by Willow Rose
I looked up the latest death, Hanne Carlsen. Her autopsy report concluded—not surprisingly—that she had water in her lungs and in her stomach, indicating death by drowning. The water had caused loss of consciousness due to hypoxia and was followed by cardiac arrest. The report stated she was found on the floor of the restroom, in the middle of the room, far from any outlets containing water. It had to be a result of submersion injuries, was the conclusion. I looked it up and found it was also known as secondary drowning.
According to an article I found, secondary drowning happened when a little bit of water got into the lungs of a person and caused inflammation or swelling, making it difficult or impossible for the body to transfer oxygen to carbon dioxide. With secondary drowning, there could be a delay of up to twenty-four hours before the person showed signs of distress.
"So, that's their theory, huh?" I said out loud to myself. "That she somehow was exposed to water somewhere else, then walked into the toilet at her work and died there on the floor."
I leaned back in the couch with a deep sigh, wondering about all this. Could they be right? Could someone have tried to drown Hanne but not succeeded? Could the same thing have happened to Ann Mortensen and Sven Thomsen? But what about the puddles? There were puddles on the floor next to Sven Thomsen and Ann Mortensen. Puddles with that strange water in them. Water that, according to Brian Mortensen, contained human DNA.
I sighed. It was all a little too far-fetched. I closed the lid of the computer and looked at the kids while sipping my coffee, wondering about Daniel. If he knew Skye, did that mean that she was originally from the island?
There was a knock on the door, and I hurried out. Outside stood Daniel's mother, and I realized the hour had passed.
"They're in the yard," I said and let her in.
We walked to the living room, and I turned to look at her. "Say…Daniel, how long has he been at Fishy Pines?"
She exhaled. "He's been there since he started school. Used to be there full-time, but now he only goes for the classes. We knew something was off with him from when he was just a young baby."
"So, he knows all the children who have gone there, I assume?" I asked.
"Yes. That place has been like a second home to him for as long as I can remember," she said.
I opened the door to the yard and glanced at the woman next to me. "That's wonderful. It'll be good for Victor to know someone like Daniel then. Someone who's familiar with how things work there. You know since he's so new."
"Yes, of course."
We stepped out on the back porch. I shuddered in the cold, then waved at the kids.
"Victor. Daniel's mom is here."
Daniel spotted her and rose to his feet. He gave Skye a hug, then ran toward us.
"Say…who is that girl?" his mother said.
"You know her?" I asked. "How so?"
"I don't know," the mother said. "What's her name?"
I suddenly had a strange sensation inside of me and realized I wasn't sure I wanted people to know about Skye being in my house. What if they took her away from me? It would devastate Victor. What if they hurt her?
"Skye," I said. "She's visiting from out of town. Distant relatives."
"Oh, really?" the mother said.
"Yes," I said, suddenly eager to get them out of my house. I liked the boy, I really did, but the mother and the way she stared at Skye suddenly gave me the creeps.
"All right then, Daniel," she said. "We better be off. What do we say to Mrs. Frost?"
"Thank you, Mrs. Frost," Daniel said, sounding like a little robot.
I smiled and pulled the boy into a hug, enjoying the fact that he didn't mind or start screaming like my own son.
"Call me Emma," I said. "And promise me you'll come again soon, you hear me?"
He nodded with another of his adorable smiles. For a second, I wondered what he was even doing at Fishy Pines. He seemed so normal and nothing like Victor. But then again, there were many things kids could have to deal with these days and not all of them were obvious.
"Thank you, Emma," the mother said and shook my hand before they left. As I watched them get into her minivan in my driveway, Skye came up to me and stood beside me. She stared at the woman as she got into her car, then stuck out her tongue at her.
That made me laugh.
46
"I can't believe you're going with Alex to Thomas K's party. You're going to be the talk of the town; you do realize that, right?"
Maya looked at Christina. They were both standing in front of her open closet, looking at her clothes. Maya had called her and asked her to come over and help her pick out something to wear. Maya had absolutely no idea about fashion or what boys liked.
"You need to look absolutely amazing. If you're to be the couple that everyone envies, we can't have him outshine you. He is so handsome that you have to look even better, so people won't wonder why on earth he is into you. This is important, you hear me?"
Maya nodded, even though she thought it sounded silly. It wasn't like she cared that much what people thought. She liked Alex, and he wanted to take her to the party. That was all there was to it. Still, Christina insisted that this was their first appearance together and that held great significance, so it had to be just perfect. Maya was about to regret her decision even to go when Christina pulled out a dress from the closet.
"There's always the little black one. You can never go wrong with a black dress. Black is timeless and slimming."
"But isn't it a little boring?" Maya asked.
"It's classy."
Maya sighed and looked at her old dress. "It used to be my mom's," she said. "She gave it to me when she went through her stuff a few years ago and realized she could no longer fit into most of it."
"I think you should wear it," Christina said. "Alex will love it. Try it on."
Maya took the dress and put it on. She looked at herself in the full-sized mirror, then turned a few times to see it from all sides.
"I don't know…" she said.
"It's perfect," Christina decided. "We'll put your hair up in a bun. It will look gorgeous with your blonde hair as a contrast to the black dress."
"I look kind of pale."
"That's because you are pale," Christina said. "But that's part of your beauty. Like a fragile flower."
Maya chuckled. She had never seen herself as being fragile or even flowerlike.
"I have some earrings you can borrow," Christina said. "And some heels."
"I don't want to be too dressed up," Maya said. "What if the others come wearing jeans?"
"Then you'll be the prettiest of them all, won't you?" Christina said.
Maya smiled nervously. She never really liked going to parties and was only doing this to be with Alex. She hadn't been able to think about anything else since that kiss they had almost shared in her kitchen. It was driving her crazy. She had never felt this way about anyone before.
"Come on; let's put some make-up on that face, shall we?" Christina said.
Maya sighed and did as she told her to, then closed her eyes. While Christina painted her eyes and made her look everything but herself, she wondered what she expected to get out of this night. She didn't have to think about it hard or long. She knew exactly what she dreamt and hoped for.
A kiss. A real kiss this time. Not a forced one or one that only almost happened. A real one.
47
I had just sent Maya off to a party with her new boyfriend. Alex picked her up at our house, while her friend Christina took off, riding her bike through the snow back to her own house. Right after they had all left, Morten came over, a tired look on his face.
I kissed him and closed the door behind him. "I have chicken in the oven."
I wondered for a second if I should tell him what had happened today, that I believed Daniel knew Skye and that she somehow was connected to Fishy Pines, but then decided against it. I didn't want to get into an argument. Morten would only try and persuade me to go to
the authorities with the girl as he had tried so many times before. For once, we had a night ahead of us, just us, and I wanted it to be about that and nothing else.
"That's the most romantic thing anyone has said to me all day," he chuckled and took off his thick coat.
I grimaced and ran into the kitchen to check on the chicken. It smelled heavenly but wasn't quite done yet. Morten came out, and I poured him a glass of wine. He took it, then put it down. He grabbed me by the shoulders and pulled me into a long, deep kiss. I closed my eyes and enjoyed it, tasting him.
"Wow. What was that for?" I asked when his lips left mine.
He looked into my eyes. "Not for anything. I just wanted to kiss you; that's all."
He let go of me and grabbed his glass of wine. He took a big sip. I could hear him swallow.
"Well, it was nice," I said and grabbed my own glass and clinked it against his.
"So, are your parents eating with us tonight?" he asked.
I shook my head and sipped my wine. "Nope. Just gonna be the two of us. And Vic and Skye, of course."
"That's nice," he said.
"So, how was your day?" I asked and began making the sauce. "Any more deaths among workers from Omicon?"
"Very funny," he said.
"You still think it's a coincidence?"
He shrugged. "Not really my job to figure out, is it? I'll let the detectives from the mainland do that part."
"So, what have they found out so far?" I asked.
"You know I can't tell you that. Besides, if I know you right, you’ve already read the latest report, haven't you? Actually, don't tell me. I don't want to know. If you break the law, keep it to yourself, please."
I smiled while stirring the sauce. "What do they do at Omicon anyway?" I asked.
Morten shrugged. "Something with diabetes, I heard. Finding new ways to treat it, or…I don't know."
"I can't seem to find out much on the Internet. They keep it very quiet," I said.
"Well, I guess that kind of research can be worth a lot of money. You know how the medical industry is. They can't risk someone else stealing their research."
I nodded as the oven dinged. I opened it and took out the chicken. Morten's face lit up when he saw it. Chicken was one of his favorite dishes.
"Looks really good, Emma," he said as I placed it on the table. He glanced briefly at his watch.
"You in a hurry?" I asked.
He shook his head. "No. No. It's just…"
He paused, and I felt my heart drop. I had a feeling I knew what would come next.
"Just what, Morten?"
He sighed. "Well…I kind of…I promised Jytte I'd watch a movie with her tonight.”
I dropped the spoon in my hand. "You did what?"
Morten sighed and put his glass down. "I knew you'd be mad. Emma…Don't be angry, please…she needs me."
"She needs you? Again? What, she needs you every night now? I thought you were spending the night here? I thought we would spend the morning in bed together tomorrow?"
"And I really want that, Emma. I really do…but it's just she…"
"She comes first. I get it," I said and took off my apron. "And I am always second. Always. It's never going to change, is it?"
"Emma…she needs me."
"She's nineteen, Morten. I don't think sleeping alone in the house for one night is going to kill her."
"I'm worried about her, Emma. I don't think she's well."
I shook my head with a scoff. "She's totally playing us out against one another. Don't you see it? She keeps doing this because she knows you can't say no to her. She knows she can manipulate you into choosing her. She never wanted us to be together. Don't you think I know that by now? She never accepted me in your life, and she will do anything to destroy what we have. And, worst of all, you're letting her; you're allowing her to come between us."
"Emma, that's not fair. She's not well…I’m telling you, she’s been…"
"You know what? Just go. Go home and be with her. But I can't keep doing this, Morten. If I can't be your number one at least every now and then, then…then I’m done."
"Don't say that, Emma. I can't…I won't…I love you, dammit."
Morten grabbed my arm and pulled me close. He looked into my eyes, and I felt like crying. I loved him so much too, but I just couldn't keep doing this. I couldn't keep hoping for things to get better.
"Don't leave me, Emma. I wouldn't be able to bear it." He spoke with deep desperation in his voice.
I sighed, then stroked his cheek gently with my hand. "Then don't leave tonight. Stay here with me."
Morten exhaled. He thought it over for a few seconds, then nodded. "All right. I'll stay. "
I smiled and leaned over and placed a kiss on his lips while whispering:
"Someone's about to get very lucky tonight. It'll be worth it; don't you worry."
48
Maria couldn't find rest in her own house. Seeing Hanne on the floor of that restroom two days earlier had stirred something up in her. Of course, it had. She had heard about Ann and Sven being found dead in their own homes but hadn't seen a connection between their deaths and chalked it up to mere coincidence. Strange, yes, but nothing but two freak deaths that happened to be two of her former co-workers.
But as she stared at Hanne on the floor and saw the puddle next to her, she knew this was no accident; this was no coincidence. This was her past coming back to haunt her.
Maria looked at her hands, holding them above the sink. The toilet was still buzzing from her flushing just a minute ago. Maria's hands were shaking as she turned on the faucet. She washed her hands so fast she barely touched the water before she turned it off again. She had placed a chair on top of the toilet to keep the lid closed when she wasn't using it and after the water had run down the drain in the sink, she closed it up, so nothing could come up through the sink.
Maria looked at her face in the mirror. She hadn't been sleeping much since they had found Hanne. She would lie awake at night, listening to the faucet dripping in the bathroom or the pipes banging, wondering if the monster would come for her next. But so far, she had managed to keep it out by plugging every drain and closing the lid on every toilet in the house. Her children believed she had lost her mind, but so be it. At least John wasn't home to see her like this. He had left on a business trip to California and wouldn't be home till next week. Hopefully, it would all be over by then. Hopefully.
Maria walked out of the bathroom, walking backward, keeping a close eye on all drains and faucets. Once outside, she closed the door quickly and rushed into her kitchen where she had stoppered all the drains as well.
"What's for dinner?" her son asked when she got out there. He was sitting by the table, drawing.
She stared at the boy, then forced a smile. "Spaghetti. Your favorite."
The boy didn't even look up or smile when she told him. He continued drawing. She wondered if she should ask him to sleep in her bedroom tonight. Just in case. The monster wouldn't touch her if he was there, would it?
But she knew he wouldn't do it. He was too old to be sleeping in her bed. Not that he ever did it before either. Not like his older brother, whom they could barely get out of their bedroom.
"You hungry now?" Maria asked.
The boy nodded, still without looking up.
"All right. I'll start."
Maria grabbed a pan and walked to the faucet and put her hand on the handle, then hesitated. She stood for a few seconds staring at it before she finally turned it on and filled the pot. Hurriedly, she closed it again, rushed to the stove, and started to boil the water. She stared for a long time at the water in the pot, waiting for it to boil, praying it wouldn't attack her. As the bubbles emerged from the bottom, she finally breathed normally once again. This was just normal water. Had it been the monster, it would have shown its face by now. It only survived in cold or lukewarm water. Burning hot water would have made it jump out. Maria knew that much about it. She knew a
lot about it, as a matter of fact.
Too much.
Maria walked to the fridge and pulled out some ground beef to make the sauce. As she turned her head back, she spotted her son standing by the sink, turning on the faucet. Water splashed down on top of his hands and ran into the drain. Maria's eyes grew big and fearful. She dropped the meat and ran toward him and turned the faucet off, pushing him aside in the process.
"Are you insane?" she panted.
"My fingers were dirty," he said. "From the marker."
Maria stared at him, then down at the water in the sink. She stuck her hand inside and unclogged it, so the water could disappear down the drain. Heart in her throat, she waited for it to disappear, constantly imagining a claw-like hand coming up from beneath it, grabbing her.
Once the water was finally out, she hurried and plugged the drain once again, finally able to breathe normally.
49
The atmosphere at dinner was a little tense. I don't think Victor and Skye even noticed since they pretty much stayed in their own little world and didn't communicate with the rest of us at all, but it was tense between Morten and me. He had called Jytte and told her he was staying, stating something came up. But Jytte wasn't stupid. She knew he was with me, she said, and then she had yelled at him angrily, to the point where I could hear her even if I stood at the other end of the kitchen.
It tortured Morten, and he wasn't really present as we ate the chicken and potatoes in cream sauce. He hardly said a word, and his mind seemed to drift off again and again. I wondered how that girl had gotten such a hold on her father at this age and when he would stand up to her and tell her it was time she let him live his life. He was allowed to date; he was allowed to have a girlfriend and have some fun in his life. She was old enough to take care of herself.