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Arrow van pulled away at last； it was almost as if nothing had ever happened。
Another illusion； quickly dispelled by the sight of the spreading stain。
There were a couple of orange emergency roadside cones in the back。 She knew just where to put them。 When the next car pulled in； it was restricted to the three and four pumps at the butt end of the island。 Then she went back in to wait and pray。
While she waited； she stared at the clock。
It was two…fifteen。
And counting。
Thirty
Deitz came up from the darkness； piece by piece。
His entire being was fragmented； his consciousness buried beneath the rubble like an earthquake victim in the wreckage of his home。 Every synapse and sinew； dislocated and disjointed； lay in a heap inside him。
Slowly； something shifted through the rubble。
Rebuilding。
Hearing was the first sense to return。 His stoppered ears opened suddenly； the fluid in his cochlea giving way in a hot trickle； and suddenly Deitz could hear again。
Hssssssss 。。。 sh…sshhhh 。。。
The claustrophobic deep…sea…diver hiss of ragged； clotted breath filled his head。 Hsssssss 。。。 sshhhhhh 。。。
How long he listened there was no way to gauge； time was marked but not counted by the simplest of life's cycles。 Air flowed in； flowed out again。 Dimly； primordially； he recognized the breathing as his own。
Hssssssss 。。。 sh…s…sshhhhh 。。。
Feeling came next； sensitizing the millions of nerve endings that laced through his skin like a shut…down electrical grid。 Deitz was now a feeling； hearing； breathing machine。 There was pain； but it was veiled； muted as the thud of novocaine on a rotted tooth。 He could feel his lungs move up and down； could feel the thousand points of penetration where razored grass punctured rubberized canvas and quivering flesh。
He could feel other things； too。 Strange。 New。 Shifting and sliding inside his suit。 Hard to fix in the contained universe that was Deitz。
Gradually； consciousness focused as the power came back on in his nervous system。 〃Hnnnnnnn 。。。 〃 he groaned。 His voice was impossibly huge in the confines of his hood。
〃Hhn…nhhhhhhhhhhh 。。。 〃 he gurgled； swallowing thickly； and resumed breathing。 Sweat slicked the surface of his face。 Air flowed in； flowed out。 He hawked loudly； his swollen sinuses suddenly giving way。
And； upon him like a wall； was the smell。
It was the reek of the Black Bridge road； revisited； and amped to the millionth power roses； rot； industrial solvent； forest green； and brimstone mixed with just a hint of something never smelled before by Man。
It was the stench of the New World rising； the sweat and blood and excrement of things that had never existed before。 Could not have existed。
Until this moment。
Suddenly； he knew where the stench was ing from。
IN ME NOW！！！！！！ The thought screamed in his head。 IN ME NOW！！！！！！ Like a soul in a shredder； a snake uncoiling in his brain。 IN ME NOW！！！！！ Stuffing the enemy down his throat and forcing him to swallow。
Taking ahold of his face from behind。
And grinding it in his failure。
Deep inside him； Overmind wriggled； burrowing like a worm into his core。
Deitz shuddered； flatlined and went away； his mind going fetal； like a child with a high fever。 Overmind responded by gunning his vital signs like a motorhead at a traffic light； making his dead heart race and his digestive system bubble。 His limbs kicked into spastic motion； flopping and flapping in galvanic response。 His penis engorged with blood and toxin； twitching like a frog's leg on a hot electrode wire。 He ejaculated joylessly； sperm oozing out to join the other juices accumulating in his suit like gravy in a boiler bag。
And in his mind； Deitz the fever…child had tried to run away。 But there was nowhere to go； no place untainted； no way to escape the horror inside him。 He retreated to the marrow of his bones； and Overmind was there： pulsing； arthritic； icy with malevolent delight。 He slipped into a； and Overmind was there： poisoning the vacuum； swirling in the void； at home in his unconsciousness as well。
Overmind dogged him every step of the way： nudging him； prodding him； torturing him； bending him over to prong his perception from behind。 Seeping out； from every direction； to alter and color and rape the lens through which he was forced to perceive。
Dictating the new terms of his vision。
Lookie； it manded wordlessly。 Lookie lookie lookie lookie 。。。
He fought it； not wanting to see； not wanting to see like that。 It came at him like a speeding train； over ten years in the making： over ten years； to which he had dedicated his life； watching the train move toward him at a barely perceptible crawl 。。。
。。。 before shifting now； suddenly； into hyperdrive： hurtling toward him through the blackness； its headlight now a pinpoint now a floodlight now a blazing sun 。。。
When the light consumed him； Deitz's eyes began to see。
Light： milky and opaque； burning down his optic nerves； spilling into the dark crevasses of his brain。 A jumble of senseless； murky； undifferentiated shapes： dancing before him； filling him with dread。 It came to him that the inside of his visor was dripping with condensation； turning the world runny and hopelessly diffuse。
The pain was stronger now； a throbbing pulse that started in his legs and spread through his whole body。 His eye muscles twinged； flexing； independent。
He looked to the right。 Overmind looked left。 He looked to the left。
Overmind looked right。
He tried to speak。 His mouth did not respond。 His mouth was no longer his own。 It had been annexed into Overmind； along with the rest of him。
MY BODY！ he thought…screamed。 MINE！
Deitz focused his will like a missile and fired it。 It bought him a moment's brief shred of control。 His jaws wrenched open and his breath sucked in； his teeth prying apart like a rusty spring trap。 When he tried to scream； his black tongue lolled into the breach。
Then he lost control； jaws clamping down hard until the blood squirted hot across the roof of his mouth。
Overmind let him taste it。
Then it asked him what he thought。
And Austin Deitz began to cry； fat tears rolling nowhere； formed inside his soul alone。 His face refused to collaborate in the expression of his agony； his boundless despair。 It mocked him： crazily crossing the eyes； black…red lips contorting in a bloody； toothy grin。 Smiling on the outside； crying on the inside。
My body。 Desperately。 Bitterly。 Mine。
But even he didn't believe it anymore。
A tremor passed through him。 The master； whistling to its dog。
Then； slowly； Deitz's body began to rise and pull itself free。
The corpse was impaled； a thousand times over： a thousand wet； rank violations of the flesh。 Overmind seemed not so much indifferent as mildly amused by the damage； the sensations of sickly rot and pain and transformation。 But Deitz…the tiny spark of soul…identity that still remained his own…felt every razored gash and sliding； still…inserted blade of grass in intimate detail。
Deitz's body sat up； slowly。 It braced itself with one hand on the living bed of nails； lost the middle finger just above the second knuckle； felt the severed digit drop into the bifurcated palm and rest there like a charm。 Then it got to its knees； its feet； felt the soles impale deep and slide loose again； rising。 Over and over。
As it walked toward the bridge。
At the edge of the river of pus that had been Toad Road； a crust had formed。 It was enough to support the dead weight。 Deitz's body followed it； plodding on wobbly stick…legs； chest arrhythmically recycling its rancid； humid fumes。 Stumbling like a bum on Sterno； random blades of razored grass hanging off the mangled back like porcupine quills。
The Deitz…thing dragged itself up the steepening incline： a deep…sea diver； knee…deep in the sloshing； self…contained ocean of itself。 It sealed its own ruptures as it walked； plugged its own leaks in the outer skin； let the boil…in fluids continue to rise。 The roar in its ears was the sound of Creation…the primordial； protean； plasmic pool…raging and churning on either side of the blind； visored mask it wore。
And the roar grew louder； as it crested the hill。 It turned。 The roar grew louder still。 The Source lay directly ahead； now； Deitz felt himself shudder before its astonishing power。 It flooded his senses； overwhelmed his spark with an alien longing； far stronger than love。
Lookie lookie lookie lookie 。。。
Deitz tried again to shut his eyes。
They simply opened wider 。。。
。。。 and watched； in helpless horror； as the condensation on the inside of his visor parted like a curtain： the tiny beads of liquid rolling off to either side； waggling their little moist tails like sperm like eels like baby snakes。
Returning to him his sight。
At the heart of Black Bridge。
And the New Creation。
Hell unfolded before him。
There was a whirlpool at the center of the creek： a vast liquid aperture； a hundred feet across； like a gaping mouth on the surface of the water。 It roiled around the perimeter； bubbling madly； then settled into