Liz outstretched her arms toward me, a warm sensation moving through my body. It was as though she were a magnet, and I was the metal. My entire being wanted to take a step toward her. I didn’t care about what she had become, I just wanted to let the humming overtake me. The sound promised rest and respite, an end to suffering, if I just allowed it. Peace, happiness, contentment.

I had never wanted anything more.

I had lifted my foot to step toward her when a noise shattered the hums. It was Rocky barking in our backyard.

The facade was lifted as all four of us turned toward the barking. I shook my head, feeling foggy, as I looked at my friends.

“Get her!” shouted Melissa as she took a step toward Liz. Jess was the closest and lunged at her, grabbing her arm. Liz tried to jerk back, but Jess was too strong. She grabbed Liz in a bear hug, and I sprang into action. I threw open Melissa’s bag of supplies and grabbed a bungee cord. Melissa wrapped her arms around Liz to help Jess, and I stepped forward and began to wind the cord around our friend. I then reached for the barre class band and hooked it around her torso.

Liz began to hum and growl, deep animalistic sounds that felt like they would explode my organs. I faltered as the hum began to overtake me again.

“Ignore it! Focus!” Melissa shouted as she narrowly avoided a forward headbutt from Liz.

Liz paused, then swiftly snapped her head backward and hit Jess on the lip. It split open and blood began to seep from Jess’s mouth, staining her teeth.

“Jesus, Liz, always the face with you,” Jess said as she wrapped her arms tighter. She turned her head to the side and spat.

Sweating, I secured another bungee around Liz, and she stopped trying to wrestle away from us.

“She’s not getting out of this,” Jess said as she kept her arms around Liz and then spat again.

Liz stopped squirming and began to laugh a throaty laugh that came straight from her gut. Straight from hell. Her face twisted into Silly Putty, her mouth stretching from ear to ear, showing off two rows of teeth. The skin on her nose began to peel upward, like her entire face was a thin mask.

My stomach began to churn, and I felt vomit rise in my throat. I needed to cover her face. I spotted Tim’s W flag on the countertop—apparently the Cubs were on a losing streak. I put it over Liz’s head to hide her grotesque features, and Jess shoved her into a kitchen chair.

We stopped and stared at the figure sitting on the chair, face covered, immobile. She looked so helpless, like a hostage.

“Amy,” Melissa snapped. “C’mon now.”

Yes. It was time.