She puts out her arms and twirls around like she’s a toy balloon.
“Sounds like fun. Were you on a boat?”
She stops. Gets on her knees and stabs the windows along the side of the bus. The ghosts inside shriek and crowd to the other side.
“All I remember is the cold and the wind and stars twinkling.”
She’s really worked up now. She turns to the ghosts at the edge of the crater. Screams and charges at them. She’s only run a few yards and they’ve all disappeared. She turns on the first bus, stabbing the metal. Kicking it. Crushing the roof and sides. This kid is pure power stuck in a broken mind. I don’t know whether to feel sorry for her or to run like hell.
She turns and looks at me like she forgot I was there.
“Are you here to kill me?”
“You already asked me that.”
“You’ll kill me later.”
“Only if I have to.”
“Mostly I do things because I have to.”
“Does someone tell you to kill other ghosts?”
“No. They’re mostly his and don’t run too fast, so I just do it. But the people. I like killing them. The ones that deserve it.”
“How do you know they deserve it?”
“I just do. I feel it inside when the man gives me their names.”
“Teddy?”
“The cruel one tried to kill me, you know. You’re not going to kill me now?”
“Not now.”
“I’ll only kill you if I have to.”
“Thanks. You know, cruel ones tried to control me and make me do bad things. Maybe I can help you get free and you can stop killing.”
She holds out her hands and spins.
“I’m Lamia. I breathe death and spit vengeance.”
She drops her arms and sits in the dirt. She rubs her eyes, suddenly a tired, dirty little girl.
“I’m sleepy. I don’t want to talk anymore.”
“Are you going to kill more people?”
She curls up on the ground in her party dress.
“Oh yes. Lots. The sky will be all sorts of funny colors.”
Along the edge of the crater are the gangs of murdered kids. They’re cut up but they’re not scared of Lamia. Whatever happened to them, she didn’t do it.
Cherry is waiting when I climb back up to the street. She runs over and grabs my arm. I keep walking.
“You didn’t kill her. Why not?”