Experiment in Terror Book 9 - Page 59

And then it was gone. I felt it leave my body, as if I had been giving it too much resistance and it finally gave up. Wanting something softer.

“Perry, f**king talk to me!” Dex was in my face, slapping my cheek lightly. I blinked, staring up at him, concentrating on a bead of sweat that was threatening to fall from the tip of his nose. “Talk to me!”

“I’m okay,” I managed to say, trying to sit up. He helped me, his grip tight, one hand behind my head, holding me gently. There were people pa.s.sing by, staring at me in concern. I shot them a quick smile, just in case they called an ambulance.

“Perry,” he murmured, resting his forehead against mine. “I thought I lost you.”

I swallowed, that feeling coming back. The evil. Such evil.

“No,” I said. I pulled back and stared at him. “Did you see him? The beast in the suit?”

“No…” he looked around.

“He came inside my head. Just for a moment. He left, I pushed him out. He’s going after something softer.”

He frowned and placed his palm on his head. “I would know if he got in. Look at me, he hasn’t.”

I was looking at him and I knew he was right. He’d already had Dex and now Dex was tougher than ever before.

But others weren’t as strong as us. Others were softer.

“Ada!” I suddenly yelled, springing to my feet. “My mother!”

Dex nodded, wearing horror on his face. “Call them!” He threw his hands up in the air. “f.u.c.k, we need a phone.”

He spotted a couple walking arm and arm a few yards away and ran over to them. When it looked like they were agreeing, I booked it over to them, shooting them a grateful look.

“Thank you,” I said to them, “it’s a bit of an emergency.” I took the phone and dialed my mom’s phone, knowing she was most likely to answer.

My dad answered instead. “Daniel Palomino,” he said.

“Dad!” I yelled.

“Perry? Whose number is this?”

“Dad where is mom and Ada?”

“They’re with me, why? Do you want to talk to your mother?” His voice began to break up and I heard a loud grinding noise in the background

“Where are you?” I asked, feeling like time was falling through my fingers.

“We’re just about to get on the subway,” he said, the crackles getting louder.

“Where are you going?” There was nothing, then he said something I could barely make out. “Dad!” I yelled. “Where are you going? What station?!”

The static grew stronger but I finally heard him say, “Fifty-Third and fifth.”

“Okay, get off at that station and do not going anywhere. Do you hear me?”

More crackles. I thought my heart was going to explode. “Here, talk to your mom,” he said. And then the phone went dead.

“Mom!” I yelled. “Dad!”

There was nothing. Reception was dropped. Oh G.o.d, how I prayed it was just the reception.

I handed the phone back to the bewildered couple without glancing at them. I had to get to my family. I started running across the park, going as fast as my legs would carry me. I heard Dex yell my name, then apologize to the couple and take off after me.

He was fast as anything and when he caught up, he didn’t ask questions. He knew. If the demon was still around, he was weak. That’s what Pippa had said. But he was still a threat. He could take over someone else and never come out again. Someone softer with less defenses. Someone who believed. Someone like us – Ada or my mother.

Dex and I ran through the park. Since we had been at the bottom end, it was faster to run through the streets instead of taking the subway. I don’t think I could have stay still on the subway long enough. I need to move, feel like I getting somewhere, doing something.

Oh, please, please, please, please don’t let them get hurt. Let them stay strong. After everything, I couldn’t handle another blow to my life. More than that, I would never forgive myself.

We ran and ran and ran. We bowled over overladen shoppers, b.u.mped into surly pedestrians. We ran through red lights, cars swerving to avoid us, honking their horns. We pa.s.sed by restaurants and cafes and souvenir stores and carts full of fake handbags. If there was thing that we were good at, it was running for our lives. This time it was to save lives.

And the entire city of Manhattan carried on, like nothing was at stake.

We finally reached the station at 53rd and 5th, sweaty but not out of breath. I felt like I could have run forever. We scrambled down the stairs, running past artwork in the tiled mezzanine and looked around. They weren’t here. Maybe they were down below.

I fumbled for coins in my pockets, practically throwing them at the ticket booth person and then ran on through the turnstiles. Dex took me by the hand and we flew down the stairs to the upper level platform, going against the river of bodies coming back up.

Down below there was barely anyone waiting for the train since the last one was just pulling away.

But there, at the other end, were my parents hunched over my sister who was lying on the ground, convulsing. A few bystanders were gathered around, one of them looking like they were trying to help.

“s.h.i.+t!” I yelled and I took off down the platform, Dex at my side.

When we got there, I could see her face had a blue-ish tinge and her eyes had rolled back in her head. She was shaking, a man with gla.s.ses and a beard was trying to keep her head up and supported while my mother and father knelt beside her, trying to understand. My mother was crying.

“What happened?” I screeched, falling to my knees in front of them.

My father could only shake his head. “I don’t know, we got off the train and then she screamed and just collapsed a few seconds ago, holding onto her head.”

My mother looked right at me, her eyes wild. “She said there was something in her head. That ‘it’ was in her head!”

My mouth felt like I had a wad of glue in it as I realized how true the horror was.

It happened to me, I told my mom in my head. I fought it off. I knew it was coming for you next. We tried to get here in time.

My mother nodded and looked up at Dex before turning back to Ada.

“What do we do?” my mother asked the man who was helping them.

He grimaced. “It’s a seizure. She should pull through, we just have to keep her comfortable and secure.” He nodded at another man who was running up the stairs. “My partner has gone to get help, call where there’s reception.”