A Girl's Guide to Guns and Monsters - Martin Harry Greenberg [65]
The man was now a corpse, floating in midair, grinning at me with horrible teeth, holding out its decaying hand, gesturing.
Desire went to revulsion in two seconds flat. I fell to the ground and heaved up everything in my stomach. Let me tell you . . . Michigan Cherry’s not so good the second time around.
“Up, Kate. Up, and in the house.” Wan was in the grass, keeping well back from the splatter. “Hurry.”
“Wan,” I gasped, trying to clear my mouth. “What is that thing?”
“Now you want lessons?” Wan asked. His sword was in his hand, the pommel closed. “Move! I will hold them off!”
The back yard exploded with light. That thing . . . it was pounding on the wards, trying to break through them. Light and smoke flared again and again. The possum, still perched on its fencepost, cried out in its shrill nasty voice. “Aid us!”
All around, ninja rats climbed up the posts and started to beat on the wards as well.
The dogs were frantic now, racing back to defend me as I scrabbled to my feet, the necklace still wrapped around my hand. They ran just passed me, and took a stance, barking and farting for all they were worth.
I staggered up, trying to look everywhere at once. Dr. McDougall had planned the wards for ninja rats, not corpses. I didn’t think—
The possum shrieked something and gestured with its free hand. The ninja rats all started to glow . . . and became man-sized.
Time to go.
I started moving back, unwilling to turn my back. The dogs ran behind me, then in front, barking madly.
Wan retreated as well, focused on the corpse, waving his tiny sword back and forth as if in challenge.
The corpse paused for a moment, as the others continued their assault. Its dead eyes raked over me and it smiled. “Kaaaaaate.”
My stomach heaved. I retched a bit, but kept moving back toward the house. I wanted walls between me and that thing.
The corpse laughed, as if it knew my fear. From nowhere it pulled an odd hooked sword with a flourish. The blade glowed green. That couldn’t be good.
The corpse gripped the blade with both hands and brought it down with a scream. The edge sheared through the golden glow. The ward popped like a bubble.
The ninja rats flowed up and over the fence like a tide.
The dogs yelped and ran for the house again.
“Kate,” Wan screamed over his shoulder. “Put it on. PUT THE NECKLACE ON.”
I looked at my hand.
The necklace was full size now, no longer hidden from the world in the pommel of Wan’s sword. The large pieces of cut jade were linked with golden strands, and the medallion hung down, glimmering softly in the light. I lifted it with both hands, and slipped it over my head. Somewhere, someone or something shrieked in anger as it settled on my skin.
Time seemed to stop. The ninja rats were still coming, but slowly, all Matrix-y. Sort of a Flying Mouse, Hidden Possum kinda thing.
But even as I watched time slow, I was focused on the necklace. I’d been right. The jade pieces felt cool against my skin, but they warmed quickly, taking heat from my body. The medallion fell right between my breasts, as if designed to lie there and cover my beating heart.
“What do you need?” It wasn’t a voice, it was just a question that formed in my being, a feeling of support, of strength. “What do you need?”
I lifted my eyes to the oncoming rats and the corpse was floating over the fence toward me. “Help,” was my only thought. “Help us.”
The movie effects ended. The first of the rats reached Wan, swinging its sword straight down at my little friend.
Wan raised his sword—
Another interposed.
A girl stood there, dressed in traditional flowing robes the color of a daffodil in spring. She had two sharp daggers in each hand. As she parried the blow with one, she drove the other into the rat’s heart.
It collapsed.
Suddenly there were a dozen girls, each in a spring color, fighting the rats. I froze, watching as they took out their opponents with graceful, flowing movements more dance than battle.
The possum was still on the fence post, gesturing with its walking stick, cursing. I reached down to the rim of the koi pond,