Kate
This is Rachael. I wanted to talk to you before you left but the press was overwhelming.
This is a very sensitive matter. I have information about Donovan. Add my messenger
ID, its important [email protected]’ll be on around 9.
Xoxo Rachael
A wave of apprehension falls over Kate, followed by a radiating disgust.
She knows Rachael wouldn’t do anything unless it benefited her in some degree, and the xoxo signed at the bottom definitely means she wants something.
She starts to rip the paper up, but she stops herself. ‘I should at least listen to what she has to say. I’m sure it couldn’t hurt.’
Kate makes her way across the lawn to her front door, gripping the paper tightly in her hand.
Chapter 14
The thick smell of teriyaki chicken fills the kitchen. Kate’s Dad and Mom casually chat about the events of their day while scooping heaps of chicken on their plates.
‘You’re telling me they wouldn’t accept the copper rods because they were slightly bent?’ Kate mom asks. ‘Yes,’ Kate’s dad replies, ‘Now I have 14 pounds of metal rods sitting on the floor of the workshop. Perfectly good rods may I add.’
Kate pushes the chicken around her plate while resting her head on her hand. She can tell by the pungent smell, the chicken is over seasoned. She looks up at the clock, 8:35. It seems like an hour ago, it was 8:34.
‘Are you not hungry sweetie?’ Kate’s mom asks. Kate continues to push the chicken around her plate, ‘No, not really.’
Kate’s mom rubs Kate’s shoulder, ‘I understand. The news about Linny’s boyfriend is terrible.’
Kate’s dad shoves a forkful of teriyaki chicken in his mouth, ‘What happened to her boyfriend?’
Kate’s mom leans closer to her dad and begins to whisper, ‘He was the guy who was found dead in the parking lot. I heard his head was horribly mutilated. And they found the bones in his hands were removed and replaced by twigs.’
Kate’s dad spits the chicken in his napkin, ‘Replaced by twigs? Who did you hear this from?’ Kate’s mom leans closer, ‘Betty at the salon. Her husband works for the coroner.’
‘That’s…morbid,’ Kate’s dad replies, ‘I guess that explains the town wide curfew. Could you imagine how scared that poor kid was?’
Kate’s mom quickly makes the Sign of the Cross and reaches down to kiss her crucifix necklace, ‘That poor boy indeed. I just hope his father doesn’t beat himself up thinking he would still be alive today if he wasn’t working.’
Kate looks up at the clock. 8:46. She stands from the table and picks up her plate. ‘May I be excused?’
Kate’s mom takes the plate, ‘Sure baby doll. I’ll take care of this. What are your plans for tonight?’ Kate hunches her shoulders, ‘I don’t know. I’ll probably go up to my room and lay down for a while or something.’
She turns and somberly walks out of the kitchen. As she makes her way up the stairs, she hears her parents continue to talk. She stops midway on the stair case and bends slightly over the bannister.
‘Do you think it was something I said?’ she hears her mom say.
‘Nah, another one of her friends passed away. She’s only 17. Could you imagine what it would be like losing not one, but two friends?’
Kate hears the clinking of silverware against the corning plates. ‘Well,’ her mom says, ‘I just hope she doesn’t fall into some sort of depression. Lord knows we don’t have the money to buy pills and therapists.’
She hears the screech of the chair legs sliding across the floor. Her dad clears his voice loudly, ‘Ain’t that the truth. I’m sure they have some counselors at school that specialize in dealing with teenage grieving.’
While her parents go back and forth about the impact of Donovan’s death on their daughter, Kate continues to walk up the stairs. She’s heard enough. As she walks into her room, she looks around. Many of the things she considers nice were brought by her parents. She wonders if the gifts she has received from them brought them more burden than joy.
She looks at her phone. No missed calls. “I knew I should’ve given him my number. He probably forgot it.’
Kate lies across her bed, ‘But how could he have forgotten it so quickly. It’s not like it’s a hard number to remember.’
She puts the phone on her nightstand and digs around in her pocket. She feels the crumpled ball of paper from Rachael in her pocket. She takes it out and carefully unravels it.
‘Guess I should see what she wants.’
Kate walks over to her computer desk. She quickly logs into her messenger and types in Rachael’s username. She traces the send button with her curser. ‘I don’t know what she could possibly say to me. She found out when the rest of us did.’ She clicks the send button.
She gets up from her seat and begins to pace nervously across her room. She goes over and takes her phone from the nightstand.
‘Should I call Linny?’ she thinks to herself. She lays the phone back on the table, ‘She’s probably not in the mood to talk to anyone right now. If I was her, I’d feel the same way.’
As soon as the phone touches the table, a notification beep comes from her computer. She walks over and looks at the screen, 1 new contact.
She sits down to the computer. She sees Rachael’s status is listed as available. She double clicks her name.
Rachael’s face pops up on the screen. She sees her sitting in the overabundance of pink décor in her room. She is smiling from ear to ear, primping her hair and adjusting the shoulder straps of her shirt.
‘Can you hear me?’ Rachael asks.
Kate leans over the keyboard and looks straight at the screen, ‘Yes I can. I got your note. Now, before we get into this I want to know two things. One, what is the information you have and how you got it. And two, why didn’t you go to the police with this urgent information you have?’
Rachael continues primping her hair. She carries on with her grooming as if she didn’t hear a word Kate said.
Kate turns up the volume of her computer. ‘Rachael! Can you hear me?’ Rachael ceases her activity. She looks at Kate and smiles. ‘Yea I can. But could you turn your volume down a bit? It’s a little loud’
Kate switches the volume down a few notches, ‘Is this good?’
Rachael nods, ‘Yes that is perfect. First I want to tell you send my condolences to Linny. I’m sure this is a hard time for her and I hope she finds the strength to rise from the adversity of grief the black raven has dropped at her door.’
Kate stares at the computer, silently looking at Rachael. The anger racing through her body makes her fingers tremble. ‘I’m not going to let her get to me.’ she thinks to herself. She takes a deep breath and tries to regain her composure.
‘Well Rachael that is very kind of you. I’ll make sure I tell Linny about your…interesting…words. So you have something to tell me?’
‘Oh yea, ‘Rachael says cheerfully, ‘As you know, Donovan’s death is a big thing around here. People are looking for answers in this dark….’
Rachael stops abruptly. She looks at her phone. Kate sees something flash across the screen, but can’t make out what it is. Rachael promptly rises from her seat. She bends over the computer and stares into the screen at Kate. ‘Could you hold on for a sec? I have to take this.’ Rachael walks off to the right before disappearing.
Kate turns the volume to the highest level possible. She can hear Rachael talking, but is unable to make out what she is saying. She starts to grind her teeth. She clenches her fists as hard as she can. She would love nothing more than to send her fist through the screen and land them on Rachael’s smug face…repeatedly.
‘SHE has something important to say but SHE has to take a phone call!’ she mumbles under her breath. ‘I knew this was going to be a load of crap. What kind of person is she? Dumb frigging pea brained…’
Rachael gleefully sits back at the computer, ‘Ok, I’m back.’
/> Kate feels the heat of rageful thoughts warming her cheeks, ‘Listen Rachael. I don’t have time to play around with you tonight, not tonight. If you have something to tell me about how Donovan died, then you better tell me…now. If you don’t, stop wasting my time with your attention craving antics.’
Rachael is taken aback. Her eyes expand with shock. ‘Kate, I’m trying to help you here. And this is the way you talk to me? I just can’t believe it.’
Kate bangs her fist against the top of her desk, ‘Tell me what you want to tell me!’ she roars.
Rachael calmly opens the drawer to her desk. She takes out Kate’s purse and sits it on top of her keyboard. ‘I saw you left this behind. I decided to get it before someone stole it. You don’t have to thank me or anything; I know you think I’m a horrible, selfish person.’
Kate looks at the purse sitting on the keyboard. The rush of fury once rumbling through her veins turns to sympathy. She looks at Rachael’s face. Tears begin to fill her eyes.
Rachael, I’m sorry.’ Kate says apologetically, ‘I don’t think you’re a bad person. Like you said, Donovan was a close friend and…it’s just a hard time for everyone.’
Rachael nods, ‘I know. I think the only way we can heal is together. We have to show a united front and support each other. Actually, I believe me and you can help this town with its grieving process.’
Kate’s ears perk, ‘Really? And how can we do that?’
‘Well,’ Rachael says nonchalantly, ‘A lot of the people from the press would like to interview us.’
Kate lowers her eyebrows. She knows what this is about but she lets Rachael continue.
Rachael pulls out several business cards from her pocket, ‘You see all these? These are the business cards from a ton of reporters who want to interview us. And the best part is, they pay you, a lot! All those interviews I did I made at least…’
‘Just stop.’ Kate interrupts, ‘When you say they want to interview us, you mean they want to interview me, right? And when you took their business cards, you promised them I would do these interviews, right?’
Rachael flips through the business cards, ‘Like, when I did that thing on TV for channel 11, I got $300 for that one. And the one where channel 37 came to my house, I made…’
‘Listen to me!’ Kate snaps, ‘THIS is why people think you’re a horrible person. You’re exploiting people’s deaths! Think about what you’re doing! They had families and you’re on TV prancing around with your whole fake sympathy act. Really, what kind of person are you?’
Rachael places the cards neatly on the desk, ‘You want to know what kind of person I am? I’m a pretty person. I’m the girl everyone knows as the pretty girl. I’m the girl who all the teachers know as the pretty girl.
They see me as the girl who will marry a lawyer, or a doctor and become a trophy wife, so there is no need to encourage her or help her become a lawyer or doctor herself. I’m the girl who guys don’t see as someone they can have a conversation with, but as the girl they all want to get drunk and feel up. That is the kind of person I am.
And you want to know the worst part? This is the person I wasn’t chosen to be. This is the person I was assigned to be. I understand you don’t get why I am the way I am, but everyone can’t be a Kate Newberry. All I can be is Rachael Overton.’
Kate breaks eye contact with Rachael. She feels sorry for her, partly because she’s right and partly because she’s never seen this side of Rachael.
Kate watches Rachael as she hangs her head and begins to pick at her nails. Her own words have struck a chord with her, and neither one knows what could be said after such a profound statement.
Kate caves in, ‘Rachael, if you want, I could help you out this one time.’
Rachael looks up, ‘Really? Why the sudden change of heart?’
‘I’ll help you out this one time on a couple of conditions. When this interview happens, please don’t act like an airhead.’ Kate replies. ‘I believe you were sincere in what you said. I can’t change people’s perception of you, but this could be your chance to change it yourself. People know the rift between us and to see us both together may show people that you have gained a bit of maturity.’
‘Thank you Kate,’ Rachael says, ‘I promise I won’t embarrass you.’ Kate holds her hand to the screen.
‘Wait, there are a couple of other conditions before I fully agree to this. Second, we are doing one interview and one interview only. Second, we are not going to do it for money. Third, you have to be sincere, like you just were. Don’t start yammering about how well you knew Donovan because you didn’t. Don’t start saying generic things you hear people say about people who passed away. If you can’t be real, I guarantee you, I will walk out.’
Rachael thinks for a moment. ‘Ok,’ she agrees, ‘But is the money thing negotiable? Could we maybe, not charge them the full amount? Or give some to charity?’
Kate shakes her head, ‘No, it’s not negotiable. None of it is negotiable. It’s a take it or leave it deal.’
Rachael rolls her eyes, ‘Ok, ok, your way or the highway. I get it.’
Rachael begins shuffling through the cards, ‘So, who were you thinking of calling?’ she asks gleefully.
Kate rubs her forehead, ‘I don’t know. It doesn’t matter as long as it’s not one of those gossip stations.’
As Kate watches Rachael flip through the cards, she sees the bottom of one card sticking out from the bottom. The backs of the cards are bright white, except for this one. The pile of cards becomes thinner as Rachael throws the ones that don’t interest her on the table.
The card from the bottom sticks out a title more. The black lines on this card look familiar to Kate, as well as its dirty, off white coloring.
‘Rachael, you see that yellowish card? Who is that from?’ Kate asks curiously. Rachael swiftly goes through the cards until she reaches the yellowish card.
She looks at it for a second and throws it on the desk, ‘It’s blank.’ She starts to reach for the stack of cards, but begins to rub her fingertips together. She puts her fingers to her nose. ‘Yuck! That card stinks, and it’s wet. Maybe I dropped it in a puddle or something.’
‘Rachael, let me see that card.’ Kate demands. Rachael takes a tissue from the box sitting nearby and bends over to pick up the card. She gingerly clamps it with her fingertips and holds it up to the screen.
‘You see, it’s blank. Blank and disgusting, who carries something like this around with them?’
Kate inspects the card. It’s speckled with pieces of dirt. The edges and the card are tattered and frayed.
‘Turn it over.’ Kate says. Rachael begins to giggle, ‘You sure are interested in this aren’t you? I told you, there’s nothing on it.’
Rachael halts and looks closer at the card. She moves the tissue draped over the back. ‘Wait a second, there’s a design on the back…but that’s it.’
She turns the card over. Kate sees the design….a circle, with a chaotic X in the middle.
Kate begins to look around her room. Rachael watches as Kate anxiously turns around in her chair. ‘Kate is everything ok?’ she asks.
Kate spins around and looks at Rachael, ‘Who gave you that?’ Rachael hunches her shoulders, ‘I don’t remember, there were so many people giving me things.’
Kate runs over to her purse and begins dumping its contents on her bed. Rachael watches her as Kate rushes around her room in a panicked state.
‘Is everything alright?’ Rachael yells. Kate continues searching through the papers, pens and tubes of lip gloss scattered across her bed.
‘Kate!’ Rachael screams, ‘Are you ok?! What are you doing?’
Kate rushes back to the computer. She takes a couple deep breaths. ‘Rachael, did someone give you that paper with the x on it or did you pick it up somewhere?’
Rachael squints her eyes, ‘I don’t remember.’ She looks off to the corner of her room, ‘Maybe someone gave it to me. Or, I could have picked it up. I
did drop them once because I had so many of them.’
‘Listen to me Rachael. I’m going to tell you something, and it’s not going to sound believable. It’s not going to sound in the least bit believable but you have to trust what I’m going to tell you.’
The Slender Man Game of Myths Page 13
