I go downstairs via the folding hallway staircase.  I can hear Doctor Edward out there now, and the hall staircase is noiser.  I want noise.  I hear Nikki call my name from the foyer, and smile again.  The gang's all here! 

I run down to the front landing, nocking an arrow and thinking that I'm doing exactly what Marion did, except that my bow is probably not going to explode in my hand.  The similarity does not deter me.  Nikki's at the base of the stairs.  About two steps behind her I can see Doctor Edward, Ian and Gray. 

Nikki's eyes go to my bow and she stops cold, hands held out to her sides.  A broadhead arrow is a scary thing indeed. 

"Oh, kee-rist," Ian says.  He sounds more exasperated than concerned.  Maybe I should have just rammed his Explorer.

"With all that can go wrong in your day, isn't it nice to know you can depend on your car?" I say to Nikki.  My mind feels very far away, but the angry-snake is in charge of everything else, and we know what we're doing with the bow.  "Life is pretty pathetic when your own hallucinations lie to you," I say quietly.

"I didn't lie to you," Nikki says.  "I'm on your side."

I want to believe her, but the arrow doesn't waver.  I decide nonetheless that I won't shoot her.  I want to shoot somebody, that's for sure.  Ren would.  My father would.  Our cars have been stolen, and somebody wants shooting for that, goddammit.  Bert taught me not to go around starting fights, but he also taught me to draw my lines, and not to hesitate to jump on anyone who crosses them.  I don't need to feel badly about that; I don't have many lines.

"Lexi, stop this, this instant!" Ian yells.  His voice booms in the high-roofed foyer.  I wonder if he was ever a school bus driver.  It's nice of him to call attention to himself, at least. 

"Pugsly," I say to Nikki.  We watched the second Addams Family movie a few days ago; she'd never seen it.  "The baby weighs ten pounds.  The cannonball weighs twenty pounds.  Which will hit the stone walkway first?" With that, I tweak my aim quickly, just a squitch to one side, and release my arrow toward Ian.  The heavy bowstring lets go and the arrow vanishes.  Nikki ducks, curling, but she isn't in any danger.  There's a whack of impact, Ian howls and Doctor Edward skitters toward the library.  Gray doesn't move.  The arrow's buried in the front door next to Ian.  It went most of the way through, and probably trashed the tip.  Oh, well.  I need practice; I was trying to hit him and I must have missed by six inches, dammit.

It's a good feeling anyway.  I'd shoot at him again, but he's babbling about getting the cops and scrambling out the door, pushing Gray out of the way and I can't get another arrow nocked quickly enough.  I could shoot him in the back as he goes out...nah, that's okay.  He won't be back.  I can imagine him flailing down the steps, even though I can't see him, and the Explorer cranks to life.  Tires spin in the snow; Ian didn't even wait for anyone else who might want to escape.

Escape.  Escape from me.  I am a thing to be feared, and it feels good.

The others are looking after him, except for Gray.  I've aimed my second arrow just over Nikki's head, at her, and she knows it.  Oh, it feels good to be mad in all senses of the word.  I smile, and the smile says, You promised to kill me, remember?

Nikki's looking back at me and judging by the look on her porcelain-mask face, she can't believe I just shot at Ian.  She says, "I'm still on fractions."

She remembers!  Nikki can play my game.  I want to laugh, but don't.  A sociopathic Wednesday Addams face is a perfect one to maintain when aiming an arrow at someone.  "Which one do you think?" I manage Wednesday's emotionless inflection with eerie precision, thanks to all the rage in me.

"The cannonball?"

"Very good.  But which one will bounce?"

"The baby?"

"There's only one way to find out.  Ready?"

Nikki looks honestly worried; she's playing the game better than I thought she would, and is picking up on the symbolism.  She doesn't trust me enough, though, and breaks character.  "Lexi, come on.  It's me.  It's Nikki."

I know full well who she is, dammit.  I am not crazy, I'm mad.  There's a difference.  I switch to Pulp Fiction.  "Are you calling me from a cellular phone? Who is this? I don't know you.  Don't come here.  I'm hanging up the phone.  Prank caller! Prank caller!"

I release, because I want to put one in Gray while I'm still pissed enough to do it. 

I'm not sure how she does it, but Nikki deflects the arrow.  She ducks and her hand goes up and I can almost see the arrow fly off course as it skates off of her palm.  It goes into the chandelier and before I can wonder why she's protecting Gray she's all over me.  I didn't see her cross the distance between us, had no idea someone could move that fast in fact, and suddenly the bow is gone from my hands and I'm getting the beating of my life and being flipped through the air and being strangled at the same time.  When I hit the ground I'm not angry any more.  There's no being angry when fighting Nikki, apparently.  There's no emotion at all, in fact, just hurting.  I get to the ground and have completely forgotten where I am because of the pain in my stomach, and head, and arm, and neck, and feet, and my head keeps hitting the floor, ow, ow, everything's getting fuzzy...

It's stopped.  How long ago did it stop?  I open my eyes, and see Gray, who smiles and touches my neck, and then everything goes away for real.  I think, I really should have shot-- but don't get to finish the thought.