Hillary_Flesh and Blood (16 page)

“
Are you okay?
”

Hillary looked up to see the librarian staring down at her. She looked more agitated than concerned.

“
What?
”
she asked quietly.

“
Are you feeling okay? You were shaking and muttering something.
”

“
I was?
”
she asked quizzically.

“
Yes, you were. Why are you here so early?
”

“
I wanted to finish an assignment.
”

“
You know we normally don
’
t open
‘
til eight o
’
clock....
”

“
You want me to leave?
”

“
No...no, you
’
re already here, just...well, are you sure you
’
re okay?
”

“
I
’
m fine, I was just...singing....
”

“
Hmph,
”
the librarian murmured, knowing that Hillary was lying. She suspected that Hillary was on some sort of drug. Still, she was in the library and had her notebook open. She
’
d let her stay as long as she didn
’
t continue the odd noises.

Hillary wanted nothing more than to leave school and return home. She knew it was a waste of time being there. This was her last day
after all. D
id it really matter if she finished her biology homework? She closed her notebook, shoved it aside and rested her head on the table using her arms as cushioning. Visions of her father flooded her mind. His taunting grin, the deranged look in his eyes, his thick erection and the surrounding mass of wiry hairs underneath his distended gut, his dry, rough hands reaching out to touch her....

Hillary twitched as if she could still feel his hands violating her body. She thought about what she had done to him. More visions came to mind, this time bloody images of her father
’
s blood-gushing penis and neck, the terrorized look in his eyes, the bloody parts of his body that she had shoved into the bags. She could almost smell the stench of death right there in the library.

Thinking about the smell, she began to worry that her mother might enter her room and the putrid smell of
newly
decaying flesh would lead her straight to the body parts in her closet. She lifted her head up quickly. Panicked, she sat there with her lips parted, staring off at the books on the shelf across the room as she wondered what she should do. She wanted to go home but didn
’
t feel like walking the
eleven
long miles to get there.

Hillary
calmed down a bit
when she r
emember
ed t
hat her mother would be at the librar
y until six-thirty that evening
. Yet, she wouldn
’
t have to leave the house until ten after nine and it was only seven forty-one now. Hillary sighed heavily and dropped her head back down upon the table. It was going to be a very, very long day.

As expected, the day dragged on. Hillary spent the day feeling paranoid, looking over her shoulders and expecting police officers to enter her classroom and take her off to prison. A few times she could have sworn that she heard her father
’
s voice. She first heard him just before her lunch period as she was walking toward her locker.

“
I
’
ll see you tonight,
”
she heard him say.

Startled, she turned abruptly to see who was talking to her, but no one was within her close proximity. The closest kids were at least ten feet away from her, a group of girls huddled near the water fountain. Further down from her in the other direction, a young guy was walking toward her. There was no possible way it could have been him. Who would he be talking to anyway?

Later on during her biology class during Mrs. Donovan
’
s incessant jabbering about the properties of blood, Hillary heard her father say
“
like my blood did
”
clear as a bell.

Without thinking she said
“
what?
”
out loud.

“
I said that blood can begin to congeal in just seconds,
”
Mrs. Donovan repeated loudly.

Hillary looked in her direction but past her. Who was in her head speaking to her? Was it the voice of reason? Why did it sound like her father now? She didn
’
t want to hear his voice. She wanted nothing more than to forget he ever existed.

“
Hillary?
”
Mrs. Donovan called to her, breaking her trance.

“
What? What?
”
she replied, as if being awakened from a deep sleep.

“
Do you have an answer for me?
”

“
I didn
’
t hear the question.
”

“
The sma
ll components in blood that aid
s with clotting....
”

“
Uh...platelets,
”
she answered.

“
Very good
,”
Mrs. Donovan exclaimed in her high-pitched, whiny voice,
“
I thought you were zoning out on me.
”

Hillary managed a thin smile. After today she wouldn
’
t have to deal with Mrs. Donovan or any other teacher. After today Hillary would think of a way to get rid of those smelly bags in her closet. After today, Hillary would look for a job so that she could support her family. After today, Hillary
’
s new life would begin.

“
I
’
ll see you in hell,
”
her father
’
s voice mocked her, erasing all trace of the smile. Hillary looked to her left then her right. Was someone playing a joke on her? Impossible...nobody knew what she had done. Unless her mother had found the body parts....

“
I have to go to the nurse,
”
Hillary said, jumping up out of her seat and fleeing the room before Mrs. Donovan could even respond. She left her books and backpack at her seat.

Instead of going to the nurse
’
s office, Hillary raced back to the school library where she spent the remainder of the school day. The librarian gave her various looks of disapproval and disgust but did not bother her or ask her to leave. When it was finally time to go home, she bo
a
rded the school bus with her sister, who ignored her co
mpletely. She closed her eyes
until the bus stopped in fron
t of her driveway nearly twenty
minutes later.

She was off the bus at lightning speed, pushing past her sister and sprinting to the house. Her mother
’
s car was not in the driveway which was a good sign. She threw open the front door and bounded upstairs, ascending the steps two at a time. She ran to her room and flung the door wide open. Her face involuntarily contorted from the smell which had grown even stronger. She heard the door slam and her sister shouting something from downstairs. Was she complaining about the smell?

Hillary slowly walked back down toward her sister.

“
What did you say?
”
she snapped nastily.

“
I said thanks for waiting for me,
”
Caleigh snapped back.

“
Since when do we walk together anyway? Like you even acknowledge me anymore.
”

“
What do you expect? You
’
re a freak now!
”

“
You
’
re the freak...you
’
re dressed in shorts and a tank top and it
’
s barely sixty degrees out. I guess you
’
re a whore now.
”

“
You
’
re the whore from what I hear,
”
Caleigh retorted angrily.

“
Really? And what did you hear?
”

“
Nothing.
”

“
Tell me!
”
Hillary shouted.

“
Nothing, get out of my way,
”
Caleigh replied, trying to push past Hillary.

“
I
’
m not a whore!
”
Hillary yelled as she turned and jogged back to her room. Caleigh walked slowly up the stairs behind her.

In the hall as Hillary swung open her door, Caleigh began gagging from where she stood on the last step on the stairs.

“
God, what
’
s that smell?
”
she asked as she coughed and plugged her nose. She made a sound as if she were going to puke right there on the floor, but nothing came up.

“
Nothing,
”
Hillary replied nervously, quick
l
y entering her bedroom and slamming the door behind her. She lingered behind the door for a full minute to make sure that Caleigh didn
’
t get nosy and barge in.

When she seemed certain that Caleigh had moved on to her own room, Hillary hurried over to her closet. She paused at the closet door. The stench had become an entity, a monster attacking her nostrils. Like Caleigh, she heaved, covering her mouth with her hand, but nothing came up. Covering her nose with her forearm, she threw open her closet door and took a step back. The overwhelming smell made
her stomach churn
. Leaving the closet door open, she ran to the bathroom and threw up.

Without taking the time to brush her teeth, Hillary ran back to her room to find Caleigh rummaging through the garbage bags. Before she could call out for her to stop, Caleigh screamed. She turned to run and stopped when she noticed Hillary at the doorway.

Tears streaking from her horrified eyes, Caleigh stood frozen in place.

“
What are you doing here?
”
Hillary shouted, panicked.

Caleigh
’
s mouth opened as if she w
as
going to speak but she couldn
’
t utter a sound. She stood there trembling, panting heavily. It was obvious that she had seen the body parts in the bag. Judging from the blood on
her
right hand, she had even touched them.

“
Why couldn
’
t you just mind your business?
”
Hillary yelled, advancing quickly toward her sister.

Caleigh shrieked, backing up slowly...one step...two...then three before her heels made contact with a smelly, dripping bag. Disgusted, she lunged forward toward Hillary, attempting to run past her. Hillary grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her back. Caleigh stumbled back but did not fall. She stood still, between Hillary and the body in the bags, crying hysterically.

“
Please,
”
she begged,
“
I don
’
t care what you did....
”

She sniffled and fought to catch her breath.

“
What did I do?
” Hillary asked. She s
tar
ed
blankly into Caleigh
’
s terrified eyes.

“
You...you...you,
”
her voice cracked. She couldn
’
t bring herself to say the words.

“
I
what?
”
Hillary persisted, eerily calm yet intimidating at the same time.

“
You...you....
”

“
Spit it out!
”
Hillary demanded angrily,
“
what did I do?
”

“
You
killed
someone,
”
Caleigh uttered apprehensively.