“The cutie from the bookstore?”
“The one and only.”
“Did you talk to him?”
Haley crossed her legs the other way. He could see the smooth gradient of her outer thigh. The soft light from the window reflected in her dusky flesh like a small moon on tanned water. “Yeah, but Jon
esey had to open his big mouth and embarrass him pretty bad, I think he’s mad at me now.”
“Who? Jonesey or Alan?”
“Alan. I couldn’t care less if Jonesey is mad.”
“Well, that’s just great. Are you still going to the bookstore tomorrow?”
“I planned on it. Wanna go with?”
“Sure. Want me to pick you up at seven?”
“Whoa, are you asking me out?”
Laughing, Carlee said, “I feel like I should after the day you had, but you know, once you get in my car it’s either put out or get out.”
“Ugh, don’t say that, reminds me of Jonesey. He might be there Wednesday night, by the way.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I wish I was. Kept saying how he was interested in it, and he might have to check it out.”
“Yep, he’ll be there.”
Haley sighed. “I know. Can’t that be considered stalking your employee?”
“He’s a lawyer, he’ll just find a way around that.”
Haley groaned. She looked near tears.
“Just ignore him. Focus on making things right with Alan. Then give him a big wet kiss.”
Haley looked confused. “Kiss who? Alan or Jonesey?”
“Alan, duh!”
“God, I want to so bad. He’s so cute it drives me crazy.”
“I know he is. So, you better do it, or I will. Then you’ll have to live your fantasies through my reality.”
“Girl, I’d kick your ass.”
“Well, I’m issuing the challenge right now. Either you make your move, or I will. It’s on bitch.” Carlee laughed.
“Don’t test me young lady. I will break you in half.”
They talked a few more minutes before hanging up. Pillowface hated the phone call was done, because he enjoyed the sound of Haley’s voice so much. It calmed him, putting him in a mood he thought he could no longer reach.
Haley tossed her cell phone behind her on the bed and lay back once again. She draped her arms above her head, fully extending her body. Pillowface gripped the paneling even harder. He could hardly contain himself. His breathing had become a heavy pant. The thin-wood section of the doorway popped under his sturdy grip, lugging the nails back from the wall, and made a sound like a snapping pencil.
He quickly darted away just as Haley looked at the door. He hoped with all his might she hadn’t seen him.
He retreated to Joel’s room, and could hear her footsteps soft and quick on the thick carpet behind him. “Joel?” He ducked inside, hiding behind the door. Through the opening between the hinges, he watched her head poke out like a curious prairie dog. She checked the paneling, and frowned at its loose position. Her azure-colored eyes were round, confused. “Joel?” She turned from side to side, scoping out each direction of the hall. Using her left arm to shield her breasts, her right hand cupped the small triangle between her legs.
She stepped out into the hall.
He quivered. Every inch of him wanted to feel her pressed against him, writhing under him. He wanted to be inside her, between those silky thighs, encased in her hugging warmth.
She tiptoed to the stair railing and glanced over. “Who’s there?” She waited another moment, then dropped her hands, opening her body up for him to see again. “Well, I guess you’re just hearing things, kiddo.” She shook her head, turned around, and disappeared back in her room. After she closed the door, he heard the lock engage with a
click
.
His erection pushed against the door so hard that it crackled under the pressure. He turned away, leaned back against the wall, and sunk down to a crouch. He took slow, deep breaths. Breathing exercises: the shrinks had recommended them to help control his rage, now he used them in hopes of controlling the urge to burst through her door and take her for himself. Several minutes later, his heartbeat had nearly returned to its normal pace. He should get back to the basement where he couldn’t see her. He’d still smell her down there, but that he would have to deal with.
He fled back down to his hole in the basement.
He crawled onto his cot, pulled his legs to his chest, and hugged them. If there was a next time, he feared he might not be able to control himself. Once he was set off, he couldn’t be contained until everything around him had been destroyed.
Squeezing his legs tighter, he performed the breathing exercises until drifting off to sleep.
(III)
Joel woke to the smell of Worcestershire sauce and cooking meat. It was late afternoon maybe, and the room was dim, enriched in orange and yellow shades. He hadn’t moved since falling to sleep, so now his left arm felt useless and fake. He struggled to sit up.
How long had he been asleep?
Swinging his feet around in front of him, the remaining shoe dropped off his foot and rolled across the floor. He rubbed his eyes. Throbbing jolts of pain tingled through his left arm. Blood sloughed through, feeling like rice trying to be shoved through his veins.
He looked through the sliding doors to the backyard. Haley was at the grill. Gusts of smoke puffed around her while she sprayed water at lapping flames with a squirt bottle, using her free hand to fan it from her face. It smelled like steak. She must have pulled the grill out of the basement. It’d been locked down there since the fall.
He suddenly felt as if he were kicked in the ass. Pillowface. Had she stumbled across his hidden guest? Surely, if she had, he would’ve heard about it by now, or so he hoped.
Joel’s mouth felt dry and brittle. His tongue seemed as if it were a dehydrated snake, flopping around between his teeth. He wondered if Haley had seen Pillowface’s tools. Tools? Weapons that he’d used to murder people.
Real
people. He had the slasher of many victims hidden below the floor, or he assumed so, at least. Far as he knew, Pillowface might have taken off. There was a part of him that hoped he had, but that part was muted, the thoughts barely registering inside of him.
His legs rejected the idea of standing, so he gave them some time to accept carrying his body outside. Finally, he was able to get on his feet. Then he waddled over to the glass doors.
He realized he was sneaking.
Stop being stupid
. It wasn’t like he was trying to ambush her so why was he crouching? He tugged the handle on the glass doors; they sucked inward and popped when they opened. The loudness made him flinch. Haley heard it over the sizzling meat on the grill. She turned, smiled, and said, “Hey, sleepy head!”
“Hey, what are you doing?”
“Grilling, can you believe it?”
He stepped outside. Dew had dampened the grass, saturating through his socks. Groaning, he bent over and pulled them off. “What’s the occasion?”
“Not really an occasion. I just thought that maybe you’d worked yourself up quite the appetite after all the hard work you did today.”
Surprisingly, he wasn’t that hungry, even after smelling their father’s old marinating recipe drenching the hunks of beef. His stomach felt full, though he hadn’t eaten anything since the cold
Pop-Tarts this morning. Lying, he said, “I sure am.” From the size of her beaming smile he was glad he’d said it.
“Well, this is my way of saying thank you. Breaking out Dad’s old grill. He wouldn’t be happy if we’d left it cooped up forever.” She sighed. By the look on her face, it seemed painful remembering their Dad’s love for the grill. Any chance he had, he’d fire it up and rack on some meat. His favorite part of it all would be the two of them acting foolish in the yard while he and Mom observed. Joel yearned for those moments again. Much like he assumed Haley was doing. She’d mentioned the basement. That was his chance to interrogate her about what, if anything, she’d seen down there.
Also was a good way to change the subject. “So, the grill was still down there?”
“Huh?” She glanced back at him. Her eyes were diluted. Could have been from the heat or smoke, but he doubted it. “Yeah, right where D…” She stopped, swallowed, and tried again.
“Right where it was left.”
“Oh?” She was having a hard time discussing it, but he had to know what she’d seen down there. “Where was it?”
“Up against the wall, right when you walk in.” She took a deep breath. “We really need to go through that stuff down there. Maybe start this weekend, or something. There’s a lot down there that we
both
need to decide what to do with. A lot of Mom and Dad’s stuff.”
That was that. She hadn’t seen Pillowface. Either the spot where he’d chosen to hide him was a really good one, or he was gone. One of the two, but for the moment, either hardly seemed important. Haley was saying stuff that made sense for once. That
was
something they both had to work on. Something neither of them would enjoy, which was why it’d been put off for so long.
Joel wanted to cry. He was certain that Haley wanted to cry, too. Without realizing he was doing it, he went and hugged her. Stunned at first, she only stood there, but then her arms slowly wrapped around him, pulling him tighter against her.
It reminded Joel of the hugs he’d get from mom, tight and full of love.
After a few moments passed, she said, “I’m afraid I’m going to burn the steaks.”
“You better not,” he said. “You know I like mine bloody.”
“Me too.” She patted him on the back, and pulled away from the hug. She wiped her eyes with the side of her hand. “Thank you, Joel.”
Smiling, he gave her a nod.
Turning back to the grill, Haley shouted. “They’re done!”
And his stomach growled, finally allowing itself to be hungry.
(IV)
Using a biscuit, Pillowface sopped up what was left of the steak sauce on his plate. Joel had snuck him some food down around ten: a steak, potato, biscuit, and some sweet tea, and he couldn’t have brought it at a better time. Although it killed him to move, and his wounds were piercing him with pain, his appetite was as strong as ever.
He guzzled down the rest of the sweet tea, and belched. Finally, he felt full, and it was a good feeling, one he hadn’t truly experienced in nearly five years. He liked it. He hoped to be spoiled even more tomorrow.
He stood up, stretched, then snuck over to the side door that led outside. He had to pee. Joel hadn’t given him any suggestions on where he could take care of business, probably because the kid hadn’t considered it, so he had decided to sneak off into the woods beside the house. It was out of sight from the neighbors, and he doubted that Haley would be able to hear him from upstairs in her room.
The dew-drenched grass whisked across his pants, leaving wet trails on his shins. Joel had left him a flashlight, but he didn’t need it. His eyes had grown so accustomed to darkness he could see perfectly with only the moon as a light. He entered the woods. Little green and yellow orbs flicked around him. Fireflies. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d taken a moment to admire them. The crickets were loud out here, but not enough to drown out the frogs. He loved the combination, and during the winter months, missed their chorus.
After finding a spot behind a thicket of pine trees, he unzipped his pants, and released his penis. Relaxing, he let the urine come at its own leisure. It felt so good he shivered. The stream slowed to a trickle, then to a drip. He tapped a couple times, then put his member back in his pants.
Back in the yard, he glanced up at the house to where he figured Haley’s room would be. The window was a pale yellow square. She must have a lamp on, or perhaps she was burning some candles. He envisioned her lying in bed, on top of the blankets, and naked. A book was opened in front of her, one foot lightly gliding over the other leg, rubbing the velvety skin with a toe. She had a fingernail in her mouth, lightly gnawing its tip. Her eyes rose as she read over something on the page she wasn’t expecting. He felt himself stirring inside. It wasn’t quite the hatred he usually embraced; this was different, a rumbling of something else.
Whatever it was, it was short-lived.
He turned away from the window, leaving his fantasy with it, and revisited his dwelling. He made sure he was quiet when he shut the door. On his way back to his hidden bed, his shoulder bumped a box, and knocked it loose from the others it was stacked on. Throwing his arms out in response, the box landed on his forearms like a present that was dropped from the sky. Something clanged inside when he shook it.
He placed the box on another stack that wasn’t quite as high. It had been sealed by folding the corners under one another, so he was able to open it easily. Inside was a variety of junk. Not much of interest. But, as he sifted through the contents, his fingers slid across something cold and slick. Felt like a belt buckle. He tugged it out of the box to examine.