Stalk You Later

by Amanda Lawrence Auverigne

  "What do you mean all of the others?"

  "He was smart. With his hunting. He knew he'd get caught if he went through the entire Westlake High student body. So he hunted out of state mostly. He set up a lot of accounts on social networking sites. He got women to fall for him and then when he got hungry enough. He would travel to them and. Well you know."

  "How many have there been?"

  "Hard to say. I'm still studying his hard drive."

  "You have his hard drive?"

  "Yes. And most of his inheritance. What? Don't judge me. You know he killed his stepmother right?"

  Alison put her hands over her ears. "I don't want to hear anymore about his crimes." She dropped her hands and looked at the ground. "I'm just glad he's dead."

  "And what about you?" Steven asked.

  Alison looked at Steven. "What do you mean? What about me?"

  "Are you going to wander around forever?" Steven asked.

  "Well since he's dead I guess I'm at peace. I am peaceful," Alison said with a nod.

  "Liar," Steven said. He grabbed his shovel and walked away.

  "Steven!" Alison called.

  Steven did not respond or turn around. He left the graveyard.

  Alison sighed.

  11

  Alison was laying on a table.

  She was cold.

  And her chest hurt.

  Everything was bright.

  And she was breathing.

  "Whoah there. Everything is fine."

  Alison blinked. And she opened her eyes.

  Steven was leaning over her. He was smiling.

  "I knew it would work," Steven said.

  "Steven. What's going on?" Alison asked. She sat up.

  And the world around her started to spin.

  "Oh," Allison said. "My head hurts."

  Steven grabbed her shoulder. "Now take it easy. You have to slow down."

  Alison looked at Steven's hand. Then she looked at him. "Wait. You can touch me?"

  Steven smiled and said, "Yes. And you can touch me too." He grabbed her hand and pressed it against his face.

  "Your face is so warm and..." Alison pulled her hand from Steven's face. She looked down.

  She was wearing a sheet.

  Thick black threads had been stitched onto her chest.

  Alison reached for the threads. "What is this?"

  Steven grabbed her hand. "Don't touch them. We don't want them to rupture. It took a long time for me to get it right."

  Alison looked up at Steven. "Get what right?"

  "Your heart transplant of course," Steven said.

  "What!" Alison shouted.

  "In order to bring you back you needed all of your organs. And don't fret. I didn't kill anyone for your heart. It's from a donor. A real live organ donor. And it fits you perfectly," Steven said.

  "What are you talking about? Bring me back? I'm dead! I'm dead!" Alison said.

  "Not anymore. I brought you back," Steven said.

  A familiar voice rang out in the dark.

  "No. We brought you back," Edwina said.

  Edwina appeared at Alison's side. She was holding a large silver bowl and a ladle.

  "Edwina," Alison said.

  "Yes it's me. Now how are you feeling? That last spell was a doozy but it worked," Edwina said.

  "Yeah it did," Steven said. "When you said your family could do magic you weren't kidding."

  "Well its secret but you know we can," Edwina said.

  "What's going on!" Alison said.

  "Welcome to your new life Alison. You're back. And you're here for good," Steven said.

  "Yes. You have your life back," Edwina said.

  "What have you done?" Alison asked.

  "You were never going to rest in the state that you were in. And at least this way you get a second chance," Steven said.

  "But I don't want to end up like Mitch," Alison said.

  "You won't. You're not a murderer and your...condition isn't like his at all," Edwina said.

  "But..." Alison began.

  Her stomach rumbled and she grabbed it.

  "I'm so hungry," Alison said. "I won't have to kill people for their hearts will I?"

  "Don't be silly," Edwina said. "You don't' have to eat hearts to keep going. Just this. Here eat it up."

  Edwina moved closer to Alison. She dipped the ladle into the silver bowl and scooped some pink stuff onto the spoon.

  "Here have some brains," Edwina said. "Fresh from the morgue and they're so good for you."

  "And the good news is. The brains don't have to be from people who love you," Steven said. "They don't even have to be human."

  "No they don't," Edwina said.

  Alison looked at the brains. She ate them. "Yum."

  She took the bowl and devoured it. "This is really good. Thanks guys."

  Edwina and Steven smiled.

  "You're welcome," Steven said.

  "Its good Allie," Edwina said. "We're just glad to have you back."

  Allie licked the bowl clean. And when she looked up at Edwina and Steven her eyes glowed yellow.

  "I'm happy to be back guys. So very happy," Alison said.

  The Lonesome Teddy Bear

  1

  Darren entered Sally's bedroom. He slammed the old brown teddy bear onto the edge of her desk.

  Sally stopped typing and she coughed as a flood of dust rose up from the stuffed animal and filled the air. She pushed her wheeled chair away from her desk. She turned away from her computer screen and coughed violently.

  "Hey Sally," Darren said. He grabbed his shirt and pulled the hem of the garment atop his mouth and nose with his left hand while he patted the dusty old teddy with his right hand. "Look what I found."

  Sally coughed a few more times before she rose from her seat. She staggered across the room and stopped in front of the window. She unlocked the partition and raised it up before thrusting her head outside of the glass. She took a deep gulp of air.

  Darren waved his right hand near his face and he cleared the remnants of dust from in front of him before he yanked his shirt from his face. He walked over to his younger sister.

  "You okay sis?" Darren asked.

  Sally pulled her head back inside. She cleared her throat and spun on her heel. She glared at her brother. Her eyes were red and her nose was running.

  "I'm fine Darren. Except for my hay fever. And that dusty thing you brought into my room. You know I'm allergic to dust mites so get that thing out of here!" Sally said. She pointed at the bear and sneezed.

  "Sheesh. You don't have to be so snotty about it," Darren said. He pointed at Sally's nose and chuckled. "Snotty get it?"

  "Get that thing out of here! Its ugly and I don't want it!" Sally shouted.

  Sally sneezed several times. She pushed Darren from her path and went to her desk. She glared at the teddy bear as she snatched a few tissues from a box on her desk.

  Darren followed his sister. "Now don't be like that. I found this in the attic. I think it belonged to our Great Grandmother or something. Anyway it's a bonafide antique." He stopped in front of the desk and nodded at the bear. "Its kind of like part of our family."

  "Get that thing out of here or I'll throw it away!" Sally shouted.

  Darren looked at Sally with an expression of shock. "You really would not do that to a part of our family history would you? I mean. Just look at it." He turned to the bear. "This thing is almost a hundred years old. Do you have any idea of the things that its seen? The convos that its heard? All of the secrets? Plus the fact that I can totally get some cash for it if I post it to eBid."

  Sally balled up the handful of snot-covered tissues in her hand. She tossed them on the desk and moved to the bear. She picked it up and threw it out of the opened bedroom door.

  The bear soared across the room and it flew through the door. It flew a few more feet before it slammed into the wall and fell to the floor with a loud thump.

  Loud clattering noises accompanied
its fall and its glass eyes popped from its face and landed on the floor near it.

  "Damn!" Darren said with a whistle. He turned to Sally. "You got some arm on you. You really should go out for football someday sis."

  "Just get out of here!" Sally cried. She sniffed, sneezed and grabbed another tissue.

  Darren turned from Sally and he looked at the bear. He sighed and left the room.

  Sally threw the wet tissues into the garbage and she grabbed a canister of anti-bacterial wipes from her desk. She popped open the can and pulled out a handful of wipes. She moved to the dusty portion of her desk where the bear had once sat. She wiped the area furiously before tossing the dirty cloths into the trash can near her desk.

  Darren stopped in the hall and he kneeled next to the bear. He looked at the fallen thing before he picked up the two black glass eyeballs.

  "Man sis," Darren said. He shook the eyeballs in his hand before he grabbed the bear. He looked at the stuffed animal's face. "You really mangled this thing." He turned around and looked at Sally.

  Sally was wiping her desk, keyboard, computer screen and seat with the cloths. She blinked several times and sniffed as she did her work.

  "You really mangled this thing," Darren repeated.. He rose up and held the bear out in front of him. He moved to Sally's bedroom door.

  Sally threw the soiled cloths away and she snatched several more from the can of wipes. She glared at her brother as she wiped her chair.

  "And to think that I was going to cut you into some of the profits," Darren said.

  Sally stopped wiping and she stomped across the room. She sneered at her older brother before she slammed the door in his face.

  "Ouch my dose!" Darren cried.

  "Serves you right for making my allergies flare up! And I'm telling Mom and Dad you were foraging in the attic again when they get home!" Sally shouted. She sneezed.

  "Don't tell them anything because I didn't do anything," Darren said.

  "Get that thing away from me and get away from my room!" Sally shouted. She coughed.

  "And the next time you want me to drive you to the mall the answer will be..." Darren said.

  "There won't be a next time you dope!" Sally shouted. She coughed, "I'm going to get my license tomorrow remember? So I don't need you to drive me anywhere!"

  "You're really not going to tell Mom and Dad about this are you?" Darren asked.

  "Get away from my door!"

  "I'm going to put it back you know. Well after I sew his eyes on."

  "Leave me alone Darren! I'm telling Mom and Dad!"

  "You are such a tattle tale. But seriously. I think I need help sewing his eyes on. You can sew right? Could you help your brother out?"

  Sally opened the door.

  Darren was standing in front of her. He was cradling the bear in his left hand and holding the two glass eyes in his right hand. He looked at Sally with a pleading expression.

  "Please? I helped you out that time you came home totally blasted from that party in the woods that you were not supposed to go to," Darren said quickly.

  Sally made a face and said, "Wrong! I helped you when YOU went to that party and came home drunk! Get your facts straight!"

  "Okay okay. Just help me out. If Mom finds out that YOU totally trashed this heirloom then we'll both be in for it. After all. You were the one who like threw it and broke it."

  "You never should have brought that dust magnet into my room!"

  "Okay Okay I get it. Just help me out okay? Here are the eyes."

  Darren moved closer to Sally and he thrust the eyes towards her.

  Sally looked at Darren's hand. She saw the two black shiny eyes and made a face. "Ugh. Those things look creepy as hell."

  "Come on Sally. You have to help me fix this old teddy dude's face before Mom comes home..." Darren pleaded.

  The sound of a slamming door and their mother's voice floated from downstairs.

  "Sally! Darren! I'm home. Darren come down here. I need your help putting these groceries away. I just came from the Warehouse Mart and I got loads of stuff!"

  Sally and Darren looked at each other in a panic.

  "Aw man! Mom is here!" Darren cried.

  Sally moved closer to Darren and she shoved the glass eyes into his left hand. "Put that thing in the attic right now!"

  "Without its eyes?" Darren cried.

  "Its not like he needs them to see! And besides Mom and Dad don't go foraging in the attic like you. So it's not like you'll get busted for this!" Sally said.

  "Kids come down here right now!" their Mother shouted.

  Sally and Darren both turned to the stairs. The siblings spoke in unison.

  "Okay Mom!" Sally and Darren shouted.

  Sally looked at Darren. She shook her head and said, "Look just put that thing back okay? No one will know."

  "But what about the eyes?" Darren asked.

  "Why are you so worried about that thing's eyes?" Sally shouted. She pushed Darren from her path and entered the hall. "Its not like it can see. Just put it back and hurry up and come downstairs to help Mom. I'll cover for you." She turned from her brother and rushed to the stairs.

  Darren looked at the teddy bear and the eyes in his hand. "I know what to do." He turned and rushed to his room.

  Sally stopped rushing down the stairs in the middle of the flight. She grabbed the banister, turned around and looked up at her departing brother.

  "Darren what are you doing? Go to the attic and put that thing back!" Sally shouted.

  Darren rushed inside his room. "I got a plan!"

  "Whatever," Sally said. She turned around and rushed down the remaining steps. She entered the living room and saw that the front door was open.

  Her Mother was in the doorway. She was carrying five large cloth grocery bags and walking clumsily inside of the house. She saw Sally. She smiled and said, "Sally good you're here. There's three four gallon jars of mayonnaise in the car. Could you be a dear and get them? Oh and where's your brother? There's eight cases of bottled water and five cases of soda in there. He can bring those in."

  "You brought all of that stuff?" Sally asked.

  Her Mother nodded as she walked across the living room. She entered the kitchen. "Winter is coming and we have to stock up. You never know. We could be snowed in again this year."

  "Mom. Its August," Sally said with a shake of her head.

  Her Mother's voice floated from the kitchen that was accompanied by the sound of loud thumps. "Its never too early to plan! Now hurry up and bring in those mayonnaises. Oh! And bring in that case of canned veggies too? Thanks! I'll be right out to help you."

  "Okay Mom," Sally said. She turned around and walked out of the door. She went to the car that sat in the driveway.

  The trunk and rear doors of the large car were all open.

  Sally moved to the trunk. She frowned when she saw six huge jars of mayonnaise. And she smiled when she saw four big boxes of her favorite cookies.

  "Yay Mommy," Sally said. She looked at the mayo and grabbed the boxes of cookies. She turned around and screamed when she saw her brother standing behind her.

  Darren's face was red and he was holding his hands out in front of him.

  "Darren what's wrong with you? Get a case of pop and bring it in," Sally said.

  "Uh I had a little mishap?" Darren said. He raised his hands.

  Sally looked at Darren's hands.

  His hands were coated with a shiny white substance. His fingers were fused together with the white stuff. And the two black shiny glass teddy bear eyes were stuck to the index and middle finger of his left hand.

  Sally almost dropped the boxes of cookies in her grasp when she saw her brother's hands.

  "What the heck did you do?" Sally demanded.

  "I uh used some superglue and tried to like put the bear's eyes back on. And you see what happened. I glued my fingers together. And the eyes are on my fingers. See?" Darren said. He shoved his hand at Sally.

  Sa
lly used one of the cookie boxes and she slapped Darren's hand. "Get that away from me! And why in the hell did you use superglue? I thought you were going to sew them on!"

  "I couldn't. I mean if I could I didn't know how and now I'm in big trouble. This stuff won't wash off and I don't want to walk around with eyes on my hands so uh can you help me out?" Darren asked quickly.

  "You can't wash Superglue off. You have to use acetone."

  "What?"

  "This coming from a guy who wants to be a doctor!"

  "What does somebody's butt have to do with Superglue?"

  "Darren! Nail polish remover! Get some nail polish remover and use it to get the glue and those creepy eyes off of your hands now!"

  "Acetone. Oh yeah. Right. I'll get right on it."

  Darren turned around and he rushed to the house. He stopped when he saw his mother step from the opened door. He hid his hands behind his back and moved close to his mother. He kissed her cheek, said, "Hey Mom!" and rushed into the house.

  "Darren come back and help with the groceries!" their Mother said.

  Darren's voice floated from the house. "I'll be back Mom I just need to get something to drink! I'm real thirsty!"

  Their Mother shook her head and she turned from the house. She walked to the car. "That boy is so lazy!"

  Sally turned around. She tossed the cookie boxes into the trunk and grabbed two large jars of mayo. She turned around and walked to the house. She smiled at her mother as she passed her. "Yeah he is lazy. I'll be back to get the other stuff Mom."

  "Thanks dear," her Mother said. She continued her walk to the car. "Its good that I can count on you."

  Sally turned around and she entered the house. She held the large jars against her bosom as she walked through the living room. She entered the kitchen and moved to the table in the middle of the room. She looked around.

  The countertops, the sink and the table were filled with groceries.

  There were also cases of canned goods on the floor.

  Sally moved through the kitchen carefully and she stopped at a countertop. She placed the jars of mayo onto the counter and left the kitchen. She entered the living room and heard footsteps from the staircase. She looked up and saw Darren running down the steps. He was looking grim and wiping his red hands with a wet tissue.