Chapter Twenty-One
Taken
Before the phone call, I was determined to leave. Surprisingly, I still am. There’re only thirty minutes until guests arrive, and already Mercy is barking orders up and down the hallway. I should be getting ready like Poppet, Candy, and the rest of the girls, but right now I need to think.
Here, at the house, I have a girl who thinks she’s my friend, and a woman who speaks gently, but I have to get out of here before I self-combust. These people can’t care about me. No one can. I’m alone in this world, and that’s the way it should be.
I’ll never leave you alone, Wilson says gently.
For once, I don’t push him from my head.
Instead, I check the hallway to ensure no one’s coming and rush toward my bottom drawer. Tonight, as the other girls are entertaining guests, I’ll skedaddle. My father taught me to always repay my debts. But the biggest favor I can do for Madam Karina and Poppet is to leave.
I pull the drawer out and reach into the back. My fingers spider across the empty space as a clap of thunder sounds through me.
The money is gone.
I lean forward and check again. But it isn’t there. I tear the clothes and wigs and makeup from the drawer and sift through them. Nothing. I jump to my feet and yank the drawer off the rollers, toss it onto my bed. Then I check again, again.
When there’s no avoiding the truth, I crumble to the floor and cover my face. Rock back and forth and moan into my hands. I needed that money to get out of here. To pay for a train ticket and food to keep my belly full on my return trip to Detroit. But I’m upset over more than that. After all, I can hitchhike. I can steal food and drink from fountains along the way.
The real reason I’m pissed is because someone in this house stole from me.
They’ve picked on me. Called me names. Poured toilet water down my throat and laughed at me more times than I can count. And now what little I came here with has been taken. First, in the form of my dignity. Second, when they dug through my belongings. Oh, and let’s not forget the time they threw dirtied water on Dizzy’s shirt.
Of course, what does that matter?
Why would Dizzy’s shirt be precious to me when he couldn’t take the time to cross the damn street and ask where I went?
Mercy pops her head inside the room. “What are you doing, freak? The guests will be here soon. Get your ugly butt dressed.”
I close my eyes. I close my ears. She can’t get inside me now.
“Um, did you hear me, retard? Get off the floor and take a shower. You smell like the toilet.” She laughs. It’s an old joke now, but she hasn’t tired of it. “No surprise there, though, huh?”
I shake my head. Back and forth. Keep her out and keep me sane. Don’t listen to her words. Nothing can touch me.
“What is wrong with you?” Mercy growls. “Get off that floor or I’ll get you up myself.”
Poppet walks into the room. Sees me rocking, hands over my ears, though I can still hear everything. Too much.
“Leave her alone,” Poppet says.
Mercy turns, bares her teeth. “Don’t you dare tell me what to do.”
Poppet raises her hands. “I’m just asking you to give her some space. You guys pick on her nonstop.”
Mercy walks away from me, gets close to Poppet. Her chest bumps into Poppet’s chest. Poppet pulls back and Mercy leans forward, fogging her glasses. “I’m not in the mood for this tonight. So I’ll do you a favor. I’ll turn my head if you will leave this room right now. If you don’t, I’ll knock your teeth out.”
Mercy holds up a finger like she intends to back up the threat.
I uncover my ears, because something sinister is crawling over my mind. It’s different when Mercy is talking down to me. I can block her out if I try. But when she’s spewing her poison on Poppet, I’m alert. All my senses: ON. Sight, smell, sound, taste: ON.
Wilson: ON.
“Come on, Mercy,” Poppet whispers.
Mercy jerks her finger in Poppet’s face, pushes it directly against the center of her forehead. “Say one more word. One. More.”
Poppet looks down, and tears fill her eyes. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen Poppet truly upset. I should never see someone like Poppet cry, yet here come the waterworks.
And it’s. All. Mercy’s. Fault.
I stand slowly, rising behind Mercy like a demon shadowing the sun.
Poppet’s bottom lip falls open. She says one word though Mercy explicitly told her not to. “Please.”
Mercy slaps her.
It isn’t hard.
It’s hard enough.
I’m on her in a heartbeat. Take her to the floor like an animal and shove my fists into her face.
Wilson springs to his feet. Oh, damn! It’s on! Want my help?
Yes, I respond. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.
Wilson takes my hand, and I am him and he is me. Mercy’s screams slip down my throat, thick and foul like cough syrup. Blood covers my hands. The girl beneath me knows how to earn bronze coins. Fine. She can intimidate the other Carnations into following her. Fine.
But she doesn’t know what I know, what Wilson knows.
She doesn’t know how to inflict fear like this.
I stop hitting her because now I have her attention. This isn’t all about pain, after all. My lips graze her ear, and she freezes.
“Listen to me, you sweet, na?ve girl. You’ve had your turn. Now it’s my time to reign. And don’t think for one second that it’s your throne I want. I don’t want that. I don’t want your status either. I want you. And I’ll have you, too. Your mind is mine to hold. Your body belongs to me. Even your soul, Mercy, is gone. I’ve eaten it. I’VE EATEN IT!”
I scream, and Mercy panics and shoots up. I slide off her chest. She’s bigger than me, but she’s not bigger than Wilson. I place my hand over her face and shove. Her head snaps backward.
“Give me your crown!” My cries grow louder, more hysterical. “Let it fall from evil and sit upon a head of righteousness!” I don’t know what I’m saying. Wilson speaks through me now, and that’s fine and dandy.
Two arms grab me and drag me off the girl. Soon, two more join the mission to free Mercy from the crazed Minnow. Four arms against my two. Not very fair, if you ask me.
“Let me go.” My chest rises and falls fast, but I’ve regained some control.
It’s the calmness that scares them most, remember? Wilson says.
I remember.
Raquel is hollering in my face and snapping her fingers. She’s background noise. All I can think about is Mercy on the ground. Mercy wiping away the red river beneath her nose. Mercy still breathing. Mercy still alive.
My eyes are on Mercy when I say, “You’re next, Raquel. When you least expect it, I’ll have your head, too.”
The girl with blue toenail polish is hollering. Yelling at me and throwing her arms around her head. But all I can think about are three things.
First, that Dizzy doesn’t care.
Second, that Candy said it would take $1,200 to get a place of my own.
Third, that a place of my own means I’ll never have to rely on anyone again.
Mercy’s voice rings above the rest, and everyone turns to look at her. She’s screaming something but Wilson is too loud inside my head, and I can’t hear her. I clench my eyes shut and push Wilson down far enough so that I can listen to Mercy run her mouth.
Why do you care what she has to say? Hit her again! Wilson is jumping around inside my head, unable to contain his excitement though he was just reminding me to act calm.
Hush!
Mercy’s voice rushes in. “…out of here. Just leave, you freak! Get out!”
“What?” I ask dumbly, because I’ve missed her rant.
Mercy shakes her head like I’m crazy.
She has no idea.
“I said, get out of this house. No one wants you here. Leave right now and never come back!”
The girls look at me. Poppet looks at me. Somewhere in the distance, I hear the sound of heavy footsteps. Maybe Mr. Hodge or Cain coming to see what the uproar is all about.
Dizzy’s abandonment.
Madam Karina’s affection.
Poppet’s kindness.
Twelve hundred dollars.
A place of my own.
I meet Mercy’s icy glare. “No,” I tell her. “I think I’ll stay a while.”
PART III
DOMINO’S RULES
FOR DRINKING THE KOOL-AID
Strategize.
Find favor with the queen.
Get out of your comfort zone.
Become ruthless in your pursuit of victory.
Keep your eyes off the boy who could wreck you.