couldn't capture."
"Listen, War," said Hannahlee. "I'm not a Poison Oak. This is the real Kitty speaking."
"You're too late," said War.
"I'm worried about you," said Hannahlee. "I wish you wouldn't do this."
"I've already done it," said War. "Baine's dead."
It was Hannahlee's turn to fall silent. Looking back, Dunne saw that Todd had stopped typing, and Quincy had jammed the heels of his hands over his eyes.
"His blood is everywhere," said War. "It's terrible."
Looking at the screen, Dunne saw that Baine's avatar was standing stiffly in place. He realized he hadn't seen that avatar move in several minutes.
"I'll do the same to you," said War. "You and all your Poison Oak family."
"Please stop this," said Hannahlee.
"I'm coming for you, bitch," said War. "And no one can stop me."
"Wait," said Hannahlee. "How can you be sure I'm not the real Kitty? Totally sure?"
" Zastee !" said War. His avatar leaped straight upward, shooting into the sky like a rocket, and was gone.
Â
Â
CHAPTER 18
Â
Â
Warpath Journal
Dateline: Pensacola, Florida
I see my reflection in the pool of blood on the table in the Hiss Willow imposter's kitchen. I stare so long that the image gets fuzzy, like snow on a TV screen when the cable goes down...only scarlet.
A clear droplet lands in the blood with a tiny splash, a droplet fallen like a star from above. A tear from my eye.
This one should have been easier than the first two. He was a wicked Poison Oak , deserving no mercy. Not only that, but his face was that of the least trustworthy WillowâHiss the turncoat.
So why is this killing affecting me?
I back into a corner of the room and slide down to my haunches. Another tear burns its way out of my eye and runs over my hand as I chew my nails.
Is it because of my target's condition? Because I found him in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the waist down?
Not the likeliest evil terrorist master of disguise, was he? Couldn't have done much damage to America from that chair, could he? Is that what's bothering me? Or is it because of what the Kitty imposter said in the game? About being sure. Totally sure.
Or is it both?
I close my eyes to shut out the scene and regain my bearings. Instead, the gruesome vision swirls upon me once more, the one that haunted me before I killed the Bella imposter at the movie studio.
Small, bloody bodies in my vision. The bodies of children.
A woman's body, sprawled in a crimson pool. Unmoving.
Flies buzzing.
Bodies everywhere, all ages, all sizes. Some clinging to each other, some cut down alone. I step over them, shoes slipping in the blood.
So many faces, eyes gaping in death. I know all of them. Every last one of them.
Looking up, I see another lifeless face, frozen forever. Hanging above it all.
I know that face, too. Jesus Christ.
Heart thundering, I open my eyes. Swipe the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand.
Am I ? Am I totally sure ?
Evil cloaks itself in many guises...but the old man in the wheelchair had seemed awfully harmless. No whiff of deception.
That doesn't mean the deception wasn't there. But still. What if. For the sake of argument.
What if I'm the one under the influence of evil?
I get to my feet and stagger out of the kitchen.
It's possible, and I know it.
Once, my sisters turned evil. The case of "Hell Hath Four Furies." They were all under hypnosis.
In the living room, there are photos on the wallsâphotos of Hiss and the family. One of Hiss and me, fishing. Photos can be faked.
But what if these aren't fakes?
I drop onto the couch, still chewing my nails...and it's then I remember.
War Willow doesn't chew his nails.
The room spins. Against my own will, I do the mental math.
I've killed three people who were perfect doubles of my brothers and sisters. However, I might not be in control of my own actions.
Therefore, the people I killed might not have been who I thought they were.
And what about the visions? So many deadâmen,
"Listen, War," said Hannahlee. "I'm not a Poison Oak. This is the real Kitty speaking."
"You're too late," said War.
"I'm worried about you," said Hannahlee. "I wish you wouldn't do this."
"I've already done it," said War. "Baine's dead."
It was Hannahlee's turn to fall silent. Looking back, Dunne saw that Todd had stopped typing, and Quincy had jammed the heels of his hands over his eyes.
"His blood is everywhere," said War. "It's terrible."
Looking at the screen, Dunne saw that Baine's avatar was standing stiffly in place. He realized he hadn't seen that avatar move in several minutes.
"I'll do the same to you," said War. "You and all your Poison Oak family."
"Please stop this," said Hannahlee.
"I'm coming for you, bitch," said War. "And no one can stop me."
"Wait," said Hannahlee. "How can you be sure I'm not the real Kitty? Totally sure?"
" Zastee !" said War. His avatar leaped straight upward, shooting into the sky like a rocket, and was gone.
Â
Â
CHAPTER 18
Â
Â
Warpath Journal
Dateline: Pensacola, Florida
I see my reflection in the pool of blood on the table in the Hiss Willow imposter's kitchen. I stare so long that the image gets fuzzy, like snow on a TV screen when the cable goes down...only scarlet.
A clear droplet lands in the blood with a tiny splash, a droplet fallen like a star from above. A tear from my eye.
This one should have been easier than the first two. He was a wicked Poison Oak , deserving no mercy. Not only that, but his face was that of the least trustworthy WillowâHiss the turncoat.
So why is this killing affecting me?
I back into a corner of the room and slide down to my haunches. Another tear burns its way out of my eye and runs over my hand as I chew my nails.
Is it because of my target's condition? Because I found him in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the waist down?
Not the likeliest evil terrorist master of disguise, was he? Couldn't have done much damage to America from that chair, could he? Is that what's bothering me? Or is it because of what the Kitty imposter said in the game? About being sure. Totally sure.
Or is it both?
I close my eyes to shut out the scene and regain my bearings. Instead, the gruesome vision swirls upon me once more, the one that haunted me before I killed the Bella imposter at the movie studio.
Small, bloody bodies in my vision. The bodies of children.
A woman's body, sprawled in a crimson pool. Unmoving.
Flies buzzing.
Bodies everywhere, all ages, all sizes. Some clinging to each other, some cut down alone. I step over them, shoes slipping in the blood.
So many faces, eyes gaping in death. I know all of them. Every last one of them.
Looking up, I see another lifeless face, frozen forever. Hanging above it all.
I know that face, too. Jesus Christ.
Heart thundering, I open my eyes. Swipe the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand.
Am I ? Am I totally sure ?
Evil cloaks itself in many guises...but the old man in the wheelchair had seemed awfully harmless. No whiff of deception.
That doesn't mean the deception wasn't there. But still. What if. For the sake of argument.
What if I'm the one under the influence of evil?
I get to my feet and stagger out of the kitchen.
It's possible, and I know it.
Once, my sisters turned evil. The case of "Hell Hath Four Furies." They were all under hypnosis.
In the living room, there are photos on the wallsâphotos of Hiss and the family. One of Hiss and me, fishing. Photos can be faked.
But what if these aren't fakes?
I drop onto the couch, still chewing my nails...and it's then I remember.
War Willow doesn't chew his nails.
The room spins. Against my own will, I do the mental math.
I've killed three people who were perfect doubles of my brothers and sisters. However, I might not be in control of my own actions.
Therefore, the people I killed might not have been who I thought they were.
And what about the visions? So many deadâmen,
Similar Books
