Nick shook his head. “Who are you?” What planet are you from? Obviously Planet Insanity was missing a local, long-term resident.
She held her lace-covered hand out to him. “I am the Simi, and who are you, Mr. Boy Human?”
He shook her hand careful y in case her lunacy was catching. “Nick.”
Letting go of him, she picked at the edge of his sling. “You gots a wound, don’t you? Did you have that before you went to sleep on the street?”
“Uh, yeah.” Nick pushed himself up and Simi sprang to her feet beside him.
Dang, she was tal . At least six feet. Of course some of that was augmented by the platform boots.
Frowning, she leaned forward and touched his neck. “You bleeding, Mr. Nick. Are you supposed to do that?” Nick brushed her hand away so that he could feel a cut there. He tried to remember what’d happened, but for his life he had no memory of it. The last thing he remembered was leaving Caleb and heading toward Bourbon. “Is it bad?”
“The Simi wouldn’t suggest being around no Daimon with that ’cause they might be hungry and it look mighty tempting to drain your blood out and feast on your soul, but it not gushing or anything. I think you’l live.” She paused again as if thinking about it. “Yeah, that’s right. People only die when it gushes and don’t stop. If you don’t live though and drop dead from it, can the Simi eat you? Akri says the Simi can’t eat no living people, but he never said no about them newly dead people.
Maybe that’s why he don’t let me near them fresh dead. But—”
“What are you talking about?” Nick interrupted her. “Are you for real?”
She blinked innocently. “What you mean?” Biting her lip, she looked at her hand. “The Simi’s not turning invisible again, is she? Ooo, that would be bad. I promised akri I wouldn’t do that no more in public places. But sometimes the Simi can’t help it. Kind of like putting barbecue sauce on salads. It’s just mandatory and reflexive ’cause you gots to kil the taste of the ick rabbit food.”
Nick stepped away from her. She was nuts with a capital N.
Was there any female left in New Orleans under the age of twenty who hadn’t lost her mind?
Kody …
Yeah, he definitely needed a Kody shot right about now.
He cleared his throat as he looked at Simi. “No, you’re not turning invisible and I’m sure I’m late so I better get going. … ” She stepped in front of him to stop his leaving. “Did you hear that sound?”
“What sound?”
“Zombies! They’re coming for us. Wheee! Yum!”
? ? ?
Ian St. James was alone in his big brother Madaug’s room.
He wasn’t supposed to be in here. Ever. Under penalty of severe mutilation and much shouting by their parents. But Madaug always had the coolest games, which he refused to share with his little brother.
The big poop head.
What he doesn’t know won’t get my arm frogged. … Yeah, Madaug had run out the door hours ago and he didn’t seem to be coming back anytime soon. Which gave Ian plenty of time to sneak on Madaug’s computer and play his brother’s latest creation: Pokémon Death Trap Fever. His brother had taken al the characters from Pokémon and merged them with the ones from Mortal Kombat. Like Charizard now had acid spit and could rip the spine out of other characters while laughing at them. It was a bloodbath death match that would leave their mother fainting if she ever knew.
But what she didn’t know wouldn’t get Ian grounded.
Grinning, he booted up, then cringed at Madaug’s stinky manga wal paper that bordered on hentai … another thing their mother would die over. The cartoon girl had so little clothing on she might as wel be naked. And the way she had her leg lifted up, kicking … he gagged.
Ew!
“I just don’t get it.” Ian put his hand up to block the view of the girl as he went into the menu to find the games. His brother kept tel ing him that he’d get it in a few years, along with hair in weird places and body odor. Honestly, Ian liked being ten and had no desire to grow up and smel , especial y if it meant smel ing like Madaug.
He shivered at the thought as he read through the games.
He paused as one in particular caught his eye.
“Zombie Hunter?”
Madaug hadn’t told him about this one. Oooo, it sounded good. Double clicking on it, he waited for it to load. Rubbing his hands together, he giggled, knowing he was getting away with something that would real y anger his brother if Madaug ever found out about it.
And Ian loved getting away with things he wasn’t supposed to be in.
Suddenly, he heard a sound outside the door.
Ian jumped, terrified it was Madaug coming in to discover him in his room on his computer. I’m dead. I’m dead. I’m dead.
His brother would beat him until he screamed like a girl.
Kil ing the power to the computer, he shot from the desk.
His heart hammering, he went to the door and opened it.
It wasn’t Madaug.
It was some tal and scary guy he’d never seen before. His eyes were bloodshot and swol en as he glared down at Ian.