*That's right.'

*From what?'

*Fiends. There's all kinds of fiends in this world. Fiends just waiting to get their filthy hands on the sweet, young flesh of girls like you.' He cleared his throat, but the scratchy sound wouldn't go away. *Just couldn't leave you there on the road. Fiends'd get you for sure.'

She looked at him.

She looked wary.

*Now don't fret, Tina. I won't let them get you. I'll protect you. I sure will.' Reaching out, Homer ran his fingers through her hair. So soft. Soft and golden, like her skin.

14.

When the hand grabbed her, Marty jumped and banged her head on the wall. Then she looked over her shoulder.

w.i.l.l.y grinned.

She kicked and tried to shut her legs, but his hand stayed between them, clutching her, hurting her. An arm wrapped around her hips. It pulled her off the television. When she started to scream, w.i.l.l.y flung her to the floor and dropped on top of her, crushing out the scream.

He rolled Marty onto her back.

She reached for his face, fingers hooked for clawing, but he grabbed her wrists. Pressing them to the carpet, he straddled her hips and sat on her.

Marty bucked and twisted, trying to throw him off. Then she saw his strange grin, so she stopped moving.

*C'mon, horsy! Gideeyap!' He bounced a couple of times.

Marty's knee took him square in the back.

*Naughty horsy!' he bounced harder.

She shot her knee up again. This time, w.i.l.l.y shifted enough to keep it from landing solidly. Then he leaned forward until his face loomed directly over Marty. *Give w.i.l.l.y a kiss to make up,' he said.

*Go to h.e.l.l.'

He bent lower and tried to kiss her mouth. She turned away. He pressed his mouth to her cheek and s...o...b..red on her. *Aren't you glad to see him again?'

*Get off me!' She felt the spittle roll toward her ear. *What do you want?'

*You'll see.'

*Get off!'

*I plan to.'

*b.a.s.t.a.r.d!'

*I'll let you up. But if you move, I'll kill you.'

He climbed off Marty and stood up.

With his weight gone, her body felt strangely light. She tried to rub the pain out of her wrists, then scratched the backs of her hands. They were itchy and red, the carpet's pattern imprinted in her skin.

As w.i.l.l.y walked toward the hall closet, Marty raised her head. Her blouse had come untucked in the struggle, but its b.u.t.tons were still fastened. Her skirt was gathered above her waist, exposing her white panties.

She straightened the skirt as w.i.l.l.y came out of the closet.

He had a coil of rope in his hand.

Kneeling beside Marty, he tied a slip knot into one end of the rope.

*Can I sit up now?' she asked.

*Be my guest.'

She sat up and asked, *What's that for?'

*Hanging you.' He dropped the noose over her head. Reaching behind her, he lifted her hair from under the rope. His hand paused, caressing her neck. Marty felt gooseb.u.mps rise under his touch. She heard herself make a tiny, whimpering sound.

*Scared?'

She tried to talk, but couldn't.

w.i.l.l.y laughed. He slid the knot against the front of her throat, then backed away from her and tugged the line. Her head jerked.

*Ow!' she gasped.

*Up.'

Marty slowly got to her feet.

Stall! Do something! Oh, G.o.d!

She straightened her blouse and skirt. She scratched her left shoulder as if she had an itch there. w.i.l.l.y watched.

*Another minute,' he said, *it won't be itchy anymore.'

She shoved her fingers inside the noose and pulled it open.

w.i.l.l.y was too quick.

He tugged his end of the rope and the noose whipped shut, jerking at the back of Marty's neck and flinging her headlong into his arms. He hugged her tightly against his body, gave her rump a painful squeeze with one hand, and said, *Nice a.s.s.'

*f.u.c.k you.'

*Let's go over to the stairs,' he said. Releasing the grip on her b.u.t.tock, he stepped backward, paying out rope. Then, using the rope like a dog leash, he led her toward the stairway.

*You won't hang me,' Marty said.

*Don't think so? Maybe you'd better hope I do, honey. Cause you know what? I've always known I'd come back and pay you a visit. I've had a lot of years to daydream about it and think about all the things I'll do to you. It's how I used to fall asleep at night in my cell. You were always the last thing on my mind at night. Every night. And I always fell asleep with a b.o.n.e.r.'

At the foot of the stairs, he told Marty to stand still. Then he climbed up the stairway backward, paying out rope and keeping the line taut.

*w.i.l.l.y, don't,' she said. *They'll send you back to prison. You'll spend the rest of your life there. Do you want that? The entire rest of your life?'

*That's if they catch me. But they won't.'

*Yes they will. If youa everyone will know you did it. They'll catch you, all right.'

He reached the top of the stairs.

*w.i.l.l.y? Don't do this.' She tried to sound brave, but it didn't work well.

*What'll you give me?' he asked.

A few strides along the upstairs hallway, and he would be standing directly above Marty.

*Anything,' she said. *Just don'ta don't hang me. Please. Don't kill me. I'll do anything. Please.'

And then she started to cry.

15.

*I want out,' Tina muttered, pressing herself against the pa.s.senger door. *Stop and let me out.'

*As soon as we get to Mawkeetaw,' Homer said. He patted her knee. She pulled it away. *Scare you? All that talk about fiends?' He forced himself to laugh. His face felt very hot. *I reckon I oughta apologize, but I won't. Know why? 'Cause I want you scared. Yes, I -do. You're a sweet child, and I want you scared. Graveyards, they're full of fearless, sweet young girls.'

*Oh, Christ.'

*Watch your tongue, girl. Take not the name of the Lord thy G.o.d in vain.'

Her lower lip started shaking. Then she began to sob.

*Aw, now, don't cry. Nothing to cry about. I'll take good care of you. I sure will. Nothing to fret over, long as you're with Homer.'

He shook his head, upset that he'd let his name slip out.

*Let me go,' Tina said. *Please?'

*Can't do that. If I let you go, sweetheart, why, a fiend might come by and s.n.a.t.c.h you up. You don't want that to happen.' He reached a hand toward her. She slapped it away.

*Don't touch me!' she blurted.

*Didn't mean nothing by it.' He frowned at her. Tears streaked her face. She sucked in a deep breath and held it, biting her bottom lip. Her arms were crossed in front of her body, hiding her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. She was tilted awkwardly to keep her legs out of easy reach. *Say, you don't think I'm a fiend, do you? I'm not a fiend. Heck no.'

*Then let me go.'

*Can't. Wouldn't be safe. Do you know what they do to pretty girls like you? The fiends?'

So confusing. That awful tightness, his heart thumping, his breath coming so loudly. *They start with your clothes. Rip them right off you.'

She jerked at the door handle.

Homer jammed his foot down on the brake pedal. The tires screamed as the door flew open and Tina dropped backward through it.

In the rearview mirror, Homer saw her tumbling along the pavement. By the time he had stopped the car to watch, she was no longer rolling. She lay motionless in the gra.s.s alongside the road. Her dress of many colors was twisted high. Leaf shadows, stirred by the evening breeze, trembled on the white skin of her b.u.t.tocks.

Homer pulled her door shut. He pushed the gear shift into reverse.

His hands clenched the steering wheel and he pressed his forehead against it, shaking.

All so confusing.

Never should've stopped.

Never should've picked her up.

Never!

He looked at the rearview mirror.

The girl was on her hands and knees, slowly crawling toward the edge of the forest.

*I'm not a fiend!' he cried out. *I'm not!'

He shoved the shift forward, jammed the gas pedal to the floor, and sped away.

16.

*Anything?' w.i.l.l.y asked from the top of the stairs.