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City store. Eli and I sat in the backseat. Eli had the melted game-player on his lap. He held it tensely between his hands. We both stared at it the whole way.
    Dad didn’t ask why we were so quiet. He had the radio cranked up full blast. Dad loves country music. He likes to sing along with it. Especially when I have friends in the car.
    He knows how much that embarrasses me. Mainly because he’s a
terrible
singer.
    Eli and I didn’t take our eyes off the game-player.
    Maybe we’ll get lucky
, I thought.
Maybe she won’t shock us or burn us or blow us up.
    By the time Dad pulled into the parking lot, I was dripping with sweat. My stomach felt tight as a fist.
    The big blue neon VOLT CITY sign blinked on and off. Two yellow neon lightning bolts glowedagainst the evening sky. Beneath them, a smaller sign read: OUR LOW PRICES WILL SHOCK YOU!
    The whole front of the store was glass. Inside, the store was brighter than daylight. I could see the back wall covered with flickering flat screen TVs.
    A big Dalmatian was tied to a pole outside the front entrance. The dog stood alert, gazing into the store. It whimpered and looked sadly at us as we stepped past it.
    The electric door slid open. We moved aside as a man in a blue work uniform came out carrying a big computer box in both hands.
    Eli and I followed Dad into the store. Dad’s face lit up excitedly. I could see the TV screens reflected in his eyes.
    Eli gripped the wrecked game-player between his hands. So far, the girl had been silent. Was she still in there?
    I couldn’t relax. I knew she could do something horrible at any minute. My hand still stung from the shock she gave me that afternoon.
    Dad stopped at a tall display of cell phones. He picked up a small silver phone and rolled it in his hand. Then he put it back and turned to us.
    â€œGive me the game-player, Eli.” He stretched out his hand. “I’ll take it to the manager.” He motioned to the offices at the far side of the store. “You guys look around till I get back.”
    Eli handed the player to Dad. I shut my eyes.Would the girl start shouting now? Or burn Dad’s hand off or shock him?
    No.
    Dad turned and strode off with it. He was humming a country song from the radio.
    Eli and I didn’t move. We watched him until he disappeared into one of the offices.
    I realized I was holding my breath the whole time. I let it out in a long whoosh.
    â€œWhat do you think?” Eli asked in a near whisper.
    â€œMaybe we’re okay,” I said. “Maybe the whole weird thing is over.”
    That’s when the wall of TV screens all went black. The store grew darker.
    I heard a few people cry out in surprise. Then the store became very quiet.
    Eli and I stared at the wall of blank TVs.
    â€œMust be a short circuit,” a store worker behind us murmured. “Maybe a circuit breaker blew.”
    But then the TVs blinked back on. Dim at first, then brighter.
    I gasped when I saw that the picture didn’t return to normal. Instead, the screens were filled with lips. Like a close-up of a pair of lips. Bright red lips.
    â€œWeird,” the store worker muttered.
    â€œWhat’s up with the lips?” a woman asked from behind a counter.
    An entire wall of lips.
    A store worker shouted, “Can you fix that? Travis, can you fix the TVs? What’s going on?”
    A few people laughed.
    But I had a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling.
    And I was right.

17
    The mouth started to move. The tongue licked the top lip. Then it licked the bottom lip.
    A whole wall of tongues and red lips on dozens of big screens.
    And then the lips moved. And a girl’s voice rang out through the big store.
    â€œDon’t try to leave me here, Jack,” she said. “You can’t ever leave me. You’re my best friend. My best friend FOREVER.”
    â€œWho is Jack?” a store worker demanded angrily. “Is this some kind of