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She felt herself leaving Da
Suddenly there was commotion in the water. Bubbles, and a billowing flowered blouse. A woman in the water, frantically diving down, grabbing at the boy's body. Da
Allie reached her hand toward the woman, and was immediately swept up, drawn inside her, skinjacking her.
The woman was crazed beyond belief, her body in a full panic state--which is exactly what was needed, for although she was not a strong woman, she could swim, and with all that adrenaline in her, she could swim for two. Allie took over her body completely, and set herself to the task of saving Da
She fought her way to the surface, pulling Da
"I got him, Mrs. Rozelli!" With one hand he hurled Da
Or was it?
Allie peeled out of Mrs. Rozelli, and back into Everlost, where she could see Milos and Moose still standing there, observing everything.
"Welcome back to Everlost!" Milos said cheerfully. "I knew it would work!"
Allie could not believe he could be so casual about the terrible thing he had just done. Somehow Mary had changed him. Like everything else she touched, Mary had turned him rancid.
In the living world, Mrs. Rozelli fell to her knees, dazed and terrified. She wailed so loudly, it rang out as clearly in Everlost as in the living world.
"C'mon, kid!" cried Chainsaw, struggling to revive the boy, knowing he was dead, but not willing to stop, for he couldn't face the woman's anguish. And behind him the other poolman dug his nails into his scalp and tore himself apart, his mind shattered from the awful thing Milos had made him do.
But in Everlost, there was a sight that none of the living could see.
Allie turned to the pool, and saw Da
"No, Da
"It's so bright... ."
"Don't go down the tu
"But it wants me to," Da
"No! You're not! None of this is supposed to happen!"
Finally Chainsaw gave up trying to resuscitate the boy, and buried his face in his hands, sobbing. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry... ."
Allie summoned her most commanding voice.
"Da
Finally Da
Behind them, above the cries of the living, came a voice far more pleased with this heart-rending moment than he should be.
"Well done!" said Milos, practically beaming. "Very well done, Allie!"
"Yeah, yeah," said Squirrel, "I'll bet she did that even better than Jackin' Jill."
"Congratulations," Milos said. "You have just brought a new soul into Everlost. Whatever you did to Mary in the past, she will forgive you now."
"I don't want her forgiveness."
"You may not want it, but you will need it," Milos said, very seriously. "Otherwise she will destroy you, and I do not wish to see that."
Da
Allie realized what would happen next. "Stay awake, Da
"But I'm so sleepy. Just let me rest."
"Whatever you do, don't fall asleep!" Because she knew the moment he did, he would lapse into nine months of hibernation. If he fell asleep, he would become an Afterlight. But he wasn't one yet--he had no afterglow--which meant he was not entirely gone from the living world... .
Allie knew what she had to do. Without wasting an instant, she took Da
Allie's scream of joy and relief could only be matched by his mother's. She tried to grab him, but Chainsaw held her back with a strong arm. "Give him time."
Chainsaw rolled him over on his side, and Da
"I'm tired, Mom."
But that was okay. It was all right for him to be tired now. Chainsaw went over to Curtis, shaking him, screaming at him in fury for what he had done, but Curtis's mind was entirely gone. He would be the victim of all this, but Allie could not save him. She had saved Da
She turned to Milos, who was surprised, and maybe a little impressed, by what she had done for Da
"Always the good Somalian," he said.
"That's 'good Samaritan.'"
"Why does it matter?" Then he held out his hand to her. "Now we go."
Allie didn't move. "Do you think I would ever come with you after what you just did?"
"You gave me your word."
"Then call me a liar."
Milos signaled to Squirrel who began to circle behind her. "I do not wish to take you by force," Milos said, "but if I have to, I will."
"You'll have to catch me first."
Allie ran, while behind her Mrs. Rozelli said a quiet, thankful prayer as she carried her little boy into their home, and the deadspot at the bottom of the pool faded away into nothing.
CHAPTER 35 Allie-Allie-Oxen-Free
The Union Avenue Bridge was narrow, always crowded, and nowhere near as efficient as the two interstate bridges that carried the bulk of the city's traffic over the Mississippi into Arkansas. It was the oldest bridge in Memphis, first built for the transcontinental railroad, but it had been modified years ago to add lanes for automobile traffic on either side of the train trestle.
Reports of its crumbling structure were occasionally seen on the i