After her shower, Ellen dried off with the rough towel and put on her scrubs. She’d been thinking about her conversation with William, and how she had a strong sense—no, more than a sense, more like some kind of psychic warning—that he was telling her their time was almost up. If she was going to escape, it needed to be soon. But though she had been thinking of almost nothing else, it seemed utterly futile. She couldn’t find a way out.
Marlo walked in, dropped her pants, and sat on the toilet. “You feeling any better?” Ellen asked.
The young woman was in one of her silent modes. Ellen had learned to leave her alone because persistence could cause her to blow up in rage. It was annoying not being able to talk, but the silence was better than Marlo’s cursing and screaming fits. Ellen left and curled up on her bed, her muscles burning from her workout. She’d begun to enjoy the dull, throbbing pain. It meant she was getting stronger. And if she was going to escape, she needed as much strength as she could muster.
“What’s up with you?” Marlo asked. The circles under her eyes were darker than usual. She’d stopped eating and had grown so thin she looked like the slightest touch would snap her bones.
“I’m just thinking. About life after this place.”
Marlo rolled her eyes. “You’re fucking nuts,” she said. “We’re not going anywhere.” She sat on her bed. Fidgeted. Picked at her toenails. “Gross. I wish we had some clippers.”
“I wish I had a razor. I’m hairy as an ape.”
Marlo ran her hands along her legs. “I’m starting to like it. But your pits are disgusting.”
“Gee, thanks,” Ellen said. “But speaking of hairy, you’re the one who has been walking around naked. You do know those guards are watching you on camera, right? The way the younger one looks at you when he brings our food—that’s disgusting.”
Marlo grunted. “Good. Maybe I’ll fuck him.”
“Jesus, Marlo.”
The younger woman laughed.
Ellen sat up in bed. “But seriously, what would you want to do if we got out of here?”
Marlo snorted. “The only way we’ll get out of this fucking jail is in a coffin.”
“But what if? Would you go back home?”
“I don’t have a home. And don’t you know what it’s like out there now? There were nukes and shit. Riots, people going crazy, cities on fire. The world was falling apart.”
“There must be someplace where things are okay.”
“Dream on.” Marlo picked at a scab on her arm. “This is hell. I never believed in hell, but here I am. Stuck in a cage with Pitzilla for the rest of my life.” She kicked her legs up and down. “Fuck this. I wish I could kill myself.”
“Don’t say that.” Because I know that feeling.
“It’s true.”
Ellen picked up the crossword puzzle magazine she’d been redoing for the umpteenth time. She wrote something in the margin and walked over to Marlo. When the young woman read it, she raised her head. Her eyes telegraphed skepticism.
“Are you fucking serious?”
Ellen took the book back and held her finger to her lips. “Yes.” She erased the message. I sure hope it works.
The knock came around 3 A.M.
Ellen had been lying awake, waiting for it, hoping for it, but the sound still startled her. She forced herself to remain still and breathe slowly and deeply. The thin, ratty sheet was pulled up to her eyes and she was on her side, facing the wall. Marlo’s note must have worked. It was entirely up to her now. If this ploy didn’t go off as planned they would never get another chance.
The electronic lock beeped and the door clicked as it opened.
“Shhh,” Marlo whispered. “Come here. She’s asleep.”
The door closed and the automatic bolt slid into place. “Don’t try anything,” came the guard’s voice. “You’re locked in.”
“Oh, I’m going to try something,” Marlo said. Her bed squeaked. “Hurry up.”
“You sure she’s asleep?”
“The old bitch sleeps like a log. Now come here. You know what I want and I know what you want, you dirty boy. I’ve been playing with myself for an hour waiting for you.”
The guard laughed quietly. “You are a little slut, aren’t you?”
“Why don’t you drop your pants and find out?”
The guard’s voice turned cold. “Don’t fuck with me. You try anything, I’ll hurt you.” Ellen heard the jingling of coins and keys as his pants hit the floor.
“Right,” Marlo said. “I weigh a hundred and ten pounds. I don’t want to fuck with you, I just want to fuck you. I was used to getting it all the time before I got thrown in here, and being stuck in here with the redneck bitch is killing me.” The bed creaked. “Your asshole friend isn’t going to bust in here, is he? Is he watching us?”
“He’s not around. Just me.”
Marlo sighed. “Put your hand here. Yeah, feel that? Feel how wet I am? You like that?”
The guard grunted. Ellen realized she had been holding her breath. She let it out slowly, her heartbeat booming in her ears.
“Look at you,” Marlo whispered. “Mmm. Must have been a long time since you’ve gotten pussy. God, you are big, too. I think I want that thing inside me. You want to put it in me?”
“Yeah,” the guard said, breathing heavily.
“I’m going to make you come so hard, Mr. Guard Man. Do you want to fuck me hard?”
The bed creaked again.
“Turn over,” the guard said. “You’re gonna do what I tell you, bitch.”
“Wait, wait,” Marlo said. “I want to do something first. Sit back.”
Ellen winced.
The guard moaned. Ellen felt like she could vomit. This was horrifying. She should have never mentioned the idea, much less allowed the girl to go through with it.
Wet smacking sounds, then Marlo again. “You like that, don’t you?”
The guard mumbled. Ellen wished she could shut her ears but knew she needed to be ready. Please, please let this work.
The guard groaned through his teeth. His breathing grew more rapid. The bed creaked rhythmically and he started to moan. And then stopped.
“What the—” the guard said. Then he started screaming.
Ellen leapt to see the guard staggering from the bed with his hands between his legs. In the darkness the blood spurting from between his cupped hands looked black. Marlo’s face was covered with it, too, and the girl was choking and gagging as she spit a mouthful of blood on the floor. Ellen jumped on the guard and he collapsed beneath her. She pounded his face, her fists aching with each hit. He screamed, and her fist smashed against his teeth, which cut into her knuckles. The guard bucked and writhed under her, and then his body jolted. Marlo had shoved something into his neck. Blood sprayed into Ellen’s eyes and she fell back, wiping at her face. The guard’s body shook, then went limp.
When Ellen’s vision cleared she saw the toothbrush sticking out of the guard’s neck. Marlo had been sharpening it to a point on the metal frame beneath her bed every night after lights-out. Ellen got up, and her legs almost buckled beneath her. Pools of blood were spreading around the guard. She staggered into the bathroom and retched into the toilet.
“He didn’t bring his gun,” Marlo said from the other room. “Just a Taser.”
Ellen stood on wobbly legs. She washed her face, and almost vomited again when she saw all the blood running down the drain.
“Move,” Marlo said. “I need to rinse out my mouth.”
“We need to hurry,” Ellen said. “Did you grab the keys?”
Marlo spat into the sink. She held up the keys in a bloody hand.
Marlo got dressed while Ellen rifled through the guard’s pockets, struggling not to look at his face or the bloody mess between his legs. She couldn’t stop shaking. She found nothing useful except for a folding knife, which she tucked into her pocket.
Marlo was trying the key fobs. One of them turned the indicator light green and the lock mechanism clicked loudly. “Come on,” she whispered.
Ellen followed her into the hall. In the light Marlo looked like a sadistic clown, her face, neck, and clothes bright red with the guard’s blood. Her own shirt was spattered, too. They hurried in the direction the guards always came from, passed several doors similar to theirs, and turned right into an adjoining room.
“Bingo,” Marlo said. Several heavy coats hung from hooks, and on a bench below them sat the guard’s handgun. Below the bench was a pair of snow boots. Marlo reached for the gun but Ellen stopped her.
“I’ll take that. Get dressed. You can have the boots.”
While Marlo dressed Ellen dug through the coat pockets. Nothing. She turned the gun over in her hand. No safety that she could see. When Marlo finished putting on the coat and boots Ellen handed Marlo the guard’s knife and put on one of the heavy coats. “Keep your hood around your face,” she told the younger woman. She opened the metal door and peeked outside. The cold went right through the flimsy scrub pants. No one out there, just the outlines of buildings and pools of light on the snow. “Follow me,” she said. “Walk normally. We don’t want to draw attention.”
“Fuck, it’s cold,” Marlo said.
Ellen pushed ahead. “At least you have boots.” Her feet already ached and the snow had gone up her pants legs almost to her knees. The school building seemed miles away. In the distance a tower rose above the compound, illuminated from within. The sky seemed to be made of more stars than blackness. “Let’s try that door,” she said.
Marlo pulled out the keys while Ellen tightened her grip on the gun. It took several attempts before the lock clicked. “Go,” Ellen said.
The room was dark except for light coming through a window in a door across from them. It was obviously some kind of rec room, with toys, balls, and exercise equipment scattered about. Ellen ran to the door and looked through the window. Another empty, dimly lit room, this one with rows of doors on either side. “This might be where the kids sleep,” she whispered. She turned the knob. “Locked. Give me the keys.”
Marlo handed them over. “There’s no key thingie here.”
Ellen looked. No electronic lock, not even a keyhole for a normal key in the door. “Shit. Locked from the other side.”
“Here,” Marlo said. “Try this.”
Ellen took the knife, opened it, and pushed the blade into the side of the door near the knob. It scraped metal but didn’t catch the bolt. She jiggled it, then pushed harder. Nothing. When she tried to force it further the blade scraped loudly and slipped. “Dammit. We’ll have to go back out—”
A door opened and a little girl stepped from the darkened doorway. She rubbed her eyes and stared at Ellen through the window.
Ellen knocked lightly and waved.
The little girl stepped closer, blinking. Her blond hair was knotted and sticking in all directions.
“Get her to unlock the door,” Marlo said.
Come here, Ellen mouthed.
The girl looked behind her, then back at them. She took a few more steps toward the door.
“Come on, come on,” Ellen whispered. She smiled in hope the girl would understand she was friendly.
Marlo moved closer to the window. The girl stopped, her eyes widening.
“Marlo, you’re scaring her. You look like a crazy clown.”
Marlo backed away. Ellen smiled again. “Unlock the door. We want to help you.”
The girl seemed hesitant.
“Open the door. Please. Please.”
The girl looked behind her again, then reached for the door.
A piercing alarm made Ellen jump.
“Fuck,” Marlo shouted.
Again, the alarm screeched. Followed by a whoop, whoop, whoop. Lights around the room began to flash on and off.
The girl’s eyes widened.
“Open the door!” Ellen banged her fists on the metal. “Please, open it now!”
The girl’s face twisted into a grimace.
An amplified male voice followed the alarm. “This is a Code Red emergency. Code Red. All unauthorized personnel please shelter in place.”
The girl turned and ran back into her room.
“We have to get out of here,” Marlo shouted.
“No. William is in there.” Ellen banged on the door again. “Open the door! Somebody open the door! William!”
The whooping alarm continued.
Marlo pulled on Ellen’s arm. “Come on, Ellen.”
Ellen handed the knife back to Marlo and pulled the gun out of her pocket. “Let’s find another door. Before they find us.” She sprinted across the room, kicking over a table full of paints. The cold blasted them when the door opened, and alarms echoed from the other buildings. A dog barked in the distance, and a searchlight beam from the tower moved erratically across the ground ahead. Ellen ran along the side of the building, staying in the shadows, then stopped.
“No,” she said.
Several men, flashlights bobbing, were running in their direction.
They backtracked, running as fast as they could in the snow. Ellen stumbled and Marlo pulled her to her feet. When they rounded the corner to the other side of the building Marlo grabbed Ellen and threw her against the wall. The front of the building was lit up. Three guards with rifles stood staring into the darkness. Ellen’s heart felt like it might burst. This was it. They’d failed. Killed a man in cold blood for nothing.
“We can’t get in there,” Marlo whispered.
Voices. From the other side of the building. Growing louder.
“There,” Marlo said. “That small building. Come on.” She pulled Ellen’s coat, but Ellen didn’t move. “Now, Ellen.”
“William,” Ellen said. Now she would never see him again. To have been so close. Within feet of where he lay sleeping. Then she felt the smack of Marlo’s palm across her cheek.
“You can’t help him if you’re dead. Let’s go.”
Her face stinging, Ellen ran with Marlo. The door to the small building was concealed in shadow, but the voices were getting closer. Flashlight beams converged on the school building’s wall where they had been standing and she heard the word footprints. Ellen fumbled with the keys.
“They’re coming,” Marlo whispered.
The door beeped. Ellen pulled it open, then the two of them slipped inside and slammed the door shut. A light flickered on. As Ellen’s eyes adjusted, her stomach dropped. Hanging around the small room were maybe a dozen long, red robes, their hoods hanging open like gaping mouths.
Marlo took out the knife and started stabbing the blade into the electronic lock mechanism. On the third try sparks flew out of the unit and a puff of smoke curled upward and dissipated.
“Look,” Ellen said. A metal hatch was affixed to the floor.
“Fucking open it,” Marlo said. Something heavy banged against the outside of the door. A man shouted, then there was more banging, metal against metal.
Ellen lifted the handle of the hatch and pulled. A light flickered on below, illuminating a ladder leading down into darkness. Her arms shook as she mounted the ladder. The air from below was warmer and dank, with a vaguely sulfurous smell. Marlo followed her, then closed the hatch behind them. Ellen’s feet touched the rocky bottom, and when she turned around, she saw a tunnel leading away. It looked like a natural cavern system, but with a string of lights along the ceiling. The passage was narrow. They’d have to go single file.
Ellen breathed deeply. “I hate caves,” she said.
“I hate bullets,” Marlo said, shoving Ellen aside. “Maybe this is a way out of here. Come on.”
Ellen followed. The floor was uneven, so she couldn’t run. This was too much like the horrible, charnel-smelling tunnels beneath El Varón’s compound. At times the walls squeezed close and she had to turn sideways, the fabric of the coat catching on the rocks. She began to notice traces of paintings on the walls, smears of charcoal and reds and ochers. Here and there other passages and openings led into darkness. If someone turned the lights off they would be lost forever. She fought back a wave of panic, her mouth suddenly dry, her labored breathing threatening to turn into screams.
Marlo stopped in front of her. The tunnel had widened into a small chamber. A metal ladder extended from the floor into the darkness above. Thick wires hung next to the ladder, then ran along the floor beneath a curtain of hanging plastic slats. She turned and held her finger to her lips. Ellen stopped, hunched over, her heart hammering. For some reason she did not want to go through that curtain.
Marlo seemed to sense it, too. She turned, eyes wide, and whispered, “I’ll go first.”
Ellen shook her head. “No.” She held out the gun and pushed in front of Marlo. How could she possibly aim straight with her hands shaking so badly? She pushed aside the plastic with her left hand. It was pitch-black. She’d have to feel her way around and find a light switch, if there was one. Marlo grabbed the back of her coat and held on. Ellen pushed through, the plastic rattling around her. The air in here felt electrified. She waved the gun in front of her, the other hand feeling for something, anything, stepping awkwardly, slowly, as quietly as possible. If she didn’t have a heart attack, it would be a miracle. At least it was quiet. And being so dark, unlikely that anyone was there. Ahead, in the blackness, a machine hummed. A generator, maybe.
And then something grabbed her arm. Yanked it so that the gun was pointing up.
“Marlo!” she screamed. Hands all over her now.
“Motherfuck—” Marlo shouted, and her hand ripped away from Ellen’s coat.
Ellen writhed and kicked, but there were too many people on her. Grunting men. She collapsed to the floor, her head striking rock. Bright dots and tracers exploded in the blackness, and then she was pinned, with someone heavy sitting on her chest. Then the room lit up. A man’s face, mostly concealed by bulky goggles, loomed over hers, his mouth twisted into an amused grimace. Another man sat beside her, and she felt the prick of a needle in her arm.
Before she lost consciousness she heard the voice she had been dreading.
“Hello, again, Ellen,” Lily said. “Did you really think you could get away from me?”
Ellen woke up alone and naked in a tiny, empty cell, her head throbbing, her mouth bone dry. The door opened. Regardie and two new guards walked in dressed in heavy winter jumpsuits, snow boots, and coats. The guards had handguns drawn. Snowflakes clung to their shoulders and boots.
“Get dressed,” Regardie said coldly. One of the guards tossed her an outfit. Boots, snow pants, and a hooded coat. So they were taking her outside. Her stomach clenched. “Can I have some privacy?”
Regardie stared.
She dressed quickly, her back turned, feeling all of their eyes on her. The boots were several sizes too large, but she knew it made no sense to complain.
They led her out of the cell and stopped at a door at the end of the hallway, a thick metal rectangle set into the wall. Snow was melting on the floor. Regardie pulled thick mittens out of his coat pockets and put them on.
“I suppose you can’t tell me where you’re taking me,” Ellen asked. “Are you going to shoot me? Leave me out for the wolves?”
Regardie smiled. “After what you did, that would be a kindness. But no. Someone wants to see you alive.” He pulled the door handle. “Let’s go, gentlemen.”
Freezing air blasted through the door, so cold it felt like needles stabbing her face. She pulled her hood tighter. It was daytime, so she could see the mountains—ragged peaks streaked with white and capped with clouds. Walking in the too-large boots was difficult, so she stepped slowly, one foot at a time. Off in the distance she saw where they were heading. A black dome. It looked like a giant sphere had come crashing through the sky and embedded itself in the snow, or had pushed itself up from beneath the earth. She swayed for a moment. The dome was pulling her. As if it had its own gravity.
“Walk,” one of the guards said, poking her in the back. A gust of wind blew icy grains into her eyes.
She stepped forward. Regardie had moved several paces ahead. For a brief moment, she thought about running. But that would accomplish nothing. The guards would be on her in seconds. And even if she got away, then what? She’d die within hours in this frozen waste.
The closer she got to the dome the stranger she felt. She’d seen pictures of domes like it before, from an old world’s fair. But the glass was odd—it didn’t reflect anything, but seemed to be absorbing all the light that hit it.
When Regardie reached the door, it opened. He waved Ellen in. Two more guards stood inside, dressed in insulated overalls. The dome was transparent from within, all the glass triangles converging on a pentagon at the apex. It was like being inside an enormous, multifaceted bubble. Or looking out through an insect’s eye.
The guards shut the door behind them. It was warmer inside, but not much. The ground was bare and rocky. Toward the far end of the dome a square hole had been cut into the ground, with a metal ladder extending from it. Wires from a bank of generators snaked down into the opening.
“I don’t want to go down there,” she said.
Regardie pulled his pipe from deep inside his coat and lit it. He spoke to her from between clenched teeth. “You’ve already been down there. You feel it, don’t you? The energy?”
She did. At first she’d thought the ground was vibrating from the generators. But the vibration was coming from inside her. And her skin tingled, as if a staticky balloon was being passed up and down her body. It was strange but not entirely unpleasant.
He didn’t wait for her to answer. “Be careful on the ladder,” he said. “Garen will go down first and wait for you. I’ll follow.”
The metal ladder was painfully cold. The closer she got to the bottom the shakier she felt, as if she had pounded several cups of coffee. When she closed her eyes to steady herself a kaleidoscope of colors and patterns filled her vision. What the hell was happening to her brain?
The area at the bottom was small, just enough room for a handful of people to stand, and the rocky floor was uneven. Two utility lights hung from hooks in the wall, and a string of bulbs vanished into a tunnel behind them. In front of them was the curtain of plastic slats. Thick wires and plastic tubes running down from above disappeared beneath the curtain.
Regardie stepped off the ladder. He tapped out his pipe on a nearby rock and waited for the final guard to descend. “We’ve just traveled forty thousand years in that climb. When this cave was discovered, no one believed the archaeologists when they said they found evidence of human habitation. And then this chamber was discovered and, well…” His smiled broadened. “Why don’t you step inside and see for yourself.”
Ellen parted the curtain and stepped inside.
Marlo was sitting in a chair, her head slumped against her chest. Another woman stood next to her, back toward them. In the center of the room was something terrible, the source of all the wild energy. A sphere, blacker than anything she had ever seen, yet smooth and polished and reflective. It was half embedded in a pool of what looked like silver paint.
The other woman pulled back her fur-lined hood. “Ellen. Thanks for coming on such short notice.”
Lily’s smile, toothy and scarlet-lipped, was as repugnant as Ellen remembered. Her red hair was pulled back, accenting the sharp angles of her pale face. And the eyes—so strangely large, and capable of fixing you in place like the stare of a cobra.
Ellen turned to Marlo. “What have you done to her?”
“I gave her something she really wanted. Poor thing has been suffering. Did you know she has a bit of a problem with opiates? Nearly OD’d twice. Her father found her with a syringe in her arm before he sent her to us.”
Ellen’s fists clenched at her sides. The guards, as if sensing her anger, stepped closer. Regardie walked past them toward Lily. “Mother,” he said, bowing his head. That’s what Crawford had called her, too.
“Doctor, please have your guards restrain our dear guest, if you would.”
Ellen knew better than to resist, especially seeing the icy eyes of the tallest guard. He took her to a chair a few feet away from Marlo’s, pulled a set of handcuffs from his belt, and cuffed Ellen to one of the rungs of the chair, her arms twisted behind her back. She flinched as the cuffs dug into her wrists.
Lily waved them all away. “Please step outside. All of you. I want to speak to Ellen alone.”
Regardie seemed startled. He stopped in his tracks and blinked. “Yes. Certainly, Mother.” He followed the guards through the curtain.
Ellen found her eyes drifting to the strange sphere. There were clouds, or tendrils of smoke, swirling under the glassy exterior. Her body thrummed. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant, either. Something about the sensation was like the buildup to an orgasm—that mounting toward an inevitable release.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Lily asked. She walked to Marlo’s chair and ran her fingers through the young woman’s hair. “So ancient, too. Older than the earth itself.”
“What is it?” Ellen asked.
“It’s a gift. A present. Don’t you love presents, Ellen? Would you like to watch me open it?” Lily clapped her hands.
“Why are we here?” Ellen asked, hating the way her voice cracked.
Lily circled her. “I think you’re well aware of that. Trying to escape was bad enough, but killing one of my security team? I give you an A-plus for creativity, but the little whore biting off the man’s cock was a bit over the top. Such unnecessary violence requires punishment, don’t you think?”
Ellen didn’t answer. Her eyes kept returning to the ancient object. It wanted her to look at it. She imagined if she could somehow touch it, or peer inside it, she would learn all sorts of secrets. Maybe even how to escape.
Lily stepped behind Marlo again. The young woman was breathing slightly, her eyes partly opened, lower lip wet with drool. “So I gave the poor girl what she wanted most. Junkies are so easy to persuade.” She stooped and gazed into Marlo’s blank eyes. “She’s lovely, isn’t she?” Lily asked. “But such a troubled thing, unfortunately. And now that her father is gone, well, there’s really not much reason to keep her here, especially after her recent behavior. It might be better if she finally found her peace.”
Ellen tensed. “No,” she said.
Lily shook her head. “All that note-passing you two were doing was cute. And the exercising”—she squeezed Marlo’s arm—“such seriously ripped babes! What admirable discipline and dedication! And to think I always considered you rather soft.”
Ellen couldn’t hold back anymore. “You fucking bitch.”
Lily laughed. “Spunky as ever! No wonder Ray was so drawn to you. I really didn’t get it at first. Picking you over me? But having watched you for all these months, I understand it now. There’s far more to you than meets the eye.”
Ellen pulled at the cuffs and winced as the metal bit into her skin.
“So Marlo has worn out her welcome. But I still need you,” Lily continued. “William is doing amazing work for me. He is gifted on so many levels. He just went straight to the top of his class. But he misses his mommy so much.” She frowned and stuck out her lower lip. “So Mommy needs to stick around. At least for a little bit longer.” She stepped in front of Marlo and lifted the chin of the unconscious woman. “But this pretty thing? She’s served her purpose. Her daddy’s gone, and there’s no one else to take care of her. And we can’t have her hurting anyone else.”
Ellen’s body was shaking. This was all too much.
“Marlo,” Lily whispered.
Marlo’s lips moved silently. Her eyes twitched beneath half-closed lids.
“Marlo, dear,” Lily continued. “I know you’re really enjoying yourself right now. But you have to pay attention to me. Open your eyes. Open your eyes, Marlo.”
Marlo grunted. Her eyes remained closed.
Lily turned to Ellen and shrugged. “Junkies,” she said. Then she pulled her hand back and slapped Marlo hard across the face.
The young woman blinked. Opened her eyes.
“There we go.” Lily smiled. “Marlo, listen to me. Pay attention, okay? I want to show you something really special.” She grabbed the girl’s face and stared into her eyes. “Look into my eyes, Marlo. Look at me. There you go. Yes, look deeply into my eyes.”
“Don’t do it, Marlo,” Ellen shouted.
Lily glared. “I can make her suffer, Ellen. Suffering you can’t even imagine. And you will watch it. You will be responsible for it. So if you don’t want her to suffer, shut your fucking mouth.”
Ellen’s breath caught in her throat.
Lily turned back to Marlo. “I’m going to take off your shirt, dear. You’ll feel much better without these dirty old clothes.” Lily moved behind her and pulled Marlo’s arms over her head. She pulled off the scrub shirt and tossed it onto the floor. Marlo’s flesh broke out in goose bumps in the cold air. Lily returned to face the young girl. She wet her forefinger and thumb with her tongue and pinched a tiny, pebble-hard nipple. Marlo groaned. “Hot little thing, isn’t she? Regardie, the old goat, has been slobbering over her since she arrived. And can you blame him? She was so much fun when Crawford and I had her. A nasty little thing when she got really worked up. But, sad to say, the guard she killed will be her last bit of fun.”
Ellen closed her eyes. Dear God. She’d never been much for praying, but now it was all she had left. Dear God, please. Please don’t let this happen.
“Now, my dear. I want you stand up. Go ahead. You can do it. I’ll help you. Just take hold of my arms. That’s it. Now stand up. Good girl.”
Marlo rose, unsteadily. Her eyes were glazed and distant.
“Now your pants. Let’s get you nice and naked.” Still holding the girl’s arm, Lily pulled down the scrubs. They piled around her ankles. “That’s better.” Lily ran a finger along her jutting hipbones and up her belly. “So pretty. No wonder your father loved you so much.”
Ellen closed her eyes again. God, please. I can’t take it. I can’t watch this.
“See that thing over there?” Lily pointed. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
Marlo’s lips moved and her head nodded, ever so slightly.
“I have some friends inside it. And they are dying to meet you. Let’s go pay them a visit, shall we?” She helped the unsteady young woman step out of her bunched scrubs. Marlo wobbled and her head rolled back. Lily grabbed her by her hair and pulled her face into hers. “No nodding off. You need to stay with me, Marlo. Now—let’s walk together. Good. That’s very good.”
Marlo’s eyes opened wider. A smile crossed her face. She blinked and her eyes focused on the black sphere. She seemed to be coming out of the narcotic state. Maybe if she awoke enough she could resist. She would understand what was happening and fight back. Ellen prayed she would. Even if the guards came in, which they would at the first hint of trouble, at least Marlo would be able to stop what was about to happen. Ellen didn’t know what that was, but she knew it was going to be horrible.
“Yes, Marlo,” Lily whispered. “It’s calling to you. You want to touch it, don’t you? It feels so good, doesn’t it? Feel it. Inside you. All over your skin. Between your legs.”
Ellen’s own body was responding. A wave of pleasure washed over her, and she instantly felt revulsion. What the hell was that thing? She ground her teeth together until they felt they would snap and pulled tightly against the cuffs to feel the pain. She needed to resist.
Marlo stepped closer. Lily was leading her by the arm now. Marlo was awake, eyes wide, her body leaning in toward the object. The vague swirlings within the sphere had quickened, forming a vortex with its open mouth facing the young woman.
Ellen gasped. Oh my God, it’s going to pull her in.
“There you go,” Lily said. Marlo leaned forward, inches away from the silver liquid at her feet, then caught herself. She blinked. Her eyes widened, and the smile disappeared from her face. A look of confusion, then her head drew back. Her gaze changed, and her eyes and mouth showed a mounting fear.
Ellen screamed. “Stop, Marlo! Don’t!”
Lily turned, smiled, and shoved Marlo with both hands.
Marlo went tumbling into the shimmering pool. It didn’t splash so much as it swallowed her, sucking her in, and she was engulfed in the silver-and-black liquid up to her breasts. Her hands went out to stop her fall and slapped onto the black sphere. Her arms and torso stuck to it instantly, as if the surface was covered in glue. She struggled to pull her head back, her neck shaking with the strain. Her eyes were wide, her mouth open, and she started to scream.
Ellen began screaming, too.
Lily watched, rapt.
Marlo started shaking, her entire body vibrating as if the object was electrified. Her mouth opened wide in a crazed grimace, and her eyes rolled back in her head.
“No, Marlo,” Ellen screamed, knowing it was too late.
Lily stood behind Marlo, her hands spreading out as if she were unfurling wings. She inhaled deeply, sucking in the wave of dark energy. Then she exhaled, and pushed forward with her arms until they were fully extended, fingertips pointed at the sphere. It felt like all the air in the room was being sucked into the black orb. A deafening buzzing, like the magnified screeching of a night insect blasted through a blown amplifier, nearly knocked Ellen senseless.
Ellen knew it was over. Marlo, poor girl, oh you poor, sad, fucked-up girl.
It took her brain a few seconds to process what happened next. Her eyes saw it first, but it didn’t make sense. A human body couldn’t do that. It was impossible. It was madness.
Marlo was gone. What was left of her body had spread across the sphere, a mass of flesh and fluids and melted bone.
Ellen broke, her sanity evaporating, chased by Lily’s screeching laughter.