I take a step back, and he immediately freezes.
Got ya, you weird bouquet of flowers and muscles.
“I stepped on it outside, like I already told you.”
I take another step back.
“Could we have aDeltaon our hands?” Flint asks, his voice quiet as though he’s almost afraid to say that out loud.
“That’s what I’m wondering,” Alder confirms.
Delta?I ask myself, clearly not in on their criminal lingo.
“How?” Flint asks, his tone now filled with awe as he looks at me with the same expression clear as day on his face.
“How in the Morning Star’s wings would I know?” Alder retorts, and then they both take a step closer to me.
One second, I’m retreatin’ even further away from them, feelin’ more and more threatened and fearful. The next, an eerily familiar blackness bleeds into my vision. But it’s worse than earlier in the truck. Way worse. No amount of rubbin’ my necklace or countin’ my breaths is gonna stop it from takin’ over.
Oh, shit.
The last time this happened, I took out five of Arkansas State University’s startin’ line.
I attempt to fight the darkness, but somethin’ inside of me knows it’s too late. I try not to panic, because that just makes whatever this is worse.
The last thing I hear is the distinct sound of metal bein’ unsheathed before the darkness I work so hard to hide takes over.
Oh Lord, please don’t let me kill anyone this time.
4
The chorus of Imagine Dragons’ “Demons” fills my ears, and I groan into my pillow. My head is killin’ me, and I can feel my pulse in my foot for some reason too. I slap around for my phone so I can turn my cursed alarm off, but if it thinks I’m openin’ my eyes to find it, it’s got another thing comin’.
I finally find my charger cord and trace it back to the phone that’s now oddly gone silent. A chirp goes off, lettin’ me know I have a voicemail, and I groan again, because now I’ll have to open my eyes in order to listen to it.
I peel my lids back, and my head throbs in protest.
Damn, how much did I drink last night?
My mouth tastes stale, and I unglue my tongue from the roof of my mouth as I unlock my phone and play the voicemail. I hit the speaker button and then wait for what I expect to be Kiara or AnnaMae givin’ me shit for the rare form I must’ve been in last night. It’s usually them who get all drunk and wild, but I guess they talked me into one too many shots.
“Medley Bell, how dare you leave your truck parked in the lot with the keys still in the ignition! If there had been any doubt before, you can rest assured that you are fired. I oughta take this out of your hide, but lucky for you, there’s no damage to the truck. But if you see me in the street, you better cross the road, or we will have words, missy. You hear me? I want you to come in and get your things. Oh, and stay away from Bob Grace. He’s mine! Good for nothin’ trailer trash—”
The message ends, cuttin’ off the string of colorful words I’m sure Patricia was spoutin’ off. Honestly, I’m surprised she didn’t call back and leave a message just to be sure I heard exactly what she thought of me.
I have no idea why I would’ve left the keys in the ignition, but that bitch has been lookin’ for a reason to get rid of me for a while now, so really I shouldn’t be surprised. Guess I don’t have to work that double today after all.
Somethin’...somethin’ about that thought feels off.
Wait. What day is it?
I check my phone for answers and sit up.Saturday?
What the heck?
And then it all comes floodin’ back. The dog, my asshole boss, the late delivery and last write-up, the stick, the spiked drink.
Oh, shit!
