Marked

by Stephanie Arehart

  Remember when I had such minor problems? Before I hung out with killers. Boo-fucking-hoo, ladies. Wait! Is Vivian rubbing off on me, or what?

  At any rate, the girls didn’t seem concerned with Jenna in the least, so she decided to get serious about cleaning up her own mess. She dropped the bloody clothes on the floor in front of her. In her haste, she’d left her bag at the sink, so she didn’t have her favorite soap. Jenna was dismayed at having to use the cheap body wash provided by the school, but it sufficed. She vigorously scrubbed her entire body, head to toe.

  She could no longer find evidence of blood on her skin, which provided a minimal level of consolation. Looking down at the wet pile at her feet, she wondered what she should do. Using her foot, she pressed down slightly. Bright red streaks rushed out and toward the drain. She was fascinated, but almost felt squeamish at the amount of blood coming out of her clothes. She stepped on the wet pile over and over, dancing, until the water finally became clear.

  When she was satisfied with her efforts, she turned off the water and stood like a statue, verifying that the bathroom was empty again. Jenna had no idea how long she’d been in there, but she felt like it was time well spent. She stood still and dripped dry, trying to get up the nerve to walk back to her room. Due to her impromptu shower, she was now naked, wet, and holding soaked clothes, with no graceful way to get back to her room.

  Peeking out from the shower, she searched for something she could use, an extra towel or robe, but nothing was available. She considered ripping the shower curtain down, but quickly decided against it, since it could ultimately draw unwanted attention to her situation. After a couple of futile attempts to put her wet clothes back on, she gave up.

  Jenna took a few deep breaths and exited the shower, grabbing her bag on the way to the door. She headed down the long hallway in her birthday suit, trying to hold her head up high. Though she didn’t see anyone in the hallway, she did pass a couple of open doors.

  Without slowing down or even glancing inside, she moved past them, trying to ignore the whispers and giggles from inside. She thought she heard a comment about her doing the ultimate walk of shame. Funny; that term was only something Jenna knew of from movies, nothing she had experienced in real life. Being a good girl certainly had its price, and that price tag included the joys of having a boyfriend. Jenna always strived for perfection, but deep down she was still a human woman with biological needs.

  Maybe Vivian can help me find a boyfriend.

  She got all the way to the door before realizing she didn’t have her room key. Initially she knocked lightly, praying for a miracle while also knowing it was in vain, due to Vivian’s heavy sleeping skills. Her knocks became louder and louder, until the girl across the hall finally stepped out.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked naked Jenna.

  “Yes, I just had a crazy night and locked myself out.”

  “Seems like it. How did your clothes get all wet?”

  Jenna laughed and offered, “Oh, I lost a bet and had to run through the sprinklers. Now I’m freezing. Stupid, huh?”

  With minimal practice, Jenna had become quite comfortable lying, and good at it.

  “Sister, I can relate.” The girl smiled a look of sympathy; then she disappeared back into her own room for a few seconds before returning with a robe. Jenna thanked her and accepted the most amazing gift she’d ever received. The heavy wet bundle she was already holding like her most prized possession made for an awkward exchange, but she fought through it.

  The girl nervously diverted attention from Jenna’s fumbling. “I’m Charlotte, by the way.”

  “I’m Jenna, and I’m very thankful for you this morning.”

  Charlotte tried to assist by offering to hold the wet clothes, but Jenna yanked them away without any explanation. Both girls stood virtually motionless for a minute, each unsure how to proceed politely. Eventually, Jenna ended the stalemate with an apology, blaming her actions on a bad night and lack of sleep. She eventually managed to get the robe on with one hand and again thanked Charlotte, promising her that she’d return it soon.

  With her dignity mostly back intact, her brain functioned a little bit better. She remembered that she had her phone in the bag and fished it out, only to find that it had been turned off. The discovery unnerved her a little. There was no logical explanation that she could think of for turning her phone off, considering everything that had occurred in the last forty-eight hours. She turned it back on and waited to be able to make a call.

  When her phone was functional again, she quickly called Vivian’s number, according to the dorm directory. From the hallway, she could hear the ringtone, which made her feel better. She had the right number, and the phone was turned on. Surely that would wake her idiot roommate. After four or five rings, a very sleepy voice answered.

  “This had better be super important, Party Girl.”

  “Yeah, real important. Can you open the door and let me in?”

  Vivian didn’t answer directly, but the call ended. Jenna stood there waiting to hear footsteps, or the door open, or any response to her urgent plea. Growing more impatient, she started pounding on the door again. She thought she heard a click, then nothing.

  Jenna finally tried the doorknob out of frustration. She found it to be unlocked, so she pushed it open in time to see Vivian walking away. The sleepy girl crawled right back into bed without so much as a glance in Jenna’s direction.

  Jenna let the door close behind her and sat on the floor with her back against it, as if she was trying to shut the entire world out. At that point, a mixture of feelings and emotions came rushing over her like a tidal wave. She started sobbing with her whole being, legs drawn tight against her body and her face nestled into her knees.

  Jenna’s body felt so much, all at once. Embarrassment, guilt, anger, regret, but most of all, she felt fear. In just one careless night, she’d managed to involve herself with a criminal, more than just involve herself. Her life could be completely over. Yet there in front of her was the cause of all that suffering, sleeping without a care in the world.

  She quit crying and lifted her head to stare at Vivian. Just as she was gathering her thoughts to unleash an angry rant on her roommate, her phone buzzed. She looked down to see that it was her mother. Without hesitation, she instantly gathered herself and answered the call in her most cheerful voice.

  “Jenna! Oh my God, where have you been? I’ve been worried sick. Did you turn your phone off?”

  “Uh, I’ve been at school, where you dropped me off, where I live now.”

  “But where were you all night? And where’s all this sarcasm coming from?”

  As she tolerated her mother’s incessant babbling, Jenna tried to figure out what she should tell her to satisfy her worries. With her family so far away, Jenna knew that there wasn’t a realistic way that her mother knew where she was all night. But the guilt was clouding her thinking. Maybe something was still altering her brain. It felt foggy to try to concentrate.

  “Mom, chill out. I went to the library and then hung out with a few friends. You can’t expect to keep up with me twenty-four hours a day anymore. I’m a grown adult.”

  She heard a long sigh, signaling that her mother’s anxiety was starting to fade.

  “Jenna, I do recognize that you think you’re an adult, but I’m still your mother. I’ll always worry about you and want to make sure you’re safe. I’m not sure why that should bother you.”

  “I know. Mom, you’re 100% right. I’m glad you love me, and I do appreciate you checking up on me. I’m fine, though. You taught me everything I need to know. Trust in yourself.”

  A voice from Vivian’s bed interrupted, calling out, “Barbie’s mom, we all agree that you grew an exceptional person. Can we chat about it later? Maybe send a formal letter?”

  After a short bit of silence, Jenna’s mother spoke again, this time in a less frantic, more serious tone. “That’s not funny. Jenna, I was trying to call all nigh
t to check on you because of the news. There was a second girl murdered at your school. They found her last night. Do you know anything about that?”

  Vivian raised her head and stared at Jenna with wide eyes. Jenna stared right back, trying to peer into her soul to see if she’d give away any signs of her involvement. That chick was stone cold. She gave away nothing.

  “Hello, are you still there?” a voice called out from Jenna’s phone.

  “Yes, Mom. We’re just shocked. What did they say? Do they know who did it?”

  Jenna and Vivian remained locked in a staredown, each waiting for the other to show some sign of weakness. Unexpectedly, Vivian jumped out of bed, totally naked. She pulled Jenna’s laptop out of her backpack, donned a pair of glasses, and began studying something on the screen. Jenna continued to stare at her, now in confusion, like she was observing a wild animal using perfect table manners. Her mother’s voice was droning on from her phone again.

  “No, I don’t think they caught the killer yet. I really think you should consider coming back home.”

  “What? No! I’m fine, Mom. I’m not coming home.”

  “Things are too dangerous for you there right now. How about a semester off?”

  “Absolutely not. I’ll be fine. They’re probably going to catch this person soon, and everything will be back to normal. I’ll call you later.”

  Jenna ended the call without even waiting for a response, before walking over to see what had captured Vivian’s interest. Standing behind her so she could see over her shoulder, she watched a news video about the discovery of another girl’s body on campus. Police were everywhere, which caused her heart to race erratically. The victim’s body was on the ground, covered in a sheet, but she could tell there was a lot of blood all around. So much blood. They were calling this the work of a serial killer, saying they were launching a hunt for murder marks around town.

  Jenna glanced over at the pile of wet clothes she’d dropped by her bed. Without hesitation, she darted over and scooped them up, throwing them into the trash can. Vivian never lost focus on her computer, even with all the commotion Jenna was creating behind her. After Jenna felt comfortable that the incriminating evidence had been properly discarded, her thoughts switched to how she could turn Vivian in without getting herself into trouble.

  I’m clearly an accomplice, according to the blood all over my own clothes.

  “Hey, I was wanting to ask you about last night,” Jenna started, her voice quivering ever so slightly.

  Vivian laughed, loudly and for a long time, otherwise ignoring Jenna’s question.

  “It isn’t funny, Vivian.”

  “You asking me about last night is actually pretty funny.”

  With that, Vivian shut the lid of the laptop and spun to face Jenna, who was sitting on the edge of her bed. Her body was slumped in defeat, gearing up to learn what had gone down last night. She knew that she was potentially opening a can of worms that could put her in serious danger, or one that would forever bond these two opposites in a gruesome relationship. Vivian quite possibly already had so much blackmail info on Jenna that she’d be forced to keep their evil secrets forever. Jenna shuddered at the thought of such emotional baggage.

  “Do you really want to know what happened? As in, you seriously have no clue what you did last night?”

  Jenna nodded meekly.

  “Well, I’d love to tell you all the ways you humiliated yourself, but unfortunately I just don’t know.”

  “What do you mean, you don’t know?”

  “I mean exactly that,” Vivian said. “I don’t know what you did or didn’t do last night. The last time I saw you, you were showing me how badass you could be by drinking some lame girly drink in one gulp.”

  “And then what?”

  “And then I met a guy, and we left. I spent the night at his place. Do you want those details?”

  Jenna tried to read Vivian’s facial expressions as she gave her convenient alibi.

  “No, I don’t want those details. But I do want to know what you put in my drink. And I want to know why you left me there alone. And I want to know where your clothes are from last night!”

  “Back down, Barbie. First off, I’m not your keeper. You are a grown woman, contrary to how your parents treat you, and you can, you should be able to take care of yourself.”

  Jenna scowled at the insult.

  “Second, I didn’t put anything in your drink. Why would I do something like that? You’re barely able to handle plain alcohol.”

  “And?”

  “And what?” Vivian inquired.

  “Where are your clothes?” Jenna asked.

  “What clothes, you nosy little bitch?”

  “Your clothes from last night!” Jenna screamed.

  “Look, I don’t know what your problem is, but I’m not playing this game with you right now. I have a hangover and just want to go back to sleep. You do realize there’s an actual bad person out there somewhere, right? Leave me alone.”

  With that, Vivian lay back in her messy bed nest and pulled the blanket completely over her head. Jenna was fuming, but she didn’t have much else to say. Vivian clearly wasn’t going to admit to anything or divulge any helpful information to her. She considered what it would take to earn Vivian’s trust and decided it would be more trouble than it was worth, so she opted to get dressed and go for a walk instead.

  Vivian didn’t say another word while Jenna scurried around getting ready to leave, so she assumed the crazy girl had already fallen back asleep. But as Jenna grabbed her purse and walked toward the door, Vivian called out, startling her.

  “Be careful out there. I hear that someone’s murdering little Barbie dolls like you.”

  Jenna stopped and sighed loudly, to demonstrate her displeasure with Vivian’s veiled threat. Then she turned the knob and opened the door to leave. As the door was shutting behind her, she thought she heard another mumbled comment.

  It sounded like, “Not the brightest idea to throw that evidence in our trash can.”

  Chapter 5

  Jenna walked out of the building like she was on a mission, even though she had no planned destination in mind. When she reached the dorm entrance, she flung the old double doors open like a prisoner being released after serving twenty years. The sun felt invigorating on her skin. She could almost feel the vitamin D instantly absorbing.

  And just like that, Jenna felt like the superhuman she’d grown up thinking she was. That’s all it took. Clearly she was in need of a recharge; then she could deal with the albatross situation she’d inherited.

  Sitting in her meditation spot in front of her dorm, she took off her shoes to feel the grass on her feet. A few people were milling around, but not many. It was still too early for most college kids to be active. One girl walked by with a small white schnauzer on a jeweled leash, then a boy wearing headphones and a Patriots hoodie. Next was an older woman, likely a professor, bundled up like she was headed to Antarctica.

  Jenna looked at her phone for a time check, remembering that her first class wasn’t until 10:00. There were countless notifications on her phone, all from her mother. Without reading them, she cleared the messages and looked skyward again, closing her eyes and relaxing.

  She wished she had friends to talk to, or that her father was closer. He would know exactly what to do, even in this insane situation. Jenna lay back on the soft grass. It was difficult for her to believe that only two days had passed since her parents were there helping her to unpack. It felt like a lifetime ago.

  She cleared her mind completely, taking deep breaths, slowing her breathing. The more she relaxed, the stranger she felt. Images started to flash chaotically through her mind. These weren’t memories, but more like she was watching a movie she’d never seen. She was terrified, but couldn’t open her eyes or stop the visions.

  Jenna didn’t recognize anything she saw, and it was hard to decipher any of the quickly-flashing pictures. But there was one image that kep
t repeating: a woman leaned over, straddling another person lying on the sidewalk. The girl raised an object high and then plunged it into the one on the ground, over and over. Jenna tried to focus harder, but still couldn’t see the details. Then she noticed it: blood dripping off the shiny object. She heard the wet ripping of flesh and muffled screaming.

  The graphic reality ripped her out of her trance. She sat up and opened her eyes, and things got eerily quiet all around her. Robotically, Jenna stood up and walked straight back into her dorm room. As she passed a group of girls heading out, they asked if she was okay, but she didn’t react or change her course. Everything went black and silent, like she’d walked into a void. She found herself standing in front of the Dorm Advisor’s room, knocking steadily.

  Something shifted deep inside Jenna again, just as the door opened. She was more alert and had shaken the bad vibes. Though she had met the Dorm Advisor before, she couldn’t remember her name. Normally Jenna would have tried to hide her failed memory, her social faux pas, but not this time. “I know we met before, but honestly I just don’t remember your name.”

  “I remember you, Jenna. My name is Alyssa,” the woman said cheerily.

  Jenna felt like Alyssa was gloating in her ability to recall names better. Everything was a competition to Jenna. She just stood there processing her petty internal anger.

  “Is there something I can help you with?” Alyssa offered, obviously trying to move the conversation along.

  “I’m sorry for bothering you. I’m not feeling like myself at all today,” Jenna said.

  “Oh? Do you need contact information for the campus clinic?”

  “No!” Jenna snapped.

  Alyssa took a step back, clearly hurt or fearful, or maybe both, at Jenna’s bold reaction to her innocent question.

  “Alyssa, thank you so much for asking, but I don’t need to see a doctor. I’m a doctor in training myself,” Jenna said with a smile, pointing to the birthmark on her neck, trying to make light of the tense situation.

  Alyssa laughed in an obligatory way.