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hours.
"Cool it, Amelia," Tate said irritably.
Amelia said in a huffy tone.
could be ambushed at any second. I you we're smelling something strange. They're
close.>>
Yago interrupted.
"Why?" Tate asked warily. Her drowsiness was falling away and she was starting to feel scared
again. Amelia was right. Two more slime monsters were still out there. She couldn't run on
her foot. It felt as if someone had drilled a hole straight through it. If Duncan and Charlie
attacked, she was toast.
Amelia interrupted.
asleep and we agree. When Charlie and Duncan put in an appearance, you can't go Mouth.>>
>
Tate agreed. Vehemently. But she didn't like Yago and Amelia giving her orders. "The Mouth
just appears," she said peevishly. "I can't control it."
Amelia said.
Tate felt like telling Amelia where to go. But then she imagined another voice added to the
chorus in her head. Psycho Charlie. Arrogant Duncan. Or oh, god maybe even both of
them. Not a happy thought.
Then came the smell.
Matches. Sulfur. Something burning.
Faint now, but growing stronger.
Yago asked urgently.
Tate. Just just relax and I'll take care of everything.>>
Tate didn't trust anyone who promised to take care of everything. Besides, she didn't know
how to let go of her body. And, if she could do it, she wondered if she'd ever be able to wrest
control back from Amelia.
She looked around. Was that a glistening patch on the ceiling off to her left? Yes, she was
quite certain it was. Duncan was up there. Or Charlie.
Tate's heart leaped up like a fluttering bird. She tried to run. The pain in her right foot
brought her to her knees, whimpering.
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Yago whispered conspiratorially.
over if we survive I'll help you put her down.>>
Amelia said flatly.
The glistening patch was growing closer now. The sulfur smell was stronger. Tate made her
decision.
It wasn't difficult.
Tate wanted to hide. She let the feeling consume her. She imagined herself growing smaller,
shrinking down to stand next to a bite-size Yago. She imagined Amelia rising up, swelling like
ohe of those hot-air balloons in the Thanksgiving parade
Tate yelled.
Amelia had sensed her opening. Tate felt Amelia hovering over her eagerly and then
Amelia was squeezing her, suffocating her, crushing her, pushing her roughly aside
Tate was weightless. Gravity was gone.
It was like the floating moment before sleep descends. Her body felt fuzzy, distant. The pain
in her foot had receded to a dull ache. That gave Tate some satisfaction. If Amelia wanted to
be in charge, let her deal with the full force of the pain.
Tate tried to wiggle her toes. For one terrifying moment, nothing happened. Panicking, Tate
clamped down, concentrated, and managed a painful wiggle. She checked in with her fingers,
eyebrows, wrists, neck
"Please," Amelia said testily. "I don't need a backseat driver."
Tate said, feeling oddly chagrined.
Yago said.
slime monster at two o'clock.>>
Suddenly, she they was, were running, a strange disorienting feeling like being
bounced along on an invisible horse.
Yago asked nastily.
would have thought of that.>>
"Let me know if you have a better idea," Amelia said, and now some of her cool confidence
was gone.
Tate said furiously. Being scared and out of control
was worse than just being plain scared, she discovered.
And now an awful thought occurred to Tate for the first time. What if this was a trick? What
if Amelia was working with Duncan and Charlie somehow? What if the three of them took
control of her body and forced her out?
Tate shouted.
"In your dreams, sweetie," Amelia said.
An image from her dream came to Tate. A band of ragged people then it was gone.
Yago said.
painful death.>>
The slime monster was dripping off the ceiling, forming a pool in front of them. Tate
watched in horror as it moved into a circle shape around them, cutting off any escape.
"Ideas?" Amelia asked nervously. This was the first time she had faced one of the slime
monsters in battle. It showed, Tate thought angrily.
Yago said impatiently.
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"No," Amelia said stubbornly. "I'm not sharing this body with anyone."
Yago said furiously.
Tate had never felt more like throttling someone. Amelia was going to get them killed! Tate
watched resentfully as the slime monster tightened the circle.
Was she doomed to spend eternity with Yago and Amelia?
"I'm going to just push through," Amelia announced.
Push through a wall of acid? Not a bright idea.
Tate shouted. She concentrated on restraining her body, pulling back against
Amelia's forward movement. Yago was trying to work with her. The battle for control made
her body flail awkwardly. The slime brushed against her elbow. She felt a shock of pain then
cold fury.
How exactly did a slime creature eat?
She was about to find out.
Then it happened. Her vision shifted to red. Amelia guessed what was happening and
began to scream. That changed nothing. The Mouth had identified the Enemy.
She/Them/It surged forward.
The Mouth was powerful. The Mouth was efficient.
It closed over the head of the Enemy and Amelia could do nothing to stop it.
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CHAPTER 10
Amelia gave a low animal groan. She ran a few loping steps, got the obligatory sickness out of
the way, stumbled to the left, and fell heavily on her side. Her eyes fluttered closed.
A second later, Tate could hear her snoring ever so slightly. The sound infuriated her. This
was the woman who had demanded she stay awake? Look at her. She had no control.
Yago said disgustedly,
Know your limits, respect your limits. Is that so hard?>>
Charlie's voice cracked with uncertainty.
Yago asked insolently.
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