Callis Rose

by Mark Tufo

  Mrs. Denton had gone back to her excited conversation with her husband.

  “What did you just say, Mindy?” Callis asked with an edge.

  Mindy had been so intent on beating the girl down that she wasn’t a hundred percent sure what she had said that had brought about the sudden change in Callis’ demeanor.

  “We’re here, honey.” Mrs. Denton said, turning to look at Callis.

  Callis looked up. They were at the Lowries’ place.

  “Home sweet home,” Mindy mocked.

  Mrs. Denton was too elated to catch the slight.

  Callis turned and thanked the Dentons. “Anytime, honey,” Mr. Denton said smiling.

  “Get out of here,” Mindy mouthed silently.

  Callis watched as the car pulled away. Mindy was looking through the rear window. Callis looked up at the house and started walking down the sidewalk once the car was out of sight.

  It was thirty minutes and two miles later when she stopped in front of Laura’s house. She had no idea what she was going to do. It wasn’t like she could knock on the door. Laura would want absolutely nothing to do with her. It took another twenty minutes before an opportunity presented itself. The roadway was dark, and she was well hidden behind a copse of juniper trees when the front door to the McMahon’s household opened up.

  “No problem, Mom, I can get the trash,” Laura yelled back into the house.

  Callis watched as Laura stepped onto the front porch and fished a pack of cigarettes out of her pocket while constantly checking behind her. She then proceeded over towards the trash bins that were housed outside next to the detached two car garage. She tossed something into one of the cans and then went to the far side of the garage effectively hidden from her household with the fence hiding her from the neighbors.

  Callis saw the tell-tale sign of a lighter being lit as she stepped out from her hidden spot. She walked cautiously towards the garage. Keeping an eye on the house much like Laura had a few moments earlier.

  Laura nearly swallowed her cigarette when she heard someone round the corner; her fright was doubled when she realized it wasn’t one of her parents catching her smoking, but rather, Callis Rose. Laura looked behind her to the six foot privacy fence that stood between her and freedom.

  “You won’t make it,” Callis said as she stepped into the narrow way.

  “What...what do you want?” Laura asked, forcing her now palsied hand to her mouth so she could take a ragged inhalation of smoke. “Is...is this about the note? Because I swear to you, Callis, I had nothing to do with it.”

  Callis had no idea what note the girl was talking about, but she decided to play along figuring it would be easier this way if Laura gave everything willingly.

  “It was Talea’s idea to spread the rumors about me and Kevin. I...I mean I had a super crush on him, and he’d never asked me out, but I wouldn’t do that to someone else. You don’t understand, Callis, it was the only way I could get Mindy to like me again.”

  Now this was something Callis could not grasp. “Why would you want her to? She is singularly one of the most evil people I have ever met, and I’ve known a few.”

  “Please, Callis, don’t hurt me. I did nothing to Kevin, I swear it.”

  Callis’ anger flared. What had seemed a horrible accident now appeared to have more to it. “Tell me what you know, Laura.”

  “You...you don’t know? But what about the note?”

  “There is no note…now tell me what you know.”

  “Callis, I can’t, I can’t do it. Mindy will never let me hang out with her again.”

  “Then I guess I’ll be doing you a favor.” Callis stepped close. Laura struggled to move, but felt as if she was weighed down with an anchor. She watched as her hand holding the lighter moved up to face level, her thumb flicked over the flint and depressed the butane button it took three attempts before the flame took hold.

  “Callis, what are you doing?” Laura begged, her eyes riveted on the flame. The hand that had been holding the cigarette opened up, her fingers extended, her arm raised, and the palm of her hand began to move towards the flame. “Don’t!” Laura began to scream. Callis closed her throat, almost restricting it to the point where Laura’s airflow stopped.

  “Last chance,” Callis said as Laura’s hand inched closer. “Nothing to say?” Callis smiled.

  Black smoke rose up and above Laura’s hand as her skin began to burn. Tears poured down Laura’s face, a blackened flap of skin fell, nearly extinguishing the small flame and still her hand sizzled. Quarter-sized blisters began to form on her palm as Callis moved her arm around making sure to turn Laura’s hand into a useless burnt stump. Laura was close to blacking out; her eyes beginning to shut from the shock and pain. Callis finally let Laura’s thumb release the flame. She let go of Laura’s body. Laura fell back against the garage. Racking sobs made her body heave, the pain too intense, she couldn’t get enough air through her vocal chords to force a scream.

  “The smell is horrible. Can you imagine if I made you hold that lighter to your face? Mindy would definitely want nothing to do with you if you were ugly. You tell anyone – and I mean anyone – about this…and I’ll come back for your entire family. In fact I’ll make you pour the gas and strike the match. I’ll even make sure you’re standing there nice and pretty when the cops come. You’ll spend the rest of your life in jail for murdering your family. How horrible would that be?”

  “Why? Please stop.”

  “Why? You and your shitty little friends have taken the only thing in this world from me that made me happy since my parents died and you ask why? You privileged, spoiled little bitch! You do the bidding of a petty tyrant and then wonder about the repercussions.”

  Laura recoiled from the words.

  “Tell me what I want to know, or we’ll do round two…and you might not survive. Plus, the sooner you can get that hand treated, the better, I would suppose.”

  Laura fought through the blistering pain to tell Callis all she knew. It seemed that Mindy had filled the sails of fate just enough to get the ship moving in the direction she had wanted. The outcome may not have been the optimum desired, but that seemed to have affected her lightly if at all.

  “Laura, honey, what’s taking so long?” Mrs. McMahon shouted from the house. “Are you okay?” she asked with concern.

  Laura looked to Callis.

  “Better think up something good,” Callis told her. “If you even hint that someone else was here I will make you slice her up into pieces with a saw.”

  Laura was crying.

  “I’m going to give you the last words your ‘friend’ gave me. Get out of here.”

  Laura went screaming around the garage. “Mom I found a lighter and it blew up, I need to go to the hospital.” She was crying.

  “Oh, Laura, your flare for the...oh my God, I’ll get the keys! Trent, we have to go the hospital come on!” she yelled to her husband. The family was out of the driveway in under a minute leaving rubber in their wake.

  Callis was slightly sickened by what she had done, but there was also something else; a satisfaction, a sick sense of satisfaction. She was striking out against the enemy and she was not powerless. A flash of white exploded in Callis’ right eye. She was happy the stab of pain she was getting accustomed to didn’t follow it immediately. She wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not. ‘Pain meant you were alive.’ Callis whistled as she walked back home.

  “What do you mean you haven’t heard from her?”

  “I didn’t stutter, Mindy,” Talea said, sticking her middle finger up at her phone. “Her little brother answered and said that Laura and her folks went to the hospital. That’s all I know.” And it’s the third damn time I’ve told you.

  “The sooner we take care of this problem, the better. I can’t believe she’s not answering my texts.”

  “What if Callis already got to her, Mindy?”

  “Impossible, my folks dropped Callis off at her house. I saw her go in.
”

  “I can’t believe she made your brother move his legs.”

  “My folks were pretty jacked about it. I thought they were going to break out into song.”

  “And you’re sure it was Callis?”

  “You can’t be this dumb can you? He’s had specialists from around the country look at his file and not a one of them has offered so much as a glimmer of hope that my brother will ever walk again. And yet, a week after his injury, he’s somehow miraculously moving his leg. No, that’s entirely too coincidental. And when I grilled her about it, she looked pretty guilty.”

  “Mindy, is it possible she could help him? I mean…if she made it move once.”

  “This isn’t about Kevin!” Mindy nearly shrieked. “I don’t care if she could make the blind see! I want her out of my life!”

  “Mindy, this isn’t worth it,” Talea entreated. “Just because you feel threatened by this girl is no reason to kill her. Your brother is crippled and you may have had a part in it but this has gone on too far.”

  “Not far enough, Talea. My brother may not have gotten hurt if not for Callis. I wouldn’t have had to drug his tea in the first place. This all lies at her feet. She humiliated me in front of the entire school. I can’t just sit back and let that happen.”

  Talea wanted to tell Mindy that she had set the entire thing in motion, but it was useless. It was beyond her comprehension to accept blame. She was happy when her phone signaled someone else calling.

  “Mindy, Laura’s calling, I’ll call you back.” Talea hung up on her before Mindy could protest.

  “Where are you?” Laura’s slurred voice asked.

  “At my home, where are you? We’ve been trying to get a hold of you.”

  “Is Rindy rit you?”

  “Are you okay?” Talea asked. Laura was sounding like Talea’s grandmother after she had a stroke a couple of years previous.

  “Pain killers, strong ones, Callis came over. Hurt me bad.” Laura hushed.

  Talea was instantly scared, every imaginable threat had validity now; the boogey man in her closet, the insane clown with razor sharp teeth under her bed, or the girl with psychic abilities that hated her guts outside. She quickly ran across her room to shut the light off and look outside her window. She thought she saw a shadow retreat behind a car, but she couldn’t be sure.

  “What happened?”

  “She said she’d kill my family if I told anyone.”

  “Oh my God. What about me and Mindy?” She added Mindy in not because she cared but because she didn’t want to seem entirely selfish just asking about her own well-being.

  “She’s coming for you, too.” Laura slushed out. “I told her everything.”

  “How could you tell her!” Talea shouted at her friend.

  “She burned me! My skin was falling off my hand in burnt ribbons. I have some third degree burns and I might have nerve damage.”

  “My God, Laura! You didn’t tell your folks what happened?”

  “I can’t, Talea. She said she’d have me murder them all, and I believe her.”

  “I would, too,” Talea mumbled. “What the hell did Mindy write in that damn note?”

  “Callis said there wasn’t a note, Talea.”

  “What? Then how does she know anything?”

  “I don’t know, Talea. I’m just calling to warn you. I won’t be back in school for a while…if ever. I might ask my mom to be home schooled, I don’t want anything to do with any of you anymore. You, Callis…or the worst one of all – Mindy. I thought we were friends once upon a time, but I’ve never been more than a mud scraper for Mindy, and I think you liked me there only because I was a buffer between Mindy’s need to belittle others and you. So good luck, Talea, I’m going to smash this phone as soon as I hang up. I hope you get off easier than I did, but honestly I guess I don’t really give a shit.” Laura’s line clicked off.

  “Damn,” Talea muttered as she hit Mindy’s number on the speed dial.

  “What’d the idiot have to say?” were the first words out of Mindy’s mouth.

  “Callis went to see her,” Talea said, fishing.

  “Yeah…so. Are they buddies now?”

  “Mindy, Callis didn’t say anything about a note, but she hurt Laura pretty bad.”

  There was a long pause. “What did Laura say to Callis about me?”

  “And me?”

  “Of course,” Mindy said irritated.

  “Laura told her everything.”

  “Bitch, I knew she was unreliable. We should have never allowed her back in.”

  “Mindy, she says Callis burnt her.”

  “She still shouldn’t have given us up.”

  “What about the damn note? You’re the idiot that gave her all the information she needed.”

  “There was no note, Talea, I just had to make sure that you both were on my side so that we had reason to kill her.”

  “Are you kidding me? What’s wrong with you? Then how did Callis even know to go to Laura’s house and grill her?” She couldn’t help but smirk at her grim, unintentional pun.

  “How the hell would I know? Maybe she’s psychic, too.”

  “Mindy, I’m afraid.”

  “We need to do it tonight.”

  “I don’t think I can.”

  “It’s us or her, Talea. What do you think she’s going to do if she gets a hold of us? Grab a knife and come and pick me up.”

  “A knife? She’s never going to let us get close enough to use that.”

  “Just come get me, and be quiet. I’m going to sneak out so I have an alibi.”

  “What about mine?”

  “I’ll cover for you.”

  Talea knew that for the lie it was.

  Within ten minutes she was at Mindy’s house. Mindy ran across the lawn and into the car, closing the door softly.

  “Go before someone sees us,” Mindy urged. “Alright, go by Callis’ trailer and see if the lights are on.”

  “What are you thinking?” Talea asked, licking her lips.

  “I’m thinking about sawing through her neck, that’s what I’m thinking.”

  Talea gulped loudly and put her hand to her throat.

  “Talea, we have no choice.” Mindy looked to her friend. “She won’t listen to reason. Maybe at one time we could have apologized, but not now…not with her ‘soul mate’ (she rolled her eyes when she said it) lying in the hospital like a vegetable. Okay, okay stop here,” Mindy said as they pulled a couple of hundred feet up from Callis’ home.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Just shut your lights off, keep the car on. I’ll be right back, be ready to drive fast.” Mindy grabbed the knife out of the backseat.

  Talea’s mind was in overdrive. The dome light revealed a peaked reflection in the rear view mirror. She hardly recognized the etched look of worry upon her own features. As quick as the alien countenance was, it vanished as Mindy shut the door. She contemplated just driving away as far as she could; maybe the West Coast. She’d been told she had a great singing voice.

  Maybe she could get on American Idol. She’d always thought Ryan Seacrest was cute – maybe a little too old for her, but cute. And then, even if she didn’t win the competition, he could take care of her. She could live comfortably in her Hollywood mansion. Maybe they’d have a kid or two, some dogs. Oh, and a pool, how she wished she had a pool. She could hang out with Sara Underwood and maybe Johnny Depp – yeah she’d fit in great with them. Away from this madness, from a girl that could control people with her mind, that was more fantasy than anything she was dreaming up at the moment.

  She was dragged from her fabrication as the dome light once again came on. A bloodied and grin-bearing Mindy hopped in.

  “Go, dipshit, drive!”

  “What did you do!” Talea exclaimed as she threw the car into drive.

  As Mindy walked away from Talea’s car, she felt the heft of the knife in her hand. She experienced a nervous excitement as she caught the glint of
steel off a nearby street light. She wondered what the serrations would feel like as they plunged deep into Callis’ chest, and even more so about the removal.

  I should have worn gloves, she thought. Then I could have left the knife in, the last prints on it would have been Talea’s. Oh well.

  Mindy did not peer around. She walked up onto the stoop as if she owned it. She opened the rickety screen door and knocked softly, doubting seriously that she was heard above the din of the television blaring inside.

  “Who the hell could that be at this hour?” Mindy heard a woman’s voice who could only be Mrs. Lowrie. The television was not as loud as she had originally thought. The poor construction of the trailer let the sound out as easily as it did the heat.

  “Can I help you?” Mrs. Lowrie asked as she opened the door. Slightly taken aback that Mindy was already through the screen and closer than expected.

  “Yes, yes you can,” Mindy said as she shoved the knife to the hilt into the woman. Mrs. Lowrie’s blouse offered little resistance as the blade parted the fabric before puncturing her abdomen. The small layer of fat congealed around the blade as it went deeper, through the muscle wall, into the stomach and out the other side before colliding with her spine. The shockwave from the contact rattled through Mindy’s arm.

  Air blew from Mrs. Lowrie’s cheeks. A sledge hammer couldn’t have affected her any more. Shock and pain blinded her eyes as Mindy twisted the blade. She thrust down ripping through thin skin. Mindy pulled back on the blade, catching it on Mrs. Lowrie’s pelvic bone. She was starting to collapse in on herself and Mindy was in real danger of losing her grip on the knife. She reached and grabbed the bloodied handle with her left hand, tearing it free from Mrs. Lowrie’s body as the woman fell to the ground. She watched for a moment longer as the blood cascaded from the wound. Mindy was transfixed as deep crimson blood poured from Mrs. Lowrie’s body like a lava flow.

  “What’s going on?” Mr. Lowrie asked.

  Mindy could hear him getting up off his discount chain recliner. She looked one more time at Mrs. Lowrie; the light of life was rapidly dimming from her eyes before Mindy ran off. Power coursed through her. The power of taking life…it was a high she had never experienced before and she liked it.