Demon Infected/Part 0004
Alice 2
Once she was in the rain, Alice crawled to the grass surrounding the cover. The apron of gravel around the awning dug into her hands and knees. At least the girls weren't willing to get soaked to keep her from standing.
They weren't even watching her. They lounged at a table, chatting as they played with their phones.
Rain pelted her with more force than her shower at home, quickly forcing the urine from her hair and skin. Even without soap, Alice was sure it had cleaned her in less than a minute of scrubbing with her bare hands. Not that she could stop—not for several minutes—as she tried to scrape the indignity off along with the acidic fluid.
She cupped her hands, pushing rainwater up her nose in an attempt to wash the scent of it from her sinuses. It didn't work, it was too strong in her memory.
But at least she was able to rinse out her mouth, getting rid of the drops which made their way into her mouth.
Alice tilted her head, face into the rain, as she wobbled under the force of the water. The storm blasted her with rain and noise—but it was an uncaring force of nature. She could be maimed by lightning and it wouldn't be as bad as her suffering under those girls the last year.
Why did they hate her so much?
She'd done nothing to attract such ire. Yet they never seemed to get tired of hurting her.
Lightning struck somewhere nearby. The lights in the park flickered and went out. In the sudden darkness, eyes dazzled by the bright flash, the force from the thunder almost threw her from her feet.
Did the hail-force drops of water warm? Alice didn't feel so cold any more. She held out her arms, feeling water and wind flowing over her skin, turning slowly in the darkness. Another crash of light and noise washed over her, through her, taking some of the pain away.
In a world of pitch black filled with sporadic light, Alice found a little bit of peace. Her eyes emptied of tears, replaced by the storm's water, it cleansed her of care and fear.
When the park lights flicked back on and Alice could see the blobby shapes of the girls under the pavilion again, she barely felt any emotion. Hazy forms, made indistinct by rain and her poor eyesight, were barely recognized as human.
They were animals, Alice realized. Animals hidden under people's skins.
She wondered what they'd look like with their skin peeled off.