The Butcher Box Set

by Sian B. Claven

  The paint on her face was some sort of oil based paint and her blond hair was gelled back. From Tatum’s vantage point, she could clearly see to the table where she was sitting; she had ripped stockings on and what looked like some sort of black worker boots. She stood out starkly in the mall and Tatum was surprised no one else was staring at her.

  Jacqui’s face went ashen and she took a deep breath. She pretended to stretch so she could look around and, after she had, she slammed her hands on the table, bringing Tatum’s attention back to her.

  “You freaking bitch!” she snapped. “That wasn’t funny!”

  Tatum gave her a puzzled look. “I wasn’t trying to be funny,” she said, looking behind Jacqui again, but the skeleton girl was gone. “Where’d she go?” Tatum stood up and looked around the food court quickly. “She was right there, Jacqui, I swear to God.”

  Jacqui pushed herself up and retrieved her backpack, swinging it onto her shoulders. “That was seriously freaking mean, Tat! You spent all this time talking about how this skeleton girl is linked to Roger dying and then you pretend she’s right behind me.”

  She started to walk away, but Tatum grabbed her hand. “No, Jacqui! I wasn’t making it up, you have to believe me.”

  “I’ve been more than patient,” she snapped, “and playing a prank like that isn’t just cruel, it’s inappropriate. Speak to me when you grow up and are ready to be a proper friend again.”

  With that, Jacqui stormed off and Tatum was left standing there, the few people in the food court staring at her because of the altercation.

  Why did Jacqui not see the skeleton girl sitting right behind her? Tatum walked home from the mall feeling dejected. Maybe the stress of losing her father and Roger was making her see things. It had seemed so real though. The young woman seemed like she was really sitting there, right behind Jacqui, just staring at them. She didn’t know what to do, and losing Jacqui as a friend weighed heavily on her shoulders.

  She stopped at the corner of Jacqui’s road and looked to the left where her friend's house was just visible. Maybe she should go and apologise again and say she was mistaken, that she hadn’t really been trying to play a prank on her. No. It was still too fresh of a fight for Jacqui to listen to her, so Tatum lumbered on towards her own house.

  From two houses away she could hear the music pumping way too loud for a Wednesday afternoon. Tatum looked around for the source before she realised it was coming from her own house. She rushed towards the front door, which was not locked, and walked in on what seemed to be a huge house party. There were at least thirty kids about fourteen to fifteen years old all dancing and drinking in and around their house. At least, that’s how many Tatum could see from the front door. For all she knew, there were more.

  She dropped her school bag next to the door, clenched her fists and yelled, “KALLISTA!”

  Barely able to hear herself over the music, she knew her sister wouldn’t either. She strode towards their surround sound system and flicked it off, much to the disappointment of the dancing teenagers.

  “Out! Out! All of you out!” she yelled. “Before I call your parents,” she threatened.

  Everyone whined and moaned about how unfair she was as they walked towards the open front door.

  Loud footsteps down the stairway produced Kalli in the shortest skirt Tatum had ever seen and her school shirt unbuttoned.

  She was trying to button it up, and seeing Tatum she frowned. “What the hell? Who died and made you Queen?”

  Tatum took a deep breath and through clenched teeth said, “You cannot have a house party in the middle of the …”

  Her words died as she saw a boy follow Kalli down the stairs. He was putting his shirt back on. Tatum glanced from Kalli’s half-open shirt to the boy’s shirtless body.

  “WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING? YOU ARE FOURTEEN YEARS OLD, KALLISTA!”

  The boy looked at Kalli sheepishly. “I’ll see you at school.” He took the stairs two at a time before he was out the front door, slamming it shut behind him.

  Tatum crossed her arms. “WELL?” she demanded.

  Kalli looked angry, and tears were forming in her eyes. “YOU ARE NOT MY BOSS, TATUM! YOU DO NOT OWN ME! I CAN MAKE MY OWN DAMN DECISIONS, YOU STUPID COW! YOU RUIN EVERYTHING!”

  Tatum rolled her eyes and said, “So shoot me. I am the oldest and when mom is not here I am in charge!”

  “Oh, you say that like you’ve been here,” Kalli spat back. “Even when you are here, you’re not, because your mind is off regretting you didn’t bang your boyfriend before he got killed.” She stormed upstairs and slammed her bedroom door.

  Tatum stood there as though she had just been slapped across the face. First Jacqui and now Kalli; she was having one hell of a day. She looked around at the mess Kalli’s friends had made and sighed. There was no way she would get her to come down and clean up, and her mom really didn’t need this stress on top of everything else. She went to the kitchen and got a garbage bag and a bucket.

  Sylva came downstairs with her teddy bear and stood in the doorway. “Want some help, Tat?”

  Tatum smiled at her. “Yeah okay, Sylva. Why don’t you empty all the plastic cups into the bucket and throw them in the trash bag?”

  Working steadily, the two sisters managed to get the house looking respectable again.

  Tatum went upstairs and banged on Kalli’s door. “Not that you care,” she yelled through it, “but Sylva and I cleaned up your damn mess!”

  “PISS OFF,” was the only response she got.

  Tatum looked at Sylva. “I’m going to Jacqui’s for a bit. Call me if anything happens, okay?”

  Her baby sister nodded and Tatum went downstairs. There would be no making amends with her sister today, but she was sure as hell was going to try to make amends with her best friend before the day was over.

  The anger that Tatum felt for Kalli subsided as she walked towards Jacqui’s. She probably could have handled the whole situation better, but seeing the horrible choices her sister was making literally drove Tatum mad. All she cared about was partying with her friends and making out with boys. She had already developed a bit of a reputation at school for being a tease. Tatum couldn’t believe her once sweet sister had turned into such a tart.

  She marched her way over to Jacqui’s house, determined to be friends again so they could go back to normal. She decided on the way there not to think about the skeleton girl anymore, or bring up Roger’s death. She was going to make a concerted effort to focus more on the here and now and be a good friend to Jacqui. Friends like her were hard to come by and she didn’t want to lose her.

  Nerves only started to kick when she rounded the block into Jacqui’s street. Her pace slowed slightly and she realised, as determined as she was to make it right, she wasn’t sure how to go about apologising without looking like an idiot. She wouldn’t say she didn’t see the skeleton woman; she knew she had, and wasn’t going to lie for the sake of their friendship, but she did want Jacqui to stop being mad at her.

  Tatum paused just before Jacqui’s house. From the street, she could see Jacqui’s bedroom window was open. She was definitely home. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, going over her apology in her mind.

  Jacqui, I am so sorry about what happened at the mall. I have been under so much stress lately and I haven’t been myself. I am so sorry I scared you. Can you please give me another chance?

  She repeated it over and over to herself until she was sure she could get through it. She opened her eyes and looked up at Jacqui’s window … and nearly screamed. Standing at the window looking down at Tatum was the skeleton girl. The same face paint, gelled hair and, from this angle, Tatum could see she was in some sort of black leotard.

  Tatum’s hands shook and her pulse quickened. Without thinking she rushed to the front door of the house and started banging on it.

  “JACQUI! JACQUI, GET OUT QUICKLY!” she yelled. “JACQUI, SHE’S IN YOUR ROOM!” she shrieked hyste
rically.

  Tatum heard rushed footsteps and the door swung upon to a surprised Jacqui.

  “What the hell …”

  Jacqui couldn’t even finish her sentence as Tatum pushed past her friend and ran upstairs to her room. When she walked in she looked around, opened the closet and looked in there, before checking Jacqui’s en suite bathroom.

  After a moment of shock, Jacqui had come upstairs to her bedroom. “What the hell are you doing, Tatum?” she said, eyeing her friend worriedly.

  Tatum got to her knees and looked under Jacqui’s bed before her friend grabbed her arm and yanked her up.

  “Okay, enough, this seriously is not funny. Get the hell out of my room. Get the hell out of my house!” Jacqui demanded. “You’re acting like a psycho person.”

  Tatum shook her head. “I was coming here to apologise, Jacqui …”

  Her friend cut her off. “By freaking me out?”

  “No, I was downstairs and I looked up and I saw her in your room. The skeleton woman was in your room!” Tatum felt crazed as she tried to convince her friend that she was in danger; she took Jacqui’s shoulders and made her look at her. “I need to protect you.”

  Jacqui pulled away from her and said, “Get out, get out before I call the cops, Tatum. I mean it. You’ve lost your mind. GET OUT!” She screamed as she pushed her friend away.

  Tatum started to cry. “I’m not crazy! I saw her; she was standing by your window!”

  “I have been here the whole time and I didn’t see anything. Your mom needs to admit you to the psych ward or SOMETHING!” She backed away and reached behind her for anything to protect herself with. Her hand found her hockey stick and she brought it forward, putting it between herself and Tatum. “Now get out or else.”

  Tatum watched her sadly, tears streaming down her face. “Jacqui, please …”

  “GET OUT, TATUM!”

  When Jacqui took a swing at her, Tatum backed out, trying to reach out to her friend once more. Jacqui swung again and nearly hit her, so she turned and took the stairs two at a time. She ran out the front door to the safety of the street and turned around to look back at the house.

  Jacqui had followed her downstairs and now that Tatum was a safe distance away she screamed, “YOU HAVE BECOME A FREAK, TATUM! GET HELP!”

  With that, she slammed the front door closed and the sound of the lock could be heard, even from the street.

  Tatum burst into fresh sobs and looked up at her Jacqui’s window, calling, “Jacqui! I mean it! You’re in danger! PLEASE LISTEN TO ME!”

  The curtain moved slightly and, with her heart beating out of her chest, Tatum saw Jacqui lean out the window. “THE ONLY THING I’M IN DANGER FROM IS YOU!”

  Tatum froze as she saw the skeleton girl behind Jacqui, but before she could say anything else her friend slammed her window shut and locked it. Tatum was left sobbing in the middle of the street, staring up at the skeleton girl, who had a rather happy smile on her face.

  She had a light bulb moment and took out her phone, dialling the police. Once the operator answered, she quickly said, “Please! My friend is in danger. There is someone in her house with her and she won't listen to me.”

  “Can I have the address, please?”

  Tatum gave the address and held on while the operator punched it into her system. “Yeah, we have a report here from a girl who called a few minutes ago claiming her friend was trying to attack her. The patrol car is already on its way.”

  Tatum didn’t even wait to hear if there was anything else. She hung up and looked up at Jacqui’s window to find her standing there, hugging herself and watching Tatum. Behind her the skeleton woman also watched. Tatum shook her head and turned to run back towards her house.

  At least the police were on their way and Jacqui would be safe.

  Chapter Six

  Rejected and heartbroken, Tatum arrived just in time to find Luell and Kallista having another rip-roaring fight.

  “You can’t do this, it’s not fair!” Her sister's voice was extremely high pitched.

  “Well, while you live under my roof, you will obey my rules, Kallista Metz, so help me God.” Luell must have had a rough day at the office.

  Tatum stood in the doorway just watching the war raging in her home. Kallista was at the top of the stairs, one hand on the staircase railing, the other clenched in a fist. Luell was in front of Tatum to the left, her hands on her hips. Kalli stormed off to her room and slammed the door. Luell shook her head, muttered something under her breath, and turned to go the kitchen.

  She caught sight of Tatum and her hands went straight back to her hips. “And where were you?” she demanded.

  Tatum knew then it was definitely a rubbish day at the office that had used up all of her mother’s patience.

  “I had to drop off homework at Jacqui’s house,” she said, looking at her feet.

  “Really?” Luell said. “Then why did Jacqui’s mom phone me, hysterical might I add, because you had gone over there and freaked Jacqui out.”

  There was no point in lying, but she also wasn’t quite sure how to tell her mother the truth. How do you tell someone that you’re seeing things? Her mother would have her shipped off to a psychiatrist, maybe even an institute, if Tatum told her about the Skeleton woman.

  “We had a fight,” she finally muttered, “and I went to say I was sorry and I swear I saw someone in her room.”

  “You’re just seeing people everywhere. First the woman in Mr Wild’s garden and now someone in Jacqui’s room. What is going on with you, Tatum?” Luell moved closer. “Is it drugs?” Her hands dropped from her hips in defeat. “Just tell me if it is and we can sort this problem out together.”

  “I don’t do drugs, mom!” Tatum said, her face scrunching up in anger. “I would never do drugs, you know that!” Tatum crossed her arms over her chest. “I am telling the truth!”

  Luell shook her head. “Well, you’re grounded.” She turned to the kitchen again. “And you will apologise to Jacqui tomorrow or else.”

  Tatum was tempted to ask, “Or else what?” but decided better of it. Instead, she climbed the stairs to the top floor of their two-storey house and went to her room, falling into her bed.

  “She said she saw someone in her room.”

  The sound of Luell’s panicked voice woke Tatum from her dozing. She sat up on her bed as her mother opened the door.

  “Tat,” she said, her voice cracking, “Tat, I’m so sorry.”

  Her mother burst into tears, putting her hands over her face and letting them absorb the sounds of the sobbing. Confused, Tatum went to her immediately and put an arm around her shoulder.

  “What’s wrong, mom?”

  “Miss Metz.”

  Tatum turned to see Officer Smith standing in the hallway with his partner.

  “We’re sorry to bother you. ma’am, but do you know a Jacqui Gardener?”

  It felt like the floor had disappeared underneath her. She didn’t even hear Smith talk as he offered his condolences for the loss of her best friend. The best friend she hadn’t been able to make amends with before, as the officer described it, she was murdered in her home.

  “Her body was discovered by her mother a little while ago. She mentioned you had been there, talking about seeing someone in her room.” He paused, hoping she would offer up information, but she wasn’t there. He could see the heartbreak in her eyes; he recognised it from the being the job for so long and having to give bad news so many times. “Miss Metz, please, any information could assist us in capturing the killer.”

  Tatum rubbed Luell’s back soothingly and said, “Skeleton …”

  Officer Chadsworth stepped forward. “Sorry?” he asked, his notebook already out.

  “I thought I saw … I thought I saw a girl dressed as a skeleton in Jacqui’s room.” Tatum went to her bed and sat down and, when Officer Chadsworth sat on her chair opposite her, she rehashed what had happened.

  “Blonde girl, hair gelled back?” he as
ked.

  Tatum sat up straighter; someone else had seen her too. “Yes! Yes, and in a black leotard with torn stockings and these black work books.”

  Officer Chadsworth pursed his lips and nodded, standing up and flipping his notebook closed. “Thank you for your assistance, Miss Metz, we’ll be in touch.”

  “Have you seen her?” Tatum asked, hoping to prove to herself she wasn’t losing her mind.

  “In a way,” Chadsworth said, glancing at his partner before walking out the room.

  Tatum felt more confused than before. How could someone see someone ‘in a way’? Either you saw them or you didn’t. Before she could say anything, however, her mother sat on the bed next to her and pulled her into a loving hug.

  “I am so sorry I didn’t believe you, Tatum,” she said, rubbing her daughter’s back. “I should have known you weren’t making it up.”

  Tatum nodded dully. “Did they say how …” she paused, breathing deeply, “… how she died? Did she suffer?”

  Luell shook her head. “They didn’t give any information, only that it was in her room and it was definitely murder.”

  Tatum wanted to tell her mother that she had searched her friend's room, her closet, her bathroom, and had even looked under her friend's bed, but there was no sign of anyone else being there.

  “That’s two people.”

  “Two people, what, sweetie?” Luell asked.

  Tatum put her feet on her bed and hugged her knees. “Two people who have been murdered.”

  Luell bit her lip. “We live in a horrible world with horrible people that do horrible things. Not everyone is bad, but we should always look out for danger. It’s why I worry so much about your sister.”

  She wasn’t really listening to what her mother said; her mother didn’t understand. She blamed herself for Jacqui because she had seen the skeleton girl and hadn’t been able to save her friend.

  The cemetery was cold and unfeeling, even without the wind howling between the trees, and cracking tombstones. Clouds made the sky appear as a dark grey carpet and matched the mood of the large crowd standing around the grave. They had been here not so long ago to bury Roger, and now they were back to bury Jacqui. It was mostly the same crowd, as they had shared so many friends at school; the only difference was the family. Jacqui had a smaller family, but the crowd of people still felt immense.