Sweet Ruin
Page 4
First step: get a bead on Wally. She started walking/floating over cracks in the sidewalk. Why did this movement seem so familiar? Why was her ghostness not freaking her out?
There was something so right about her new form, as if she should’ve been freaking out about her existence all the years before.
Homeless kids and runaways, other street rats like her, peeked out from lean-tos and abandoned cars. Gasps sounded as she made her way along the street.
So ghosts were visible to people. Would she meet other ghosts?
She heard the kids’ whispers. They all knew Wally had killed her. Some had watched her body get bagged.
A prostitute on the corner didn’t see her coming and backed right into—or through—Jo. Their bodies got tangled, and suddenly Jo was inside her, sharing her movements as the woman shuddered.
It was as if Jo was a hermit crab in a hooker-shaped shell. She couldn’t feel anything through the woman’s skin, but she could make her move. Awesome!
When Jo backed out of the shell, disentangling herself, the woman turned around with a terrified look on her face.
A moment passed before she registered what she was seeing. “Oh God!” She stumbled back, making the sign of the cross. “You died! The Wall shot you.”
“It didn’t take.” Jo’s voice sounded ghostly and hollow. “Where’s Wally staying now?”
The woman sputtered, “F-few houses down from his old crib.”
Jo float-walked back in that direction. Others followed her at a distance, wide-eyed, as if they couldn’t help themselves.
She found the digs—with the dragon guarding the lair. Voices sounded from inside, Wally’s among them.
Her nails lengthened and sharpened. They were black, and they ached. Ghosts have claws?
She tried to teleport into the house, but her body didn’t move, so she float-walked up to the porch, stopping at the front door. Could she knock? They probably wouldn’t open for her. Maybe she could “ghost” into the house, as she had the hooker shell.
With a shrug, Jo floated forward—and passed right through the door. Score! Breaking and entering would now simply be entering.
In the den, packets of smack and guns topped the coffee table. They’d already replaced all the weapons and drugs. Bags of new clothes were strewn around the house.
These dickwads had set up a few doors down. Burning down his pad had done jack.
Jo clenched her fists. She’d only come here to scare the gang, to moan woo-woo and send them running. But rage took hold of her.
Her claws ached to slash someone.
When the lights flickered, Knuckle and the two others glanced up. Saw Jo. Their mouths moved wordlessly—
They lunged for the guns.
With a shriek, she flew at Knuckle. “You gonna shoot me?” She slashed out with her claws. She half-expected her fingers to pass through his torso—yet four deep gashes appeared on his belly.
She gasped. Her claws dripped with his blood. She could become solid when she wanted to?
He clutched his bloody stomach, but guts slithered out between his fingers like eels. His knees met the blood-wetted carpet, and then he collapsed.
I just dropped a dude! Superheroes didn’t kill people. Not even bad people.
She should be screaming, yet all this felt natural. This is me. I ghost. I hurt bad guys.
No, I hunt them.
Realization struck her. She’d always been hunting.
Been waiting for this. All. My. Life.
JT and Nobody scrambled toward the door, barely got it open. She flew after them, catching them on the porch. She easily dragged both men back inside. She winked at the kids gathering across the street, then kicked the door shut.
The pair screamed as she attacked. Red covered her vision, some kind of animal instinct taking over. As she slashed, blood splattered; her head spun.
Then she realized neither of them was moving. I’ve dropped three dudes.
Her ears twitched, and she heard a low moan from a back room. Wally. Let’s make it an even four. He must’ve peeked out and seen Jo offing his posse.
She ghosted through the door into another room. “Oh, Wall-ee . . .” Muffled breaths sounded from under the bed.
She floated downward until she was directly in line with him. “Psst!”
He jerked his head around and yelled with horror. Like a rat, he scurried out on the other side of the bed.
She floated upright, taking her time. He pointed another huge gun at her and fired away, unloading bullets. When they passed through her into the wall, he pissed himself.
She wanted to meet his eyes, to make him understand what he’d done. She felt herself moving, disappearing and reappearing right in front of him. Handy. She floated higher to catch his gaze. “You shouldn’t have shot me.”
“N-never do it again,” he said, blubbering.
“Wrong answer, dick. I’ll see you in hell.” She would. No one could enjoy hunting as much as she did and not wind up there—
He swung a bat he’d concealed behind his back; her hand shot out in reflex, striking.
Blood spurted from his throat. The bat fell as he clamped his neck. Gushes of crimson escaped to spray over her.
Her feet touched the ground, her body solidifying, as if to catch the shower. Her appetite leapt. Her teeth ached. She could swear they were sharper. As he watched in glassy-eyed shock, she raised her face with curiosity and parted her lips.
The first drop hit her tongue. Delicious! Her eyes rolled as blood filled her mouth.
She swallowed with a gulp. I’m drinking Wally’s blood. Part of her was grossed out, but as warmth slid down her throat, power flooded her.
There was something so right about her new form, as if she should’ve been freaking out about her existence all the years before.
Homeless kids and runaways, other street rats like her, peeked out from lean-tos and abandoned cars. Gasps sounded as she made her way along the street.
So ghosts were visible to people. Would she meet other ghosts?
She heard the kids’ whispers. They all knew Wally had killed her. Some had watched her body get bagged.
A prostitute on the corner didn’t see her coming and backed right into—or through—Jo. Their bodies got tangled, and suddenly Jo was inside her, sharing her movements as the woman shuddered.
It was as if Jo was a hermit crab in a hooker-shaped shell. She couldn’t feel anything through the woman’s skin, but she could make her move. Awesome!
When Jo backed out of the shell, disentangling herself, the woman turned around with a terrified look on her face.
A moment passed before she registered what she was seeing. “Oh God!” She stumbled back, making the sign of the cross. “You died! The Wall shot you.”
“It didn’t take.” Jo’s voice sounded ghostly and hollow. “Where’s Wally staying now?”
The woman sputtered, “F-few houses down from his old crib.”
Jo float-walked back in that direction. Others followed her at a distance, wide-eyed, as if they couldn’t help themselves.
She found the digs—with the dragon guarding the lair. Voices sounded from inside, Wally’s among them.
Her nails lengthened and sharpened. They were black, and they ached. Ghosts have claws?
She tried to teleport into the house, but her body didn’t move, so she float-walked up to the porch, stopping at the front door. Could she knock? They probably wouldn’t open for her. Maybe she could “ghost” into the house, as she had the hooker shell.
With a shrug, Jo floated forward—and passed right through the door. Score! Breaking and entering would now simply be entering.
In the den, packets of smack and guns topped the coffee table. They’d already replaced all the weapons and drugs. Bags of new clothes were strewn around the house.
These dickwads had set up a few doors down. Burning down his pad had done jack.
Jo clenched her fists. She’d only come here to scare the gang, to moan woo-woo and send them running. But rage took hold of her.
Her claws ached to slash someone.
When the lights flickered, Knuckle and the two others glanced up. Saw Jo. Their mouths moved wordlessly—
They lunged for the guns.
With a shriek, she flew at Knuckle. “You gonna shoot me?” She slashed out with her claws. She half-expected her fingers to pass through his torso—yet four deep gashes appeared on his belly.
She gasped. Her claws dripped with his blood. She could become solid when she wanted to?
He clutched his bloody stomach, but guts slithered out between his fingers like eels. His knees met the blood-wetted carpet, and then he collapsed.
I just dropped a dude! Superheroes didn’t kill people. Not even bad people.
She should be screaming, yet all this felt natural. This is me. I ghost. I hurt bad guys.
No, I hunt them.
Realization struck her. She’d always been hunting.
Been waiting for this. All. My. Life.
JT and Nobody scrambled toward the door, barely got it open. She flew after them, catching them on the porch. She easily dragged both men back inside. She winked at the kids gathering across the street, then kicked the door shut.
The pair screamed as she attacked. Red covered her vision, some kind of animal instinct taking over. As she slashed, blood splattered; her head spun.
Then she realized neither of them was moving. I’ve dropped three dudes.
Her ears twitched, and she heard a low moan from a back room. Wally. Let’s make it an even four. He must’ve peeked out and seen Jo offing his posse.
She ghosted through the door into another room. “Oh, Wall-ee . . .” Muffled breaths sounded from under the bed.
She floated downward until she was directly in line with him. “Psst!”
He jerked his head around and yelled with horror. Like a rat, he scurried out on the other side of the bed.
She floated upright, taking her time. He pointed another huge gun at her and fired away, unloading bullets. When they passed through her into the wall, he pissed himself.
She wanted to meet his eyes, to make him understand what he’d done. She felt herself moving, disappearing and reappearing right in front of him. Handy. She floated higher to catch his gaze. “You shouldn’t have shot me.”
“N-never do it again,” he said, blubbering.
“Wrong answer, dick. I’ll see you in hell.” She would. No one could enjoy hunting as much as she did and not wind up there—
He swung a bat he’d concealed behind his back; her hand shot out in reflex, striking.
Blood spurted from his throat. The bat fell as he clamped his neck. Gushes of crimson escaped to spray over her.
Her feet touched the ground, her body solidifying, as if to catch the shower. Her appetite leapt. Her teeth ached. She could swear they were sharper. As he watched in glassy-eyed shock, she raised her face with curiosity and parted her lips.
The first drop hit her tongue. Delicious! Her eyes rolled as blood filled her mouth.
She swallowed with a gulp. I’m drinking Wally’s blood. Part of her was grossed out, but as warmth slid down her throat, power flooded her.
