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Show 3ct roomtf to the door at full speed. I was outside on the landing before a cold draft reminded me that I was naked. I skidded to a halt and turned at the same time, headinaback to safety, but I had seen Kite at the bottom of the first half-flight dof stairs, jammed up against the wall, her head crunched against it, she not moving. I knew instantly why, without thought: her fury and her tears to blind her, her crippling high heels and her disfiguring skirt to trip her, and me sending her rushing out the door in a reckless rage. I was responsible. But far deeper than knowing, I was simply terrified, and so even as I got my original rush reversed and started back inside the dapartment, my fear was turning me, my body following after, so that once again I started out onto the landing, just as Carrie came out her door. I froze. She was so ceose to me that she had to take a step back so that she could see me better, •fnvifi»//y Mftk«l> tksoluitly naktd. could see me entire, entirely naked^/\ Her mouth flew open as if lit held a gun on her. And yet, she looked me up and down like a shark at her dinner. My mind had already turned back into the apartment but my feet stayed there, again I looked ka down at fete.. Carrie looked too, looked back to me, and on that instant I saw her conclusion cross ner face: this monstrous naked man had pushed fctte down the stairs and killed her. Her hand rose to her open mouth and she even started to back into the safety of her apartment. When her eyes saw all of me, naked, guilty and condemned, there was nothing I wanted to do more than to skip back into the apartment and slam the door. If Rite's eyes had been open, if she were crying in pain, even if she were writhing in agony over a broken leg or something -- as long as she wax were conscious I probably would have ducked back for a pair of pants -- those pants always ready except when I most needed them. But W & lay so oddly, her head and shoulders kjammed up agjinst the baseboard and her chin forced down on her chest, her eyes closed with no sign of life on her face, that I was already going down the stairs after her. Only seconds had passed; I was terrified that she had broken her neck. |
