Tommy Nightmare(13)

Jenny pulled away from him. “It's so easy for you. You can do so many good things with the power you have. I can only hurt people. And kill them. Lots and lots of them.”

Seth didn't have anything to say to that. After a while, he asked, “Is your dad home?”

“He must still be at June's house.” Jenny covered her eyes. “He's going to hate me. He spent his whole life teaching me not to hurt anyone, and what good did that do? He should have killed me when I was born.” Jenny looked at the picture of her mother on the wall—young, cheerful, with Jenny's blue eyes. She had died at Jenny’s birth, the first victim of the Jenny pox. This lifetime, anyway.

“We'll explain what happened,” Seth said. “He’ll understand.”

“I’m not sure about that.” Jenny took a deep breath. “Now what the hell do I do? Turn myself in to the police?”

“You killed the police.”

Jenny slapped her palm against her face and groaned. Seth sang a verse of “I Shot the Sheriff,” until she punched him.

“You can’t turn yourself in. Nobody will believe you, anyway,” he said.

“But I can show them.” Jenny opened her left hand. With a thought, she summoned boils and blisters to the surface of her palm.

“Then they'll lock you up,” Seth said. “Or kill you.”

“Which is exactly what I deserve.”

“No, Jenny!” He touched her hand, and all the boils and blisters healed. “You can't.”

“Give me one reason.”

“Because I don't want to live without you.”

Jenny leaned her head against his shoulder. “I don’t want to live without you either, Seth. But what am I supposed to do? Just keep going like it never happened?”

Seth scratched his head. His strawberry blond hair jutted out everywhere, in stiff clumps. “Well,” he said. “When was the last time you fed Rocky?”

“Rocky!” Jenny jumped up. Seth followed her to the kitchen and lifted the big bag of dry kibble.

Outside, Rocky was knocking his empty clay bowl around the yard. The shaggy bluetick mix raised his head and wagged his tail when Jenny stepped out the door. He let out a throaty bay and kicked his bowl again for emphasis.

Seth carried the bowl back into the shed, placed it next to Rocky's dog house, and filled it with food. Rocky watched him from several feet away. He looked from Seth to the food, and then took a few cautious steps to the bowl.

Seth reached down to pet his head, and Rocky scurried back.

Seth squatted in the dirt.

“Come on, boy,” he said. “Come on.”

Rocky took a few more cautious steps toward Seth and the food. Seth rubbed the back of his head, and Rocky wagged his tail and began eating.

“Maybe you shouldn't get him too used to that,” Jenny said. “I can only keep him because he's afraid to be touched by people.”

“He likes me okay.”

“I mean, what if he starts expecting me to do that? He'll get Jenny pox if he comes too close.”

“So should he go the rest of his life without anybody touching him?”

“No.” Jenny shook her head. “I know what that's like. Sucks.”

Back inside, Jenny saw the red light flickering urgently on the answering machine in the living room. Lots of messages. She pushed PLAY, and the cassette inside whirred as it rewound.

“Jenny,” her dad's voice said. “Are you all right? I tried to come home, but soldiers was blocking the road. Call me back at June's right now.” (beep)

Jenny and Seth looked at each other. Soldiers?

“Jenny, you home or what? I done tried Seth's house and ain't nobody answering. I'm worried about you.” (beep)

“Jenny, pick up the damn phone!” (beep)

“Jenny, are you there? We got to get you one of them cell phones. Call me back at June’s soon as you get this.” (beep)

“Jenny, just let me know you’re okay. I’m over at June’s still, and I guess I’m stuck here. The National Guard’s got Fallen Oak all blocked, and don’t nobody know what’s happening. They’re saying some kinda toxic waste or—”(beep)

“I got cut off. Just let me know what’s happening. I’m at June’s.” (beep)

“Holy shit,” Jenny said.

“The National Guard?” Seth ran to the front window and looked out, as if expecting to see uniformed men in Jenny’s front yard. “You think they’re still out there?”

“I have to call him back.” Jenny picked up the old rotary phone next to the answering machine. No dial tone. She depressed the jack several times, but the phone was dead. “This ain’t working!”