Page 44 of Bloody Bargain
If he pulled it out any further, he’d see the pool of red they were standing in. But he didn’t. He pushed the drawing back in with a fond smile.
“She does,” I sighed, fidgeting with the folder. The adrenaline in my system simmered down to a low boil now that it was safely in my hands. Glenn watched me jostle the pages with care until they were lined up nearly, then sat back and reached into his pocket.
“So are you feeling good about going home soon? You’ve evened out so much. I’m asking as a friend, not as a counselor.”
I swallowed hard. Leave? It was safe here, but out there… Now that I knew monsters were real, how would I handle the next time one glanced my way and wesaweach other?
“You look worried,” Glenn pushed.
My eyes flickered, a divot digging between my brows. “I guess I am.”
“Well,” Glenn leaned back in, sliding a baggie across the table towards me. I blinked at it, a crease in my brow. When I looked up at him out of confusion, he winked. “How about a little homemade fudge? Reed and I made a batch last night. Maybe it’ll ease your worries.”
I glanced at the sign by the door—No Food or Drink—and heard Reed’s voice in my mind. Even if my memories of the attack were murky, the rest of that day was stamped into my brain in high definition.
Lawful good.
A chill ran down my spine. I met Glenn’s conspiratorial smile, biting my lip as my fingers curled around my folder. “Maybe after dinner.”
He drummed his fingers on the plastic, crinkling the bag as he held my stare. The sound stung my ears, but I didn’t dare look away. I didn’t dare breathe…
“Sure,” he said with a shrug, pushing the bag further towards me. “Just don’t let the other techs see it.” He hid his mouth behind his hand and whispered, “They’ll get jealous.”
Glenn stood up with a salute. I waved as he turned towards the door and left without greeting any other patients or the psych tech doing paperwork in the corner. As soon as he was gone, I hugged my folder to my chest and forced myself to breathe.In, one, two. Out, one, two.But it was no use. My pulse raced, my legs wobbled, tears stung the corners of my eyes. I wanted to scream and tear and my hair. I wanted to sob and fall to the floor.
Now I understood why everyone told me what they knew through drawings and movement therapy. The monsters were in the ward too.
They were everywhere.
17
“Can I help you, love?”
An ALDI clerk with a name tag that readPeteron a strip of white plastic on his right breast approached me from the end of the aisle as I stalked the shelves, looking for knives. I was in a foul mood after the way D’abel’s elemental waters had left me rubbed raw but still aching. It had taken me hours to pull myself together, but finding a box store an hour after pulling on my boots meant that it wasn’t a total loss at least.
“Miss?”
I looked at him with a silent sigh and struck a vapid smile. The clerk’s blonde hair was swept back with a bit of product and his black jeans were slim, maybe slightly out of style. I hadn’t paid attention to that sort of thing in a long time, but they sagged a little around the knees, probably from stocking the shelves.
“Thanks, I’m good.”
His crystal blue eyes crinkled at the corners as he gave me a little nod.
“American,” he hummed. “Hiker?”
I pressed my lips together, resisting the urge to glance down at my hiking boots. “Yep. Just enjoying Snowdonia.”
“We call it Eryri round here.”
“Eh-ruh-ree?Thanks, I’ve been wondering about that.”
I turned back to the shelves, clearly dismissing him, but he smiled a bit wider, leaning one shoulder into the shelves with his thumbs hooked on his jean pockets.
“You stayin’ in town a while? Weather’s lousy for a hike right now but gets crisp again in a couple weeks. Stunnin’ it is.”
My hand paused on a paper-wrapped wheel of cheese and I swallowed down saliva at the thought of tasting it. D’abel said I could burn things to test them. I could buy this and try. Maybe some fruit. A tomato with basil and pepper, drizzled with olive oil…
“I could take you to the pub.”
