“What the hell is going on?” I mumbled, stepping in, allowing Veronica to join me.
At the sound of my voice, the stuffed toy’s head turned toward us slowly, until its eyes locked on us.
“I don’t like this,” I said.
“That’s…weird,” she said.
The unicorn sat forward, its face tearing into a smile, popping the seams.
“Oh, good,” it said. “I thought that was you.”
“That’s it,” I said, raising the gun. “I’m shooting this fucker.”
“Stop!” Veronica shouted, pushing my gun arm aside.
She took a halting step toward the bed and the unicorn. I reached out to stop her, but she swatted my hand away.
“Wendy?”
I snapped my eyes from Veronica, to the unicorn, to Veronica, and then back once more.
“You’ve got to be shitting me,” I snarled.
“Who’s the old guy?” the unicorn said, turning its gleaming plastic eyes toward me.
I wanted to shout that forty-one wasn’t old, but I was too confused by a stuffed animal speaking in a little girl’s voice to do more than glare at the thing.
Veronica rushed over to the side of the bed, falling to her knees, staring at the stuffed animal in wonder.
“Wendy? How are you doing this?”
“I have to hurry,” she said, and the animal actually twisted its head around as if it was looking behind itself. “It took me hours to work out this enchantment, and I’mbarelyholding it together.”
“Where are you?” Veronica asked, her fingers digging into the blankets. “Tell us where and we’ll come for you.”
“I don’t know,” Wendy said. “The room doesn’t have any windows, and I was blindfolded when they brought me here.”
As I stared at the animated toy, an unexpected excitement settled over me. Wendy was alive. Deep down, I’d worried that I’d be too late to help, that once more something terrible would happen because I’d been too slow, started too late. Swallowing hard, I curled my free hand into a fist. Again, I watched the horrors of my past flip through my mind’s eye. The worst day of my life. I would dowhateverwas necessary to bring this child home alive and safe. This was proof of life, and it gave me hope. A chance.
“I’m okay right now,” Wendy said, “but you’ve got to be careful, Veronica. I think they’re trying to make it seem likeyoutook me.”
Veronica hung her head. “Wendy… do… do you know about Balthazar?”
“Is he okay?” Wendy said, a tight worry in her voice that tore at my heart.
Veronica looked up at me, despondency written all over her face. I did not envy her at all for what she needed to say.
“Wendy,” Veronica said slowly. “I need to tell you?—”
“What the hell are you doing?” a distorted voice called out from the unicorn, sounding like it was coming from far away.
Veronica and I tensed, the new voice sounded like it was being altered by either magic or some kind of microphone.
The unicorn turned around again. “You’re an asshole,” she cried, then there were the scuffling sounds of a fight or struggle. “Freaking douchebag,” Wendy grunted. “I’m gonna kick you in the fa?—”
The unicorn slumped over, the glasses falling from its face, lifeless once more.
“No!”Veronica reached out, grabbing and cradling the unicorn. “Wendy?Wendy?”
