Feeding Frenzy (Watty Award Winner)

Poutine Not Riots: Chapter Forty-One

Tonya turned and whispered to Ducky: "We're in trouble."

"What?" Ducky put his face right up to hers and, despite her dragonfly vision, she could see his long lashes.

"Zain's infected. He's controlled by the Entity," she whispered.

"Not possible." He frowned.

"Trust me, I know. When I say 'go'..."

"What are you kids whispering about?" Zain asked.

"Jump out of the car!" Tonya yelled. She grabbed the lock button before Zain could engage it. The car sped up as she leaped into the ditch.

Tonya tucked and rolled over the pebbly shoulder and into the long grass, scratching her skin on thistles. She came to a hard stop against a bush. For a moment she lay still, her brain more confused than ever, until she remembered Ducky. Had he followed her? When she stood, everything felt bruised.

"Ducky?"

There were streetlights along the highway this close to campus, but the ditch was crammed with shadowy weeds. She couldn't see him anywhere. "Ducky!"

She stood on the frosty grass trying to isolate Waldock's sinister voice in her head. The Entity looked through hundreds of eyes. If It could see Ducky now, would It be gloating because It had him, or would there be regret because he got away? The cacophony faded to a murmur, as if It knew she were trying to listen in. At least she could think and see clearly again. Where was that boy?

If Ducky were in the car with Zain, the only way to save him was to attack the Entity. Waldock was ascending, on the verge of rebirth.

"Hey!" Ducky limped up to her, grimacing with every step. "You're wrong about Zain. He's my best friend."

"Are you okay?"

"Landed on my ankle. I'm fine." He shot her a crooked smile.

"Except you're with me," said Tonya. "Zain was the frying pan, I'm the fire."

"Huh?" Ducky shrugged.

"If I were under the Entity's control, could you tell?"

"How do you know I'm not slavishly following the master myself?" said Ducky.

When Ducky said 'master,' Tonya smiled with relief. "For starters there is no 'master.'"

"How would you know?"

"I hear the Entity's voice in my head."

"Entity? Is that the half-man, half-plant thing your Aunt was talking about?"

"Fat-absorbing telepathic fungus. Nobody's safe. Anybody could be under its control, especially me. Get out of town. Steal a car, anything! And don't talk to anyone until you're gone. Zain is infected, Lynette and Roberto, the swim team, students, professors."

"Crazies are wandering around chowing down on everything," said Ducky. "I'm not leaving you here by yourself."

"Waldock hates my family. Anyone with me is a target."

"You expect me to let some cannibal get you?"

"I'll be fine. What about Priya? She has a car and she needs your protection more than I do."

"We should all stick together."

Tonya argued until it became clear Ducky refused to listen.

"Let's call Priya." There was no other plan he would accept.

"All right." Tonya had no intention of staying with her friends, in case the Entity made her attack them, but Priya and Ducky could save each other. Tonya had an aggressive plan, although she was trying very hard to think about pink elephants instead. If she allowed her mind to dwell on it, the Entity might overhear what she was thinking and stop her.