Undead and Unwelcome

Chapter 54

Marc squashed me so thoroughly it was a damned good thing I didn’t need to breathe much. I lay on the grass like a landed trout, my mouth opening and closing, shoving and pushing at his carcass.

“Betsy,” Marc said, remarkably unharmed. Of course, I’d broken his fall. Stretch some rubber over me and call me a trampoline. “This is all my fault.”

“It’s not,” I wheezed.

“No, really, it is. I—”

“Marc, do you think you could get the hell off me sometime today?”

He leaned back, squashing just one lung now. “I’m the one who—”

“It’s not your fault. Marc, this is Satan. Satan, this is—”

“I know Dr. Spangler, thank you.”

Marc was gaping up at the devil. “Satan? Laura’s mother, Satan? That Satan?”

“How many do you know?” I pushed him the rest of the way off me and climbed slowly to my feet. “We’re the flies in her web, as usual.”

The devil shook her head. “I never interfere with free will.”

“No, but you’re sure good at inspiring it. I’ve got to get back in there.”

“But we were having such a nice talk. Where are you going?”

“I’m gonna go tell Laura what you did.”

The devil raised a dark eyebrow. “You’re going to tattle on the devil?”

“Damn right!”

I began the painful climb back up through the window, pausing just long enough to tell Marc, “Will you for God’s sake get the hell out of here? Somebody’s likely to get killed and I’d rather it wasn’t you.”

I’d rather it wasn’t me, either, but I wasn’t placing any bets on that one.