Phantom Universe Read Free Page B

makes her stomach want to heave. Actually, she’s pretty sure everything about this man makes her want to lose her stomach acid—just like some creepy alien Aaron, another crew member, once told her about. She still doesn’t believe him, but the imagery works for this situation.
    Jarvis follows her, his butt sliding through the cleaning product she leaves behind. “Ev’ry year ya get prettier, and ya look old ‘nough now.” His fingers lift a ruffled scrap of her clothes with interest. She freezes and catches his expression, clearly saying his interests lie in ripping it off. “How ‘bout we have some fun? Whad’ya say?”
    Summer jerks free, part of her rags rip under his grip, and moves away to scrub farther down the lower deck. Maybe if she ignores them they’ll go away. Maybe. Pouring Comet in his mouth begins to seem more and more like a feasible—and satisfying—idea. His creepy eyes need a good scrubbing too, don’t forget them , she adds silently.
    “ She dun’ speak, stupid!” Karl says loftily and hits him upside his dim, slick-with-sweat naked head. Summer bets Karl doesn’t even know what “loftily” means—probably thinks it has something to do with faeries and pixie dust. More creatures Aaron told her about that she still doesn’t believe are real.
    Thunder booms above them as droplets of water splash against Summer’s face. It’s the most refreshing thing she’s felt in days, though Karl and Jarvis are ruining her favorite thing. Her only thing .
    “ Dibs,” Jarvis claims pompously and fist-bumps Karl. “Now get the hell out of here. We don’t need no audience.”
    Summer is already on her feet and running towards the doors that lead below deck and to her room—where she can lock the door and hide away. Lightning fills the sky in a show of magnificent power and beauty moments before thunder rumbles out a joyous cry.
    “ Might wanna get off yer lazy ass and catch her. I bet she’s a slippery one,” Karl says through his chortling. All jokes aside, she wishes the Comet really was in her reach—they both need an unnatural amount of it in their pants. It’s too late to do anything, though. All she can do now is run.
    Rain starts to pour down on them as Summer slides to the door, her heart pounding and sapphire eyes dilating in fear. Scared, and in a fit of trembling panic, her fingers clasp the handle but slip because she’s already soaked with the storms pitiless tears. Lightning flashes again, and this time it’s full of menacing splendor, the thunder rolling in seconds later with a clamorous laugh. Spluttering steps pound behind her, and she shakes so fiercely she’s unable to grip the door to open it.
    She loses her only hope of escape when arms encircle her waist and yank her backward so forcefully her breath temporarily goes on vacation. They land on the deck, and she fights Jarvis by clawing and striking over and over to no avail. Lightning strikes again, and all the luster and radiance the electrical blue glow used to hold for Summer fades. The accompanying thunder is a booming, nonthreatening entity witnessing it all. She feels betrayed by the storm, nothing but a worthless bystander in the sky. Jarvis seizes her wrists and, with one hand, holds her arms behind her back. He’s too strong for her to fight.
    “ You can’t get ‘way that easily,” he declares, his toothpaste-lacking breath greedy on her neck as he puts his weight on her. Her face is pushed into the soaked deck as his free hand travels under her tattered clothes and begins to trail across her skin with perverse abandon.
    Summer whimpers and struggles in his grasp as tears trail down her freckled cheeks, but it’s no use—she’s trapped. Each stroke of his hand is like sandpaper, jagged and agitating to her skin. The feel of him touching her turns her stomach sour, like curdled milk. She wants to yell out, but knows it will cause more trouble than staying quiet. Her silence has kept her alive in the