Page 97 of When the Snowman Whispered
“Get them off me! Get them off me!”
More blooms arrived and began feasting. They never bit or gnawed. It was just licking, sucking, and sipping. I wanted to look away, but couldn’t. I had to see this entire thing to the end.
And then a man’s image appeared among the licking blooms.
Haunting white flesh and glowing blue eyes. He had a bald head and massive arms.
He batted the blooms away, but they wouldn’t go. They were stuck to him and not interested in stopping their sucking.
It was a sick and twisted dance. Him twisting and turning, swaying and hitting. No matter where he moved the flowers flowed back to him like magnets. Had we been deep in the ocean, I would’ve compared them to a school of flesh-licking fish. They moved together and focused on the same goal—sucking Remy’s skin.
“Get them off me!” He limped my way. His face frantically searched the air. “Hurry, before she comes.”
Help him? He’s magical, but not that smart.
“She’s coming!” Terror glazed over those blue eyes. “Help me.”
“Who’s coming, you piece of shit?” It took all my energy to get off the ground.
“The women of disguises.”
“I don’t know who that is. Where’s Faith? That’s who I want. Where is she?” I stumbled to him, ready to punch him some more. “Where’s Faith?!”
“No! Stop this!” Remy kicked two flowers off him. They fell to the ground and then leaped back on him. “I can’t help, if you don’t stop this!”
“Help?” I closed some of the distance between us but didn’t get too close. I still wasn’t certain one of those things wouldn’t jump on me and start licking my skin too. “Help you? I want Faith and then maybe I’ll help you.”
“She’s safe.”
“Where?”
Tiring from fighting the blooms, he fell to the ground.
I hobbled over and fell to the ground too. “Where is she?”
Giving up, he lay on the ground and they lapped at him.
Slurping sounds ensued.
I pushed one away from his face and slapped his cold face. “Where the fuck is she?”
“Help,” he mumbled. The glow in his eyes darkened. His skin too. Black liquid beaded around his face and arms, mixing with the flowers’ drool.
His face swayed from side to side. “Help.”
“Tell me where she is, and I’ll help.”
His eyes closed as he whispered. “On the edge of the land.”
“Faith’s land?”
He shook and screamed.
I pushed two of the blooms away from his neck. Their buzzing rose. The two blooms fell to the ground for a few seconds, zipped to his open hand, and returned to their feast.
“Where is she?” I hit his face again. “Tell me.”
“On the edge of her land, right before the path to the mountains.”
