Kill Her Again

2 7

“ Jillian?”

McBride didn’t stir. Was so still, in fact, that Pope wondered if she was breathing.

He touched her wrist, feeling for a pulse.

The beat was there, but erratic. Should he bring her out? “Jillian, talk to me. Tell me what’s happening.”

Still no response.

“Jillian, can you hear me?”

Nothing.

What was going on inside there? Why wouldn’t she respond? He’d never seen anything like this before.

“Anna, it’s Pope. Listen to me. I’m going to start counting again. And when I get to ten, I want you to open your eyes and-”

McBride’s eyes flew open. “He has me in his car.”

She was trembling. Frightened.

Pope thought she might have spontaneously emerged from her trance, but quickly realized that she was still under. He waved a hand in front of her face, but she didn’t react, blind to the real world.

“I’m in his car,” she repeated.

“Where, Jillian? Where is he taking you?”

“I–I don’t know, I… He put tape on me. On my mouth and my hands and feet. He’s going to hurt me. I know he’s going to hurt me.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t let him. Look around. Tell me what you see.”

McBride’s head turned, her eyes searching blankly.

“The shadows. Tree shadows. He’s taking me into the… no, wait. I’ve seen this place before. I’ve been here. It’s a park. We used to bring Mr. Stinky here.”

“Who?”

“My dog. He died when I was…” She stiffened. “Oh, god, he’s stopping the car.”

“It’s all right,” Pope said. “Tell me what you see. Tell me everything you see.”

“I want my mom. Please call my mom.”

“Easy, Jillian, it’s okay.”

“He’s opening my door now. Please. You have to make him stop.”

Pope got to his feet and stood over her. He’d let this go on too long.

“Anna, listen to me carefully. It’s time to let Jillian go.”

“You have to stop him! Somebody has to stop him.”

“Anna, I need you to listen to me.”

But McBride was oblivious. “He’s pulling me out of the car, he’s got the shovel now!” She started thrashing in the chair, as if fighting off an invisible force. “Help me! You have to help me!”

Pope took her by the shoulders. “Anna, it’s me, it’s Pope. You need to let her go. Let her go now. I’m going to start counting from one to-”

“He’s dragging me into the middle of the park!” Anna shouted. “He’s got a suitcase with him. He’s pulling something… Mommy! Mommy, help me! He has a knife! He’s going to-”

“What are you doing to her?”

The voice was shrill, angry.

Startled, Pope spun around, surprised to see Evan standing stiffly at the mouth of the hallway. He was staring straight at them, but only the whites of his eyes were showing.

“What are you doing to my Anna?”

But the voice coming out of him was not his. It was older. More mature.

A woman?

“He’s hurting me!” Anna shouted. “He’s got his knife out and he’s cutting me! He’s cutting my finger!”

Evan moved toward them. “Don’t you see what you’ve done, you fool? You’ve opened a door. You have to bring her back! Bring her back now!”

Pope looked from one to the other, feeling as if his mind were about to astral project straight out of his body. This had to be the most surreal moment he had ever experienced in his thirty-eight years of life.

“Wake her up!” Evan shouted. “Before it’s too late!”

There was noise from the back of the house and Ronnie came running, followed by Jake, both of them exchanging looks with Pope, their faces stretched in alarm.

Worthington stared at Evan in utter disbelief. “What the hell is going on?”

“Anna, wake up!” Evan shouted. “You have to come back!”

But Anna kept thrashing, crying out in pain. “He’s hurting me! Make him stop!”

And suddenly Evan was at her side, his blank white eyes staring at her as he grabbed her hand, trying to calm her. “It’s me, darling. It’s Mama. Listen to me carefully. You have to come back to me now. Let go of the past and come back.”

But Anna didn’t respond. Was still thrashing uncontrollably. She began to grunt as if she were being struck by blows.

Knife blows?

She continued to thrash, crying out in pain. And then, to Pope’s horror, she fell still in the chair and the light in her eyes began to grow dim.

Oh, good Christ, he thought, she’s dying.

But how could that be? This was nothing more than a hypnotic trance. People don’t die under hypnosis.

Evan kept talking to her. Almost cooing now. “Come back, Anna. Come back to Mommy.”

But she didn’t respond.

“Anna, let the little girl go and come back to me. You need to come back.”

When she failed to respond again, Evan did something so unexpected that Pope had to wonder if this was simply a bizarre, twisted dream.

He began to sing, in a low, sweet voice:

Every little star

Way up in the sky

Calls me

And to Pope’s surprise, Anna stirred. She could hear him.

Heaven in my heart

Wishing I could fly

Away

Anna jerked her head in Evan’s direction. “Momma?”

Drift off to sleep

Into a dream

“Momma, is it you?”

My soul to keep

I do believe…

And then, suddenly, Anna blinked and her eyes came into focus, staring at Evan as if he were a long-lost friend. Tears began to flow as she pulled him into her arms, hugging him furiously.

She was back. A little worse for wear, but present in the room.

“Oh, god,” she said. “I’ve missed you so much.”

She released him and Evan smiled, squeezing her hand, stroking her cheek. “I know, sweetheart. I’ve missed you, too. And I love you, darling. You’ll always be my little star. Always.”

Then he collapsed to the floor.