Anthology of Ichor III: Gears of Damnation (25 page)

Anna moved close to Hal. She gazed into his eyes with an inviting smile.

“
Hello Hal,” Anna said.

“
Hey Anna,” Hal said.

“
I love your project,” Anna said.

“
I like your project too,” Sylvia stated.

Sylvia moved closer to Hal. She raised her hand and brushed at the young man’s shining curls with a faint giggle.

“
Um thanks,” Hal said.

“
Hello Anna. Sylvia,” Violet said with a slight edge to her voice.

Sylvia lowered her hand from Hal’s hair. She turned to Violet.

“
I’m sorry, who are you?” Sylvia asked.

“
My name is Violet. And you’ve known me since preschool,” Violet said.

“
Really?” Sylvia asked.

“
Really,” Violet replied.

“
Well, this school is so big. And well, I know so many people,” Sylvia said.

Anna giggled.

Sylvia turned away from Violet with a delicate toss of her head and she gazed at Hal with a slow lick of her lips.

“
Tell us more about your project," Sylvia purred. "What did you feed the little fishies again?”

Hal raised his hand and ran his fingers through his golden curls with a low chuckle.

“
Your hair is so wonderful,” Anna said.

“
It’s like gold,” Sylvia added.

“
Thanks," Hal said. "Uh yours is nice too.”

“
Mine or Anna’s?” Sylvia asked quickly.

“
Well both of you,” Hal responded.

“
But which one do you like better?” Sylvia asked.

“
Yeah mine or hers?” Anna inquired.

“
Uh…” Hal stammered.

“
Come on Hal. Don’t be shy,” Sylvia said.

“
Yeah Hal. You don’t have to be shy with us,” Anna said.

Hal took a step forward. He lowered his hands and gently removed himself from Anna’s and Sylvia’s insistent embrace.

“
You both have very nice hair," Hal began.

Anna and Sylvia gasped in unison and they turned to Violet with expressions of bewildered rage across their pretty features.

Violet felt her cheeks become hot. She stared at Hal with wide eyes and swallowed with great difficulty.

"I uh," Violet said. "Thanks Hal."

Hal winked at Violet.

The sudden sound of loud squeaking noises filled the crowded auditorium.

“
What is that?” Anna asked with irritation.

“
I don’t know," Hal said.

"It sounds really weird," Sylvia stated.

Hal glanced around the crowded auditorium before he turned around and stared at the space behind him.

A pair of old iron doors lay embedded in the stone wall on the left side of the area. The doors were painted green and thick chunks of paint peeled from the partitions and landed on the floor in dusty heaps.

A few yards away from the green doors, three pairs of opened iron doors that lead to the outer hall were situated near the front portion of the room.

The doors were the color of lemons. One of the yellow partitions was propped ajar.

A large group of laughing students stood in front of the opened partition.

The pupils clutched chilled cans of soda and cell phones in their grasp and they looked around the space while chatting in a loud animated fashion.

Several bored looking teachers could be seen strolling through the dim hall just beyond the doors.

The squeaking sound suddenly stopped and the loud sound of dozens of conversations echoed in the vast room.

Hal pointed at the green doors.

"Its sounds like its coming from those old emergency doors over there," Hal said.

Violet, Anna and Sylvia followed Hal's gaze. They all stared at the doors.

"You mean those doors over there that won't open?" Sylvia asked.

"They don't open?" Violet asked.

"Nope," Hal replied. "The doors lead to the teacher parking lot and they used to open but they haven't since one of the staff painted them shut last term. Dr. Lubbitz was furious but he didn’t do anything about them.”

Violet stared at the peeling paint with a look of horror across her features.

"You mean those doors were painted last term?" Violet asked.

"Yeah," Hal replied.

"Look at the paint," Violet said. "It looks like those doors haven't been touched by a brush in decades."

"Cheap paint," Hal said.

"Apparently," Violet giggled.

Hal looked at Violet with sparkling blue eyes while he laughed uproariously.

“
Whatever," Sylvia said with a huff in Violet's direction. She moved closer to Hal with a toss of her head. "Who cares about some stupid old doors that nobody ever uses?”

"Yeah," Anna added. "Those doors are stupid."

"Yes they are," Sylvia said.

Sylvia wrapped her arms around Hal’s middle and she pulled the bewildered young man into a forceful embrace.

"Huh?" Hal asked softly.

Sylvia tightened her grip around Hal's middle with a lilting laugh and she gazed into the young man’s wide eyes with a light tilt of her head.

“
Now Hal," Sylvia said in a seductive tone. "I know you didn’t mean what you just said about that
girl
over there.”

Anna moved closer to Hal. She raised her hand and stroked at the young man’s golden curls.

“
Yeah," Anna said. "Hal was just being nice. Cause he’s a real nice guy.”

“
Cause anyone can see that girl’s split ends from here,” Sylvia said.

Sylvia turned away from Hal and she looked at Violet with a wicked smile.

“
A little conditioner could change that. Well, maybe not,” Sylvia said.

Anna laughed with glee.

Violet raised her left hand to her hair with a quick jerking motion.

“
So Hal," Sylvia said turning to the blonde man with a dazzling smile. "Tell me about your project.”

“
Yeah," Anna added. "Tell us
all
about your project.”

The squeaking noise echoed in the space once more and the high pitched noise became louder.

"There it is again," Violet said.

"I hear it too," Hal said.

"It's probably just some pipes," Sylvia said stroking Hal's shoulder.

"Yeah this school is old and decrepit," Anna stated.

"It sounds like its getting closer," Violet said.

Violet looked around the crowded space. She flitted her gaze across the smiling faces of the standing students around her.

The noise became louder.

Violet blinked with sudden bewilderment and she took a deep breath when she realized that the noise was coming from behind her.

She looked up at Hal, Violet and Anna.

The three teens are all looking at something behind her.

Violet turned around and she stared at the space behind her.

A short chubby young man was walking towards her. The rotund youth possessed a head of curly red hair. He was dressed in a crisp white shirt. The garment was decorated with a generous amount of yellow fringe that dangled from the collar and sleeves. He wore bright red trousers. A pair of blue suspenders were attached to the garment. His thin lips were curved into a smile and his pale gray eyes were fixed on Violet’s face. His breaths poured from his mouth in loud wheezes and he released out an occasional pig-like snort with each step he took.

The squeaking sounds increased in intensity.

Violet looked at the young man’s feet.

A pair of bright yellow rain boots adorned his feet.

Small drawings of bright red flames adorned the sides of the young man's yellow boots.

The chubby young man kicked up his legs in a lively jig before he stopped in front of Violet.

The squeaking noises stopped abruptly.

“
Hello my Violetta.” Erwin said.

“
Uh hello Erwin,” Violet said tentatively.

“
Look," Anna said with excitement. "Its Violet's boyfriend."

“
They make such a
lovely couple
,” Sylvia stated.

Anna and Sylvia laughed.

Violet turned away from Erwin. She looked at the Anna and Sylvia.

“
Erwin is
not
my boyfriend,” Violet said with contempt.

“
Not anymore," Erwin stated. "But we had our time didn’t we, my lady?”

Violet's face contorted into a mask of horror. She blinked several times before she turned around and glared at Erwin.

“
No!” Violet shouted with indignation.

"Our time was short but memorable nevertheless," Erwin said wistfully. He moved closer to Violet. "And I want to know that I will never forget you."

Violet took a small step away from Erwin with a gasping cry. "Leave me alone."

“
Wait I remember now!" Sylvia exclaimed. "You two were boyfriend and girlfriend in kindergarten."

Violet whirled around and she looked at Sylvia. "We were not!"
"Yes you were," Sylvia said with a clap of her hands. She looked at Anna and Hal with a lively laugh. "Guy, they actually got married on the playground. I remember."
“Are you serious?” Anna asked with wide eyes.

"Her memory is correct," Erwin said with a prideful nod.

“
Yes I’m so serious," Sylvia said to Anna. "I was the flower girl. I remember picking dandelions for Violet's tiara.”

“
Really?” Hal asked.

“
Really,” Sylvia replied.

“
It was a lovely spring day," Erwin recited. "Not a cloud in the sky. I still have the ring.”

Erwin grabbed at a thin silver chain around his neck with a grin.

Violet, Hal, Anna and Sylvia looked at Erwin's throat.

A thin gold chain was attached to the young man's neck. A tiny dented ring of brass dangled from the yellow linklet.

Violet looked up from the ring. She stared at Erwin and shook her head quickly and said, “I don’t remember any of that. And I’ve never seen that ring before.” “Deny it all you want," Erwin said in a sing song voice. "But on a sunny day of April all those years ago, you wore this ring on your itty bitty finger. Well, until Miss Mackle took it off after lunch when your hand swelled up. But it was still wonderful.”

“
It didn’t happen,” Violet said between clenched teeth.

“
Yeah it did," Sylvia said. "I remember. You had to go to the nurse cause your finger was all big and puffy. “Ew.” Anna said.

“
Anyway," Violet began. "That was ages ago. So, get over it.”

Violet turned from Erwin and she looked at Anna and Sylvia.

“
All of you,” Violet said.

Anna and Sylvia hugged Hal between them while they giggled.

“
Yes yes our time is over," Erwin said. "And we must focus on the now. Speaking of which…"

Erwin moved closer to Violet. He raised his left hand and touched her shoulder gently.

Violet jumped with a start and she turned to Erwin with an expression of bewilderment.

“
Saw your project over there. I could have told you that lack of light would kill those plants. Music would not have helped them in the least,” Erwin stated softly.

Violet cleared her throat and she stared at the floor.

Erwin turned from Violet and he stared at Hal.

“
And your project Hal. Feeding fish artificial sweetener? Tsk Tsk. You’re lucky they weren’t dead in the water,” Erwin commented.

Anna and Sylvia stopped laughing abruptly. They glared at Erwin with rapidly reddening cheeks.

“
What do you know?” Hal asked.

Erwin snapped his suspenders with a grin.

“
I won the State Fair last year and the year before. And I have reason to believe that I will win it again this year,” Erwin responded.

“
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch,” Violet said.

Erwin turned from Hal and he glared at Violet. “Chickens? My dear Violet, could you be referring to the time when one of the class chicklets died in your hand in the first grade? Or when you stepped on three during the third grade trip to the Ackland Farms?”

“
I remember that!” Sylvia exclaimed.

“
Those were accidents," Violet stated. "I never meant to hurt any of them.”

“
You didn’t hurt them, Violet. You killed them,” Erwin said.

“
I didn’t do it on purpose. They were accidents. They were all accidents,” Violet said.

“
Were they? You know, they say cruelty to animals is one of the first warning signs of a burgeoning serial killer,” Erwin stated coolly.

“
I’m not a…” Violet began.

“
Erwin," Hal interrupted loudly. "That’s enough.”