For Real... For Good

Someone pulled him back.

He stumbled, off-balance, startled.

Someone gave him a hard shove, and he landed against the wall.

Wang Zi recovered quickly and spun around to face his attacker.

"GuiGui!" he cried.

His dark eyes opened wide in terror and shock. Leaning back, he pressed both hands against the wall for support.

"GuiGui! No! I killed you!"

Standing in front of Hebe, who lay unconscious, sprawled on the linoleum, GuiGui glared at Wang Zi. There were pieces of dead brown leaves in her tangled hair. Her jeans were stained with dark mud.

"I killed you! You're dead!" Wang Zi insisted, still pressed against the wall.

Breathing hard, GuiGui stared at him coldly, silently.

He raised an arm in front of his face as if to shield himself from her.

"No!" he screamed. "You're dead! You're dead!"

He stared at the dark red line that circled her neck, evidence that he had killed her, evidence that she was dead, dead like the others.

"I came back," GuiGui said breathily, glaring at him with menace.

His expression changed to anger.

Without warning, he lunged at her.

"You're dead! You're dead!" he screamed.

He tackled her around the waist. She felt solid. She was real.

Real. Not a ghost.

Dead. But real.

He pulled her to the floor, wrestling her down in front of Hebe, who stirred but didn't open her eyes.

"You're dead! You're dead!"

With a loud cry GuiGui managed to pull free of him. He reached for her, but she was on her feet and stumbling to the sink.

He climbed to his feet--- and stopped short.

GuiGui had pulled a large kitchen knife from the holder on the counter.

Her eyes wild with fury, her mouth open, she raised the knife high and ran at him.

As she reached him and brought the knife down, the gleaming blade aimed at his chest, Wang Zi backed up and kicked at her hand.

"Ow!" GuiGui screamed in pain.

Her hand felt as if it were on fire. The pain moved quickly up her arm and down her entire right side.

The knife flew out of her hand, bounced against the wall, dropped to the floor at Wang Zi's feet.

She grabbed her hand, tried to shake away the throbbing pain.

Wang Zi picked up the knife.

"This time I'm going to kill you for good," he said.