‘It’s probably just the heat.’
‘It’s everything.’
‘Homesick?’
‘That’s a good one.’
‘I sure am. I wish I was there right now. Mill Valley’s great this time of the year. I sure wouldn’t be sweating my butt off.’
‘Do you want to take a shower with me?’
Abilene felt as if her stomach had been pushed off a cliff. She realized her mouth was hanging open. She shut it. Not knowing what to say, she shrugged.
Helen blew out a long breath that puffed out her cheeks and lips. She rolled her eyes upward. ‘Hey, if you don’t want to, it’s all right.’
‘Well…
‘You aren’t a lesbian, are you?’
Abilene’s face went hot. ‘No!’ she blurted.
‘Me, neither.’
‘Well, that’s good. Not that… you know.’
‘So how about a shower?’
‘Now?’
‘Yeah. It’ll feel good.’
She grimaced. ‘I don’t know. I was planning to wait till morning.’
‘Please?’
‘Geez, Helen.’
‘It’s just that… I really don’t want to go alone. There might be some other people there. Strangers.’
‘If anyone’s there, it’ll just be kids from our sector.’
‘But I don’t know any of them. Not really. And they kind of scare me. If you want to know the truth, I haven’t taken a shower since last Thursday night.’
'Last Thursday?'
‘I just haven’t quite worked up the nerve again.’
‘Did something happen?’
‘Well, that was the night I walked to the movies. I saw a really scary one. It was great. You were asleep when I got back. The place was really quiet. I thought everybody in the whole sector was asleep, so I figured it would be a great time to take my shower. Anyway, I was in there and all of a sudden the lights went off. Somebody turned them off. It was pitch black. I couldn’t see a thing. I couldn’t hear much, either, because of the water. I was sort of spooked, but I figured it was just some creep’s idea of a joke. So I went on taking my shower. I was soaping myself, you know? And suddenly there was an extra hand on me.’
‘Holy shit,’ Abilene muttered.
‘The one that wasn’t mine… it squeezed one of my breasts. I kind of jumped back and slipped and landed on my butt.’ She shrugged. Making a sickish smile, she said, ‘And that’s the true story of why I haven’t taken a shower since Thursday night.’
‘No wonder.’
‘So, will you come with me?’
‘Okay. Sure.’
‘Great. You’re a real friend.’
‘Hey, after hearing that, I’m not sure I want to take any more showers alone, myself.’ Abilene shoved the chair out of the way with her feet, scooted off the low bookcase and stood up. ‘What happened after you fell?’ she asked.
‘Nothing.’
‘Nothing?’
‘Well, I sat there for a real long time. But nobody touched me again. Whoever it was just left, I guess. Finally, I worked up enough nerve to get up and leave.’
‘God,’ Abilene muttered. ‘You never got any kind of look at her? She never said anything, or…?’
‘For all I know, it might’ve been a guy.’
‘Jesus.'
‘It probably wasn’t,’ Helen said, and started to unbutton her blouse.
Abilene took that as her cue to move on. She walked past her bed. Facing her open closet, she stripped to the waist and put on her robe. Then she pulled down her shorts and panties, stepped out of them, and knotted her robe’s cloth belt. She didn’t realize, until she was done, that it was a pretty dumb way to undress.
Why worry about modesty at a time like this?
From their first night as roommates, less than two weeks ago, they’d maintained unspoken rituals to keep their privacy. They’d jumped at every opportunity to change while the other was away from the room. When that failed, they’d turned their backs to each other. Abilene often stood facing her closet - more to avoid a view of Helen than to prevent Helen from seeing her.
Silly.
If they’d been more open about things, maybe Helen wouldn’t have felt compelled to take that shower alone in the middle of the night.
She crouched, scooped up her clothes, and sidestepped past her dresser. She tossed them onto her bed. ‘You about ready?’
‘Yeah.’
She turned around. Helen had her nightgown on, but her arms weren’t in its sleeves. They were busy underneath the loose gown, removing her bra. When they appeared, one was towing the undergarment out through a sleeve.
‘You won’t tell anyone, will you?’ Helen asked.
‘About what happened?’
‘Yeah. It’s… you know, kind of embarrassing. There’d be an awful lot of gossip. I’d rather just forget about the whole thing, okay?’
‘Fine. I won’t tell. We don’t know who it was, anyway. It’d just spook people.’
‘Thanks.’
They gathered their washcloths, towels, soap and shampoo. Abilene dropped her room key into a pocket. She followed Helen into the corridor, then pulled the door shut and made sure it was locked.
The corridor was filled with music, voices and laughter. On their way to the restroom, they passed several open doors. Girls in the rooms were sprawled on beds, sitting at desks, some studying, while others carried on discussions or watched small televisions. A few were eating snacks and drinking sodas. Abilene nodded and smiled at those who noticed her going by. Though she recognized all of them, she wasn’t sure about some of the names.
The restroom was just this side of double doors that separated the east wing of Hadley Hall from the main stairs and west wing.
Abilene entered first. She saw no one. But sounds of rushing water came from the shower room.
‘Maybe we should try later,’ Helen whispered.
‘Don’t be ridiculous. Come on.’
Helen grimaced, but followed her past the toilet stalls to the dressing area. Steam was drifting in from the shower room. Voices, too - cheerful, amplified by the tile walls. A couple of robes and towels had been left on the bench.
Abilene slipped out of her sandals, emptied her hands onto the bench, and took off her robe. She rolled it up, set it next to her towel, then picked up her washcloth, soap and shampoo. She looked at Helen just as the girl’s large breasts, briefly caught by the hem of the nightgown, came free and dropped, bouncing and swinging. Helen finished dragging the nightgown off her head, gave Abilene a somewhat frantic glance, and deposited the nightgown on the bench.
‘Here goes nothing,’ she muttered, and gestured for Abilene to go first.
Abilene stepped over the low, tile barrier, and entered the shower room. The steamy air wrapped her.
She raised a hand and said ‘Hello’ to the two girls who stood under nozzles near the far end. She recognized both of them. ‘Cora, right?’ she asked the one near the corner.
‘Tucson?’
‘Abilene. This is my roomy, Helen.’
‘Hi,’ Helen said from behind her.
‘I’m Vivian,’ said the other girl. Abilene had never actually met her, but she’d seen her around and knew her name. She supposed that everyone knew her name. Vivian Drake was easily the most beautiful girl in the freshman class: tall and slender with dark auburn hair, emerald eyes, a flawless complexion and a stunning face.
Abilene had stayed clear of her, certain that she must be a conceited bitch.
Now, she said, ‘Nice to meet you,’ went to the shower right beside Vivian and turned on the water. She stepped out of the way, testing the spray with her hand. When it felt hot, she moved underneath it.
Helen chose the shower on the other side.
‘Abilene’s a cool name,’ Vivian said.
‘Thanks.’
‘Is that where you were conceived?’ Cora asked.
‘No, I was named for the song.’
>
Vivian began to hum it as she soaped her legs.
Abilene began to like her.
‘It was my parents’ favorite song,’ she said. ‘It was their song, you know? Also, my dad’s a western writer.’
‘No kidding?’ Cora said. ‘No wonder you’re such a hot-shot in Dalton’s class.’
‘I’m sure having trouble with Shakespeare.’
‘The guy should’ve tried writing in English.’
‘I’ve got the Cliff Notes for Othello,' Vivian said. ‘If you want to stop by the room sometime, you can borrow it.’
‘Thanks.’
She’s actually nice, Abilene thought, and felt a little guilty about prejudging her.
Just because she’s gorgeous doesn’t mean she’s a shit.
But her beauty was rather disturbing, and all the more obvious here in the shower room.
Standing next to her, Abilene felt quite plain. She knew she was fairly attractive herself: slender, blonde, with quick blue eyes and an okay face except for a sprinkling of freckles across her nose that she didn’t appreciate but boys seemed to find cute.
That’s me, she thought. Cute. Ordinary.
Whereas Vivian was an incredible knockout.
Even Cora, hardly a slouch in the looks department, suffered by comparison to the girl showering next to her. She was Vivian’s height, but the similarity stopped at that. Her face was wholesome, not striking. Her blonde hair was short and curly, not a long flow of rich, silken tresses. She had broad shoulders, full breasts, wide hips. Though she appeared to be much heavier than her roommate, there was no suggestion of fat. She looked athletic, not regal.
Abilene turned to Helen. The girl’s head hung as she slid a bar of soap over one breast.
She wasn’t a striking, regal knockout. She wasn’t wholesome and athletic. She wasn’t even plain but cute. She was homely, fat and dumpy.
Abilene knew she must be feeling like hell.
‘Have you got any of your father’s books?’ Vivian asked.
‘Not with me.’
‘Does the student bookstore carry them?’
‘No, but the Save-More Drugstore has a bunch.’ She felt as if she were ignoring Helen. But maybe the girl preferred it that way.
‘What’s his name?’
‘Alex Randolph.’
‘Good. I’ll pick up something next time I’m in there.’ She squirted shampoo into her palm and started rubbing it into her hair. ‘So. Helen. What do you think of McMasters?’
‘He’s okay,’ Helen murmured, soaping herself and keeping her head down.
‘I hear he was a drill instructor in the Marines.’
‘He’s a bastard,’ Cora said.
‘We’re all in his eight o’clock,’ Vivian told Abilene. She was scrubbing her sudsy hair, froth rolling down the sides of her face. ‘How’d you luck out?’
‘I’ll be taking his course next semester.’
‘He’s a real bastard,’ Cora repeated.
Vivian turned her head. ‘He might leave you alone if you’d get there on time.’
‘Fat chance.’
Vivian laughed. ‘He’s decent enough to me and Helen.’
‘That’s because Helen’s got brains and you’ve got him flustered.’ Cora leaned forward and looked at Abilene. ‘You should see it. The guy blushes every time he lays his eyes on Viv.’
‘He hankers after me,’ Vivian said.
Helen burst out laughing, raised her head and turned toward the others. Her mouth was stretched into a wide smile. The laughter shook her shoulders, made her breasts bob and shake.
‘Well, he does!’ Vivian insisted.
‘Hankers!’ Helen squealed.
‘Don’t split a gut,’ Cora advised.
‘I’m… sorry. Oh Jesus! He hankers after her!’
And Finley came into the shower room.
At that time, Abilene didn’t know her name. If she had known her name, she wouldn’t have recognized her anyway; a gorilla mask covered her entire head.
Finley wore a tank top, shorts, and tennis shoes.
At her face, viewfinder to the gorilla’s eyehole, rested a portable video camera.
She came bounding into the mist and pranced sideways, sweeping the camera across Helen and Abilene and Vivian and Cora as she rushed by.
At first, Abilene was too surprised and perplexed to realize what was happening. By the time she figured out that the strange apparition was taping them, it was too late to cover herself. Vivian blurted, ‘What the hell?’ and whirled toward the wall. Cora lunged at Finley, reaching out. But Finley, in her tennies, had better traction and sprang clear. Cora skidded. Her feet flew up and she landed on her rump.
Finley backstepped, getting the fall on tape.
‘Thanks, hon,’ she said in a cheery, muffled voice.
She scampered sideways. Vivian presented her with nothing but her back, hands trying to hide her rear.
Abilene rushed forward. Bent at the waist, arms and legs spread wide like a basketball guard, she blocked Finley’s retreat. The girl slipped to a halt. The big lens of the camera shifted from side to side - from breast to breast - and down.
‘You bitch!’
‘Time to go!’ She feinted to the left. Abilene lurched that way to grab her. She saw her mistake as Finley ducked to the right, but the slick floor didn’t allow a quick change of direction.
Sliding and turning, she watched the girl run for the exit and straight into Helen’s fist.
Helen, waiting in the middle of the entryway, threw a haymaker that knocked the gorilla head sideways. The camera flew, striking Abilene’s right thigh as Finley’s back slammed the floor. The girl skidded toward her.
Abilene rubbed her leg. She bent down and picked up the camera.
Then they all gathered around Finley. Helen planted a foot on her belly. Cora pulled off the gorilla head.
The girl grimaced up at them. ‘Greetings,’ she said. ‘Finley’s the name. Pleased to make your acquaintance, ladies.’
CHAPTER THREE
The Wagoneer stopped in front of Abilene and Finley. The others climbed out.
Helen’s head tilted back and rolled as she surveyed the lodge. Her eyes were wide. Her mouth hung open. She might have been standing for the first time at the feet of the Statue of Liberty, gazing up at the monument with awe and delight.
‘Why don’t we leave everything in the car,’ Cora suggested, ‘until we’ve looked the place over?’
Vivian, nose wrinkled, said, ‘Why don’t we not look the place over and drive back to Burlington instead?’
‘Where’s your sense of adventure?’ Abilene asked.
‘It lost out to my sense of self-preservation.’
‘No risk, no thrill,’ Cora said.
Helen, still gaping at the lodge, said, ‘Isn’t this place just fabulously eerie?'
‘I just hope it’s fabulously unoccupied,’ Abilene said. ‘God only knows who might’ve decided to take up residence in a place like this.’
Helen grinned. ‘Yeah.’ She sounded tickled by the possibility of encountering a hermit or axe-murderer inside the ruin. ‘Let’s go in and check it out.’
She hurried up the porch stairs, Cora at her side, Vivian following. Before stepping through the doorway, Vivian looked over her shoulder. ‘Coming?’
‘I wouldn’t miss it,’ Finley said and shouldered her camera. ‘Go on ahead,’ she told Abilene.
Abilene climbed the stairs and strode across the porch. The boards wobbled and squeaked. Even though they’d been strong enough to support Helen, she feared breaking through and was glad to reach the safety of the foyer’s marble floor.
The others hadn’t ventured off the marble. They stood at its far edge as if the foyer were an island and they weren’t ready to get their feet wet. Nobody spoke. Only their heads moved as they looked around. Abilene supposed they were listening, wondering whether the lodge was truly deserted. She halted beside Vivian.
‘Bitchin’ joint!’
Finley yelled.
Abilene flinched. Vivian gasped. Helen twisted around, scowling, pressing a finger to her heavy lips and letting out a long ‘Shhhhhhhh.’
A grin spread across Finley’s face. Obviously, she had meant to startle them and was pleased by her success. ‘Okay,’ she mouthed, not making a sound. She came forward ever so slowly on tiptoes, lifting her knees high, setting her feet down gingerly, her lips pursed - a parody of silent sneaking.
She stopped next to Abilene. She turned slowly, panning the room with her camera. Its automatic focus made quiet humming sounds as it adjusted to changing distances. Then she lowered the camera to her side and stood motionless.
All five women looked around and listened.
Other than the quick pounding of her own heartbeat, Abilene heard nothing but sounds from outside: birds chirping and squawking, the sigh of leaves stirred by breezes.
Enough daylight came in for her to see the staircase to her left, an open room beyond it, and the lobby and lounge area to her right. Except for the L-shaped registration desk and the numbered cubby-holes behind it, the huge room was bare.
She supposed that its dark, panelled walls had once been decorated with the heads of deer, with mounted fish and paintings of rustic scenes. There had probably been stuffed raccoons, and such, perched atop the broad wooden rafters. And furniture scattered about. Easy chairs, lamp tables. Maybe even sofas and a rug in front of the broad, stone fireplace. The fireplace, she noticed, was still equipped with andirons, a screen, and a set of fire irons.
Surprising that scavengers hadn’t made off with them, sold them as antiques or taken them home.
She wondered what else might’ve been left behind.
Plenty of time to find out, she thought.
If they wound up spending four whole days here, as planned, they’d get to know this place from top to bottom.
‘It’s pretty decent,’ Cora said, not only breaking the silence but leaving the foyer and walking over the hardwood floor toward the registration desk. ‘It’s not nearly the shambles I expected. Figured there’d be crap all over the place, from the looks of the outside.’
‘Could’ve been a lot worse,’ Vivian admitted. ‘It’s still pretty creepy, though.’
‘It’s supposed to be,’ Helen informed her.
‘I know, I know.’