Help Wanted

by Richie Tankersley Cusick

  “You’ve been seeing too many scary movies,” she said, trying to laugh it off. “No one could watch us—there’s no place for anyone to hide.”

  Claudia didn’t answer. Robin peeked out again and suppressed a shiver. The water was steaming hot, yet she suddenly felt chilled.

  “Did you hear that?” Claudia asked nervously.

  Robin hesitated, her fingers tangled in her hair. A slow rash of goose bumps crawled over her body.

  “What?” she whispered.

  And yet for just a second she’d thought …

  No, that’s silly. Now I’m imagining things.

  “A voice.” Claudia’s answer was muffled, and Robin had to strain to hear. “Someone talking.”

  “Miss Nelson?” Robin shouted. “Is that you?”

  Her words echoed back to her, hollow and distorted. There was only the dull roar of the water spraying and the sudden thud as her soap fell onto the tiles. Robin nearly jumped out of her skin.

  “Miss Nelson!” Robin shouted louder this time. “Who’s there?”

  And she could swear she’d heard a voice just then … the faintest sound of someone calling.…

  “I bet it’s some of the guys,” she said with forced confidence. “I bet they’re out in the hall trying to scare us.”

  “Do you think so?” Claudia peeked cautiously around the corner of the stall, but she didn’t look convinced. “Robin, maybe we should get out of here.”

  “I’m not going to let a bunch of stupid guys run us off,” Robin said with more courage than she felt. “Are you finished?”

  “No.” Claudia shook her head. “The water’s still cold.”

  “Try another one, then.” Squinting through her wet hair, Robin peered down the line of shower stalls. “Down there—near the other end.”

  Claudia wrapped up in a towel and tiptoed quickly down the hall. Then suddenly she stopped and cast Robin an anxious glance back over her shoulder.

  “What is it?” Robin asked.

  “That sign.” Claudia’s voice trembled as she pointed straight ahead of her.

  “What sign?”

  “That out-of-order sign.” Claudia hesitated, then added slowly, “Wasn’t it on that other shower stall when we got here?”

  For a moment Robin could only stare at her, bewildered.

  “The sign,” Claudia said again nervously. “Wasn’t it on that last stall?”

  Robin looked from Claudia to the sign and back again.

  “Claudia, there are half a dozen out-of-order signs in here—how could you possibly tell which one was hanging on which shower stall when we walked in? And how could it possibly have moved?” She paused, watching fear and suspicion struggle over Claudia’s features. “And why,” Robin added more kindly, “would you even think it moved?”

  “I don’t know,” Claudia mumbled, putting one hand to her forehead. “I just … thought I heard something again.”

  “When?”

  The other girl dropped her eyes. “It doesn’t matter. Maybe I just—”

  “It does matter,” Robin said. “Claudia?”

  Shaking her head, Claudia disappeared into the end stall. Robin waited several seconds, then ducked uneasily back into her own shower, burying herself once more beneath the muffling rush of hot water.

  She squeezed out her washcloth and reached up to rinse her hair.

  And this time she knew she hadn’t imagined it.

  “Help …”

  It seemed to be laughing now. A strange mocking sort of laugh. Floating out of nowhere, yet very close, so very dangerously close—

  “Help me …”

  “Robin!” Claudia screamed.

  But Robin was already running.

  “Claudia!” she shouted. “Claudia, are you all right?”

  “Oh, Robin—what’s happening!”

  Robin swung around the corner of Claudia’s shower stall.

  And froze.

  And pressed one hand to her mouth to keep from being sick.

  At first she didn’t see Claudia.

  There was only the slimy red floor and the splattered red walls, and the dark red spray spewing out of the shower.…

  But as Robin dropped her eyes in horror … as she put her hands to her ears to shut out the sounds of Claudia’s frenzied screams, she saw the girl at last …

  Saw her small tight body huddled on the tiles in the corner …

  Saw her hair, her face, every inch of her pale, pale skin soaked and smeared with blood.

  Robin! Robin, are you in there?”

  Someone’s calling me, but I’m dreaming—I must be dreaming—trapped in the worst nightmare I’ve ever had and Claudia’s here with me and neither of us can get out—

  “Robin!”

  The voice shouted again, and it was familiar somehow. And something was pounding, loud and heavy and relentless, and as it hammered through Robin’s brain, she felt herself come slowly back into focus.

  “Help! Somebody help us!”

  She dived under the gushing red spray and grabbed Claudia, hauling her to her feet, dragging her out of the shower.

  “Oh, Claudia—oh, Claudia—you’re all right—you’re going to be fine!”

  She was babbling and grabbing towels, wrapping Claudia up, wiping the girl’s face and hair. And the whole time Claudia was like a mechanical doll, staring, just staring—

  “Robin!” the voice shouted again. “I’m coming in!”

  Somehow she remembered that she wasn’t dressed herself, and as the door crashed open, Robin managed to grab another towel and crouch down beside Claudia on one of the benches.

  “My God,” Walt murmured, and he seemed strangely frozen as he stood there beside them and stared.

  “The shower,” Robin said. “Go look in the shower.”

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yes, but I think Claudia might be in shock. Please hurry!”

  As Robin put her arms around Claudia and slowly rocked her, she heard the water go off in the room beyond. A second later Walt reappeared and knelt down beside them, wiping his hands on his jeans and gazing anxiously into Claudia’s blank face.

  “Claudia,” he said gently. “Everything’s okay.”

  He raised one hand and touched her forehead. Without warning Claudia gasped and made a choking sound, and as Robin pulled back in alarm, Walt grabbed Claudia’s shoulders and gave her a firm shake.

  “Okay, Claudia, okay. Nothing’s going to happen, you’re safe.”

  “Blood!” she gasped, and her eyes were wild and terrified. “I told you she wanted me—I told you I’d be next—”

  “It’s not blood,” Walt said, and as Robin stared at him, he shook his head emphatically and repeated himself. “It’s not blood. Understand? Just water. Just colored water, that’s all it is.”

  “What are you talking about?” Robin whispered.

  Claudia’s face was ghostly white beneath smears of red. She was shaking violently, and as Robin reached over to take her hand, she realized she was shaking just as badly herself.

  “Something rigged up in the shower head.” Walt’s glance slid toward the other room and then back again to Robin.

  “Looks like some kind of red powder or something. It’s hard to tell exactly—what’s left up in there is kind of syrupy now. Just turn the water on … instant blood. Or whatever your imagination wants to call it.”

  “I can’t believe someone would do something like that!” Robin said furiously, close to tears.

  “Believe it. Someone did.”

  Walt stood up and gestured toward the main door of the locker room. “Where is everyone, anyway? How come you two were here all alone?”

  “We couldn’t have been here alone. Miss Nelson never leaves until she’s sure all the girls are gone.”

  “Well, I saw her in the office on my way. She looked pretty upset. Something about an emergency call, but when she got there, nobody was on the line.”

  Robin felt as if all her streng
th had drained away. She stared at Walt, and then she stared at the floor.

  “Why were you here?” she finally asked, but before Walt could answer, another voice spoke from the hall doorway.

  “I asked him to help me look for Claudia,” Parker said. “I was supposed to give her a ride home, but she never showed up.”

  At last Claudia seemed to rouse. In slow motion she turned toward the door, and her vacant eyes came to life.

  “I wasn’t supposed to ride with you.”

  “You don’t remember?” Parker looked surprised. “This morning—last thing before you left the house—you said you needed a ride home.”

  “I didn’t.” Claudia shook her head. “I never said that.”

  Parker shrugged. “She doesn’t remember. As usual. What can I say?”

  “He said he didn’t know where to look for Claudia,” Walt went on, talking to Robin. “I thought maybe you might know where she was. So I took a chance you hadn’t left the gym yet.”

  “I never said that,” Claudia mumbled. Her eyes moved from Parker to a wet spot on the floor. “I never did.”

  Parker’s mouth moved in a sheepish grin. He shrugged his shoulders.

  “If you don’t mind,” Robin said stiffly, “we’d like to get dressed.”

  “Don’t let us stop you,” Parker said amiably.

  Walt flushed slightly and glanced away, as though just realizing the girls didn’t have their clothes on.

  “I’ll see if Miss Nelson’s still around,” he said. “She should know what happened so someone can check it out.”

  “You do that,” Parker said solemnly. “I’ll stay right here and keep an eye on the girls. Just to make sure they’re safe.”

  Robin’s mouth opened with an angry retort, but before she could speak, Walt caught Parker neatly by the collar and spun him around, slamming the door smoothly behind them. It didn’t take Robin any time to get dressed, but Claudia was a different matter. The other girl was still trembling so badly that she could hardly get into her clothes, and Robin had to help her.

  “You know, don’t you?” Robin said firmly as Claudia picked up her purse and started for the door. “You know that what happened in there wasn’t supernatural—it didn’t have anything to do with your mother?”

  Claudia looked back at her with that vacuous stare.

  “It was a horrible joke that someone thought would be funny. You know that, don’t you?” Robin persisted.

  “And was that someone hiding in thin air and calling for help?” Claudia asked calmly. “I know you heard it … you had to have heard it.” She hesitated, and then she took a step toward Robin, peering earnestly into her face. “It’s no use. I’m fated. Nothing you or anyone can do is going to change what’s meant to be.”

  “Claudia …” Robin begged, but the other girl walked out of the room. Robin hurried to catch up, but as she neared the doorway to the gym, a dark figure suddenly stepped out to block her way.

  “What you doin’ in here, little girl?”

  Roy Skaggs touched one hand to his forehead in a mock display of courtesy, and then he slouched over his dirty mop.

  “You ain’t supposed to be in here. It’s the weekend. It’s party time. Unless”—he grinned—“you was plannin’ to have a party with me.”

  Robin’s eyes darted frantically over his shoulder, searching the gym, looking for Walt. Where did everyone go?

  “Did anyone else come in here a while ago?” she asked bluntly.

  “Yeah. Me.”

  Robin ignored his sarcasm. “Just in the last half hour. Someone who might have gone into the girls’ locker room? Did you hear someone talking? Or laughing?”

  “Talking and laughing.” He chuckled now. “I’m a pretty funny guy.”

  “Someone was calling for help,” Robin said, struggling to control her temper.

  “That was me calling for help.” Skaggs laughed harder. “Help me clean! Help me mop!” He leaned forward with a sleazy grin, then went suddenly sober. “I don’t know nothin’ about laughin’ and callin’ for help. I just clean up the goddamn place. Clean up after stupid spoiled kids like you.”

  “Robin!”

  To Robin’s relief, she saw Claudia and Walt come up behind Skaggs. He turned slowly and fixed them with a sneer as Robin pushed past and followed them out to the parking lot.

  “Talk about the lowest life form,” Robin murmured, and Walt turned with a look of amusement.

  “I think he was flirting with you,” he deadpanned.

  “Where’s Parker?” Claudia glanced nervously around the lot, but Walt shook his head.

  “He left. He said he felt unwanted.”

  “So how do we get home?” Robin said worriedly. “I’m not sure Claudia can walk.”

  “I picked up my car at lunch.” Walt touched Robin’s shoulder and steered her toward the far end of the lot. “I can drive both of you.”

  “To my house,” Claudia said quickly. “You are coming, aren’t you?” She looked pleadingly at Robin, and the other girl nodded.

  “Sure I am.” And then at Walt’s polite look of curiosity she added, “I have a job there after school. At Claudia’s house.”

  “Oh,” he said. “That’s nice.”

  Robin waited for the questions, but they never came.

  Claudia was silent all the way home. Robin stared out the window. She could feel Walt’s eyes on her from time to time, but still he kept quiet.

  “Thanks,” Robin said as she and Claudia got out at the Manorwood gates. She leaned in Walt’s window, her voice serious. “I really mean that.”

  “I know you do.” The corners of Walt’s mouth twitched. “But you and I still need to have a talk.”

  Robin nodded. She started after Claudia, hesitated, then hurried back to the car.

  “Would you like to come by the house tonight? My mom goes to her exercise class about seven—I could fix hamburgers or something.”

  Walt stared at her.

  “You like Chinese?” he said at last.

  Surprised, Robin nodded.

  “Then I’ll bring Chinese,” he said, easing the car forward. “See you at seven.”

  Robin caught up with Claudia, and they walked the rest of the way to the house. Just as they started in the front door, Parker’s sports car squealed into the drive and he hopped out, greeting them with a wave.

  “Glad to see you got home okay. I guess Walt wasn’t afraid to let Claudia in his car.”

  Before Robin could answer, Parker stepped back, looked Claudia up and down, and gave a long low whistle.

  “Wow, Claudia, you’re gonna have to do something about these attacks from the netherworld.”

  Claudia looked as if she was going to cry. Robin glared at her tormentor.

  “Stop it, Parker, that’s not funny.”

  “It’s never funny when Claudia has one of her confrontations with the dead. Is it, Claudia?” He grabbed the front door and held it open, standing back to let them pass. “Now you’ve even got Robin believing it. And I thought she was such a nice, sensible girl.”

  “Go to hell,” Claudia muttered.

  Parker fell back dramatically and put his hand to his heart.

  “I’m doomed!” he wailed. “The curse is upon me!”

  Robin couldn’t stand it anymore. Furiously she whirled on him, her face inches from his own.

  “Haven’t you ever been scared?” she lashed out. “Haven’t you ever been so terrified that you couldn’t get through a day without expecting something horrible to happen?”

  His grin faded. He looked her levelly in the eye.

  “Yes. Living with Claudia is scary. Living with her mother was terrifying.”

  “I hate you—” Claudia’s voice broke, and she ran into the house, leaving Parker gazing after her.

  “You really are unbelievable,” Robin threw at him, then went inside, slamming the door in his face.

  She hadn’t gotten very far when something grabbed her from behind and s
pun her around. Before she could even scream, Parker dragged her through the nearest doorway, tossed her onto a couch, and stood over her, hands clenched at his sides.

  Robin was so shocked all she could do was stare.

  She watched as he strode to a chair, dragged it across the floor until it was directly opposite her, and then sat down, looking her coldly in the eye.

  “Now,” he said calmly. She had never heard his voice so low and dangerous. “I think you need to be enlightened a little about our special and wonderful family.”

  “I don’t want to know about your family. I don’t want to know about your personal life—”

  “Oh, I think you do. As a matter of fact, I think you should—because maybe then you’ll understand a little more clearly why things are the way they are.”

  “I don’t want to hear this.” Robin put her hands over her ears, but Parker forced them back down.

  “Claudia’s mother was a witch—did you know that?”

  Robin drew herself up stiffly. “A medium and a witch are hardly the same thing—”

  “I’m not talking about the kind that rides a broom. She was evil, Robin. She was selfish and self-centered and only out for herself. She was a fraud. She preyed on the grief of innocent people and took their money and lied to them!”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because I watched her work. Long before she ever married my father. She had a business not far from where we lived—a tourist trap. She had regular customers and held séances for them so they could contact their dear departed loved ones. But she just made things up! None of the stuff she ever told them was true.”

  “Then if it wasn’t true, why did people keep coming back to her?”

  “People need to believe things when they’re grieving so badly. Just like my father. He was so lost after my mother died, he believed everything Lillith told him. And then she told him he’d never have to be lonely again—that someone special and beautiful was coming into his life. And then he married her.”

  Robin looked away, her face stony.

  “Look, Parker, I believe there’s an afterlife and that some people have the gift to reach into it. I don’t believe every spiritualist is a fake and just out to take advantage of people.”