CHAPTER#57

Lightning arced from the crack, striking her and blowing her off her feet. Shrieking, she tumbled across the yard, smoke rising from her damaged flesh. Her snakes hissed in fury, swarming toward the porch, but they couldn't cross the barrier. Swearing, Kali tried to rise, only to discover that she couldn't move.

"Go eat a dick!" The firefighter hollered, her helmet pulled low over her face. But it didn't do any good, because when she tried to back into the house, she tripped on the hose, and Kali was able to see through her poor attempt at a disguise.

"Lily," she hissed under her breath. Her wounds were already beginning to knit, but it would take some time. She concentrated the healing along her right arm, clumsily pulling her smoldering phone out of her breast pocket. She dropped it on the ground, letting out a small laugh. The High Priest would have to wait. The python wrapped itself around her, cradling her in its warm coils and carrying her away from danger.

Above her, the crack in the sky glowed blood red, slowly shrinking away.

-

Sweat poured down Mike's back, his breath ragged. Jenny, who had been singing nonsense, was silent. They ran along the stones, the air of the Labyrinth suddenly hot and stifling.

The minotaur had found them. Mike didn't bother looking over his shoulder, for he could hear the creatures heavy footfalls behind them. The minotaur was slowed down by its giant axe, which Mike saw both as a blessing and a curse. Still, the beast had impossible stamina, and Mike knew that he would tire long before the minotaur did.

"Jenny?!?" The path split before them, and Mike didn't know which way to go.

Jenny ran ahead of him. Her movements were fluid, but Mike saw that her whole body was shimmering. Jenny was struggling to hold on, her soul billowing out behind her. In her backpack, Mike saw that the doll was surrounded by a haze, Beth's soul ready to return to her body. Jenny took a left at the split, and Mike followed.

"How much farther?" Mike called. He could hear the minotaur's breath, hot and labored.

"Up ahead!" They turned a corner and burst into a small clearing. There was a large patch of grass leading up to the remains of a stone bridge. The bridge had long ago collapsed, and the rapidly flowing river beneath it was about fifteen feet across. Jenny slowed, and they were running side by side.

"Jenny? Her whole body was covered in a mist, and Mike saw that the small bag she carried was the same. Jenny's breathing was now ragged, and her dark eyes were flickering, the light returning to them.

"Jump, jump, jump!" Jenny accelerated ahead of him onto the stone bridge. A small lip went out over the water, like a makeshift diving board. Mike took a deep breath, pushing his muscles to the absolute limit, feet slapping against the hard stone.

Just as Jenny reached the edge, it happened. With a blast of light, Jenny lost control of Beth's body, and the swirling mists exchanged places, Beth's spirit flowing back into her own body. Beth cried out in alarm, sliding to a halt, but Mike was too close behind. He crashed into her, both of them falling into the river below.

-

Dana fought the urge to call out, the hairs on her arms rising. The house held an odd stillness to it and the air was impossibly cold. She walked carefully across the faded carpet, stepping around a cold plate of eggs and toast on the coffee table.

Voices from the kitchen caused her to creep softly along the wall, her head tilted trying to hear. She could hear the landlady's soft voice followed by the low murmurs of a man. His voice was clinical, yet commanding. Nearing the threshold, she paused just short of the frame.

"Are you sure?" The man asked.

"Yes. She is supposed to be at work." The old woman's voice was little more than a whisper. "I was planning to sneak in and do some of her laundry for her, poor thing."

Laundry. Dana's mind was suddenly confronted with the knowledge that she couldn't remember the last time she had washed her clothes. Was she really so far gone that she hadn't noticed her clothes magically washing themselves? Shame burnt itself into her cheeks, but she stayed to listen.

"Why are you doing her laundry?"

"Her heart is broken."

"Ah. The accident." He said the word as if it were a common occurrence, like measles, or chicken pox. "So you can let me in to her apartment to wait."

"I shouldn't," the landlady said.

"But you will." His voice was relaxed, but Dana detected the hard tone to it. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she suddenly worried that her breath was too loud. What did this guy want?

"I will." The old woman let out a small moan. "After I do that, will you let me die?"

"What the fuck?" Dana spun around the corner, suddenly compelled to help the kind woman who had been doing her laundry. Her jaw dropped at the sight in the kitchen, and she stumbled back, catching herself on the frame of the door. The old woman was aglow in a soft yellow light, the skin of her body white as chalk, her feet about four inches off the ground. Her head hung loosely to one side, her eyes fixated on nothing in particular.

"Looks like I won't be waiting after all." The man sitting at the kitchen table produced a cigarette from nowhere, tucking it gently between his lips. The cigarette lit itself, and he inhaled deeply, contemplating Dana. He exhaled a large cloud of smoke. "You must be the delivery girl. Grab her for me, would you?" He snapped his fingers, and the landlady fell softly to her feet. Her face tightened as she let out an agonized cry, fingers reaching for Dana as she stumbled forward.