Chapter 10

After I stripped of everything but socks, colorful, tweety bird panties, and the aqua hospital gown, I took my place on the platform. The technician had tapped off my IV, leaving just the main tube that was stuck in my hand, which made it easier to move around. No more leash. It made me her number one fan.

A voice came out from the speakers embedded in the walls. It might have been Annie, but the distortion made it hard to tell. “Keep your eyes closed and try to breathe normally. It’ll be over before you know it.”

When it started, all I could think was the whole thing seemed very sci-fi. The platform rose and the plank beneath me slide out like a flat, mechanical, tongue. The whooshing of the spinning, donut slash inverted spaceship that moved over my head was like a b-rate sound effect. The incessant clicking that joined it didn’t seem to fit. I wondered briefly if it was going to fry my brain.

Probably too late to ask.

When the whooshing stopped and the plank slid back into place, I waited for the voice from the speakers to tell me it was over. In the prolonged silence I tried to be patient. Maybe they weren’t done. Maybe they were going over the results.

Something touched my hand, just a soft brush of fingertips. It grazed up my arm and rested on my shoulder. Then I felt the claws.

Instinct took over and I rolled off the platform. The claws came with me, raking my flesh before I dropped out of reach. I crouched behind the platform, ready to run. Then I met its blood black eyes.

It had changed again. The skin around its eyes was solid, no longer tearing as its features shifted. Its coloring was still the white of dead human flesh, dried out in the sun, but it had lost the look of malnutrition.

Despite my refusal to feed it, it wasn’t being deprived by its other source.

“Greedy human.” The words came from its misshaped mouth, rather than in my head. “We didn’t agree when it was said, but we do now.”

I slid one foot behind the other and rose from my crouch. The muscles in my legs tensed. “Greedy? No. I’m not being greedy. I’m tired of being manipulated.”

Birdlike, it cocked its head. “Are you? Strange, you seemed to enjoy it. We made things simple, as you wished.”

“As I wished? Oh that’s right. You were my personal genie. Granting my wishes with your own personal little twist.” I eyed the door. It was too far. This thing was stronger than me, and no doubt faster. I’d never make it in time.

It started walking around the platform. “We’ve shared our powers long enough. You are no longer useful.”

“Which mean exactly what?” I backed into a white set of drawers.

The creature cleared the platform. It stopped no more than three feet away. “What we’ve given, we will reclaim.”

I reached behind me and hooked my fingers on a metal handle. “Is that all? Well then, go ahead.”

The wet elastic of its lips curled over its thorn like teeth. “It is in your blood. It is all that you are. You will surrender it so easily?”

My shoulders went slack. I let my hair fall over my face. “Why not? I can’t fight you.”

It came up to me, hesitant, and took my hand. The way its grip immediately tightened I could tell it expected me to run. Without giving me a chance to try it brought my hand to its mouth. Its fangs serrated my palm.

Eyes watering with the pain, I gnashed my teeth together and fought to stay in control. Blood seeped from the wound on my shoulder, some already crusting on the hospital gown. A slow ooze of it, mixed with saliva, dripped past the creatures lips to the floor.

When the creature’s grip relaxed and it put all its focus on bleeding me dry, I eased the drawer behind me open. My hand grasped for any object of use. Something pierced my thumb. A syringe.

I closed my hand around it, took a deep breath and swung forward, syringe in hand.

The creature let go.

I couldn’t move. I could only stare. The tip of the needle had gone through the plastic seal, right into the creatures eye. It fell back and tried to pry it out.

Move!

Self-preservation kicked up and thrust me to motion. I rushed to the door and half ripped it open. The handle dropped from my hand and clanged on the floor. Since my brain was functioning again I didn’t stop to wonder how I’d done it. I threw myself into running and headed for the stairs.

With my feet striking each step with jarring force, I planned out my next move. Tell somebody, show them the bite marks. I had proof. They had to believe me. What they could do, I didn’t know, but the building had to have security. Security had guns. Hopefully the thing wasn’t bullet proof.

I reached the floor where my room was and headed for the nurses station. There was only one nurse. Didn’t matter. She had a phone. Security could be here in seconds. Then maybe the cops.

“Callie?” The nurse stood and set aside the sudoku book she’d been engrossed in. “I was wondering where you’d gotten to.”

She was calm. Too calm. When she stepped around the desk and stood in front of me, serene expression not slipping, I knew something was wrong.

I had to proceed with care. “I had to get a CAT scan.” I fought to stop shaking. “Do I look any different?”

The nurse looked me over and smiled. “Why would you?” She sighed and took my hand. The blood that still ran down my arm smeared on her palm. “Oh sweetie, you don’t really think the radiology changes you? Hundreds of people have it done every day.”

She didn’t see the blood. Which meant she wouldn’t believe me. Time to formulate plan B, which included get the hell out of here. “Do you have any news?”

“Why yes.” She let go of my hand and returned to her desk to get a file. Then she flipped it open. “All test confirm that you’re perfectly healthy. Your parents already signed the release forms. You’re free to go.”

“Thanks.” I turned on my heel.

“One second.”

Hoping that maybe, just maybe, she’d finally spotted something I stopped. She came over to me and motioned to the IV still stuck in the back of my hand. “Don’t you want me to take that out?”

I looked at my hand as though seeing it for the first time. I was in a rush, but I had to be practical. I’d lost enough blood and trying to get the thing out myself wouldn’t be pretty.

“Sure.” I lifted my head, jaw hard. “I’ve guess I’ve got a minute.”