Hostage

Thomas was on his way back to the laundry room when his foot slipped from under him. He almost fell, catching himself on the bench just in time. He explored the floor with his foot, and found something slippery and wet. He lifted his foot. His shoe came free with a tacky sound. Thomas turned on his light. A dark liquid like oil was spreading on the floor. He followed it with his light. It was coming from the broom closet. Thomas opened his fingers to let out more light. The oil was red.

The closet door zoomed close in Thomas's mind's eye as if he had telephoto vision. The cramped space in the utility room shrank as the door grew larger. The gun was forgotten, leaving only the door and the viscous red liquid seeping out from beneath.

Thomas stared at the door. He wanted to open it. He wanted to run.

He stepped across the red pool, reached for the knob, but couldn't touch it. His fingers hovered an inch away.

Open it!

Thomas gripped the knob carefully, terrified that whatever was on the other side of the door might try to hold it closed. He slowly pulled open the door.

Kevin fell out, collapsing in a lifeless heap at Thomas's feet, his dead arms thrown around Thomas's legs.

His throat was slashed, his head lolling on white bone; the horrible second smile was locked in silent laughter.

His eyes were open.

Thomas screamed.

JENNIFER

Jennifer listened at her door, pressing her ear to the cold wood, hoping to hear Kevin return. He only had to go down the hall to reach Thomas, but he was taking so long that she feared Mars or Dennis had interfered. Her stomach knotted and she pressed her fists into her belly in a useless attempt to make it stop. The knife hidden in the waist of her pants pricked her skin, making her gasp. She rearranged the blade to make it more comfortable.

The hall outside her door creaked.

Kevin!

She heard the nail being pulled from the doorjamb. She was excited and happy and ready to run. She wanted to see her father again! She wanted to hug Thomas so tight that he squirmed! She wanted her Mommy!

The door swung open, and Mars stepped inside, tall, wide, and massive as a bear. She jumped back so fast that she almost fell.

His smile made her think of bad boys burning ants.

He said, 'Were you expecting someone else?'

She backed away from the door, wishing that Kevin would come back right now because Mars was so awful and gross.

She forced herself to meet his eyes without looking away.

'I'm not expecting anyone except the police.'

Mars nodded agreeably.

They'll be here soon. You probably don't have long to wait.'

She cursed her smart mouth; she didn't like anything he said or how he said it or his expressions. She just wanted him to leave.

Mars stepped into the room and pushed the door shut. He held the big nail that they used to wedge the door. He tapped it absently on his leg, tap-tap, tap-tap. Jennifer didn't like that he closed the door. She didn't like that he tapped the nail. She crossed her arms protectively over her breasts.

'What do you want!'

Mars watched her with bright nervous eyes that didn't match with his slack-jawed expression. It was as if he wasn't in the room with her, but was on the other side of a glass wall, here but not here, outside looking in, in his own horrible world.

'What do you want?'

'Kevin left without you.'

She felt herself flush. Her arms tightened so fiercely that her nails dug into her flesh, and she wanted to scream.

'He wanted me to tell you. He thought about it and decided it was just too risky to sneak past Dennis with you and your brother, so he went by himself. He said to tell you he was sorry.'

Jennifer shook her head, not knowing what was real and what wasn't, what he knew or what he didn't, or if her only hope of getting out of here had slipped out the door without her.

'I don't know what you're talking about.'

Mars came closer.

'No? Well, it doesn't matter. All the lights are almost off.'

'What are you talking about?'

Mars seemed to grow as he got closer, filling the room. Jennifer backed away.

'Good boys turn off the lights so that no one can see them doing bad things in the dark. My mother told me that.'

Jennifer's rear end bumped into her desk. She had gone as far as she could and now Mars was very close. He touched the nail to her chest, tap-tap.

'Don't touch me.'

Tap-tap.

'Stop it.'

Tap.

'Kevin's gone. Dennis is gone. Your father is gone. The little fat boy, he's gone, too. Now we can have fun.'