
Donna leaned against the iron rail and sighed. “I wish you had burned
for real
in that house.”
Ally stood eyes red and watery. “Go away! I mean it.”
“Who died and made you the boss?”
“I said go!”
“Make me.”
Ally raced forward and pushed her to the ground. Donna grabbed her by the leg and the girls tumbled down the hill, scratching and pulling hair. Pig chased after then and bit Donna in her leg.
“Your dog—he bit me!” Donna shook, racing for the old two story house. “I’m going to grow old and die! How could you do this to me?”
“I didn’t mean it!” Ally called, chasing her into the house. “I didn’t know Pig would really attack! He hasn’t liked me much since Lisa got here. Really, Donna, I’m sorry.”
I let go of Rat and wiped the tears from my eyes. Alex and I had both been wrong about Ally. She hadn’t really killed anyone and it was Donna who’d lied. Ally just happened to be in the wrong spot
every
time.
“Ally,” I sniffed, searching around. “Are you still there?”
“Yeah, I am.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’m not a very nice person. So, it makes sense for people to point their finger at me.”
“Rat, show me what Ally and Alex are really like.” I placed my hand on his back.
I stood inside a cancer ward. It was in the middle of the night and there was only a few nurses working the graveyard shift.
“Who in here is terminal?” Ally asked, reading a long list of names. “Millie Brown and Bill Ward; hey, that’s the guy who used to own the convenience store. He was nice.”
“Okay, I’ll help Millie and you go fix Bill,” Alex decided, disappearing down the hall.
I let go of Rat. What else did this cat know?
Frank
. Who was he? Why did I feel like I knew him?
“Rat, why do I feel like I know Frank?”
I placed my hand on him again.
Frank, now twenty-seven, climbed through my Florida bedroom window; except, it was an office. Paper littered the floor and there were coffee stains on the desk.
He snuck into my parent’s bedroom and rummaged through my mom’s jewelry box. The front door opened and in walked my mom. She was in a waitress uniform. She loosened her cumber bun and unbuttoned her long sleeved white work shirt. She turned on the shower and took off the rest of her clothes.
“I can’t wait to get this smell off me!” Amber exclaimed, stepping into the shower. Frank took off his shirt and there was his tattoo of an ugly dagger piercing a red heart. Next, he unbuckled his pants.
Was he going to get in the shower with my mom? Did she have a boyfriend I didn’t know about? Or at least remember? She turned around and her eyes widened, “What are you doing in here? Who are you?”
He slammed her into the wall, grabbing her wrists.
I let go of Rat and climbed to my feet. I ran over close to the pond and collapsed on my back. Frank raped my mother. He was an evil man.