The Third Evil (15 page)

I give up, she thought, flinging herself facedown on her bed. She started to sob, but her breath caught in her throat. A wave of nausea swept over her as she felt the evil force move within her.

The phone rang. It took her a while to recognize the sound. It rang again. Again.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Corky? It's me.” Kimmy.

“Hi, Kimmy. How's it going?” She tried to sound casual, but her voice broke.

“Okay. I was just worried about you,” Kimmy replied. “I haven't seen you since—since camp. And you were so sick and everything. I mean, it was just such a
disaster.
Are you better? I mean, are you okay?”

Why is Kimmy calling? Corky asked herself bitterly. She isn't my friend, she thought, her features tightening in an unpleasant expression of hatred. Kimmy has never been my friend. She tried to kill me once. Tried to drown me.

“I saw Hannah yesterday, and she said she hadn't seen you either,” Kimmy continued brightly. “So Hannah and I were just wondering—”

Don't worry, Corky thought coldly. I'll be seeing Hannah soon. Very soon. And when I see her, Hannah won't be happy to see
me.

“I'm feeling better,” Corky told Kimmy.

“Oh, good!” Kimmy exclaimed. “I really was worried about you. I mean, after all that went down. You know.”

Yes, I
do
know, Corky thought angrily. I
do
know what you're talking about, Kimmy.

And I do know that you know too much.

You have to die, Corky decided. You have to die now, Kimmy.

“Hey, Kimmy, are you doing anything this afternoon?” Corky asked, winding the phone cord around her wrist.

“No, not really,” Kimmy replied. “Why? You want to hang out or something?”

“Yeah,” Corky answered quickly. “I really want to talk to you.”

“Great!” Kimmy exclaimed. “I want to talk to you too.”

“Can you meet me up on River Ridge in about half an hour?” Corky asked. River Ridge was a high cliff overlooking the Conononka River.

“River Ridge?” Kimmy sounded surprised. “Sure, I guess. See you in half an hour.”

Corky untwisted the cord from her arm and replaced the receiver.

Kimmy must die in water, she decided, picturing the high cliff and the river flowing beneath it.

Kimmy must die the way Sarah Fear died.

The way my sister Bobbi died.

Now.

D
ark storm clouds filtered out the sun, casting a wash of eerie yellow over the afternoon sky. The air was heavy and wet…and very still. There was no wind.

Corky left her car at the end of the road and walked across the hard ground to the cliff edge. Behind her, the silent woods darkened as the black clouds hovered lower.

There was no one else around.

Standing on the rocky ledge that jutted out over the steep drop, Corky stared down at the wide brown river below. The Conononka, she saw, was high on its banks, flowing rapidly, a steady rush of sound rising up the cliff.

Ever since moving to Shadyside, Corky had enjoyed coming up to River Ridge. It was the highest spot
around. Beyond the river she could see the town stretched out like some kind of model or miniature. To the north, the woods formed a winding, dark ribbon on the horizon.

It's so peaceful up here, Corky thought. Even though she could still see Shadyside, she felt far away from it. As if she were floating over the town in a tranquil world of her own.

Corky took a step back and glanced at her watch. Where was Kimmy?

Let's get this show on the road, she thought impatiently. She gazed up at the darkening sky, the black clouds so low now over her head. It's so humid, she thought. The air is so still and sticky.

She realized she was perspiring, her T-shirt clinging to her back. The back of her neck started to itch.

Come
on,
Kimmy. Don't you want to see the surprise I have for you?

I'm going to give Kimmy a flying lesson, she thought, her lips forming a cruel smile.

A flying lesson. And then a
drowning
lesson.

Hearing a car door slam behind her, Corky turned. Kimmy, dressed in a cropped red shirt over blue Lycra bike shorts, walked quickly toward her. Kimmy's car was parked next to hers at the end of the road.

“Think it's okay to park here?” Kimmy called.

“Sure,” Corky answered. “There's no one else around.” And you won't need it to leave, Corky added to herself.

Kimmy's round cheeks were bright pink; her crimped black hair was damp and disheveled. “I
thought it would be cooler up here,” she complained, brushing a strand of hair from over her eyes.

You'll be cooler in a moment, Corky thought. “There's no wind at all today,” Corky said. “Look at the trees.”

They both turned to gaze back at the woods. “Not a leaf moving,” Kimmy said, and focused on Corky, a questioning expression on her face. “What are we
doing
up here?”

Corky chuckled. “I don't know. I thought it'd be a nice place to talk. You know.”

Kimmy glanced up at the rain-heavy clouds. “We're going to get drenched.”

“That would feel good,” Corky said, and took a step toward the cliff's edge. Kimmy followed her.

“You're feeling better?” Kimmy asked with genuine concern.

Corky nodded. “Yeah. A lot.” And I'm going to feel even better in a few seconds, Corky thought to herself.

“That was so terrible at camp,” Kimmy said. “I mean, you getting sick like that. What a disaster.”

“Yeah…what a disaster,” Corky repeated with a grim smile.

“And all that stupid stuff with Hannah,” Kimmy added, avoiding Corky's eyes. “You know I didn't do any of that stuff to her. You believe me, don't you?”

“Yes, of course,” Corky replied. “I didn't do it either.”

“So…what do you think?” Kimmy asked, turning to face Corky, searching her face. “I mean, what do you think happened?”

“I think Hannah did those things to herself,” Corky told her, forcing herself to keep a straight face.

“The scalding bath? The braid?”

“I think she faked the scalding bath,” Corky said in a low voice. “I think she just screamed and carried on. I don't think she was really burned—just a little red.”

“And you think she cut her own hair?” Kimmy asked.

Corky nodded solemnly.

“But
why?”
Kimmy asked shrilly.

“To get both of us in trouble,” Corky said. “To make us look bad. To get us kicked off the squad so she could be the star.”

“Wow!” Kimmy's mouth dropped open in dismay. “I never thought of that. Never. It never occurred to me that Hannah…” Her voice trailed off as she thought about it.

“Well, what
did
you think?” Corky asked sharply. “That I did it? Did you suspect me, Kimmy?”

“No!” Kimmy protested, her cheeks reddening. “No, I didn't, Corky. I—I didn't know
what
to think. I knew the evil spirit had to be around. I knew the evil had to be responsible. But I didn't know where. I mean, I didn't know
who.
I just…”

Corky felt a drop of rain on her forehead. Enough stalling around, she thought. I'd better get this over with.

“The evil is around,” Corky said, lowering her voice to a whisper. She felt another large raindrop, this time on top of her head. Then one on her shoulder.

“Huh?” Again Kimmy's mouth dropped open in
surprise. “You mean—Hannah? Do you think it's inside Hannah?”

“Maybe,” Corky replied mysteriously.

“It's starting to rain,” Kimmy said, holding out her palms. “Maybe we should go back to your car and talk.”

“Okay,” Corky replied. “But first look down there.” She pointed straight down over the cliff's edge. “I've been trying to figure out what that is, but I can't.”

“What?” Kimmy leaned over and peered down at the rushing river.

Corky reached out and shoved Kimmy. Hard.

Kimmy uttered a loud shriek as she went over the side. Her arms thrashed wildly as she dropped head-first.

A grin spread over Corky's face as she stood, hands on hips, and watched Kimmy plunge to her death.

“K
immy is dead.”

Corky said the words out loud, a triumphant smile spreading across her face.

Raindrops fell gently, a few at a time. Standing on the cliff edge, Corky peered down at the brown, flowing river water.

“Kimmy is dead.”

Still smiling, Corky started to leave. But from somewhere deep inside her a muffled voice shouted: “No!”

She hesitated.

I have to leave now. Kimmy is dead. Now I have to take care of Debra.

And again the distant, muffled voice cried out: “No!”

The smile faded on Corky's face, and her eyes narrowed unpleasantly.

“No!”

The rain fell harder. The gentle
ping
on the ground became a steady drumroll. I have to finish Debra now.

“No!”

The protesting voice was Corky's. The real Corky trying to make herself heard, struggling to regain control.

“No! I can't let this happen!” The real Corky's voice grew stronger.

“I am in control now!”
the evil force cried out.
“Stay back! I'm warning you!”

“No!” Corky called out with renewed strength.

“No!” From somewhere deep in her own mind Corky lashed out, pushed her way forward, pressed against the heavy evil.

The horror of Kimmy's death—the horror of what Corky had just done—had reached through the evil, had brought Corky to life. She knew she had no choice. She had to fight it. Now.

“Stay back!”
the ancient evil warned.
“Stay back where you belong!”

“No!” Corky fought back, struggling within herself, struggling blindly as the ground disappeared, along with the sky, the trees, everything.

She was nowhere. In a gray limbo. Fighting a foe she couldn't see…fighting herself.

“I have to die!” she told herself. “I have to die now!”

And another part of her said, “No. I cannot die! I am too young. I want to
live!”

“Die—and force this evil to die with you!”

“No—I can't die! I'm too afraid! I want to live!”

“You cannot live with this ghastly thing inside you! You must die to save your friends, your family!”

“Get back!”
growled the evil inside her head.
“Get back now!”

“No!” Corky cried.

“Kimmy!” she screamed. “Kimmy—I'm so sorry!”

I am evil, Corky told herself. I am evil, and I must die!

“I must live!”
the evil force declared.
“Get back or suffer a thousand deaths inside your own body!”

“Nooooo!”

With a final scream Corky spun around—and stepped to the cliff's edge.

She stopped to peer down, her chest heaving, her blood pulsing against her temples.

No!
I can't do it!

“I can't!” she screamed. “I'm too young! I can't!”

She felt the evil stir, rising up heavily, triumphantly, inside her. “I can't! I can't!”

She took a step back.

Defeated.

“I can't die! I won't die!”

“Others will die,”
the evil spirit said inside her.
“We will live forever!”