happened? I touched the wall, and now you’re crushing me in your arms.”
He eased Jackie back on to her feet. “Sorry. I had to keep you from decking me again.”
“What?” She turned, looking up at him in wide-eyed disbelief. A tentative finger reached up to his mouth but didn’t quite touch, before she withdrew it, followed by a sharp inhalation of breath. “Shit. I did that?”
“Yes.” He smiled, splitting his lip open once more and wincing. “Can’t say I expected that, or the ‘You will die’ sentiments either.”
“I did not say that.”
Shelby, who now stood next to them, took Jackie’s face in her hands and looked into her eyes briefly. “I heard you, hon. You were pretty pissed.”
Nick realized he should have been looking for any remaining signs of lingering possession, but the fact it had happened at all still was boggling his mind. “It’s OK. I’ve heard far worse.”
Jackie glanced over at the dried spatter on the door. Her body began to tremble. “But I didn’t say that. I know I didn’t. I’d remember saying something like that.”
Nick gripped her by the shoulders and turned her around. She had the wide-eyed look of a child on the verge of tears, realizing they’re in trouble for something they didn’t even know they had done. “Jackie, look at me. You tapped into the energy left by whoever was here. They were pretty angry. It overwhelmed your senses and you spoke through that emotion. I know it wasn’t you, but the words did come out of your mouth.”
“But . . . but I don’t remember,” she said helplessly. Her shoulders sagged. She kept darting her gaze back and forth between them, looking for some kind of reassurance that neither of them had to give. Not the sort she wanted anyway.
“I know,” he said, trying to sound soothing. “No harm done, though I’d say we’ve just confirmed that your connection to Deadworld is still quite strong.”
“No.” She shook her head. “God, no. This isn’t happening, not to me.”
Shelby laid a soft hand upon her shoulder. “Jackie, it’s all right—”
“No!” Jackie pushed herself away and reached for the back door. “I’ve got to get out of here.”
“Jackie,” Nick pleaded. “Shit.”
The cold air was a relief after the thick, oppressive heat of the house. Jackie ran to the Porsche, flopping down in the seat and slamming the door shut. A moment later, Nick climbed behind the wheel.
“I can’t be here right now.” Her breath came in ragged gasps. She was close to hyperventilating.
“Deep breaths, Jackie,” Nick said, laying a hand upon her knee. “Slow, deep breaths.”
She filled her lungs and then let it out in a rush. “No. Just need to get the hell away from here.”
Nick nodded. Fair enough. It had been a long time, but he could still recall those initial days of terror when he realized what he could do.
Jackie huddled against the door, her head resting against the window. Her voice, quiet and distant, sounded almost like a child. “I never escaped from Deadworld,” she said. “We came back, but I never got away.”
Chapter 10
Jackie slammed the apartment door behind her, leaning against it as though someone might try to push their way in. Who knew? Maybe whatever that thing was that had usurped her brain and played puppetry with her body had followed them home. Could ghosts move around at will? Drake had seemed to pop back and forth as it suited him, but he hadn’t actually been a ghost either. Bickerstaff waltzed up and rubbed himself on Jackie’s ankle and she nearly kicked at him in surprise.
“Bickers! Christ. You nut. Can’t you see Mommy is freaking out here?” She picked him up, letting him rub his face against hers. The act was instantly soothing. Nothing like a little unconditional love to calm a racing heart. “You don’t care if I’m turning into a big, ol’ freakish joke, do you, baby?”
Jackie made a beeline for the bathroom, kicking off her shoes along the
He eased Jackie back on to her feet. “Sorry. I had to keep you from decking me again.”
“What?” She turned, looking up at him in wide-eyed disbelief. A tentative finger reached up to his mouth but didn’t quite touch, before she withdrew it, followed by a sharp inhalation of breath. “Shit. I did that?”
“Yes.” He smiled, splitting his lip open once more and wincing. “Can’t say I expected that, or the ‘You will die’ sentiments either.”
“I did not say that.”
Shelby, who now stood next to them, took Jackie’s face in her hands and looked into her eyes briefly. “I heard you, hon. You were pretty pissed.”
Nick realized he should have been looking for any remaining signs of lingering possession, but the fact it had happened at all still was boggling his mind. “It’s OK. I’ve heard far worse.”
Jackie glanced over at the dried spatter on the door. Her body began to tremble. “But I didn’t say that. I know I didn’t. I’d remember saying something like that.”
Nick gripped her by the shoulders and turned her around. She had the wide-eyed look of a child on the verge of tears, realizing they’re in trouble for something they didn’t even know they had done. “Jackie, look at me. You tapped into the energy left by whoever was here. They were pretty angry. It overwhelmed your senses and you spoke through that emotion. I know it wasn’t you, but the words did come out of your mouth.”
“But . . . but I don’t remember,” she said helplessly. Her shoulders sagged. She kept darting her gaze back and forth between them, looking for some kind of reassurance that neither of them had to give. Not the sort she wanted anyway.
“I know,” he said, trying to sound soothing. “No harm done, though I’d say we’ve just confirmed that your connection to Deadworld is still quite strong.”
“No.” She shook her head. “God, no. This isn’t happening, not to me.”
Shelby laid a soft hand upon her shoulder. “Jackie, it’s all right—”
“No!” Jackie pushed herself away and reached for the back door. “I’ve got to get out of here.”
“Jackie,” Nick pleaded. “Shit.”
The cold air was a relief after the thick, oppressive heat of the house. Jackie ran to the Porsche, flopping down in the seat and slamming the door shut. A moment later, Nick climbed behind the wheel.
“I can’t be here right now.” Her breath came in ragged gasps. She was close to hyperventilating.
“Deep breaths, Jackie,” Nick said, laying a hand upon her knee. “Slow, deep breaths.”
She filled her lungs and then let it out in a rush. “No. Just need to get the hell away from here.”
Nick nodded. Fair enough. It had been a long time, but he could still recall those initial days of terror when he realized what he could do.
Jackie huddled against the door, her head resting against the window. Her voice, quiet and distant, sounded almost like a child. “I never escaped from Deadworld,” she said. “We came back, but I never got away.”
Chapter 10
Jackie slammed the apartment door behind her, leaning against it as though someone might try to push their way in. Who knew? Maybe whatever that thing was that had usurped her brain and played puppetry with her body had followed them home. Could ghosts move around at will? Drake had seemed to pop back and forth as it suited him, but he hadn’t actually been a ghost either. Bickerstaff waltzed up and rubbed himself on Jackie’s ankle and she nearly kicked at him in surprise.
“Bickers! Christ. You nut. Can’t you see Mommy is freaking out here?” She picked him up, letting him rub his face against hers. The act was instantly soothing. Nothing like a little unconditional love to calm a racing heart. “You don’t care if I’m turning into a big, ol’ freakish joke, do you, baby?”
Jackie made a beeline for the bathroom, kicking off her shoes along the
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