Twisted Little Things and Other Stories (17 page)

Victori
a

Part One

September 1
st
, 1963

“Victoria, meet Emma. I'm sure you two are going to get along just famously!”

Barely even daring to look at the other girl, Victoria remained behind her mother. The adults had been talking for a while now, ever since they'd all filed out of church, and she just wanted to go home. Now she just hoped she could be forgotten, so that she could silently follow her mother to the car as soon as all the discussion was over. Church was fine, she liked being at church, but the chatty time straight after was always excruciating.

“Don't be shy, Victoria,” her mother continued, reaching down and taking her hand before gently forcing her to step forward. “Sorry, Melanie, Victoria's just a little shy sometimes around new people. I'm sure she'll be fine.”

“Hello, Victoria,” said the other girl, who was a little taller than Victoria, maybe a year or two older.

Victoria flinched, seeing the smile on the other girl's lips and instantly feeling a sense of mistrust.

“Now Victoria,” her mother continued, crouching down and putting a hand on her shoulder, “I have a special job for you, okay? It's the kind of job that's only given to really good girls. Every Sunday after church, Emma goes back inside and cleans the silver. She gets a coin for doing it, and she also gets the satisfaction of knowing she's doing something to help out. I thought that maybe you're old enough now to join her, and help out too. Doesn't that sound like fun?”

Victoria stared at Emma for a moment, before turning to her mother and shaking her head. She did not, in fact, want to go with the other girl.

“Of course it sounds good,” her mother replied with a grin. “I'll be right outside, talking to people. It'd be healthy for you to meet some new people. You'll only need half an hour or so, it's just a light dusting really. But it could become a regular thing!”

Again, Victoria shook her head.

“We still haven't figured out who stole the silver cup a few months ago,” one of the other women said. “I keep checking eBay to see if it shows up, but so far there's no sign. Who'd do such an awful thing? I mean, stealing from a church...”

“Go with Emma,” Victoria's mother continued, “and she'll show you how to do the dusting. Okay, darling?”

“It's okay,” Emma said, smiling as she held a hand out toward Victoria. “It's really easy, and you'll feel good for doing something that helps other people. Let's go inside and have fun!”

***

“When the adults say we have to clean the silver,” Emma explained a few minutes later, once she and Victoria were alone inside the church, “they just mean wiping dust away. Someone else comes and cleans it properly every few months, with a special chemical.”

She spat on the candlestick and then rubbed some grime away with her thumb. As she did so, a curious grin spread across her face. When the grime refused to completely disappear, she leaned closer and licked the candlestick, before using the sleeve of her jacket to start scrubbing.

Hanging back, still not daring to go over to the table where the silver cups and candlesticks were displayed, Victoria could only think about how much she wanted to run back outside to her mother.

“What's wrong?” Emma asked with a glint in her eyes. “Are you scared?”

Victoria shook her head.

“Then come up here and grab a cloth, dummy,” Emma continued. “How old are you, anyway? Four? Five?”

“I'm twelve,” Victoria replied.

“Twelve? Seriously? Huh, you seem younger than that. I'm fourteen.”

Victoria swallowed hard.

“This job is really very easy,” Emma said, picking up one of the yellow cloths and holding it out for her. “You just wipe the dust away, and make sure to put everything back where you found it. I do it every Sunday and now people think I'm really good. Before this, Daddy was planning to send me away to a camp where they make you better, because he thought I was too naughty. Once time, I even overheard him telling Mom that I'm a bitch. But now he thinks I'm a good little angel, because I help out at the church. I'm not good, though. I just got better at pretending and lying and all that crap.”

“I want to go back outside,” Victoria murmured, worried that she might be about to burst into tears.

“You want to run back to Mummy?” Emma asked. “Like a little baby?”

Victoria shook her head, even though that was
exactly
what she wanted to do.

“Everyone's bad sometimes,” Emma continued. “It's just that some people are good at pretending they're not, and some people are really bad at pretending. Me, I'm a great pretender, and I can teach you too. Then you'll be able to get away with having a little fun.”

Again, Victoria shook her head.

“Come on,” Emma laughed, stepping closer. “You need toughening up!”

“No, I -”

Suddenly Emma slapped her hard on the back, hard enough to send her stumbling forward. Tripping on the step, Victoria tumbled down and landed on her right knee, scraping the skin. Gasping, she looked down and saw that a small sliver of flesh had been torn away, leaving a tiny glistening patch of blood.

“Whoops,” Emma muttered. “I didn't know you'd topple so easily.”

There wasn't much pain, but Victoria felt indignant and humiliated as she got to her feet. She wanted to go storming straight over to Emma and push her in return, push her much harder, but she knew she wouldn't be able to hold her own in a fight. Still, she was furious that she'd hurt her knee, and her mind was racing as she tried to think of a way to get revenge.

Emma stepped over to the table and looked down at the silver cups for a moment, before picking one up and holding it out for Victoria to see.

“I stole one of those a few weeks ago.”

Victoria's eyes widened with shock.

“Don't tell anyone,” Emma continued. “I didn't do it while I was cleaning them, that'd be stupid. They'd have figured it was me. I came back another time and took one of their precious cups, and do you know what I did with it? I took it to the river, I put stones inside, and I threw it into the water so it'd sink forever and never be found.” Her smile broadened. “Everyone got
so
upset, they're certain there's a thief around but they don't know who it is. I think Daddy suspected me for a minute, but he quickly decided I'm not to blame. Shows what that dumb asshole knows, huh?”

“You shouldn't steal things,” Victoria whispered.

“What was that?” Emma cupped a hand around her ear, while still grinning. “I didn't hear what you said, baby girl!”

“I said you shouldn't steal!”

“Why not?”

“Because it's wrong!”

“Says who?”

“Says Mummy!”

Emma laughed, and Victoria immediately took a step back.

“Look at this,” Emma continued, picking up a small silver spoon. “Why does everyone care about stuff like this, anyway? It's just a spoon. You can get spoons real cheap down at the store.”

“That one's made of silver,” Victoria pointed out.

“So?”

“So it's worth more.”

“Is it? Why's silver worth more than plastic?”

“It just is.”

“You don't wanna question that rule?”

“It just is!” Victoria said firmly.

Emma paused, before stepping past her and heading to the corner, where a metal grate covered a small drain.

“This spoon just fits in the gap,” she explained, crouching down and starting to slip the spoon through the grate. “Almost like they were designed for each other.”

“What are you doing?” Victoria asked, stepping closer.

“Can you imagine the fuss they'll all make when a silly little spoon vanishes?” Emma asked, unable to control her grin. “They'll be running around like headless chickens, panicking and searching for the thief. And all the while, the spoon'll still be here, right under their noses. Trust me, Victoria, the people who run this church are totally dumb, but I think they secretly
like
these little scandals. Gets their blood pumping, doesn't it? It's gonna be so hilarious watching them panic.”

“Don't do it,” Victoria replied, shaking her head. “Please -”

“Too late!”

With that, Emma let go of the spoon, allowing it to slip between the bars of the grate. A moment later, there was a distant clinking sound as the spoon landed.

“Whoops,” Emma continued, getting to her feet and wiping her hands together. “What a shame. Just remember not to tell anyone, okay? I'm trusting you big time here, Victoria, so don't go ratting me out.” She headed back to the table and grabbed a cloth. “Now are you gonna help me here, or not? We've got to wipe the rest of the silver, because everyone knows that dust is the worst thing in the world. It's probably, like, the Devil's dust! It probably falls off his back as he walks through the church at night! Which he totally does, by the way.”

Too shocked to say anything, Victoria simply stared at her.

“Well?” Emma asked. “Are you helping or not?”

She waited, but Victoria was too scared to even move.

“Your face is priceless,” Emma said with a laugh. “It's just a spoon, dummy. People around here should get a life.”

She began to dust the cups, but after a moment she glanced at Victoria again and saw that the younger girl was still frozen to the spot.

“Oh, come
on
,” Emma added, “get a grip. There are millions of spoons in the world. This is just funny, that's all! You need to learn how to laugh at stuff. I can teach you, but first you have to come help me with the rest of the silver. You're cool, right? Seriously, Victoria, be cool and come help me.”

Victoria took a step back.

“Alright,” Emma said with a sigh, “you're starting to bore me now. Just grab a goddamn rag and get to work. You
are
gonna help me, aren't you?”

She waited for a reply, but Emma's mind was racing and she barely even heard the question.

“Vicky? Hey, space cadet, are you gonna help me or not?”

No reply.

They stood in silence for a moment. Victoria simply stared up at Emma, and Emma – standing next to the altar – stared back down at Victoria.

“Or are you gonna rat me out?” Emma asked finally. “Is that it? Did I trust the wrong person?”

Victoria's mouth twitched slightly, but no words came out.

Emma waited.

“Well?” she continued finally, “
are
you gonna rat on me?”

Victoria took a deep breath.

“Because if you are,” Emma added, “you'd better get on with it. And you'd better do it good, 'cause if you're gonna really piss someone off like that, you might as well at least do the job properly. So what's it gonna be, Vicky. Are you or aren't you gonna tattle on me?”

She stepped down until she was right in front of Victoria. After staring at the younger girl for a moment, she leaned closer and smiled.

“Boo!”

Turning, Victoria began to run back along the aisle, ignoring Emma's calls until finally she burst out through the door and raced to her mother, who was talking to the priest.

“Victoria?” her mother asked. “What's wrong?”

“Emma stole a spoon!” Victoria stammered, her eyes with with shock as she tugged on her mother's dress. “She put it down the drain! She stole a silver spoon from the church!”

“What are you talking about?” her mother replied. “Victoria, you mustn't be -”

“She stole a spoon! She -”

Suddenly hearing a banging sound, Victoria turned just in time to see a green car crunching at slow speed against a tree. A moment later, the annoyed driver burst out of the car, ranting and complaining about something.

“Emma stole a spoon!” Victoria continued, looking back up at her mother. “A silver spoon! I'm not lying, Mommy! She said she stole a cup, too! I can prove it!”

As the adults began to discuss the matter, Victoria turned and saw Emma watching from the doorway.

“Emma!” an angry voice called out finally. “Get out here immediately and explain yourself!”

Part Two

August 11
th
, 1969

“Victoria, meet Daniel. I think you two might really hit it off!”

Shielding her eyes from the sun, Victoria turned and saw a handsome, well-groomed guy reaching out a hand.

“Hey,” he said with a smile. “Marsha's told me so much about you.”

“I'm... flattered, I guess,” Victoria replied, shaking the guy's hand before turning back to her friend. She wasn't quite sure what to say at the best of times, and especially not when a man was involved. “I didn't know Marsha was talking about me to people!”

“Relax,” Marsha said, grinning as she took another sip from her soda. “I just told Daniel that you're a cool girl, that's all. He was dating that awful Alice Simmons until last week, and then she broke up with him when Neil Corman invited her to the dance, and he was feeling down and he said he felt like there are no good girls out there, and I told him to wait until he meets you!”

“You did, huh?” Victoria stammered, trying not to blush. “Well, I -”

“Victoria's top of every class she's in,” Marsha continued, turning to Daniel. “She's also head of the athletics group, she takes night classes in cookery, and she's just about the smartest person I've ever met. She's also pretty, don't you think?”

Daniel smiled. “She sure is.”

“She needs to get rid of this fringe, though,” Marsha added, reaching over and moving some hair from across Victoria's face. “Bring her lovely face out more. Doesn't she have gorgeous eyes?”

“I think that's about enough,” Victoria demurred, turning away and quickly rearranging her fringe, before turning back to Daniel and seeing that his smile was even broader than before. Aware that she was most definitely blushing by now, she looked down at her hands, which were still resting in her lap.

“So there's a party tomorrow night,” Daniel said after a moment. “Out by the lake, nothing huge, just some cool people getting together. How about you two come along?”

“We'll be there!” Marsha said excitedly.

Victoria turned to her. “I really don't know whether I -”

“We'll
both
be there,” Marsha continued, putting an arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer, while still grinning at Daniel. “Don't worry, Victoria'll come to the party. Even if I have to tie a rope around her neck and drag her there!”

***

“This really isn't my kind of scene,” Victoria muttered the next evening, as she and Marsha made their way past the tree-line and saw a couple of dozen people sitting around a fire at the lake's edge. “Are they drinking alcohol? I don't know if -”

“Chill your britches,” Marsha replied airily, while looking down and taking a moment to adjust her sweater. “It's the sixties, honey, and we're young! Just because our parents only went to formal dances and all that junk, we don't have to be the same. Let's just live a little! And maybe try to show a little cleavage once in a while!”

“I told my mother I'd be studying!”

“So?”

“So if she finds out I'm not at your house, and I'm actually at a party, she'll get really mad! And disappointed!”

“Did you tell her
what
you'll be studying?”

“No, but -”

“See Daniel over there?”

Victoria looked toward the far end of the fire, and she immediately felt a shiver in her chest as she recognized Daniel's silhouette against the flames. He looked so handsome.

“Yes, but -”

“So go study
him
,” Marsha added, patting her hard on the back. “I know for a fact that he'd like to study you in return.”

“I'm not -”

Before she could finish, Victoria felt a heavy shove to the back, which sent her stumbling across the rocky ground until she managed to get her balance again. She was about to turn back to Marsha, when suddenly she realized that Daniel had noticed her, and she immediately felt an embarrassed smile cross her lips. Although she wanted to rush back to Marsha and cling to her all night, she saw that Daniel was already moving over to make room for her next to the fire, and she figured it would be rather rude not to at least go over and see how she was doing. And after all, her mother had always told her that it was wrong to be rude.

Besides, sitting next to a boy didn't necessarily mean doing anything else. Daniel was most likely a perfect gentleman.

“I'm really glad you could make it,” he said as she reached him. “I was saving some marshmallows just for you!”

As she sat next to Daniel, Victoria found that for once in her life small-talk was actually coming without much effort at all. He quickly made her laugh with a couple of comments about the party, and whereas she usually felt immensely uncomfortable in social situations, this time she somehow began to relax. Of course, it helped that Daniel seemed not to even notice any of the other people around the fire, and time quickly flew past as Victoria began to enjoy herself. And by the time Daniel placed his coat around her shoulders a few hours later, to keep her warm, Victoria had even started to feel a faint flutter of anticipation in her chest, and she was starting to think that perhaps Daniel might ask to meet her again some time.

Maybe they could go for a soda in town some time. Just the two of them.

“Hey!”

Suddenly she felt someone nudge her shoulder from behind. Turning away from Daniel, she frowned as a disheveled, messy-haired girl crouched next to her with a big grin.

“I
knew
it was you!” the girl said, nudging her again. “How are you doing, Victoria? Long time, huh?”

“I'm sorry,” Victoria stammered, “but I think you might -”

“Don't you recognize me?” The girl laughed, before kneeling between her and Daniel. “It's me! It's Emma! We only met once, back in the church a few years ago, but... Come on, I'd like to think I'm at least
slightly
memorable!”

“I'll give you guys some space,” Daniel said, getting to his feet.

“No, wait!” Victoria stammered, filled with a sudden sense of panic. “Can't we talk about -”

“I need to get some more things from my car anyway,” he added, taking a step back. “We can catch up later.”

Victoria watched in horror as he walked away, and then she turned to the girl. Just as she was about to tell her that she must be wrong, that they'd never met in their lives, she realized she
did
recognize her face.

“Emma?” she whispered, genuinely shocked.

“No kidding,” Emma replied, laughing as she quickly took Daniel's spot next to the fire. “I always wondered how you were doing. I guess, even though we only met that one time, you made a big impression on me! Please, for the love of God, don't tell me you don't remember! I would be
mortally
offended!”

“I do remember,” Victoria said, as she turned and saw that Daniel was already talking to several other people, including a couple of extremely pretty girl.

“Wow, the shit really hit the fan that day, huh?” Emma continued.

Victoria turned to her, shocked by such strong language.

“My father went mad!” Emma added, still smiling. “After he found out that I'd tossed that spoon, he shipped me off to this completely insane rehabilitation camp on the other side of the country! Like, boom, my feet didn't even touch the ground, know what I'm saying? I spent eight weeks getting all this treatment, and counseling, and... like...”

She paused, before a shudder seemed to pass through her body.

“Zapping...”

“Zapping?” Victoria replied. “I'm sorry, what...”

“Electro-shock,” Emma explained. “Electricity to the brain! They diagnosed all these crazy things that they thought were wrong with me, and my delightful father had told them to do whatever it took to set me straight, so they tried juicing me up to the nines and, like, blowing my goddamn brains out! Twice a week, Monday and Thursday mornings, they wheeled me in there and stuck a chunk of wood between my teeth, and then they zapped me!”

“That sounds awful,” Victoria stammered, “but I'm sure -”

“And all 'cause of that day in the church,” Emma added, before shaking her head as if she couldn't quite believe what had happened. “I suppose I should thank you, though. If you hadn't told everyone what I did, maybe I'd still be the same person I was back then. You really changed my life, do you know that? If I hadn't met you, Vicky, things sure would be different for me.”

“I'm sure I didn't have quite such a drastic effect,” Victoria replied. “After all, we only met once, and only for a few minutes. And it's Victoria, not Vicky, so -”

“And now here we are again, bumping into each other like this! It must be five, maybe six years since that day back at the church. Time really flies, huh?”

Victoria glanced over her shoulder and saw to her horror that Daniel was now talking to another girl.

“Anyway,” Emma continued, putting an arm around her shoulder, “I don't speak to my parents anymore. Dad was an asshole and Mom was just enabling him, so I cut that cord. It was dramatic and traumatic, but I've never felt better. Now I kick it out with some really cool and far-out people who see the world the way it was
meant
to be seen. Do you dig what I'm saying here, Vicky?”

Victoria turned to her. “Um, I don't know if -”

“I've been getting into some things that you wouldn't believe,” Emma added. “The straight world just goes along on rails, but there's all this other far-out shit that -”

“Watch your language, please!”

“Exactly!” Emma laughed. “You get it, Vicky! Really, you do! I've been turned on to all this stuff that's just, like, beyond the realm of the stiff mind's comprehension. That's the worst thing, having a stiff mind. You need to make your mind more...”

Her voice trailed off, as if she was searching for the right word.

“Floppy?” Victoria suggested finally.

“Kind of, yeah! The entire human race is on the verge of a new era of understanding. We're finally gonna figure out why we're here, and the world's gonna be divided into those who dig it, and those who get left behind. Trust me, you do
not
wanna be one of those last fools. You need to dig this shit.”

Victoria turned, but now there was no sign of Daniel at all. She looked all around, but it was as if he and the other girl had vanished into the night.

“Come on!”

Suddenly Emma grabbed her arm and got up, trying to make her follow.

“I'm gonna blow your mind, Vicky!”

“It's Victoria, and I think I'd rather -”

“Whatever. Don't live your life in a goddamn straitjacket, or you'll never really get a chance to open your thoughts to the cosmos! 'Cause the cosmos is waiting for you!”

“I'm not sure I want to open my -”

“Up you get!”

With that, Emma hauled Victoria up, leaving her with little option but to scramble to her feet.

“It's in the forest!”

“What is?” Victoria asked, but she was already being dragged away from the crowd and toward the darkness up ahead. “Where are we going?”

Tall pine trees loomed above the two girls as they made their way into the forest. Emma was dragging Victoria along, gripping her arm tight and offering no chance to hold back.

For her part, Victoria was barely able to keep up at all, and stumbled several times as her feet caught on tree roots. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the light of the campfire getting further and further away, and she felt the cold, humid forest air starting to chill her bones.

“Can you please tell me what all of this is about?” she stammered, turning back to Emma. “My shoes are -”

“Almost there!” Emma replied breathlessly, and from the sound of her voice it was clear she was having the time of her life. Laughing, she pulled Victoria toward a patch of moonlight, before finally stopping and staring wide-eyed at the trees ahead. It was as if she could see something, even though there was evidently nothing whatsoever to see.

“That hurt!” Victoria hissed, pulling her hand free and examining her wrist, expecting to find a bruise. “I don't know if this is your idea of fun, but I'd really rather -”

Before she could finish, she heard a faint rustling sound nearby. Turning, she looked toward the dark trees and waited, and a moment later the rustling sound returned. Somewhere out of sight, something was stirring.

And coming closer.

“Somebody's here,” she whispered, feeling a burst of fear in her chest. “We -”

“Damn straight,” Emma replied, her eyes wide with anticipation. “I want you to meet someone, Vicky. Someone who saved my life. Well, after
you
saved it, I mean. You set me on the path to meet this guy, and then he took hold of me and made me someone else. Between the pair of you, you're responsible for who I am today.”

“I'm really not sure that's true,” Victoria said, taking a step back as she heard the rustling sound getting even closer. “This might be fun for you, but -”