Help Wanted

by David Bergantino

  Annotation

  HELP WANTED.

  NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED.

  It's been a year Laura Walcutt would just as soon forget — especially since she broke up with her boyfriend and lost her lifeguard job at the Springwood municipal pool… Great. No boyfriend. And now no job. Luckily, Laura bumps into a classmate who works at the local hospital, and he thinks he can arrange an interview for Laura. The boy is new in town, and Laura likes his easy smile and dark eyes. Best of all, he isn't anything like her ex-boyfriend Chester. He seems to like her, too. Laura realizes that it may not be such a bad summer after all.

  But when a killer goes on a bloody rampage, Laura must confront her worst fears and suspicions about the new boy in town. Is he Laura's dream come true? Or is he her worst nightmare?

  * * *

  David Bergantino

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Epilogue

  * * *

  David Bergantino

  Freddy Krueger's Tales of Terror #5: Help Wanted

  For Marilyn Shostek and Kurt Keck

  OCR Mysuli: denlib@tut.by

  Prologue

  So you've come about the job, have you? Excellent! Freddy's always looking to bring some new blood into the boiler room. How did you hear about the position? Did you spot a newspaper ad — or did you see the writing on the wall? Heh heh heh…

  I think you'd find this job a killer. In fact, that's exactly what I'm looking for: a killer. Someone who likes to work with his or her hands — and maybe a chain saw or a machete, as well. You should already have relevant experience, but on-the-job training is available for those who show unusual promise. The squeamish need not apply.

  Now, you will be dealing with a lot of dead meat, but you won't be flipping burgers and you won't have to wear a uniform, though I recommend wearing clothes you don't mind getting a bit… soiled. Heh heh heh… A word of warning, though: Competition within the workplace can be fierce. There tends to be a lot of back stabbing. The kind done with real knives. Sharp ones.

  So if you're still interested, I would be happy to take your application. It must be filled out completely. In blood, of course. Then come the interviews, a long — sometimes deadly — but necessary process. And if you make the cut, I'll hand you the keys to the company carnage and welcome you aboard. It will be the kind of job offer you simply can't refuse.

  In the meantime, think of the following frightening fable as a training manual of sorts — an eye-opening introduction to the bright red… oops… I mean, the bright and gleaming future that awaits you.

  Chapter 1

  Laura Walcutt hated hospitals and all the deadly viruses that inhabited them. Reluctantly she approached Springwood General's administrative offices. She kept her breath shallow, wishing that this would help to protect her, but fearing that it would actually make her pass out.

  The front desk was cluttered, but unoccupied. No one was in the immediate front area. Behind the desk was a smoked-glass door, across which danced indistinct shadows from within the office beyond. Laura's hand paused above a bell labeled "Ring for Help." She didn't really want help. She didn't really want to be here. And most of all, she didn't want to work here.

  But she needed a job so badly.

  That thought overpowered her temporary paralysis and she tapped the bell. The shadows in the administrative office quickly reshaped themselves into a recognizable human silhouette. Laura braced herself. In this oppressive environment she expected the worst. This was sure to be a depressing ordeal. She was used to working out in the sun and air, with kids her age, not in some way station to a mausoleum. Laura suddenly felt the urge to duck down, so she would be hidden behind the desk. Whoever looked would find the desk empty, figure the ring of the bell had been imagined, and return to work so Laura could escape. But then the door opened. Instead of the miserable, wizened creature she had expected, a cute boy, no older than Laura, emerged.

  "Hi there!" He smiled broadly, leaning forward on the desk in a casual, almost jaunty manner. "I'm Buck. What can I do for you?"

  The contrast between this boy and Laura's expectations was so great that at first, she couldn't even respond. For a long moment, Laura even forgot she was in a hospital. As Buck's smile widened with amusement, she realized she was gaping at him.

  "Oh, sorry," she blurted out, certain she was blushing. But her eyes were still locked with his, and she was rendered speechless as she drank in his features: attractive, with a thick mop of jet black hair and an easy smile. He looked thin enough to be beaten by the Scarecrow at arm wrestling, but he did not hold himself like a ninety-pound weakling.

  She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. You're inquiring about a job, Laura reminded herself, not trying to make a love connection. Besides, you're on the rebound, remember. With that sobering thought, Laura's mind cleared and she was able to open her eyes again, her priorities straight and her goals in plain sight.

  "Hi," she said in the confident, you-want-to-give-me-a-job-don't-you? voice she had rehearsed for hours. "I'm Laura Walcutt. I'm responding to the Help Wanted ad in yesterday's paper." As soon as Laura said the words "Help Wanted," Buck winced.

  "I'm sorry, Laura Walcutt, but the position's been filled." His tone of voice was a parody of hers, but he was not trying to be unkind. And when Laura crumpled slightly at the disappointing news, his expression turned sincerely apologetic. Then suddenly he seemed to recognize her and asked, "Aren't you a lifeguard down at the pool?"

  "I was," Laura said, aware that her bitterness was audible. "But the BPR, Bureau of Parks and Recreations, cut the budget, and I got laid off."

  Buck shook his head sympathetically. "That sucks."

  "You don't know the half of it," Laura agreed. "It was a complicated, ugly mess. And now I have to run all over town looking for work. The only other place that's got a part-time job advertised is a store at the mall, and I'll never get that."

  "That's not a very positive attitude," Buck pointed out.

  "One of the assistant managers is a girl I know, and we don't get along, to put it mildly."

  "Ah."

  "I could handle working with her if I got hired," Laura explained. "But I think she's involved in the hiring process, so I'm sunk."

  "I see." Buck nodded seriously. "You seem awfully anxious to land a job. You need to save up for school or something?"

  "Well…" Laura's voice trailed off. She was not sure of what to say. Whether he knew it or not, that was a very personal question. Buck seemed to pick up on her hesitation. He withdrew the question.

  "Sorry. None of my business." There was an awkward pause. Then Buck thrust out a hand toward Laura; "I'm Buck Lochner, by the way." Laura took his hand and they shook.

  "Well, Buck, job or not, it's good to meet you."

  "Glad you think so," he said sincerely. "I just moved into town, to a house on Elm Street."

  "Not near the old Thompson house, I hope." She held her breath. Anywhere within ten blocks of that place would be too close for comfort for her.

  Buck laughed. "You mean the local haunted house? It's down the street a ways."

  "Well, be careful," Laura warned.

  "Too late," he declared soberly. "It got me already."

  "What do you mean?" Laura asked, fearful that he wasn't taking the danger seriously.

  "Went exploring last week, after I heard about the place. Thought I was watching where I w
as stepping, but my foot went through a rotted floorboard and wham! I came this close" — Buck held up a thumb and forefinger about three inches apart — "to bashing my head in. Twisted my ankle pretty bad."

  Laura's eyes went wide. "You got off lucky. That place is cursed." She looked at the twinkle in Buck's eye.

  "I'm all right," Buck said, apparently wanting to change the subject. Laura decided to drop it. Buck was new in town. He'd learn soon enough. Anyone who moved to Springwood learned eventually. That is, if they lived. "So, have you met anyone here yet?" she asked.

  "Not really. I came after school ended. You're really the first person my age I've met."

  "You'll be a senior this fall?" Laura asked.

  Buck nodded. "Yeah. It's going to be weird being a senior and not knowing anyone."

  "Well, you know me," she pointed out. "And I can introduce you to tons of other kids."

  "That'd be great!" Buck said excitedly. Then a sly look stole over his face. "But only if they're as cool as you."

  Laura was blushing once more, but still managed to smile and say, "I don't know if that is possible, but my friends come pretty close. In fact, my best friend, Doug, is having a party tonight. You could come if you want."

  "Cool!" Buck was thrilled. But then he stopped short. "This Doug guy, is he your boyfriend?"

  Normally Laura would have laughed off the question. But because of recent events, she couldn't help but sigh with frustration. "No. Doug and I are just old, best friends. I am currently — and happily — unattached,"

  Buck smiled. "Then can I go with you?" he asked, a little nervously. "I have a car and I could pick you up."

  It sounded like a fine idea to Laura. "My younger sister might need to come with us. Would that be all right?"

  Buck didn't blink an eye. "Of course. The more the merrier. What's your sister's name?"

  "Shelby. She's really my best friend. Closer than Doug, even." A whole series of images flashed through Laura's mind, but she couldn't possibly talk about it. She hardly knew Buck. Instead she simply explained, "We've been through a lot together." The statement seemed to make Buck wonder, but he let it pass. "Anyway, she's fourteen, but not like a baby or anything. We're a lot alike, but she's more of a bookworm. I'm trying to get her to be more social, so I've been inviting her out with me this summer."

  "Neat! I wish I'd had a big brother who'd done that for me. Heck, I wish I had any sibling at all."

  "Only child?" Laura asked.

  "Yep. Actually, it's just me and my dad." Resignation sounded in his voice, and a distant melancholy.

  "I know how it is," Laura said sympathetically. "It's just me and Shelby and our mom. Been that way for a long time."

  Buck was only slightly comforted. "Well, at least you have your sister," he muttered. Then, realizing how he sounded, he forced a smile back onto his face. "Cue the violins. Yikes!" He clapped his hands together, then rubbed them hard against each other. "Listen, I gotta get back to work. But I'm off at six. Can I call you after that?"

  "That would be great." She took a scrap of paper from her purse and scribbled on it. "Here's my number." She smiled and felt herself blush yet again.

  "Talk to you," Buck said, then he watched as Laura turned and started toward the elevators.

  Laura felt an unusual sense of calm come over her. Meeting a boy like Buck seemed to lift her out of her usual sea of fears. It was a feeling she liked very much. And after a day like today had been, which came after a week like last week had been, it was just the kind of feeling she needed. And deserved.

  Glancing over her shoulder, Laura saw that Buck was still watching her. He immediately started moving off, pretending he had not been caught staring. Laura smiled and waved. Buck responded with an embarrassed wave of his own.

  * * *

  Back in the administrative office, Buck stood next to the desk as if rooted to the floor. He stared, trancelike, at the spot where Laura had stood. The rest of the day would be unbearable now. Though he had tried to conceal his feelings, the fact was, he had fallen utterly in love with Laura the first moment he had laid eyes on her. It had.pained him more than she would ever know when he had told her there was no job available for her. There was nothing he could possibly want more than to have her as a co-worker.

  Buck's eyes narrowed as the wheels of his mind began to turn.

  Chapter 2

  Laura returned home disappointed. She was no closer to landing a job than she had been before she'd left that morning. Of course, she had found Buck. That might even seem more important than a job, if she weren't too exhausted to think about it.

  Shelby, sitting on her bed poring over her stamp collection, saw the look in her sister's eyes as soon as Laura walked in.

  "No luck, huh?" Shelby's expression was all sympathy and concern. Though younger, Shelby was the more levelheaded of the two, and often assumed the role of the «older» sister. Laura was so comfortable with this arrangement, she barely noticed it anymore.

  Flopping down on Shelby's bed, Laura sighed. "Everywhere I go, they say they've already hired their summer help. At this rate, I won't get a job until it's time for school to start again."

  "Maybe you shouldn't pressure yourself," Shelby said casually. "Maybe you should just enjoy the summer."

  Laura looked at her sister, shocked at such a suggestion. "What do you mean? Not work? I've got to do my part around here. I'm old enough for a job, so I should help out."

  "But, Laura," Shelby said gently, "Mom's been working steadily for a year now. We're pretty much out of the woods. I bet Mom would even like to see you take it easy. She's been saying she'll give you an allowance soon, hasn't she?"

  "I don't know," Laura said, her voice rising in an angry pitch. "I can't just sponge off of Mom like that, even if she wanted me to."

  "Okay," Shelby said, backing off quickly. "It was just a suggestion."

  Laura sighed deeply, stretched back on the bed, and stared at the ceiling. Shelby turned back to her stamps, and an awkward silence enveloped the room.

  Against the ceiling, Laura saw a movie she had watched dozens of times before. It was entitled I Was on Top of the World, until the Bottom Fell Out. This familiar tale began with the full Walcutt cast: Dad, Mom, nine-year-old Laura, and seven-year-old Shelby. In it, the perfect family life was suddenly and irrevocably shattered when the villainous dad ran off with his buxom secretary. The mom, a housewife totally devoted to her children, was suddenly looking at a new life with no income, no job, and no marketable skills. Several difficult years followed. The mom eventually got a low-paying data-entry position, but soon was able to send herself to college. Meanwhile, the girls learned to take care of themselves, and each other. And they learned the importance of an education. Their mother taught them that, above all, they should never allow themselves to rely upon another person for their livelihood.

  The mom graduated from school and started a travel agency. The money she earned ultimately rivaled what the dad had made. Things became more comfortable. Shelby quit her paper route.

  As her mind-movie flickered to its conclusion, Laura was left wondering. Was a summer job really that important, now that Mom could easily support them? Truth was, Laura wasn't sure what she'd do with all her time if she wasn't working. She might gravitate toward the mall, to spend the money she was no longer earning. Laura shook her head. She didn't want to lose the self-reliance she'd established. Besides, working with people was fun. At least, it could be fun if a jealous boyfriend wasn't among your co-workers, she thought bitterly.

  Sitting up on the bed again, Laura put her hand on Shelby's shoulder. Shelby had been too young to really understand what had happened when their father left. Though she clearly understood the situation now, she had not been affected by it as profoundly as Laura had been.

  Shelby looked up from her stamps and searched Laura's face.

  "I'm sorry I got upset with you," Laura said. "You know how I am."

  Shelby nodded and smiled. Laura's qu
irks were all too familiar to her.

  The awkward moment past, Laura ran down the list of places where she had applied for jobs that day: Fair Warning, the clothes store at the mall; Big Game Burger, the place to go "when you're on the hunt for a really BIG burger!" gushed the commercials; and finally, the hospital. When Laura told her sister about Buck, Shelby squealed with delight.

  "And you're going out with him tonight, already!" She clapped her hands together. "You don't waste any time!"

  Laura rocked backward on the bed, laughing. "Stop! It's not like we're going on a date. We're just going to a party so I can introduce him to some kids." Laura sat up and put her hands on Shelby's shoulders. "And what's more, you're going with us. We aren't even going to be alone."

  "Wait a minute!" Shelby cried. "I'm not going anywhere."

  "Come on!" Laura pleaded. "It'll be fun. Besides, if Buck turns out to be a jerk, I'll want you there for backup. Please? Please?" Laura began to tickle her sister. Shelby screeched and fell from her chair onto the floor in a fit of laughter.

  "Uncle!" Shelby could barely speak. "I'll go! I'll go!"

  Laura released her sister. "Good. I thought you'd see it my way. Come on. Let's have dinner ready before Mom gets home from work."

  The girls worked together to make a pasta primavera from fresh vegetables. They were both excellent cooks. Even their mother agreed that the girls' cooking skills far surpassed her own. They were just draining the pasta, about ready to eat, when the phone rang.

  "Hi, Laura?" came Buck's voice through the receiver.

  "Yes, this is Laura." A small thrill shot through her.

  "It's Buck… y'know? From the hospital." He seemed to think she might have forgotten him already. Endearing.

  "I know that!" she told him. "It's only been a few hours."

  "Yeah, I know, but…" He stopped, took a deep breath, and started again. "Are we still going to that party? Together, I mean?"