| 2:47a |
@@@@@Was that
Jack?
"Boss? Hey, boss!" Somebody
@@@@@Was that
Jack?
"Boss? Hey, boss!" Somebody was shaking me, so I
still had a bodyProbably that was goodJack who? I could get it, but I had to
think sidewaysHis name was like someone on The
Weather Channel -
More shaking"Muchacho! You there?"
My head bonked something, and I opened my eyes
Jack Cantori was kneeling to my left, his face
tight and scaredIt was Wireman in front of me,
on his feet but bending over, shaking me like a
daiquiriThe doll was lying face-down on my lap
I batted her aside with a grunt of disgust - oh
you nasty man, indeedNoveen landed in the pile
of dead wasps with a papery rustle
1011
Suddenly the places she'd taken me began to come
back: hell's own tourThe path to Shade Beach
that Adriana Eastlake had called (much to her
father's fury) Drunkard's BoulevardThe beach
itself, and the horrible things that had happened
there
"His eyes are open," Jack saidEdgar,
do you hear me?"
"Yes," I saidMy voice was hoarse from screaming
I wanted food, but first I wanted to pour
something down my burning throat"Thirsty - can
you help a brother out?"
Wireman handed me one of the big bottles of Evian
water
"You sure, muchacho? Water might be-"
"Pepsi That wasn't the only reason,
but it would do
Wireman put the Evian back and gave me a PepsiIt
was warm, but I chugged half of it, burped, then
drank againI looked around and saw only my
friends and a length of dirty hallwayIn fact, it was terribleMy hand - I
was definitely back to one again - was stiff and
throbbing, as if I had been using it steadily for
1012
at least two hours, so where were the drawings? I
was terrified that without the drawings,
everything would fade the way dreams do upon
waki |