by Amy Cross
He laughs again, followed by the others.
“I mean it,” I tell them, still struggling to keep from passing out. “I can get her to think black is white if that's what you want. I can -”
Suddenly they stop dragging me, and I'm twisted around until I'm face to face with one of the men. One of the others grabs my head and pulls it back, forcing me to look into the guy's eyes.
“You and I,” he says after a moment, “have very different ways of getting into people's heads. At least I'm honest about it, though, and I'm quick. Painless too, for the most part. You, on the other hand, lie and deceive your way in like a worm, burrowing deeper and deeper until you're able to manipulate your victim. It's a crude method, but it seems to work. Fortunately, I think my niece most likely saw through you a long time ago.” He leans closer. “I've been inside her head, you know. Just a little, just enough to know how she thinks. Do you honestly believe that she loves you?”
“I know she loves me,” I whisper.
“No,” he says firmly, “it's not love. She pities you, she thinks you need her, she worries that you'd spiral out of control without her.” He pauses. “She knows you cheat on her, or at least she suspects it. She just doesn't know how to get rid of you without hurting you, but she desperately wants you to leave. Her problem is that she's such a good person, she'd never prioritize her own happiness over someone else's. The world is full of people like that, people who care about others. It's also full of people like you, who take advantage.”
“Holly loves me,” I reply. “She -”
Before I can finish, he grabs my throat and squeezes tight, starting to choke me.
“Holly will be much better off without you,” he sneers, leaning even closer.
Trying to pull a hand free so I can push him away, I struggle for breath. After a moment, however, he lets go of my throat.
“Don't worry,” he mutters. “When I finally decide to kill you, I'll slip into your mind so I can experience it first-hand. Something tells me yours might be the most satisfying death yet.”
“Let's come to some kind of deal,” I whisper. Damn it, I've never met a man I couldn't get on my side somehow, I just need to figure out his angle. “Come on, there must be something you want, something I can give you.”
“There is,” he says firmly, “and I've already begun to take it from you.”
“But if -”
“Some of these women will eventually give birth to your children,” he continues with a faint smile, “and when they do, those babies will grow up to become new citizens. And eventually, one by one, I'll slip into their minds and take control of their fresh, new bodies, and I'll stretch out and really enjoy myself until the time comes to suffocate them. Or, you never know, I might even find a more enjoyable way to kill them. I certainly intend to carry out a few interesting experiments.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I ask. “You're insane...”
He smiles. “I admit it's a little hard to hold myself together when my mind is spread through so many bodies, but in the circumstances I think I'm doing remarkably well. Holly, though...” He pauses again. “I think Holly might be even stronger than me, even if she doesn't realize it yet. She's smarter, too, and more adaptable. I might be the pioneer, but Holly will be the one who really takes this gift and explores it properly. I should have realized that long ago. One taste of this ability, and she'll be hooked for life.”
“Holly's too moral,” I stammer, hoping I can persuade him to let me go. “She needs to be handled right. I can do that for you.”
He raises a skeptical eyebrow. “You?”
“Come on, let's be honest with each other,” I continue, trying not to let my desperation and fear show through. “Someone like Holly, she thinks she has all these principles, but they're just a bunch of lies she tells herself. You can get her to do whatever you want, but you're gonna need my help.” I wait for an answer, but he still doesn't get it yet. I swear, these dumb hicks might have got their little set-up running pretty well here, but when it comes to thinking ahead they're still not so smart. “Think about it!” I hiss. “What the hell's wrong with you? Holly's not like the girls in Tulepa, she's actually got a brain in her head! And me? I'm just a worthless, useless piece of garbage waiting to die! I'm a -”
Stopping suddenly, I realize what I just said. Those last words, about being a worthless piece of garbage, came out of my mouth, but they weren't my thoughts.
“I'm a waste of meat,” I continue, unable to stop myself as I feel something in the back of my mind, clawing at my thoughts. A cold sweat ripples across my body, and I swear I can hear someone – someone who's not me – humming in my head, whistling a slow tune that's already driving me mad. “I deserve to die for my sins,” I stammer, even though I'm trying desperately to stay quiet. “I should be disemboweled right here and left to shiver in -” I manage to keep my mouth shut, even though more of these crazy words are trying to get out, and that whistling sound is continuing. “What are you doing?” I scream finally, lunging forward toward the old man before other hands hold me back. “Get out of my head!”
“What's wrong?” the old man asks calmly. “Are you finding certain... involuntary thoughts entering your consciousness?”
I open my mouth to argue with him, but I feel as if something dark is slithering through my mind, uncoiling itself as if it's preparing to show itself more fully.
And still there's that slithering sensation.
Something dark and wet.
Something cold.
Filling my head.
“Get out,” I whisper, as the presence curls against the inside of my skull. “What are you... How are you doing that?”
“It feels like a snake, doesn't it?” he continues. “I've heard it described that way before. I imagine your mind is desperately trying to find a way to process what's happening, and that's the metaphor that springs up most readily.” He steps closer to me. “You're far from the first person whose mind I've entered like this, but so far you're proving to be the easiest. That's a shame, really, I was hoping for a challenge, but I suppose there's still Holly to come.”
“Stop!” I shout, slumping down and putting my hands on the sides of my head, trying to block him out. “Get out of my thoughts!”
“Don't worry,” he continues, towering over me. “Once I have control of your body, your original mind will still exist, at least for a while. It'll be tucked in a corner of the darkness, shivering and observing. I never notice the moment when the original minds fade away, it always seems to happen when I'm not paying attention, so we should probably say our goodbyes now, while you're still capable.”
Again I open my mouth to tell him to go to hell, but again the words won't come out. “I've practiced so many times,” I stammer finally, as someone else's thoughts emerge through my voice, “and now I really think I've become a master at this.”
I try to fight back, to push him out of my mind, but I can already feel him bursting though my every thought, filling my head until I'm pushed back to the edges.
“Your body is mine now,” his voice continues, echoing through my soul. “Just another to add to the collection. I don't think I'll keep hold of you for very long, though. I think, instead, I shall use you for a little demonstration.”
Raising my head, I try to scream. Instead, as tears run down my face, the other voice starts laughing through my mouth.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Holly
Finally, I manage to get one of the knots loose. Working as fast as I can, I start pulling a loop of rope away, and a moment later I'm able to slip my wrist free.
It's not much, but it's a start.
“Come on!” I whisper, frustrated by the way my hand are trembling. “Get on with it!”
For the next few minutes, I continue to work on the other ropes. I have no idea what I'm going to do once I get out of here, I don't even know if the door is locked or where I can find my car keys, but I know I can't just
sit here waiting for Eli to come back. Still, I'll run out of Tulepa barefoot if that's what it takes to get away and find help. Pulling another section of rope away, I manage to pull my other wrist out and then I roll onto my side and start desperately wriggling free of the restraints around my legs. Unbelievably, I think I'm actually going to be able to get untied. I pull on the final rope, tugging as hard as I can, and then suddenly it snaps and I'm out.
And then I hear footsteps.
Looking toward the door, I realize someone is coming closer.
“Please, no...” I whisper, feeling all my hope starting to fade as I realize I'm about to be discovered again, and probably tied up twice as strong.
A moment later, I realize the footsteps have stopped right outside.
Stumbling to my feet, I grab the remains of the rope and hurry to the door. It sounded as if there was only one person out there, in which case I guess I might be able to overpower them and run. Sure, Eli will probably know right away, and I don't know how I'm supposed to escape if everyone in Tulepa is after me, but at least I have to try and right now I feel as if I have enough adrenalin to outrun an army. As the door handle is slowly turned, I raise the rope, ready to strike. I've never hurt another human being in my life, but my heart is pounding and my chest is tight, and thanks to my medical training I know how to bring a man down.
As soon as the door opens, I lunge forward, slamming into the person on the other side and knocking her to the floor. Trying to keep as quiet as possible, I press my arm against her neck and raise my fist, ready to knock her out.
“It's me!” she hisses.
I stare in shock.
“Tatty?”
She stares back at me, her eyes wide with horror.
“I...” I stammer. “Tatty, I -”
“It's me,” she says again. “Holly, I swear it's me!”
I open my mouth to reply, but no words come out. I'm too shocked to say a thing.
“I came to help you,” she continues. “Holly, please, you have to get us both out of here. With Robert, too.”
I want to let go of her neck, to help her up, but as I stare at her I realize that I can't be sure it's really her behind those eyes. For all I know, this might be some trick by Eli.
“It's really me,” she adds after a moment. “Holly, please, tell me how I can prove it.”
“I don't know,” I reply, braced for her to fight back, waiting for her to strike. “I don't think you can.”
“Eli says he's in control of everyone,” she continues, “but that's not quite true, he was just bragging. When he's really focused on a few bodies, he forgets about the others and just leaves them sitting around. Don't you remember my parents and how they just sat there sometimes? It's like he parks bodies he's not using and just ignores them until he needs them again.”
Taking a deep breath, I watch her eyes carefully. I want to believe her, but at the same time I can't risk letting her up, not yet.
“It wasn't me earlier,” she adds. “When you came to the house and found me sitting on the steps, Eli knew you were on your way so he made sure his mind was in my body. I tried to cry out, I managed to scream for a second but he got me back under control. After you'd left, he moved on to other bodies and I was able to slowly take back control, but he could notice at any second and then he'll take me back again.” She pauses, with tears in her eyes. “Indigo,” she says suddenly.
“Indigo?”
“A code word. If I feel him coming back into my mind, I'll only have a fraction of a second to warn you, so I'll shout the word indigo.”
She waits for me to reply, but I still don't know whether I can trust her. Now that I know what Eli is doing, I don't think I can ever be truly sure that he's out of someone's head.
“Remember when you gave me those pads?” she asks. “In your hotel room, the first time we met? No-one else had been able to help me or talk to me about that kind of stuff, because everyone was just Eli in different bodies and Eli didn't know a damn thing about women's bodies. But you put a warm towel on my belly and you told me it was okay, and that everything I was going through was normal. That all happened before Eli got into my head, so how would he know? Please, Holly, we have to get out of here! I think if I get far enough away from Tulepa, he won't be able to reach my head anymore!”
“How do I know it's really you?” I ask. “Maybe Eli has been in your memories, maybe he's just trying to trick me?”
I pause for a moment, staring into her eyes, searching for some hint of proof, even though I have no idea what form that proof might take.
“Okay,” she says finally, her voice trembling with fear, “if you don't trust me, I understand. Tie me up, kill me, do whatever you want, but promise me you'll take Robert. He's just a baby, it'll be years before he hits puberty and before Eli's able to get into his head, so there's still time to save him. Please, Holly, you have to get Robert away from here!”
As tears rolls down her face, I finally let go of her neck and sit back. I know I might be wrong, but right now I figure I can trust her. Besides, it's not as if I have much choice.
“I swear,” I tell her after a moment, with my eyes fixed on her, “if this is really Eli I'm talking to, if you're tricking me -”
“I'm not!”
“I believe you,” I continue, “but if I'm wrong, and if this is you, Eli... I swear to God, I'll make you pay.”
“Robert's in the next room,” she replies. “I brought him with me. He never cries, he barely even moves, I think Eli has made him quiet. Please, we have to hurry...”
Getting to my feet, I reach down and help her up.
“Remember the code word,” she adds. “I'll say indigo if I feel Eli coming back into my head.” She grabs my hand. “I'll take you to your car.”
“No,” I reply, holding her back when she turns and tries to lead me along the corridor, “that's exactly where Eli will expect me to go if he knows I'm free.”
“There's no other way out of town,” she points out. “There are other cars, sure, but we don't have time to go looking for the keys.”
“Then we'll walk.”
“There's not another town for miles!”
“About eight miles, to be precise,” I continue. “Bainesville is to the south, along the main road. It'll take us a few hours, but at least it's still dark outside, and the further we get away from Tulepa, the weaker Eli's reach should be. That's the theory, anyway. While he's still searching for us in the shadows, we'll be halfway to the next town.”
“I...” She pauses, before nodding. “Okay. Sure, that makes sense.”
She turns and heads to a nearby room, and I follow until I reach the door and watch as she gathers her baby into her arms. Robert still isn't making a noise, isn't even wriggling, and I can see the fear in Tatty's eyes as she kisses his forehead. For a moment, it occurs to me that Robert might give us away, that Eli could be in his mind, but the child's eyes are close and I figure I have to hope for the best.
“Please let him be okay,” she sobs, turning to me. “You're a doctor, right? You can make him okay once we get away from here, can't you?”
“I can try,” I tell her. “Eli said something about not being able to get into children's minds after they're a couple of months old. So long as we get him away from Tulepa and away from Eli, I think there's a good chance he'll grow up to be completely normal.”
“And if something happens,” she continues, bringing the child across the room, “you have to leave me and just take Robert. Don't try to save me, don't take any risks. All that matters is that you get away from Tulepa with him.” She pauses, as more tears roll down her face. “I want to try to come, though. I want to raise him. When I was pushed down in my mind, with Eli filled my head, it was Robert who kept me going. I kept telling myself I'd find a way back for him.”
“We'll get you both out of here,” I reply, turning and heading along the corridor until I reach another door. Pushing it open, I feel the cold night air against my face
as I lean out and see a dark, empty street. “There's no sign of anyone so far, but we have to assume we'll run into company eventually.”
“We're weak,” Tatty replies.
I turn to her.
“I think all of us are struggling,” she continues. “The residents, I mean. Eli hasn't exactly been looking after our bodies very well. He barely has enough food for all of us, and sometimes he forgets for days to make us eat.”
“What does he want?” I ask, as I slip out into the dark street and Tatty follows. “I don't understand why he's doing all of this.”
“I think it's just because he can,” she replies. “And because he thinks he deserves this after all those years when he was an outcast. Sometimes when he's in my body, I can hear his thoughts pulsing in my head. He enjoys combining different bodies in different situations, it's like he's trying to feel every possible human experience. Sometimes he tries to come up with new ways to kill one of us, other times he just causes us pain, and then he even...”
I take a few steps along the street, before turning back to her. “He even what?” I ask cautiously.
“Jordan Swinton is Robert's father,” she replies, her voice still trembling. “Eli... Well, he doesn't just like hurting us. Sometimes he makes us do other things.” She shudders for a moment. “I hate Jordan Swinton, I always did. I'd never have... I mean, if I'd been able to stop Eli using my body...”
Her voice trails off, but there are tears in her eyes.
Realizing what she means, I pause for a moment before turning and looking along the street. “The first job is to get out of here,” I continue finally, “and then we can bring help and deal with whatever Eli's done. I'm not even...” Taking a deep breath, I remind myself that none of this makes sense, that all this talk of Eli taking control of other bodies is impossible. I guess there's a chance he's been hypnotizing people, but at the same time, deep down, I'm also starting to think that he was telling the truth earlier, and that my introverted, slightly weird old uncle has truly managed to leak from his own mind and take control of other people.