Plague (Gone 4)

Diana was pretty sure she did not.

“I was creating monsters with needle teeth. Like vampires, I guess, but more like wolves, like rabid bats, like every scary thing you see pictures of living down at the bottom of the ocean. And you know what they were doing?”

“Let me help get your shorts off.”

Diana knelt and worked Penny’s shorts down her thighs. Carefully, as gently as she could. But still Penny made a rising, shuddering cry of pain.

“They were ripping you apart, Diana,” Penny gasped through gritted teeth. “They were all over you, Diana, doing every horrible thing I could think of.”

“Lift your arms.”

Diana pulled the shirt, none too gently, over Penny’s head.

“Watching you scream in my head helps keep me from screaming,” Penny said.

“Whatever works,” Diana said.

She put her arm under Penny’s, bent low, and lifted her. The girl wasn’t heavy. Food had not cured Penny’s runway-model thinness.

“Oh, oh, ohhhhhh,” Penny sobbed as Diana lifted her.

Diana rested Penny on the edge of the tub, reached awkwardly to turn off the water.

“Caine could do this easier,” Penny said. “But he won’t, will he? He doesn’t want to come in here and see his handiwork. Not the mighty Caine.”

Diana maneuvered to bear most of Penny’s weight and lower her bottom first into the hot water. Her twisted pipe-cleaner legs dragged, then followed their owner into the tub.

Penny screamed.

“Sorry,” Diana said.

“Oh, God, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts!”

/> Diana stood back. Penny was sweating, even paler than before. But she stopped screaming. She lay back against the tub, up to her chest in water and bubbles.

“There’s a sprayer. I’ll wash your hair.” Diana turned on the nozzle, tested the water temperature, and played it over Penny’s lank hair.

She worked in shampoo until it foamed.

“Just like the hair salon,” Penny said.

“Yeah. Probably where I’ll end up working someday,” Diana said.

“Nah, not you, you’re too smart,” Penny said. She had closed her eyes. Diana rinsed shampoo down Penny’s face and neck. “Beautiful and smart and you have Caine all to yourself now, don’t you?”

Diana sighed. “I’m a loser, Penny. Same as you.”

Caine burst in. He looked startled. “I heard screaming.”

“Oh, sorry about that,” Penny snarled. “I hope I didn’t wake you up, you piece of—”

“You okay?” Caine asked Diana.

“She’s perfect,” Penny said. “Perfect hair, perfect teeth, perfect skin. Plus she has legs that work, which is really cool.”

“I’m out of here,” Caine said.

“No,” Diana said, “Help me lift her back out.”