Free DoubleDown V by John R. Little and Mark Allan Gunnells

seen.
    The only thing she didn’t tell her was the time when Karen had spied on Bonnie herself.
    It took two hours to get her story out, and during that time Bonnie barely talked.  She nodded occasionally and let the story unfold.  As Karen revealed more details, she was convinced that Bonnie thought she was a freaking nut case.  By the end of the story, she was sure she’d ruined the only true love she’d ever felt.
    When she finally stopped talking, though, Bonnie smiled and just said, “I love you.  I want to hear everything from this point forward.  No more secrets between us.  Pinkie swear?”
    Karen grinned and held out her smallest finger to connect with Bonnie’s.
     
    *   *   *
     
    Thirteen days passed before time stopped again for Karen.  In that time, three of her patients had died, and she’d had no further visits from Bobby.
    She had planned her time-freeze this time.  It was the middle of the night.  She snapped awake and saw Bonnie curled up beside her, like a cute little snail.
    Karen was wearing pajamas and didn’t bother changing.  Nobody would see her.  She went to the kitchen and picked out a sharp carving knife.
    It had taken very little effort to find out where Bobby lived.  Unlike her, he was outgoing and wanted everybody to know everything about him on Facebook, Twitter, and a few other sites.  Once Karen decided to track him down, she had his address within a few hours.
    He lived in the basement of an apartment owned by his mom.  She broke a window, not caring if there was an alarm system.  If there was, she’d be long gone before the first ring of the claxon.
    He was sleeping naked (no surprise to her).  Karen pulled the covers off him and used the knife to slice a very thin line on his belly, the same place he had defiled her with his semen.
    She’d already written a note that she left propped beside him: Leave me alone, you fucking creep.  If I ever see you again, I’m going to cut your cock off.  You know I’ll have no qualms about doing it.
    She left and walked to the Mayberry Care Center.  The building was mostly dark so the patients could sleep, but there were still a half-dozen employees keeping track of things. 
    Carlene Jameson was in room 173.  She was an old woman, close to eighty, who’d been waiting to die for more than two weeks.  Like most of the others, she was in pain every minute of every day and just wanted it to be over.
    Karen walked in to the drug room and filled a hypodermic with morphine.  She took it to Carlene Jameson’s room and inserted it into her IV, depositing the deadly dose so it would bring the rest that the old woman desperately wanted.  She’d begged Karen for help several times, and Karen no longer feared helping.  She’d just needed to have time stop so she could take care of things without being caught.  She’d never be allowed in the drug room normally without authorization.  This way, she could help Carlene and leave no indication she had even been in the same building.
    “Good-bye,” she whispered.  She kissed the old woman on the forehead and then took her time as she left the building.  She walked around downtown until she felt the calling and smiled as she went back home to sleep with Bonnie.
     

 
     
     
     
Chapter 9
     
     
    Four years passed.
    Karen was twenty-five, and it seemed that she’d always lived with Bonnie. Any secret insecurities Karen had felt about her relationship were long gone; she knew they’d be together forever.
    Long gone also was Bobby Jersey.  After threatening to hurt him, Karen had not heard from him again.  She rarely thought of him, since she no longer needed him.  Once he had been the only person she could share her secret life with.  Now, Bonnie shared that part of her, even if it wasn’t something she could directly participate in.  It didn’t matter.
    Karen loved her work at the care center.  She loved being able to soothe her patients, but when they had that