Reva tried to scream, but all that came out was a hacking croak. She couldn’t get enough air in to try again.
She’s killing me!
Reva grabbed hold of Grace’s wrists and tugged. She dug her nails into the flesh. Scratched at the skin, trying to loosen the grip of those hands.
She couldn’t do it!
The scarf tightened. Tightened. A burning wire, cutting Reva. Cutting her.
Reva began to choke.
She felt her eyes bulge. Black spots danced in front of them. A rushing sound filled her ears.
I can’t breathe! Can’t get any air at all!
She’s killing me! I’m going to die, just like Traci and Liza!
Desperate to get free, Reva kicked backward, slamming her heel into Grace’s shin.
Grace hissed in pain, but she didn’t let go of the scarf.
Reva kicked again and missed. She twisted her whole body from side to side. Twisted and turned, staggering back and forth.
Grace held on, staggering with her.
Pulling the scarf.
Killing Reva.
As they lunged across the room together, Reva suddenly heard the door burst open, and then a wild, high-pitched cry.
“Hiaee-yahh!”
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a blurry figure standing in the doorway.
Michael!
Her brother raised his arm over his head and yelled again. “The Evil Avenger is here!” he bellowed. Then he laughed, his blue eyes gleaming with excitement.
Oh, no! He thinks it’s a game, Reva realized.
Couldn’t he see? Couldn’t he tell she was being strangled?
This is no game, Michael! she wanted to cry. Get out of here! Go get help!
But she couldn’t yell. She felt so weak . . . so far away.
Michael gave another fierce cry and rushed into the room. He raised his arm higher, and Reva saw a flash of metal.
The fake knife.
It won’t work! Reva thought desperately. Grace won’t even feel it!
Michael plunged the knife into Grace’s side. “The Evil Avenger strikes again!” He giggled, then stuck the collapsible knife into Grace’s shoulder.
Without letting go of the scarf, Grace tried to shove Michael away with her elbow.
The movement gave Reva the chance she needed. She grabbed Grace’s arm with both hands and jerked it down.
The hand loosened its grip.
Reva lunged sideways, throwing Grace off-balance. Coughing and gasping, Reva broke free, then spun around and shoved Grace away from her as hard as she could.
Grace stumbled backward, her arms pin-wheeling as she tried to keep from going down. But she couldn’t stop herself.
Reva heard a sickening crack as Grace’s head slammed into a corner of the desk.
Grace fell to the floor with a thud. She didn’t move.
A trickle of blood ran down the side of her head.
Michael stopped laughing. His mouth dropped open in a startled squeak.
Reva’s neck throbbed and her throat felt crushed. The scarf still clung to her neck. She fumbled with it, coughing painfully.
“Reva?” Michael’s voice was tiny and frightened.
From the floor, Grace gave a low moan.
“Michael!” Reva rasped, finally getting the scarf all the way off. “Go get the security guard!”
“Okay,” Michael answered. Grace moaned again. Michael eyed her warily. “Is she going to be okay?”
Reva tried to clear her throat. “Don’t worry. Just go find the security guard and tell him to come up here. Hurry, Michael!”
Michael jammed the knife into his pocket and raced from the room.
Reva rubbed her throat and swallowed several times. She tried to kill me! she thought, staring at Grace. She almost did!
Moaning again, Grace’s eyes fluttered open. She turned onto her side, then slowly eased herself into a sitting position.
Reva tensed up. Would Grace come after her again?
But Grace didn’t try to climb to her feet. She sat on the rug, exhausted and dazed. As she glanced groggily around the room, her gaze fell on Reva.
Reva stared back, horrified. “Why?” she whispered hoarsely. “Why did you kill Traci and Liza?”
“To show you.” Grace rubbed her head, then stared at the blood on her fingers. “To show you that you can’t have everything you want. You think you can take everything. That everything is yours.”
Reva shook her head.
“Oh, yes, you do!” Grace declared bitterly. “You think everything is yours. So I wanted to kill you!” She wiped her bloody fingers on the carpet. “But first I wanted to frighten you. To make you suffer. To show you what real horror is like!”
“But, Grace—”
“Shut up, Reva!” Grace snapped. “You treat everyone like dirt. Everyone! Me. The maid. Your cousin. But especially the guys. You save the worst for the guys.”
Reva couldn’t believe this! What was Grace talking about?