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At the time, Allie was still reeling from her own revelation. She was alive. Did that mean she could live again? Could she--dare she even think it--could she skinjack herself? Oblivious to what was going on, Danny's parents had smothered him with kisses, and the police had questioned Allie's parents as to how on earth the boy had turned up there. Allie didn't want to fight Danny, and once they were in the police cruiser, driving away, she tried over and over again to peel herself out of the boy. His body stiffened, his back arched, his eyes bulged, but Allie could not get out of his body, and his parents became more and more concerned with their son's strange behavior. As the police car pulled into the Rozelli's driveway, Allie finally realized the true cost of skinjacking someone for too long. She was now a permanent resident in Danny Rozelli's body.
But the worst was yet to come.
It was the element of surprise that gave a skinjacker the advantage. A person didn't know how to defend themselves against a skinjacking, or how to fight to retain control of his or her own body--especially against a seasoned skinjacker like Allie. But fleshies learn quickly. Each time Danny's spirit surfaced, he was stronger, more able to fight Allie from the inside out, and now, half a day later, the two of them were still battling at sunset, with neither one getting the upper hand. They were two evenly-matched spirits sealed into a single body, and it looked like they were going to stay that way for good.
"I'm fine!" Allie insisted, in control of Danny's mouth. "I'm fine, really." Unfortunately Danny had control of the rest of his head, and began banging it against the wall.
His mother began to wail, his father grabbed him and restrained him, and Allie withdrew, trying to figure out a new approach to this unhappy situation. She pulled way back, allowing Danny to have full control of himself, but not so far back that he could force her to sleep--for he had figured out that trick too. She waited as his body relaxed, his breathing slowed, and his father, who was still restraining him, loosened his grip.
"It's all right, Danny," he said. "We're going to get you help. I promise."
Danny, tears in his eyes, nodded. Allie waited a minute more, then pushed her thoughts forward in a faint whisper.
--Danny, please listen to me--
No! he thought back to her. No, no, no! But at least now he wasn't shouting it out loud.
--Bad things will happen if you don't listen to me--
He didn't answer her right away. Then he thought, What kind of bad things?
--They'll take you away from your parents and put you in a hospital--
No! My parents won't let anyone do that!
--What do you think they mean when they said they'll get you help?--
Danny didn't respond to that. Good. He was finally seeing reason.
--I didn't mean to get stuck in here, Danny, but I did, and we have to make the best of it. Now we have to be friends until I can figure out how to get out--
I don't want to be your friend! You're a girl! I don't want a girl in my head!
Great, thought Allie, that's what I get for skinjacking a seven-year-old.
I heard that! And now not even her thoughts were private. This was going to take a lot of getting used to.
--Think of me as your guardian angel, Danny--
You're an angel?
--Yes, I am-- she told him, seizing onto the one idea that might make this whole thing work,--and if you want things to be okay, you have to pretend like it already is okay. You have to pretend like I'm not here--And then she made a decision.-- I promise not to take over your body without your permission ... if you promise to calm down and act normal--
Okay, thought Danny, but if you start making me do girly things ...
"Danny, honey, talk to me," said his mother. "Tell me what's wrong."
Danny took a deep breath, and said, "Nothing, Mom. I'm okay now. I was ... I was having a bad dream, but it went away."
His mother hugged him. Allie was impressed that he pulled it off.-- Very good-- thought Allie.-- They'll probably still take you to see doctors, but if you act normal, everything will be okay--
Will they give me shots?
--I don't think so--
Good, thought Danny, and then he asked her, Will you help me with my homework sometimes?
Sure, thought Allie. Why not. She tried to tell herself that she'd be okay with this--being a backseat driver to a second-grader, but the reality of it filled her with despair. Everlost was gone--she couldn't see it anymore, couldn't feel it. It was invisible to her, just as it was to Danny, or any 314other fleshie. She knew her body was out there somewhere, but she had no idea where to find it--and even if she did, she was still stuck inside this kid. Good going, Allie.
