Everwild

CHAPTER 34 Poolside Rendezvous

Several of Nick's scouts had gone down Danny Rozelli's street, and one even walked right through the boy, but they were looking for a teenage Afterlight girl, not a live seven-year-old boy. A needle in a haystack didn't come close.

Within Danny Rozelli were two sets of thoughts, two minds, two histories, and with each day it was getting harder and harder for Danny and Allie to recall whose memories were whose. Now they both fell asleep at the same moment, awoke at the same moment, and when they dreamed, they dreamed as one.

It was late August, and the school year had just started. Life was slipping into a regular routine. Allie tried to imagine growing up, and growing old as a lifelong tenant in someone else's body. Would there come a time when she could accept life as the other half of Danny Rozelli? In these two weeks they had learned each other's rhythms and patterns like Siamese twins, and were quickly adapting to a life for two in a single body.

And what of her own body? It was lying somewhere in any one of a dozen hospitals-and that was just if she was in Memphis. She tried calling a few, but never got very far.

"Honey, why don't you put your mama on the phone?" the receptionists would invariably say. It was hard to get respect as a seven-year-old.

– -This is not who I wanted to be- Allie thought.

– -Me neither-Danny thought right back at her, but both of their protests were getting weaker every day. They were becoming resigned to a shared existence.

Then the pool cleaners came.

They came the same day that Mary arrived in Memphis and sent her letter to Nick, but Allie had no way of knowing that, or anything else that went on in Everlost. As long as she was stuck in a living body, all she could see was the living world.

Late that afternoon, Allie and Danny were out in the yard playing handball against a side wall. It was one of the benefits of their particular condition; there was always someone to play with. Allie would hit the ball, then pull back, letting Danny take his turn. They had become skilled at switching back and forth at will. Neither fought for control anymore. It was like riding a tandem bike.

Allie scored a point.

"Aw! No fair!" Danny said.

– -Quiet-Allie thought to him-your mother will hear you talking to yourself- But when they looked up, it wasn't his mother standing there, instead it was a man holding a blue pole with a net on the end, and a second man a few feet behind him.

– -It's okay- Danny told Allie- It's just the pool guys- The head pool guy was a middle-aged man with a frayed baseball cap and beard stubble. His assistant was a punk with skull tattoos and a limp mohawk on the verge of surrender.

"Hi, Curtis! Hi, Chainsaw," said Danny, brightly. "Pool's real dirty. S'got lots of leaves and bugs today."

"Guess we'll have to see about that," said Curtis, but neither man moved. Chainsaw glanced at the house, where Danny's mom could be heard talking on the phone, completely engrossed in her conversation.

"C'mon, I'll show you," Danny said. He led them to the pool, and pointed at one of the drains. "See-it's all clogged."

But the pool guys weren't here for a service call today.

"I wish to talk to Allie now," Curtis said.

Danny recoiled out of shock, pulling far back inside himself like a kid finding strangers at the front door. Allie pushed forward to fill the void. She could feel Danny's heartbeat instantly begin to race. He wanted to run-he wanted to tear into the house, but Allie didn't let him. Maybe she should have, but she didn't let him go.

"Who is this?" she asked.

Curtis smiled, and Allie instantly knew. It was hard to see him behind the beer belly and beard stubble, but she knew.

"Milos?"

"So you are in there!" He looked down at her with a furrowed unibrow."I thought you went home. Is this… home for you?"

"What do you think? Does it look like I'm back in my own body?" And she couldn't help but add, "This might not have happened if you would have told me that skinjackers' bodies are all still alive!"

– -Who is that, Allie? That's not Curtis! I don't like this!- – -Just let me handle this, Danny- Allie looked over at Chainsaw, noticing the way he shifted from one foot to the other, looking around like ninjas might leap out and attack him at any moment. "And that's Squirrel, I presume."

"C'mon, c'mon," Squirrel said. "We found her, now let's just get out of here."

"How did you even find me?"

"A friend of ours. He was able to sniff you out." Milos took a good look her, and shook Curtis's head."So much you did not know about skinjacking. If you had just stayed with us…"

"Fine! Tell me 'I told you so' all you want-but if you know a way out of this, tell me!"

"Shhh." Milos glanced to the house, where Danny's mother threw occasional glances out of the window. "Do not look suspicious," he said. "Act like you're playing."

Allie found a rusted toy car in the nearby grass, then knelt down and began to run it along the concrete edge of the pool deck, while Milos moved the net back and forth in the water, pretending to clean it.

"As it happens, I do know a way to free you."

"You do?" Her excitement made the boy's body jump with joy. "Thank you, Milos, thank you! I'll owe you for this."

To which Milos said calmly, "Yes… you will." Allie's excitement took a slightly sour turn. She became guarded, and a little worried. Yes, she would owe him, and she already knew that Milos didn't do anything for free.

"I have come a long way, and at great peril," he told her. "If I free you, there is something I want in return."

"Like what?"

"If I free you," he said slowly, "then you will owe me your loyalty and your commitment. You must, therefore, follow my orders. You must do whatever I ask you to do, for as long as I ask you to do it."

Allie was speechless. She didn't know whether to be horrified or amused. "Have you lost your mind?" she told him. "I won't be your slave! The answer is no!"

"Do not misunderstand," said Milos, still moving the pool net in a pointless figure eight. "I have a higher purpose now, and I am giving you this opportunity to be a part of it. You should not throw it away so lightly."

Allie looked toward Squirrel, who nervously brushed his hand over his bad mohawk. "C'mon, Milos," he whined. "We can't stay here-she won't like it! She won't like it!"

"Quiet!" growled Milos.

"What do you mean 'she'?" Allie asked Squirrel. "What 'she' are you talking about?"

Milos fumed at Squirrel, and Squirrel seemed to shrivel. Even the skull tattoos on his fleshie appeared to cringe.

Milos sighed, then gave her the full story. She almost wished he hadn't. "There is only one force in Everlost worth aligning with," Milos told her. "You know of whom I speak. She has ideas… she has vision… and so do I."

Allie was shocked, but not entirely surprised. Milos was all about jockeying for higher position. It made perfect sense that he would set his sights on Mary.

"You once told me that skinjacking can change the world," Milos said. "Well, Mary Hightower has envisioned a way to do that, and I am a part of her plan. You should be too."

"I won't have anything to do with Mary Hightower," she told him.

"How can you be so naive?" Milos said, a little too loudly. "Who do you think can help you? Your friend the Ogre? I can assure you that Mary will defeat him, if she has not done so already."

"Yeah, yeah!" said Squirrel, chuckling as he imagined it. "I'll bet she's gettin' him real good there at Graceland."

Allie snapped her eyes to Squirrel. Nick was here in Memphis? Now?

Milos was even more angry at Squirrel than before. "Go clean the pool!" he snapped.

Squirrel grabbed the equipment clumsily, and moved down to the other end of the pool, looking guilty.

So Nick was here in Memphis, and Mary had planned some sort of ambush. Allie had to warn him, but how? She couldn't even see Everlost as long as she was stuck in the boy-how could she warn Nick if she couldn't even see him?

"Danny?" called his mother. "Danny, are you okay out there?" She peered out of the screen door, the phone still to her ear.

"S'all right, Mom," Allie said, just as Danny would. "I was just telling Curtis about all the bugs in the drain."

"You let them work, Danny. Don't be a pest!" Then she retreated back into the house, satisfied that everything was under control.

"One year," said Milos. "One year with us, and then you will be free to go. That is my offer."

Allie was about to tell him exactly where he could go, with or without a coin to get him there, but then she thought about Danny. Even now he was hiding behind her, listening to everything, but not understanding any of it.

– -There's an ogre? What kind of ogre? Is he bad?- It had only taken two weeks for her to know this boy better than any other human being, and she couldn't help but care about him. In any other situation, her refusal to give in to Milos's demands would mark her integrity and self-respect, but here it would mark nothing but selfishness… because by refusing Milos, she'd be condemning Danny to share his life with an uninvited spirit. The only way to free Danny was to accept Milos' offer.

"C'mon, c'mon-we gotta go!" nagged Squirrel. "Jill and Moose are waiting at the bridge!"

Milos ignored him. "This is the last time I ask you. Do you wish to be free or not?"

Allie took a deep breath and closed her eyes. But they weren't her eyes to close, were they? As much as she hated it, there was only one answer she could give. "Yes," she told him. "If you can get me out of here, then the answer is yes. I'll do whatever you want."

Milos smiled. "Very good. Now tell the boy to come out."

Danny retreated even further behind Allie's thoughts.

It's all right, Danny, Allie told him. He won't hurt you. I promise. Danny timidly came forward, taking control of himself once more. Milos must have recognized the transition, because his own expression changed-no longer the sharp, piercing gaze he had shown Allie, but the inviting, disarming gaze meant for a child.

"What do you want?" Danny asked, his voice shaky.

"I just want to help." Milos looked at the pool, then back to Danny, kneeling down to his level. "Tell me, do you know how to swim?"

Danny shook his head. "No. My daddy tried to teach me, but I didn't learn good. Next summer for sure!"

"Very good," said Milos. "Then this will be easy."

And without warning he reached out, grabbed Danny with both hands, and threw him into the deep end of the pool.

Mary Hightower's warnings against skinjackers were all so much hot air-nothing but empty worries-that is, until she had skinjackers in her own employ. That's when she realized how powerful and dangerous skinjackers could be. Such power in the wrong hands could be devastating-which was the reason why she desperately needed Allie the Outcast either reformed or neutralized.

Milos had offered to find Allie in Memphis, and take care of it personally.

"If you can do it, then do it," Mary had told Milos, "but don't let it distract you from your mission. There is no margin for error."

"We shall find her quickly, and get back to the river in time to help Jill and Moose," he had said. "I promise I will not disappoint you." It was his idea to have the Sniffer seek Allie out. Mary was impressed by his quick thinking and resourcefulness. She had once told Pugsy Capone that they were a team, but that was just a means to an end. This partnership with Milos was very different, and he kept proving himself time and time again to be a worthy counterpart. In time, Mary dared to hope that someday he might even take Nick's place in her heart.

"I know you won't disappoint me," she had told Milos. "In fact, I expect I'll be pleasantly surprised by you again."

– -Swim, Danny!- – -I can't!- – -Just move your arms and legs!- – -But it's not working!- – -It's not that hard- – -I don't know how!- As they floundered in the pool, Allie seized control, but the same muscle memory that had worked in her favor before now failed her miserably. The same body that was so adept at climbing trees could not perform the motions that would keep it afloat. Danny couldn't swim… which meant Allie couldn't swim either.

Panicked, Danny drew water deep into his lungs as he went down. They looked up to see through the shimmering water, Milos and Moose just standing there in the bodies of the pool men, watching. Waiting for them to drown.

This was Milos's plan! Allie should have realized it. There was only one way to separate a soul that's bound to a body. She should have known! -I'm scared- cried Danny.

– -I'll save you!-Allie told him- Somehow I'll save you!-She had promised that Milos wouldn't hurt him, and he did. She was an accomplice to this, whether she liked it or not.

Another gasp of water. Their arms thrashed as their body sank. Angry squirms of darkness bore in from the edge of their vision. Danny's heart pounded, screaming for oxygen to power it. Their chest felt like it would explode. Allie could not remember such awful pain.

– -Help us! Somebody help us!- The living world closed in… then it went away… the pain faded… and for the second time, Allie Johnson died.

She felt herself leaving Danny's body-not peeling out, but more like evaporating. She was herself again, back in Everlost, and sinking quickly through the bottom of the pool, into the earth, while Danny's body settled against the blue-painted steel of the pool floor. The moment Danny came to rest, a circular patch spread out beneath his body, bright and solid. A deadspot was born. Quickly Allie grabbed for it, pulling herself onto it. She reached for Danny's body, but now that she was an Afterlight again, her hand passed right through.

Suddenly there was commotion in the water. Bubbles, and a billowing flowered blouse. A woman in the water, frantically diving down, grabbing at the boy's body. Danny's mother!

Allie reached her hand toward the woman, and was immediately swept up, drawn inside her, skinjacking her.

The woman was crazed beyond belief, her body in a full panic state-which is exactly what was needed, for although she was not a strong woman, she could swim, and with all that adrenaline in her, she could swim for two. Allie took over her body completely, and set herself to the task of saving Danny.

She fought her way to the surface, pulling Danny with her. He was sandbag-heavy, a limp, dead weight. She broke surface to find that all hell had broken loose. Allie could instantly tell that Milos and Moose had left their hosts, because Curtis was on his knees screaming at the top of his lungs, and ripping his hair out of his head. Chainsaw was in enough control of his senses to leap into the pool to help her.

"I got him, Mrs. Rozelli!" With one hand he hurled Danny out of the pool, and climbed out after him."I can do this! I know CPR!" Chainsaw began chest compressions on the boy as Allie, still within Mrs. Rozelli, climbed out of the water. Chainsaw valiantly fought to resuscitate the little boy, but it was no use. Danny was dead. His soul was long gone.

Or was it?

Allie peeled out of Mrs. Rozelli, and back into Everlost, where she could see Milos and Moose still standing there, observing everything.

"Welcome back to Everlost!" Milos said cheerfully. "I knew it would work!"

Allie could not believe he could be so casual about the terrible thing he had just done. Somehow Mary had changed him. Like everything else she touched, Mary had turned him rancid.

In the living world, Mrs. Rozelli fell to her knees, dazed and terrified. She wailed so loudly, it rang out as clearly in Everlost as in the living world.

"C'mon, kid!" cried Chainsaw, struggling to revive the boy, knowing he was dead, but not willing to stop, for he couldn't face the woman's anguish. And behind him the other poolman dug his nails into his scalp and tore himself apart, his mind shattered from the awful thing Milos had made him do.

But in Everlost, there was a sight that none of the living could see.

Allie turned to the pool, and saw Danny's spirit! He was floating in midair just above the surface of the water. He was staring in wonder at something that Allie couldn't see, and a bright, unearthly light painted his face. He reached out toward the source of that light.

"No, Danny!" screamed Allie.

"It's so bright…"

"Don't go down the tunnel!" Allie shouted to him. "Don't go to the light!"

"But it wants me to," Danny said, confused. "I think I'm supposed to…"

"No! You're not! None of this is supposed to happen!"

Finally Chainsaw gave up trying to resuscitate the boy, and buried his face in his hands, sobbing. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry…"

Allie summoned her most commanding voice.

"Danny, look at me!" she demanded. "Look at me NOW!"

Finally Danny's spirit turned to her. "Allie?" And the moment he saw her, the light on his face vanished and he dropped into the pool. Allie was close enough to grab him. She pulled him out, and into her arms. He looked at her with lazy eyes. "So that's what you look like," he said and yawned.

Behind them, above the cries of the living, came a voice far more pleased with this heart-rending moment than he should be.

"Well done!" said Milos, practically beaming. "Very well done, Allie!"

"Yeah, yeah," said Squirrel, "I'll bet she did that even better than Jackin' Jill."

"Congratulations," Milos said. "You have just brought a new soul into Everlost. Whatever you did to Mary in the past, she will forgive you now."

"I don't want her forgiveness."

"You may not want it, but you will need it," Milos said, very seriously. "Otherwise she will destroy you, and I do not wish to see that."

Danny's eyes rolled as he looked at Allie. "I'm so tired," Danny said.

Allie realized what would happen next. "Stay awake, Danny!"

"But I'm so sleepy. Just let me rest."

"Whatever you do, don't fall asleep!" Because she knew the moment he did, he would lapse into nine months of hibernation. If he fell asleep, he would become an Afterlight. But he wasn't one yet-he had no afterglow-which meant he was not entirely gone from the living world…

Allie knew what she had to do. Without wasting an instant, she took Danny's soul and thrust him forward, plunging him back into his own lifeless body. The effect was instantaneous. The moment Danny was plunged back into himself, his body heaved, and he coughed up an explosion of water. The dead boy came back to life.

Allie's scream of joy and relief could only be matched by his mother's. She tried to grab him, but Chainsaw held her back with a strong arm. "Give him time."

Chainsaw rolled him over on his side, and Danny coughed up more water, as if he had the entire pool in his lungs. He coughed, coughed some more, then his eyes opened. His mother took him into her arms against Chainsaw's warnings.

"I'm tired, Mom."

But that was okay. It was all right for him to be tired now. Chainsaw went over to Curtis, shaking him, screaming at him in fury for what he had done, but Curtis's mind was entirely gone. He would be the victim of all this, but Allie could not save him. She had saved Danny; she couldn't save everyone.

She turned to Milos, who was surprised, and maybe a little impressed, by what she had done for Danny.

"Always the good Somalian," he said.

"That's 'good Samaritan.'"

"Why does it matter?" Then he held out his hand to her. "Now we go."

Allie didn't move. "Do you think I would ever come with you after what you just did?"

"You gave me your word."

"Then call me a liar."

Milos signaled to Squirrel who began to circle behind her. "I do not wish to take you by force," Milos said, "but if I have to, I will."

"You'll have to catch me first."

Allie ran, while behind her Mrs. Rozelli said a quiet, thankful prayer as she carried her little boy into their home, and the deadspot at the bottom of the pool faded away into nothing.