When Heather’s flashlight flicked on again, Reid could see Clint on the other side of the room, reaching out to the Shadow. He saw the creature’s tendrils, long and spindly, about to touch Clint’s hand. But he was so far away.
“Clint! No!” Heather screamed.
“It’s the creature, don’t touch it!” Alex cried.
Reid grabbed them to keep them from running to Clint. “It’s too late.”
They watched the creature reach out to touch Clint’s hand.
Heather yanked free from Reid and threw the flashlight at the creature, beam first. A perfect spiral, like Joe Montana throwing a Hail Mary. It was a perfect shot, and had the creature not been made of smoke, it would’ve hit it in the back of the head. But it went straight through and hit Clint instead.
A scream pealed through the room.
The shadow disappeared.
The flashlight hit the floor with a thud. Flickering on and off, it spun around and around, until it finally stopped. It made Reid think of earlier that summer when he and Alex had played spin the bottle for the first time, with his crush Stacy Keene and a couple of the other football cheerleaders. Reid had given it a good go and it spun several times before stopping just past Stacy. He couldn’t have planned it any better if he’d tried. She was blond, had those blue eyes that made you think of summer skies at the beach, and the pom-poms on that girl made her an early bloomer for sure. Reid’s heart had thudded. Everyone had been watching, so he’d made it quick. Too quick. She leaned forward, on the floor, pursing her lips. His hands began to sweat, like springs had arisen from all his pores. He wiped them on his jeans and leaned in. Licked his lips—
The flashlight flickered out.
“Danny!” Clint wailed. “Where’d you go? Danny?” He started sobbing. “I don’t think that was really Danny. Guys…guys, where are you?”
Reid squeezed his eyes shut, hoping that when he opened them this would all have been a bad dream and he’d see Stacy’s lips in front of him. This time, he’d take his time with the kiss. If only a kiss were his biggest concern. If only Stacy’s lips were the scariest things around. He peeled his eyes open and saw nothing. A dark room. And Clint was sobbing.
Reid gulped down a growing rock in his throat. “Clint. Hey, we’re here.”
He wanted to say more, but he couldn’t. It was like he was struck stupid. What could he say to him now? He’d seen that creature touch Clint, and had a pretty good idea that it meant he was done for, just like Danny.
And it was all Reid’s fault. None of them had wanted to come here. It was all his stupid idea. He’d forced them into this house and now they were trapped and dying.
Why’d he have to be such a dick? Was it even a choice for him? He was a bad seed, after all.
None of them wanted to come here. It was all his stupid idea. He forced them into this house and now here they were, trapped and dying.
“Reid.” Alex sounded distant.
Reid tuned it out. He wanted to suffer, stew in knowing it was all his fault.
He felt a hand on his shoulder.
“Hey, Reid.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m here.” He shook Alex’s hand away.
“We gotta get outta here, somehow. We can’t just sit.” Alex fumbled around, his feet shuffling. “Heather?”
She didn’t answer. And then Reid heard muffled voices. Two of them. Slowly, he moved toward the sound. His foot kicked something and he tripped but caught himself. It was the flashlight and it flickered back on, illuminating Heather squatting over Clint.
Reid and Alex yelled, “Don’t touch him!”
She shot them a wicked glare. “You’re both fucking kidding me, right? We’ve been through all this.” She turned back to Clint, put her hand on his shoulder and rubbed it.
“It wasn’t Danny, was it?” he asked her. “My finger’s burning. I don’t think that was Danny.”
She didn’t answer, just shook her head.
“My hand feels all tingly and warm, too.” He shook it out.
The tender sight of it made Reid’s chest squeeze. He forced a deep breath and moved to them. Reached out to help Clint up.
“What’re you doing?” Alex asked. “If he’s infected—”
“Heather’s right,” Reid said. “I don’t think touching him is the problem. Not us touching him, anyway.”
Clint took Reid’s hand and got to his feet. “Thanks,” he said.
What had just happened to Clint sunk in for Reid. Clint seemed too calm.
Alex stared at Reid with that crazy bug-eyed look he got when something was too wild to comprehend.
Reid shook his head and hoped he’d sound convincing. “We gotta get outta here. That’s the only way any of us will make it. And soon. If we get out, I think we’ll be okay, infected or whatever. We have to try.”
They all stared at him in puzzlement.
“We can sit around here like a bunch of fucking babies and cry, or we can get the fuck out.”
Heather grimaced. “Yup, you’re still a dick.”
Reid swallowed another rock in his throat. “That’s right.” He shrugged.
Whatever they needed to believe to get them going.
The front door called to Reid like Stacy’s bright cherry lips. But just like then, even though he wanted what was in front of him, he was afraid. There wasn’t any choice. They had to keep moving, keep trying to get out. The next door could be the one.
He marched up to it, hands clammy and shaking, and flung it open. He wasn’t surprised when it didn’t lead outside.