Chapter 7

I didn't see Kay in the classroom but I knew she'd be waiting to invite me over again. I didn't know what to believe. It was all too surreal that she knew what happened with me, doubly so when combined with that bloody uniform I saw. My confusion-laden body pounds the concrete with each step towards the exit… and there stands Kay.

"Come over and eat with me?" She took a step forward, much to my chagrin. Every nerve in my body urged me to tell her no and to leave her behind, but if I could find that uniform again and verify it was really blood, I could determine whether I was truly being paranoid.

"Yeah, sure." I walked past her, toward her house. She sputtered along for a moment before linking arms with me. She's almost like a puppy - a clingy and creepy-at-times-puppy.

When we arrive at her house, I take the chance to immediately head to the restroom. Luckily I had to pee this time, in case she was being a creep again. However, I gave myself a moment to go through her hamper. The clothes don't seem to be any different from the ones from before… does she just not wash her clothes? Or perhaps she has so few that she has to wear them over and over.

I gave up empty-handed and used the restroom. When I left the bathroom, I didn’t see Kay. I called out for her, but she was nowhere to be found. I hesitated a moment before going to the kitchen to find her. The pale blue walls were marked with a thick coat of dust of disuse. Various plates and dishes laid strewn about the counters. A small thump could be heard through the door leading out back. I moved towards it and placed my hand on the knob only for something moving through my window to catch my attention. Peeking through the small window, I saw Kay in a small garden in the back. She seemed to be… burying something. Could that be the uniform?

I didn’t have much time to contemplate before she turned around and headed this way. In a panic, I ran towards the living room and laid across the floor as if bored. Looking up at the ceiling, I noticed a mold stain that showed a murder scene. In my eyes it showed a small, innocuous girl, knife in hand, ripping and tearing through others. I closed my eyes as the backdoor opened.

A rushed set of steps, followed by quiet, gentle ones, came across my form. “Asleep?” Kay called out, “You’ve had such a rough few days. But that’s okay because-”

I felt her presence beside me. A gentle hand finds its way to my neck, applying the slightest bit of pressure and gradually tightening its grip. My instincts demand I smack her away and run. But I pushed them down. The pressure never gets unbearable, perhaps she was afraid of waking me up. “I love you, Rose. No one will get in our way.” She drags a tongue across my cheek, punctuating it with a kiss.

My heart could beat out of my chest. It is true. It has to be. She hurt Mimi to hurt me, or maybe to make me beholden only to her. I knew I had to be careful and stirred just a little as if starting to wake up. She tore her hand from me. Opening my eyes, I met hers, their innocence shining back at me as a smile danced within them. But just behind the color, I see the fires of hell.

Gulping as quietly as I can, I called her name. She ran her hand over my cheek, erasing the evidence of what she had done. “I am here, love. Food will be ready soon.” She placed a kiss on my lips and hurried to the kitchen.

When she was out of eyesight and around the corner, I crept second by agonizing second towards the door. Sliding my shoes on, I closed the door behind me as quietly as I could and waited a moment. I listened in, to see if I could hear any sounds out of the normal. Sucking in a breath through my teeth, I let out a sigh and turned around.

“Where are you going, Rose?”

I met the beast before me. The devil smiled wide, her teeth bloodied and sharp. “I-I-” My voice trembled. I knew I had to keep it together. “My parents texted me. They want me home for dinner. I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting them to still be so uptight.”

Her smile didn't fade, yet it no longer reached her eyes. “Oh.” She looked down and kicked a pebble. “That’s fine. I’ll eat alone. They can be used as leftovers anyway.” She steps towards me and it takes all I have to not leap back.

I clear my throat and tell her goodbye. She spread her arms wide. I wanted to shove her away and run, so, so bad. But I didn’t.

With a cold sweat dancing across my skin, I walked into her embrace. Her smell envelops me, calming me for just a moment. That, more than anything, scared me - so easily could I have fallen back under her spell. Her lusty lips made contact with my own. They’re so strong, so unlike themselves from the beginning. They’re chapped and maddening. Pulling away from her, I tell her goodbye and walk away, not giving her a chance to come with me.

Once I was confident I was out of sight, I broke into a full sprint, racing for the sanctity of home.

I dove into my mother’s arms and cried. I couldn’t possibly tell her anything she asked. What could I say? I had no actual evidence. I just knew it. I knew how dangerous Kay was. That bloody uniform has to be the answer.

I have to dig it up from the garden. Tonight… she wouldn’t expect me to return tonight.