Catholic Guilt and the Joy of Hating Men - By Regan Wolfrom Page 0,66
this is?”
That hurt.
“You really don’t know what I am,” he said.
But I did know. I’d known all along, or at least part of me did. And I’d taken those quivers and whispers for some kind of kinky attraction when I should have taken them for fear. “You’re a spirit wolf,” I said. “And that poor kid thinks he’s a wolf, too.”
“That poor kid, huh? He killed those girls because he wants to be like me.”
“So you’re going to kill him. And then what are you going to do with me?”
“I’ve waited for two years, Vanessa. I’ve waited long enough. I’m going to take you tonight. I’m going to take you and then I’ll bury you under the trailer. Right between Anastasia and Sandra.”
“That won’t work,” I said, having trouble even moving my lips. “You won’t get away with it.”
“I know. That’s why I’ve waited so long. The time has never been right. No one cared about Anastasia; she was just a stupid little whore who wandered into camp for a few weeks. And no one even knew Sandra was here aside from the two of us.”
“And my uncle.”
“I doubt it.”
“But my uncle knows about me. He knows I wouldn’t just disappear. And now with those two girls missing...”
He shook his head. “I know, Vanessa. Even after I kill you and your family, I’ll still have ruined my life here. I won’t be able to stay. And I won’t be able to start over as a carnival freak somewhere else. I’ll have to get a job at a fucking call center.” He smiled. “But you’re worth it. And I get to kill a nice handful of other people while I’m at it.”
I couldn’t hear my goddess. I was too frightened. Was she still with me? Would she take over the moment my blood was spilled?
“I am more powerful than you,” I said. “I will kill you.”
“Bullshit. You’ve heard too many fairy tales. Do you think you’re the first goddess I’ve killed?”
I wanted to scream. “You don’t know me.”
Where was my goddess?
“You’re easy prey,” he said as he stood up from the table. “A delicious snack before bed.”
He had to spill my blood. My grandmother had known the secret; she’d learned it from Shinju herself. That had to be the truth.
The sooner Quinn cut me, the sooner I’d find out.
“Show me how tough you are,” I said. I climbed out of the dinette and walked over to him.
He backed away a little. I wasn’t sure what he was planning.
“You’re wasting your time,” he said. “And mine.”
“Whatever.”
I stepped forward and punched him in the mouth. I could tell that it came as a surprise.
He pushed me on my shoulders, shoving me backwards.
“You want this to hurt, don’t you?” he said.
“I do. So hurt me, jackass.”
He slapped me hard with his gloved hand, from cheek to cheek. I fell backwards, banging against the tabletop.
I knew there’d be blood.
I felt it running from my nose, and from a cut below my left eye.
But my goddess didn’t come.
“Sit down,” he said.
I sat. I was running out of options. Actually, I was completely tapped out. He’d kill me. There was no avenging ocean spirit inside of me. Just some gills.
And once I was dead, he’d kill the crazy little perv. And maybe my uncle, and the rest of my family.
“What if I help you?” I asked.
“I don’t need your help. I’m not going to have any trouble ripping your heart from your beautiful chest.”
I swallowed hard. It felt like I was about to watch some other idiot girl give everything up. “I’ll pack my bags and I’ll leave a note for my uncle,” I said. “I fell in love with a young boy and I had to leave before I did something I’d regret. Would that work? Would you leave everyone else alone? My family... the little pervy kid?”
“That kid killed those girls.”
“Even if you’re right... why would you give a shit? You’re going to kill me, remember?”
He gave me another smile. “Yeah... I am going to kill you.”
“You’ll be able to stay here. Keep your job. Find another exotic-looking carnival girl to go all Tom Cruise over.”
“Write the letter,” he said.
“Let me send my family away first. Once they’re gone you can have me.”
“That’s a stupid plan, Vanessa. There’s no way you can tell your family without giving me up. You’re going to say some person is about to kill them but you don’t know who?”