did stay in my car, he thought.
And what I’d better do now is get back to it. Drive to the nearest phone and call her. Which is what I should’ve done in the first place, if I’d had an ounce of sense.
Thank God it was a false alarm, he thought.
Just as he was about to will himself back to his own body, Elise walked past the doorway to the guest bathroom and a dark shape leaped at her out of the darkness.
Eleven
Elise glimpsed the quick dark motion. She gasped, ‘Ah!’
Oh God, who is it? No!
Hit hard from the side, she was hurled across the hallway. Her shoulder crashed against the wall.
Shit! No! Oh, God! Who is it? What’s going on?
Him? Is it him?
He slammed her back to the wall.
Wild hair and beard.
Him, all right. Neal hadn’t doubted it for an instant.
No! You’re dead! Why aren’t you dead!
Gotta do something! Neal thought. Gotta help her!
If I scream . . .!
The attacker suddenly pistoned fists into her belly, blasting her air out. She folded with the pain and dropped to her knees.
Inside, she felt as if her stomach had caved in, as if her lungs had been squeezed empty.
Neal was suffocating. Like with the Alka-Seltzer, but ten times worse.
Oh God, he’s gonna kill me. Can’t be happening. How am I gonna get out of this? Has to be a way!
I have to help her, Neal thought. Leave now? Get to my car and race back over here and blow this fucking bastard’s head off.
Never make it in time.
Why the hell didn’t I drive back in the first place? I might be here by now!
It’ll all be over by the time I can get back!
Maybe not, maybe not.
Elise was getting some breath now. She was on her knees, hunched over, hugging her belly, head down as she wheezed. She kept thinking, What’m I gonna do? Gotta stop him. He’s gonna kill me. What’m I gonna do? Has to be a way. Can’t let him kill me. Can’t .
Below those thoughts, she seemed certain that she wouldn’t survive. And she wondered how much pain there would be. And she wondered what she would miss the most, being dead. And she was glad her parents weren’t alive to find out that their daughter had been murdered.
Hope on the surface, despair below.
I can’t save her if I stay! Neal shouted at himself.
But he hated to abandon her.
But he couldn’t stand to stay, either, and go through any more of this.
‘Get up, bitch.’
Neal thought, I’ll be back, Elise. Hold on. Please!
But he knew she couldn’t hear him. She had no idea he was even inside her, much less trying to communicate.
The attacker grabbed Elise by the hair on top of her head, and pulled. She gasped with pain. Neal felt the burning hurt of her scalp as she tried to stand up.
Gotta fight him. It’s the only way. He’s shot up. Isn’t he? Has to be. Can’t be all that strong .
Below, she knew he was still strong enough to overpower her. Knew she didn’t stand much chance.
At least I’ll go down fighting .
I’m out of here!
And he was.
The moment Neal willed himself to leave, he was torn out of Elise’s body and flung up through the roof of her house. He had no control. As he shot through the treetops and gained speed, he felt as if he were being sucked through the night by the gravity of his own body.
Not falling to earth, but hurtling across the miles to the place where he’d left himself.
The city beneath him raced by in a blur. The streetlights were long, jagged streaks.
Suddenly, he found himself inside his own body. Even before he opened his eyes, he realized that he was a wreck: gasping for air, sobbing, tears running down his face.
He opened his eyes. Knuckled the tears away. Then reached out and twisted the ignition key. As the engine kicked to life, he put on the headlights. He shifted and hit the gas. The car took off.
Oh God, he thought, let me be quick enough. Let the bastard take his time.
Work on her slowly.
Let her be alive!
Neal drove faster than he’d ever driven before on city streets. He didn’t stop for traffic
And what I’d better do now is get back to it. Drive to the nearest phone and call her. Which is what I should’ve done in the first place, if I’d had an ounce of sense.
Thank God it was a false alarm, he thought.
Just as he was about to will himself back to his own body, Elise walked past the doorway to the guest bathroom and a dark shape leaped at her out of the darkness.
Eleven
Elise glimpsed the quick dark motion. She gasped, ‘Ah!’
Oh God, who is it? No!
Hit hard from the side, she was hurled across the hallway. Her shoulder crashed against the wall.
Shit! No! Oh, God! Who is it? What’s going on?
Him? Is it him?
He slammed her back to the wall.
Wild hair and beard.
Him, all right. Neal hadn’t doubted it for an instant.
No! You’re dead! Why aren’t you dead!
Gotta do something! Neal thought. Gotta help her!
If I scream . . .!
The attacker suddenly pistoned fists into her belly, blasting her air out. She folded with the pain and dropped to her knees.
Inside, she felt as if her stomach had caved in, as if her lungs had been squeezed empty.
Neal was suffocating. Like with the Alka-Seltzer, but ten times worse.
Oh God, he’s gonna kill me. Can’t be happening. How am I gonna get out of this? Has to be a way!
I have to help her, Neal thought. Leave now? Get to my car and race back over here and blow this fucking bastard’s head off.
Never make it in time.
Why the hell didn’t I drive back in the first place? I might be here by now!
It’ll all be over by the time I can get back!
Maybe not, maybe not.
Elise was getting some breath now. She was on her knees, hunched over, hugging her belly, head down as she wheezed. She kept thinking, What’m I gonna do? Gotta stop him. He’s gonna kill me. What’m I gonna do? Has to be a way. Can’t let him kill me. Can’t .
Below those thoughts, she seemed certain that she wouldn’t survive. And she wondered how much pain there would be. And she wondered what she would miss the most, being dead. And she was glad her parents weren’t alive to find out that their daughter had been murdered.
Hope on the surface, despair below.
I can’t save her if I stay! Neal shouted at himself.
But he hated to abandon her.
But he couldn’t stand to stay, either, and go through any more of this.
‘Get up, bitch.’
Neal thought, I’ll be back, Elise. Hold on. Please!
But he knew she couldn’t hear him. She had no idea he was even inside her, much less trying to communicate.
The attacker grabbed Elise by the hair on top of her head, and pulled. She gasped with pain. Neal felt the burning hurt of her scalp as she tried to stand up.
Gotta fight him. It’s the only way. He’s shot up. Isn’t he? Has to be. Can’t be all that strong .
Below, she knew he was still strong enough to overpower her. Knew she didn’t stand much chance.
At least I’ll go down fighting .
I’m out of here!
And he was.
The moment Neal willed himself to leave, he was torn out of Elise’s body and flung up through the roof of her house. He had no control. As he shot through the treetops and gained speed, he felt as if he were being sucked through the night by the gravity of his own body.
Not falling to earth, but hurtling across the miles to the place where he’d left himself.
The city beneath him raced by in a blur. The streetlights were long, jagged streaks.
Suddenly, he found himself inside his own body. Even before he opened his eyes, he realized that he was a wreck: gasping for air, sobbing, tears running down his face.
He opened his eyes. Knuckled the tears away. Then reached out and twisted the ignition key. As the engine kicked to life, he put on the headlights. He shifted and hit the gas. The car took off.
Oh God, he thought, let me be quick enough. Let the bastard take his time.
Work on her slowly.
Let her be alive!
Neal drove faster than he’d ever driven before on city streets. He didn’t stop for traffic
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