"Well? What do you think, buddy?"
'I can't believe it, you ruined everything! You destroyed all those bonds! I hope you're happy.'
"I am. Rather, we are."
Double D returned to the junkyard alone. That kind and good-hearted young man, now locked in his own darkness, was very close to completing his mission. On the way to his destination, he found some time to talk to himself again.
"I think I've taken care of Eddy more than you have in all this time, don't you? I told him the truth about his friends, I went on that trouble to prove it to him, and now together we are going to end them. In the future, he will understand what we did and will thank us for it."
'He's already figured out that you're just a heartless coward.'
"Heartless coward?"
'You want to destroy the whole neighborhood because you can't accept that nobody is what you think is perfect. You hate everyone who doesn't meet your standards. But what do you do about it? You destroy human values. Your hatred towards them leads you to commit deplorable acts. And you say that my friends are wrong?'
Double D laughed. Out loud.
"Those you stand up for so much have dumped you like a bag of garbage along with Ed and Eddy several times, and we always knew that. The only difference is that I acknowledged it. But that's over, buddy. This morning, you will feel what we have felt in all this time. I'll make sure that's the case."
'With what authority?'
"I don't see anyone who can stop me. Not even you, who are now reduced to a single voice from some remote part of this consciousness. Soon you are going to disappear and I am going to stay in charge, to change the lives of all of them forever."
'That's not going to happen. They will stop you, they will find a way.'
The noise generated by the insects of the forest and the rumble of the leaves due to the wind had died down without the boy noticing; he was busier talking to the true owner of his soul, the benevolent one. At this point, the density of the fog was such that it was not possible to see further than two meters away.
"Stop believing that the world you knew can be fixed, you know it can't. Once you unblind someone, there's no going back. Look at Jimmy. Can you imagine how much fun he must be having with Sarah and baldy?"
'That was because you made him believe a lie. She would never use him.'
He knew that if anyone was present in that place, they would see him speak to himself.
"Do you still not understand? She is not the point. That kid believed every word I said without even hesitating. Why do you think that was?"
'How can you expect someone his age to make such a sensible decision?'
However, the silence in the background was so excruciating that he could even swear to hear his voice escaping the dimensions of his mind to echo throughout the forest.
"Well, he had to do it one day," he argued. "But if you're still not convinced, we also have our lovely Marie."
The malevolent Double D had hit the nail on the head, because the benevolent remained silent. Since that meeting in Rolf's house, and then, spying on the Kanker sisters, that girl's words were stored somewhere inside him, like an intermittent noise in a closed room. Only he tried not to think about it. Back then, his only concern was finding the thief.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but what made you think she wasn't shallow like the others? In the end, they are all the same."
'What else do you want? You just go and confuse everyone.'
"But she seemed pretty sure, didn't she, buddy?"
It was more than twelve hours ago, after rescuing Eddy from the Kanker sisters and opening his eyes in the clearing in the woods. Double D had left his friend alone to reflect on the harsh truth that he had just revealed.
He knew that she was chasing him further back, so he made sure to hide Eddy and the chair in the bushes, but not before giving him something to defend himself from the affection of the sisters.
He entered his house and ran upstairs to change his clothes. Since he had already finished consuming the other's energy, he would no longer wake up. That was good, because that way he made sure he wouldn't be interrupted again. He hoped this was the only time he had to pretend to be him, and even then it wasn't going to be easy: he would have to deal with the crazy witch. The usual would work: his orange shirt, his purple shorts, voice of a loser without friends, and so on.
The window was heard opening and then a thud in the kitchen. Without looking, he knew it was Marie, entering his house much the same way he had entered hers, only without breaking the glass.
He went downstairs and gave her a big scare. She was at the kitchen door, tiptoeing. He wondered how many times she had done that routine by invading his house.
"Hello..." he pronounced in his sinister voice. It was a bad imitation, so he cleared his throat a little and said "hello" again.
She gave a start and turned in her direction as soon as he spoke to her. Then, seeing that it was him, she let out a breath.
"D-double D..." she answered somewhat confused. Then she gave him suggestive whimsy grin. That's how she was, she didn't like to ask for permission. She just did things or she didn't.
"What are you doing in my house, Marie?" Double D asked.
Naturally, Marie was dying to ignore their differences in Rolf's house and give this handsome young man all the love he deserved, but this was not the time.
"You won't believe what we found out. It's something serious!" She answered with an air of motherly concern.
"Well, the fact that you entered my house without permission doesn't say much..." he said, crossing his arms.
"Sorry about that, but you have to know something!" She exclaimed. He had never heard her apologize for anything. "Thanks to one of your friends we found out that jerk Eddy was to blame for everything! We captured him and some strange guy in a mask stole him from us and ran away with him, and... and then…"
"You chased the guy and came to my house."
"How do you know?" she asked curiously. Even for him, it was really amazing to have a fairly long conversation with her. Usually, it didn't last long before she either pounced on him, loving him without permission, or she abused him like she used to.
"I only know what Eddy did," he replied, lowering his head, emulating the disappointment that he the real Double D should feel if his friend really was the culprit. She supplemented his apparent disappointment with a brief silence.
"He's an idiot! You have to give him what he deserves! He made a fool of you! Now surely all those losers must be looking for you!"
The boy took a few steps towards her until she was only a meter away. He looked up and right at her, with those pale eyes, with that sleepy face, the same face that an older man who gets up to silence the children who won't let him sleep would have. Marie got a little scared.
"What... what happened to you?" she asked. "Didn't you sleep at all?"
"No, Marie. I couldn't do it," he replied. "Listen, if they come for me, they're going to find you. They have weapons. Do you remember a few weeks ago, when we were being chased for a scam?"
"Y...yes, could I forget..." she murmured with a smile. Double D remembered when she, along with May and Lee, managed to thwart the cul-de-sac kids' plans to beat them to death. "But I don't care about them, Double D."
"They're going to kill us! Now there is no doubt that they will want to do it unless someone stops them. You have to go back to your sisters," he told her, almost begging.
"Are you serious? You worry about me?" she asked, moved.
Double D let out a slight smile that was meant to express a bit of affection. He had a good reason to smile: he was taking her where he wanted. He knew that in those days, her aversion to cul-de-sac kids was at its peak. So he just nodded his head.
"Marie, I can't let you pay against your will for my cause." He could see how her eyes dilated at the sweetness and mystery of his words.
"Your cause? What are you talking about?"
"This." From his pocket he took out the glue gun with which he had attacked them. Her face took on an unmissable tone.
"It was you!" she exclaimed. Double D put the gun back. "Why did you do it?" She asked. There was no resentment or anger in her eyes. What's more, her expression was still sympathetic. And he could assure that if someone else had been responsible and not him, she would not act the same. Another advantage of being Double D.
He arched his eyes trying to construct a response, although he wasn't going to need a political speech either. His cold, honest truth was enough.
"I don't think you can understand me, but I had no choice. For a long time they have wanted to get rid of not only Eddy, but me and Ed. Expecting us to be perfect when they weren't even perfect. I want to teach them a great lesson and for that I need to do all this, even if my two friends oppose me. I'm sorry about the glue, but I needed it," he justified. "So, what do you think?"
Marie remained silent for a few seconds.
"Wow, Double D. I didn't know you were one of the bad guys…"
"Do you think what I do is wrong?"
"No. I have always believed that these bunch of losers deserved a good lesson. They think they're so cool," she said, clenching both fists. Then she turned to him. "It's not fair that they are like that with you, with everything you do for them. I knew one day you were going to realize it, muffin!"
"Well, it's not something I enjoy, but we'll be at peace when it's over…"
That had been good. He thought he was sure that the only reason Marie hadn't launched herself into kissing him yet was because he was being sweet to her. He was opening his heart to her, not with good intentions, but he was doing it. The weak Double D would have done the same thing as always: run away. Flee, demonstrating his terror and awakening her appetite. Now that he was gaining some control over her, it was time for the final punchline.
"Do your sisters know you're here? Is everything okay with them?"
He watched as she thought about it for a while. Then, she turned to him.
"I don't know... I don't think so," she responded with a pleasant smile, as if she wanted to downplay the matter so as not to give him any more worries.
"Why?"
This time, she was the one who rolled her eyes to explain to his "hottie" why her relationship with her sisters was not right.
"I'm sick of them... Lee got mad at me for no reason. May knows this very well, and she prefers to hold me responsible. They think I'm stupid," she said, looking down. "And the worst thing is that every day it's the same."
By then, an internal battle was raging inside the boy. With a little imagination you could picture it as two Double Ds struggling to send a different message through an old mailbox addressed to Marie. But the dark one, the malevolent one, the thief, or whatever anyone wanted to call him, had all the advantage.
"You know? I've always thought that you were more than they thought, you just never decided to show it them. I don't want to get you into trouble, but don't you think you should put them in their place? You have every right to do that."
Marie looked up again to stare at him. Her gaze entered his eyes like a powerful laser beam that hit the Double D who was losing squarely, the benevolent one, the "Sockhead."
"D-do you really think so? And how will I do it?"
Double D moved even closer to her. Now they were face to face.
"Maybe we should be in this together."
Marie gave him another look of disbelief.
"Please, Double D. You've always run away from me. Why would you want to help me now?" she asked him, with a defiant gesture.
"Well... You've worried about me several times, and I didn't return anything more than a simple thank you. Even knowing that…"
"That…?"
"...that you deserved much more than that."
The boy gave her a sweet and charming smile, making her make a beautiful face.
"I need you, Marie," Double D finally proposed. He placed his warm hands delicately on hers. "With you it will be much easier."
Double D watched as Marie's face changed from the classic pale color to a red one. It turned out much easier than anticipated.
"I'll go with you, my love," she responded with seductive sweetness, making even the madman shudder. She reciprocated his hands by intertwining her fingers with his.
When they were just inches away, they both smiled and laughed.
And after that, he told her that he needed to take Nazz out of the game to get Kevin involved in his own conjectures, also clarifying that it was just for that and so that she wouldn't think badly. And then, she would meet up with her sisters and take them to a certain precise point in the forest at a certain time, with the excuse that she had spied on him and already knew where he was and how to catch him. She left to look for the victim, and he changed again and went to photograph Jonny with the brat.
"And you kept saying 'no Marie, don't believe him, it's a trap.'" Double D said to himself, laughing, back in the forest.
'You know she has nothing to do with your horrible cause.'
"And yet she is on my side. You know why? Because I gave her some attention, more than you gave her."
'You're just playing with her!'
"Enough. We're here."
Double D finished crossing the forest and overcoming the density of the fog to finally reach the junkyard.
.
.
.
The sound of crickets was again present in that area of the forest, although not with great intensity. At times it even overshadowed the kids' footsteps.
"Isn't it fascinating, my little man? Now we are a team. I owe Double D one." Lee patted Eddy's head.
"Hey, don't get excited. At least Double D has a cure. You have a detestable sister," he replied. The girl snorted and turned away. Eddy interpreted it as an attempt to relax her, and didn't give it any more importance.
"You heard anything about Jonny either?" Rolf asked.
"We already told you, we only saw Kevin and Nazz. We haven't seen anyone else since," Eddy replied. "Tell us once and for all what you did to Double D."
"Rolf swears it was an accident."
"So it was you? Did you turn Double D into the jerk he is now?" Lee questioned.
"If you let Rolf continue…"
"Let Rolf continue, his stories are exciting," Ed said.
"Thanks, Ed-boy. Now…" Rolf thought a little. "Where had Rolf left it?"
"You met Double D at lunch."
"Oh yeah. Wait. Rolf had already related his fabulous family history to the Eds, but not to the accompanying Kanker girl. Do you want me to start from there or from the beginning?"
"From where you left off! From where you left off!" Eddy demanded.
"Oh ok."
"Believe me, you're not missing anything," he murmured to Lee.
Rolf cleared his throat a little and the forest insects lowered the volume. It was as if by magic he was granted the floor.
"Rolf met with Double D-Ed boy to tell him about his serious problem with inson... imsom…"
"Insomnia," Lee corrected.
"That... Double D-Ed boy said that this type of insomnia was not common and he proposed to Rolf to create some pills that he assured would combat the evil of in... insomnia with I don't know what things... you know, that strange language of the Double D-Ed boy."
"Some pills..." Eddy reflected, who still couldn't stop thinking that if they had the good Double D on their side, they would have already solved this riddle and defeated the other one.
"He… he said that he would do his best to have it ready for that Thursday night. So Rolf came to his house at the agreed time. I headed to the door, and after knocking, no response came. Rolf noticed that the door to the Double D boy's house was open. So I entered quietly."
Everyone listened to the proud son of the shepherd, attentive. Lee was confused by the constant change of subject in Rolf's story. The Eds, on the other hand, were already more used to it.
"I looked for Double D in the living room, the kitchen, his bedroom, and even in the bathroom. I think I made his floor a little dirty now that I remember it, but I don't think he noticed. Rolf went down to the garage, the only place left to explore, and there he was, sitting, snoring like Wilfred when he has nightmares. He was lying on a table, and next to him was a glass with water and some pills, and the rest of the table was full of these tubes with strange liquids. Respecting the Double D boy's sleeping schedule," he said, with grimaces and gestures with his arms and hands. "I cautiously approached to take them. I put the pills in the glass and when I was about to take them, Double D wakes up and notices something upset that at first not even Rolf understood. He told me that those pills had been defective and that if I took them, he didn't even know what would happen... And that he would have others the next day."
There was an impressive silence. Ed scratched his and Victor's heads, trying to follow Rolf's story. Eddy and Lee looked at each other. You didn't need to know anything about pills, or even be smart, to guess the origin of Double D's problem.
"I think I know how this ends..." Eddy said slowly.
"Rolf is sure you're not wrong, Eddy boy. I left the glass with the pills inside and agreed with Double D to return the next day. Rolf went to his house to lie down and rest his muscles, because they already know that I couldn't do more. And the next day..."
"The next day the thefts were discovered," Eddy concluded.
.
.
.
It was a long and tortuous job, but he was finally getting out of the hole. The mallet he carried on his back had made climbing difficult, but there was no reason he would have been willing to leave it there at the bottom. That was surely what Eddy would have wanted, and at this point, he didn't want to give him the slightest pleasure.
He had slipped several times because of the mud, falling back to the bottom. He had to clean his hands somehow to be able to grip the dirt.
Kevin placed both hands on the edge of the hole, and then his left elbow, and that's when he heard high-pitched, mocking laughter. The shock was such that his left elbow slipped, forcing him to react quickly by using the fingers of his hand to cling to the floor, burying them almost completely. He couldn't decide which was more disturbing: the laughter itself or the effect that accompanied it. It sounded like several guys with the same voice, surrounding him in all directions, even up and down.
"Who's there?! Who's there?!"
That voice laughed even more emphatically.
"Where is the super hunting equipment with which you were going to catch me? Your neighborhood friends? I don't see them anywhere," Double D mocked, hidden.
The boy supported the other elbow and with both he used force to raise one knee.
"You... You're not Eddy! Who are you?!"
"One day, Kev? One day and they already abandoned you? You really are pathetic."
Kevin placed his other knee on the edge, then one foot, and from there he jumped and landed on his feet, back on the track. Everything was the same as before: lighting only from the row of torches. But there was also an indescribably heavy atmosphere. The owner of that voice was nowhere to be seen.
"Shut up! Get out there and show yourself!"
He desperately turned around in search of the origin of that voice. That guy laughed again.
"Here I am." From between two of those torches, the person responsible for everything that happened over the weekend showed up. The real thief. "Hello."
Kevin was startled by the shock that almost made him fall back into the well. He was speechless.
"D-Double D?"
"I've waited so long for you, Kev."
The image was very disturbing: Double D was standing there, dressed in black, laughing, and the lights behind him illuminated only the edges of the figure, giving a macabre effect to his face. He looked like a dead man.
Kevin composed himself. 'It's just that clumsy dominated Double D, the Eds' pawn,' he thought. That gave him strength to face that figure.
"Well, if it isn't Eddy's slave! I knew he had you involved in this somehow." For him, the mystery had already been solved a long time ago: Eddy and his two henchmen robbed everyone, end of story. "Where are the other two?"
"Do you really think he had something to do with it?"
Kevin lunged at him, mallet in hand, with a battle cry.
"But I saw it with my own eyes!"
Double D stopped the attack by catching the weapon in his hand, managing to get within a short distance of Kevin. He whispered in his ears:
"I took him to Ed's house and bathed him in black ink so you losers would have someone to chase." He pushed the mallet, causing Kevin to lose his balance and slip on it. Against his will, of course. "And that way I baited you while I went to play with people more important than you. Do you still have doubts about who he was?"
"But... no. It's not possible…"
"Yes... I stole from everyone, Kev," he whispered slowly. Then he laughed.
Kevin just stood there, stunned, unable to believe what he had just experienced. That wasn't the Double D he used to know, he had nothing to do with it. The one he knew was just an apparently fragile boy, with great intelligence, someone affable but weak, perhaps because the voice of command was exercised almost entirely by Eddy. He was now watching him there, laughing like a madman, and he no longer made sense of anything he believed until now. Had everything been planned from the beginning by the "good Double D"? Could it be that this is how the true demons of the world present themselves? Like good guys who make their moves under the table, waiting for the right moment to hit the low blow and take off their mask, showing the monster they really are?
He was already suspecting that he had something to do with that whole chain of robberies, led by Eddy—again, always Eddy—and supported by Ed, concluding that the three Eds once again played everyone. But he never imagined that twist in the script.
"Mouse got your tongue? Say something, man."
Double D stepped forward. Kevin jumped back and went on guard almost without noticing it.
Another hypothesis occurred to him: somehow or as a result of some crazy idea, one of those that go wrong, the Eds did something that affected Double D, some experiment that transformed him into the psychopath he is facing now. Some blow to the head. Some brainwashing. Whatever explains that. Whatever proves Eddy is to blame. Because Kevin had come this far with the conviction of catching him and only him. He was his nemesis.
But no. The guy in front of him seemed confident. There was no way to justify it. He had a cause and he had carried it out. He was the real villain.
'Then it was him.'
It's always been him. Everything that happened from Friday morning until now was a product of his actions. He was the mastermind behind all the chaos in the cul-de-sac. He was the one who stole from everyone. He was the one who stole his chain. And he was surely the one who summoned him to this place. Why? He didn't know it. Did the other Eds have anything to do with it? He didn't know it either. 'Yes, Kevin, I know it's hard to believe. It can't be easy to transfer all your immense hatred from one person to a different person, but you have to do it.' Because what did he care? He wanted to find the culprit of everything and the author of those notes and now he had already done it.
"You dork!" He raised the mallet again. It was with such speed that Double D had to back away. The spikes on the head passed within a millimeter of his ear. The evil guy turned around and returned a side kick that hit him right in the abdomen and sent him to the ground.
"Do you want to fight, pumpkin?"
Kevin jumped to his feet and rushed towards Double D with great speed, swinging the mallet, trying to land a hit, just one. He only backed away and dodged the blows. At one point the track ends and the gun hits a torch. As this one was firmly attached to the ground like all the others, the trunk splits in the middle, and the upper half falls to the ground.
"What are you doing? You're damaging my track!" Double D punched him in the face and sent him flying away.
Kevin sat up as best he could and turned to appreciate it better.
"What happened?" He murmured to himself. Whatever had happened to Double D, it had now made him stronger. The one everyone knew wouldn't even have dared to hit anything.
He returned the mallet to his back. He would first try to reduce him with his own hands. He jumped to his feet again, and took off like a horse towards him. Double D waited for him at his place.
"What are you waiting for? Attack!" Edd mumbled. "Come on, hit me, don't let me down. Show me that wasting my time on you was worth it!"
Kevin threw a punch at him and Double D stopped him with one hand. Then he tried to knee him, but he was also stopped by his other hand.
"Is that all, dork?"
"What's going on?! You were supposed to be just weak and pathetic...!" Before he could finish, Double D gave him a direct slap, sending him back to the floor.
"Pathetic, Kevin? At least my clothes are clean." Double D patted his shirt, impeccable, with the superb, shiny tie on top of it, mocking the muddy boy lying on the floor. "But anyway. What can I expect from someone who falls for the old white stones trick?"
A jolt to his mind made him remain dumbfounded, still in his place for a few seconds. Double D could have taken advantage of those moments if he had wanted to. Kevin was with Nazz in the woods, trying to follow the right path, and with the vague idea that they were going in circles and...
"You... piece of...!
Double D's laughter was his response again. Kevin once again felt a flame inside his heart, which from one moment to the next increased in size, uncontrollably.
With a war cry, he sped towards Double D once more. He kept laughing. When he had him close, he tried to hit him in the face, but Kevin reacted quickly and, with one hand, blocked his attack, while with the other he went straight to his stomach. Double D used his remaining hand to stop the second attack and push him away again before the redhead attacked again.
Kevin responded with a spinning kick. Double D crouched down, and once his foot passed over him, he stood up and directed his hand straight to his neck, lifting him up.
"And then you wonder why they abandon you?"
He threw him like a sack of potatoes towards one of the torches on the other side. His back hit the trunk squarely, causing him to lose his breath and become dazed for a moment.
Before he could get up, a rope appeared around him, dancing, with him and the trunk in the center. Then someone pulled it, tying him to the torch. It made at least ten laps. Double D appeared next.
"Ta-dan!" He had one end of the rope in his hand. "Wild Kevin has been caught!"
.
.
.
After being chased by Jimmy for several blocks of town, they returned to the cul-de-sac. Not exactly the one where everyone lived, but the other one, the one that was under construction.
"Just a little more, Plank. We're almost there."
Jonny's feet were burning. He had wanted to stop on many occasions, but he couldn't. He knew that if he did, it would all be over for them. Demon-possessed Jimmy was just inches away from Sarah's flaming hair.
"Sarah! You have to defend yourself!"
"No!"
And in turn, Jonny, dressed up and with Plank on the end of the mop, was about to reach out and touch the boomerang that the boy had attached to his back. They weren't sure, but they had the idea that it was that ordinary object that was the source of Jimmy's illness.
"Almost... almost…"
They frantically crossed the street to the end.
With his white right hand, Jimmy managed to grab her by the hair. She understood that she had no choice. She simply closed her eyes and prepared her left fist. The last thing she wanted was to have to do that.
"Sorry, Jimmy," she murmured to herself.
But then, before she could do anything, thanks to the fact that the boy had stopped after capturing his prey, the hero managed to touch the boomerang with Plank, and Jimmy let go of Sarah.
The wooden extract hit one of the ends of the object, attached to the kid's back. The object moved a little and came off that side. And quickly, Jimmy turned and flew towards him.
"Uh oh..." A strong punch to the jaw sent him flying far, far away. Plank flew in another direction. They couldn't get the object out of him, and now he was more furious than ever.
All of this happened in less than three seconds.
Sarah fell to her knees trying to understand what had happened. Jonny had done something to distract him, and that's why she hadn't gotten to...
She looked at her left hand. It was still in fist form, trembling, ready to be used. She was going to hit her best friend, her partner, that fragile child whose only friend she was. He was going to hit Jimmy.
'No it's not true!'
She just wanted to silence that voice from her mind, from her conscience. It was lying. With her hands on her head, she could feel the discussion that several voices were having in her head. She was going to hit him and she couldn't deny it because she knew it was true.
'Yes, you were going to do it.'
The boy slowly approached where Jonny had fallen. He was motionless. He turned again, to see Sarah, and then to Jonny, and so on. Which of the two was he going to kill first?
'No!'
Sarah was sitting on her legs. Tears fell and landed on the cold earth with the smell of cement. All the adventures, all the stories they had lived, passed through her mind.
Her mind transported her back to the time when they were both in school, in the first levels. There, the same sequence had been repeated several times: bad kids bothering Jimmy, and she appearing behind them, beating them all up. Then, both of them playing together, alone, at recess. That's how it had always been.
There was a certain day when they had been assigned the task of writing a letter to the person each of them admired the most. Taking advantage of the fact that the teacher had gone out for coffee, some idiot had the great brilliant idea of making little airplanes with the cards and playing war, and the whole class agreed. The ammo was running out quickly, and another idiot grabbed Jimmy's letter and threw it away. Sarah didn't notice at first, because everything was chaos, all the kids jumping and throwing things at each other.
That little plane hit her right in the temple. Sarah unwrapped it and read it. One part said:
'She is my best friend Sarah'
And a drawing of her.
It was a long letter, in which many of their adventures were recounted. At the end, it said:
'I would never hurt her, because I love her very much.'
...
The teacher arrived and one of the planes collided with the plastic coffee cup, causing it to spill its contents on her clothes. Furious, she put everyone in detention. Jimmy was sad all day because he had not managed to get the letter back. Sarah never told him that she had found it and kept it for herself.
To this day it is still there, in her room, in her little pink trunk under eight locks, like a very valuable treasure. Even more valuable than her own diary. In that letter was the heart of her best friend, the same one that was now heading towards her ready to destroy her.
Sarah turned around and saw him approaching her, irrational, wild. He still had foam at his mouth. Behind him, further away, was Jonny lying on the ground, unconscious.
'I would never hurt him.'
He walked slowly. First the right, then the left. On the prowl. He was going to hurt her. Lots of damage.
'Never.'
Already standing, Sarah retreated at the same pace, terrified. She had been about to hit him. No matter how much she denied it, she knew it was true. If there was still any of Jimmy's conscience left in that monster, she surely wouldn't have been able to stand it. Maybe he would never forgive her, his best friend. Now he did have a good reason to attack her.
Maybe it was just better to let him hurt her.
She stood still, watching as the boy came closer and closer, wondering how much she deserved it. Her sight dropped again. There was Jonny, who still didn't react. If he were awake, he'd probably say something like "Run, Sarah". "Get out of here". "You did nothing". "You didn't have a choice." "He would understand."
The boy's hand was about to take her neck. So she made the decision.
She bolted towards the other side, running with all the energy in her. The boy roared and chased after her.
Thus they both crossed the cul-de-sac under construction and also entered the dark forest.