Ghost Time

rather have a normal daughter than know anything about love! Knox swerved, pulling off the road, just before we reached our building.
    The car snapped, like a rubber band snapped the air, and no one said anything. He looked at Melody, and then he looked at me again: I said, take it back , he said. And then, I raised my hand, like I was taking an oath, and I told him exactly what she said: Fuck you . Knox’s mouth fell open, then he raised his hand and slapped me—he slapped me across the face. There was a sharp, cracking sound, and then Mel started screaming and flailing in the backseat, and Knox yelled: She’s having a seizure! I yelled back at him, She’s not! It’s not a seizure! And Mel was yelling in my ears: Don’t touch me! Don’t touch me, you bastard! Knox got in the back and held her down until she stopped kicking, and I just watched, waiting for her to calm down. She did—a few minutes later, Mel stopped, didn’t say a word, and then, when Knox sat back, tears started streaming down her cheek. Black tears, mascara.
    Knox hid his face in his hands for a minute, then we heard this roar. What’s going on? What’s happening? Thee, what’s going on? Mel was beginning to panic, and I was beginning to panic, and Knox said, Holy fuck , seeing the crowd of reporters in front of our building. Thea, what’s happening—tell me what’s going on , Mel said, twisting her head to see, and I said, Me. I’m happening. Just then, Knox got back in the front and he said, Get out, as someone in the crowd pointed, seeing us, and people started to turn. Some people started walking toward us, a few at a time, and then, almost the whole mass of them started moving straight for us. Get out! Now! Get out! Knox yelled at me, before leaning over and throwing open my door, unfastening my seatbelt, almost shoving me out of the car. No! No, Dad, no! Mel screamed. I almost fell, and Knox closed the door, and I got up, pounding on the window, Please, I said, barely able to talk: please don’t leave me! I held my breath, waiting for him to turn around, but he didn’t. So I started screaming at him, down the highway: Come back! Don’t leave me! But they didn’t turn around. He just left me there, feeding me to the wolves.
    Trying not to cry, trying to hold on, I turned and I started walking back to our building. Steeling myself, I looked at the crowd, but the only person I recognized was Jenna Darnell, and she saw me right away, and she actually looked scared, just this look in her eyes, and then everyone started streaming around her, rushing toward me. All these reporters and cameramen, and all I could think was, Now what? Haven’t you people seen a sex tape before? I thought they would stop, let me through, but they didn’t. I made it to the middle of the parking lot, before they surrounded me, and it was like a storm hit, with lights flashing and flashing, voices shouting and shouting, Thea! Thea! Thea, over here! Thea, is it true… Blinding, deafening, couldn’t breathe. Let me go! Let me go! I said, trying to push my way through.
    I was crushed, literally crushed by people pushing against me, unable to breathe, starting to panic. The thing is, when I saw them, I thought they’d stay back, because why would they push like that, why would anybody behave like that unless it’s an emergency? But it was not an emergency; it was just news. I’m the news, being swarmed by this crowd of reporters, all asking questions, and I kept trying to follow their words, but I couldn’t see who was talking, because they were shining lights in my face,and they all kept pushing, and I was trying not to trip or step on anybody, thinking, This isn’t really happening. You see it so many times on TV, you think you’d know how to deal with it, but you don’t, trust me. No one knows how to deal with a stampede.
    I couldn’t hear, couldn’t see, so I started shouting, I can’t breathe! Please, I can’t breathe! And then a hand grabbed my arm, and turning, I screamed, because it was Foley. Don’t touch me! Get your hands off of me! I yelled, but he wouldn’t let go, pulling me through the crowd, bulbs flashing everywhere, and Foley said, Theadora Denny, you’re under arrest. Arrest for what? I said, covering my eyes as more flashbulbs went off, and there were so many people shouting; I could barely hear Foley answer: You are under arrest for the kidnapping of Melody Knox. Her mother is pressing charges, and your mother is