He mumbled something about "women" and "tease" and "torture,"' but Lucy chose to ignore him as she undressed and slipped into the cool water. All of her muscles relaxed as she let herself float and soak. Her body drifted toward the waterfall, and she found a place to stand under the pouring water that washed the filth from her body.
But the water cleansed more than her body. Her mind latched onto the conversation she'd just had with Hunter, and she thought about her past choices and experiences: Sam impregnated and taken to the clinic while Lucy stood by, helpless to do anything; her mother, Ana, dying at the hands of Dr. Pana while Lucy once again did nothing; the force-fed drugs at Rent-A-Kid that kept her complacent and numb.
Adam escaping from his prison only to die moments later. The Seeker attacking Mary's mind during the first failed escape attempt at Rent-A-Kid.
Mr. Black beating Lucy so badly she nearly died.
Lucy shooting Robert, killing him.
All of her sins, her fears, her helplessness... the water pulled it from her like a baptism. Each new moment meant she could take a new path, a new way to live. She couldn't change what had happened, but she could decide how it shaped her present and future.
She ran her hands through her hair and over her body, cleaning herself as best she could and enjoying the lightness she felt with the release of so much guilt and fear. She didn't know if she could sustain this internal freedom, but she would try.
When her fingers began to prune, she realized Hunter might get worried. She could have scaled the rocks back to shore, but without shoes on, she chose to enjoy the swim instead. For the first time in a long time, she felt happy, but still very hungry.
Once her foot found the bottom, she yelled, "No peeking," and climbed out to retrieve her clothing. One sniff, and she wished she could wear anything else. Putting on dirty clothes seemed to defeat the purpose of a bath. Still, she couldn't walk around naked, so she pulled her shirt and pants over her damp body.
Something moved on the rock next to her—a lizard about the size of her arm, if she included its tail.
The creature looked at her, then scurried over the rocks and behind the waterfall, where it sat, scales shimmering like hidden jewels. She guessed that lizard, if cooked long enough, would probably just taste like chewy chicken.
With a salivating mouth, she zipped and buttoned up, then laced-up her shoes, grabbed her gun and knife, and stalked off after what could be dinner. No point calling Hunter. The lizard would be gone by then. This should just take a sec.
Water splashed off the rocks, spraying her with droplets and making footing slippery, but she continued until she stood behind the waterfall. A giant cavern loomed before her, carved into the sharp black rock of the cliff. The walls glinted, smooth and dangerous, like obsidian. The lizard slithered over part of a rock that jutted from the wall, then stopped and stared at her.
Adrenaline raced through Lucy as she pulled her knife out and eyed the reptile. From the corner of her eye, she spotted another lizard about the same size scurrying into a dark corner. Two would be good, especially with three of them to feed, but she focused on the one in front of her first. She could go after the other one later.
A deep breath, and she pounced. The lizard darted away, but she grabbed its tail. Yes! Oh crap. The tail hung from her hand, still wiggling despite having detached from the rest of the reptile.
"Ew!" She tossed it aside and watched it slither. Tailless, the lizard scurried deeper into the cave, as did the other one that had been waiting in the shadow. Another section to the cavern must open out back there.
She followed them into the dark, when a roar erupted from the blackness.
A pair of yellow eyes ringed in red came into view. Big eyes. A huge lizard emerged, bigger even than the beetles, its head and body filling the cavern. It reared back, exposing a pulsing red chest. Lucy could almost feel the beat of its heart beneath the skin. Hard green scales covered the rest of the reptile, making it look impenetrable.
The beast fell onto its stomach and hissed, looking pissed. Lucy suddenly realized why. The little ones—if they could be called little—must have been its babies. And when momma ain't happy, ain't no one happy. Least of all Lucy.
She jammed her knife into its sheath, pulled out her gun and aimed at the thing's chest, though she didn't have the same line of fire as a moment ago. The lizard's large eyes drew hers into a trance she couldn't break free of.
Just pull the trigger, Lucy. You can do this. Come on. Just shoot. This isn't Robert. It's not the alligator. It's not your brother. It's something that wants to kill you. Just shoot it, damn it!
The gun wavered in her hand, her trigger finger tightening and releasing as if uncertain of which command to obey.
In that hesitation, the lizard charged at her through the cavern. Lucy fired—her finger taking over on instinct—over and over.
It pulled back onto its hind legs and moaned, the sound echoing from the walls. Lucy didn't stop firing until her gun ran out of bullets.
The lizard dropped its head and stilled.