There and Back Again

"are you sure you're ok?" Robin asked Myrtle. "you haven't said two words all day." Myrtle sighed and focused on her notes while at the lunch table with Robin and the rest of the school band. "I'm ok." Myrtle stated simply, but her voice lacked any personality Robin had become familiar with over the past year and a half.

"You haven't eaten anything...you can have my pudding if you'd like." Robin offered.

"I'm not much hungry, besides, we're going out to dinner tonight with a colleague of my dad's." Myrtle said quickly. For a moment Myrtle panicked, "I shouldn't have said that." she scolded herself in silence. "Oh well that's good, does that mean your dad's in a better mood?" Robin asked.

Myrtle shrugged, "I suppose so." she murmured. Robin gave a heavy sigh and Myrtle knew she'd given up for now. Distant laughter from across the room filled her ears, one of the more genuine laughs she'd heard other than Robin's. Myrtle found herself looking up trying to find the owner.

Her eyes searched the sea of faces until they fell on eyes she'd seen before. "It's the lurker!" Myrtle thought to herself in a gasp.

Eddie's eyes widened, it had happened again, "from across a forest of the people," Eddie thought, he tried to hold eye contact with Myrtle but she quickly glanced off. Eddie drummed the table with the palms of his hands as he grinned. Leaning towards Scott Eddie whispered, "it just happened again."

Scott arched a brow and glanced towards his friend, "what are you looking at-"

"oooooh!" Scott mouthed, "destiny." Scott said with a nod of approval. "you think?" Eddie asked, "what else? you want her to show up wearing a golden flower crown?" Scott asked. Jeff shook his head, "you two are crazy," he said slowly. "Look don't be made just because you need to read better literature." Scott scolded to which Jeff rolled his eyes, "wh-what are you reading?" Jeff asked, seeing Gareth with his nose pressed into a book. "Finrod no!" Gareth shouted standing from his seat with his palms slammed onto the table.

Eddie hid his face in his hands and groaned, "couldn't warn you about that one man, sorry." he sighed. "what the hell is that shit!" Gareth shouted. "is your voice..are- are you crying?" Jeff laughed. "n-no...shut up..." Gareth muttered quickly taking his seat and closing the book. "I don't want to read anymore...." he sulked.

"what the hecks going on over there?" Robin asked. Myrtle shook her head, but as she watched the odd group of friends carry on she found herself smiling. Tilting her head curiously before glancing at Robin, "you should try talking to more people...I mean I'm sure I'm great but, I won't get jealous if you make new friends, more friends." Robin whispered.

Myrtle looked at Robin and gave a small smile, "Nobody wants to be my friend Robin, honestly some days I'm surprised you do." she murmured. "Oh please, that's not true - you just....well," Robin trod carefully, "you just need to open yourself up to people is all." she said.

"How so?" Myrtle asked.

Robin shrugged, "I don't know, saying Hi helps. You know nothing changes we just get older and forget how it works. Teens are cruel, adults are cruel but Kids are cruel too, but when we're little it was no big deal finding friends, trusting people." Robin said. The word made Myrtle flinch "trust?" she murmured quietly.

"yeah....you see it's simple, it's just a question - will you be my friend. the worst anyone can do is say no." Robin said.

Myrtle lifted a brow "then how come you don't do it?" she asked. Robin smiled a bit, "I did, and now you're my friend." she said. Myrtle blinked a few times, "I guess you have a point." she muttered. "Only problem is....my dad's got to approve of all my friends." She sighed.

"He approves of me, how high can his standards be?" Robin snorted.

Myrtle chewed her bottom lip, "he uh....he thinks you want to be a doctor after high school." she said. Robin watched Myrtle with wide eyes, "he believes I look like doctor material?" she chuckled. Myrtle covered her mouth to stop the laugh.



School didn't last long enough, Myrtle stood in her bedroom watching the dress hanging on her bookshelf, "it's like it's mocking me." Myrtle thought, glaring at it. "it's both beautiful and the most hideous thing I've ever seen." she murmured.

"I feel the same about you dear." Myrtle's mother muttered sliding through the door. "Mom?" Myrtle asked quickly, wrapping her robe around herself tighter. "It's fine, your father sent me, to help you dress."

Myrtle could hear the sharp bitterness on her mother tongue as she was eyed up and down. Myrtle lowered her gaze, "I'm sorry." she said tightening her robe more. "I can get dressed in the closet..." Myrtle offered.

Her mother passed her the dress, "please do." was all she said. "yes, mother." Myrtle sighed, quickly retreating.

Mrs.McKinney gave a huff as she scanned over the items on Myrtle's dresser. There was little that showed any individuality. Contraception pills, study notes, a textbook and some unscented lotion, a few scrunchies. Which seemed normal enough, "what is this?" Mrs.McKinney said with a sour frown. Plucking a tiny bracelet off the dresser.

Myrtle exited the closet and exhaled, "it feels a little tight." she thought pulling at the hemline, "and a little short."

"Are you listening?" Mrs.McKinney snapped. Myrtle glanced up, stumbling backward, "w-where's you get that?" She asked her mother. "tone." Mrs.McKinney growled.

"Sorry." Myrtle said lowering her gaze again. "what is this?" her mother repeated. Gripping the end of her dress in each hand, Myrtle's arms started to tremble, "it was... it was from spirit day, the school band gave them out to Robin and they gave me an extra..." Myrtle said quickly.

"This doesn't look like a school bracelet." Mrs.McKinney pushed. "it's a golden chain," she said.

Myrtle shut her eyes tightly "It was from last year after the missing boy was found, to celebrate. I swear." she said. "We don't swear in this house," said Mrs.McKinney. "I think it's from a boy" she hummed a fox-like grin crossing her face. "you know your father has to approve of your dates."

"it's not from a boy." said Myrtle her voice barely above a whisper. "I mean it's from the school."

"what was that you wrote in that desperately sad little diary of yours? what was his name?" Mrs.McKinney sang mockingly. "You had an awful little doodle of him, what was his name?" she asked.

Myrtle side glance, "that was middle school, mom. Steve's got a girlfriend, Steve always has a girlfriend. we don't even talk it was just..." Myrtle gave a sigh "a crush."

Mrs.McKinney tossed the bracelet to the floor, "You a dull little girl, I was just having fun. You've not got the spine to be sneaky let alone pull anything than the loney overheated busters your father has you charm." she said.

Myrtle tried to calm her breathing as tears threatened to spring, "you dull little girl" her mother's words echoed in her head. "I'm sorry." was all Myrtle could muster. Her mother simpered and lit a cigarette.

"anyway come here, your father wants me to make up your face, ugly little thing you need all the help you can get." Mrs.Mckinney mumbled the cigarette dangling from her lips. As Myrtle walked closer to her, Mrs.McKinney spun Myrtle around and glared at her, pinching her chin between fingers donning long french tips. "Your father used to say I wowed a room in red." she hissed.

Myrtle stayed silent, refusing to make eye contact with her mother, cringing as the eyeliner pencil was drug roughly across her face. "now he dresses you in red and sends you away to the company dinners like I'm old and worn." her mother said bitterly.

"that's not true your be-"

"ow!" Myrtle gasped, a hand clamped over her eye. "oops, you really should stand still." Mrs.McKinney mused. Myrtle bit her lip tightly, drawing blood when her eyes fell on a little creature crawling up her mother's arm. " there's um...you've g-got uh..." Myrtle fumbled over her words. feeling a tickle on her exposed shoulder Mrs.McKinney glanced down.

Shrieking at the top of her lungs, "no don't!" Myrtle shouted as Mrs.McKinney swatted the bug off, her hand flew fast and before Myrtle knew it, she found herself on the floor, backhanded. "Did you want me to get bitten? did you know? how long has it been on me!" Mrs.McKinney shouted. "it's harmless." Myrtle whimpered. "It was a baby..." she added.

"A baby? of that god awful thing?" Her mother asked pointing to Shelob's tank. Myrtle got to her feet, "don't you cry you'll mess up everything" Her mother barked. Myrtle glared down at her feet, "No Shelob's got no babies...It came from a nest...in the ceiling." Myrtle sighed, "I've been, looking after it. The mother went away." she whispered.

Mrs.McKinney shook her head and took a long drag from her cigarette, "get out of my damn house before I put you and your creatures on the street." she huffed brushing off her clothes and storming out the room. Myrtle stood still waiting for her mother's footsteps to fade before getting down on the floor, "maybe she missed." Myrtle whispered carefully scanning the carpet.

"oh Shelly.....where'd she go?" Myrtle asked Shelob.

The lights in the some flickered faintly, "great, a problem with the electrical is going to put mom in a great mood." Myrtle thought looking at her lamp briefly. Turning her attention back to the floor, a smile sprung to her face. A little critter lingered on her hand, watching her. "no way." Myrtle exhaled, lifting her hand carefully to her eye level. "How'd you survive a swat like that?" she asked it.

Myrtle got to her feet slowly, letting her hand hover in the air she wandered to her bed, kicking off her heels she stood on top of it. "there you go." Myrtle said raising her hand up to the low popcorn ceiling. She stood and watched as the spider found the hole in the ceiling and scuttled inside. "at least someone is safe tonight." she thought, climbing off her bed and reluctantly retrieving her shoes, it was time.



"It's going to be ok, sweety. You're home now." a warm gentle voice fluttered through Myrtle's memory as she sat gazing up a block lined with large white houses, with wide lawns that all seemed to mimic each other. Every car in every driveway favored the one it neighbored down the silent lifeless street.

Myrtle tightly pinched her arm, "you cry you mess up the makeup, you mess up the night. stop it!" she barked at herself. Closing her eyes Myrtle walled off her mind, "it will go fast if you go with it." she whispered. "It's just a waking dream....so go to sleep," she said, moving the car forward to the address her father left her.

Parking the car, Myrtle's feet felt like lead as she walked up to the bright red door. Myrtle sighed, "it had to be red." she thought. Smoothing out her dress to stall for more time, Myrtle eyed the doorbell, "it will go quickly...it will go quickly." her mind droned, finger pressing against the doorbell.

At the loud toll, Myrtle took a few deep breaths.

"why hello, there you must be Myrtle. Gregory has had so much to say about you, come in come in." The elegant blonde woman offered her a flawless smile as she opened the door. "Thank you miss Ford." Myrtle said forcing a bright smile of her own. "Oh, dear. You can call me Norma, " said the Blonde allowing Myrtle to step inside the house.

Following Norma down a long entrance hall, Mrytle noticed the strange collection of artwork on the wall, if one could truly call it that. Black and photo's in pale wooden frames, "you have some lovely artwork, miss Norma." Myrtle said, she could feel Norma glancing back at her, but Myrtle couldn't rip her eyes away from the odd gallery. "artistic nude is an enchanting medium of study don't you think? raw humanity, captured in the individual view of the artist." Norma said with a pleased smile.

"mmhm, en-enchanting...." Myrtle struggled, thought all the paintings seemed to be of young women, of all the same figure, holding mundane objects in ways that made a cold chill run through Myrtle's body. "this will go fast." she told herself, following Norma through the house.

Myrtle was left baffled as she passed the dining room, her eyes lingering on the small empty table. "are we not having dinner?" she asked.

"Oh of course dear, Dinner is going to be served downstairs," Norma Hummed. "Jeremy just had the basement redone for business affairs, he's excited to show it off. It is a pity your father couldn't be here to see it." Norma said.

Down a short flight of steps, Myrtle followed Norma. The smell of pot roast filled her nose and part of her relaxed, "a roast dinner." Myrtle thought, "Jeremy, Gergory's daughter has arrived." Norma announced.

Myrtle stood behind Norma before a large room, it's walls were heavily ship-lapped and features plush carpeting. A long table stood as a centerpiece in the room, it was lined with wine glasses and delicate fruits.

But the centerpiece of the table itself sent Myrtle's heart tumbling down to her gut. " Welcome Myrtle," Jeremy nearly purred, eating a fruit from the belly of the girl on the table. Myrtle's lip trembled as she tried to hold back tears. Deep denim blue eyes looked clear through Myrtle, with the same amount of pitty Myrtle was sending to her.

"Your father tells me you struggle making friends, this is Amy," Jeremy said with an unfaltering grin. "A-amy? My da- er Father never mentioned you had a daughter?" Myrtle stammered. "Oh she's just a friend of the family, she likes to play body shots, would you like to try?" Jeremy asked.

"I..." Myrtle's words faded as Norma walked around her and held up a wine glass. "take sip you look parched dear." she lulled. "I don't want to." Myrtle's wind whispered, eyes still glued to the tears welling into Amy's eyes. Only now Amy wasn't looking at Myrtle at all, rather across the room.

Following the frightened girl's gaze, pass the small kitchen and bar to the far left of the room. On a long foldout table lay many items. A riding crop, clamps, a metal bat, as well as various scarves and boas. Myrtle held back the urge to scream, instead, she turned her eyes to the glass of wine. "Is it?" she asked, Norma smiled and nodded. Myrtle closed her eyes, taking the glass, Myrtle quickly downed it, "a waking dream...so sleep" she told herself.



Fading in and out, Myrtle could hear faint screaming and cursing. "wh-what's going on?" Myrtle slurred a hand trying to sit her up. "Can you walk?" a voice asked quickly. "I-I don't... ah!" Myrtle cried out as she found herself doused in ice water. Her vision came in clear and her gaze met with Amy.

"you? how?" Myrtle asked. "you need to get out." Amy said firmly, reaching down to Myrtle's wrists she unlocked the cuffs. "Out? b-but I can't..." Myrtle said. "Look, they don't have to know. I'll tell them you tried to stop me and then you ran away," said Amy.

"I don't understand, y-you're here just like me, for the same reason....aren't you?" Myrtle asked. Amy was silent, "You're not who I thought you were going to be. Ok, your'e scared, you aren't the mosquito. I didn't plan this right. You have to get out, or they will blame you for what happens here tonight." Amy said quietly.

"what do you mean?" Myrtle asked as Amy pulled her to her feet. "just get out, tonight's your lucky night." Amy said. "where are the Fords?" Myrtle asked. "Held up for now, but if you take too much longer to get out-"

"well then come with me! we can both get away, and nobody has to know," said Myrtle.

"No, nobodies going to know, but the world will be safer. now go, there's a cellar door to the backyard, it leads into the woods, if you run long enough you should hit the road. find some help for yourself." Amy instructed, giving Myrtle a light shove.

"but-"

"and if anyone asks, you don't remember what you saw, you just ran," Amy said.

"I don't understand!" Myrtle shouted. "go! dumbass! you're free! run!" Amy yelled back.

Myrtle watched as Amy picked up a back and looked towards the basement kitchen. "you won't want to see this." she faintly heard Amy whisper. Myrtle cringed, and with painful steps made her way to the cellar doors.

As the door closed behind her she could hear a muffled deep shout. Myrtle paused and watched the door, "I should go back." she thought, but the red seeping down her legs and the screaming of her arms and legs said otherwise.

Myrtle looked towards the woods, "I need to run, She seemed to have a plan." she murmured, hobbling towards the darkness and safety of the trees.

As the laced wine slowly wore off the pain in Myrtle's body went from a scream to a bomb siren. Leaning against a tree, Myrtle caught her breath. Her vision wavered and all she wanted was to sleep. "it can't be here, I need to get home." Myrtle thought, pushing off the tree to continue. ahead of here through the night lingered a soft orange glow, "houses...I can say I got into a crash," Myrtle reasoned with herself.

But something in her gut twisted and she couldn't clear Amy's face from her mind. Shutting her eyes tightly Myrtle shook her head, "Nothing about tonight makes sense, for all you know you were drugged walking through that door." Myrtle told herself.

"Just keep moving."

Eddie, hopped out of his Van and locked the door, chuckling to himself about the events of the campaign and what he already had planned next for the party. "maybe I shouldn't have left them so hopeful." Eddie thought.

A rustling came from the brush near the tree's behind the Trailer Park, Eddie paused in his steps. Tiling his body forward for a closer look, "did the Thornton's dog get out again?" Eddie asked himself, with a sigh, he headed for the trees, "Hey! Winston! come here boy!" He called. But what emerged through the trees was no lost dog.

"Jesus, McKinney!?" Eddie asked wide-eyed.

"um, I-" taking a step forward Myrtle's leg finally gave way, "no, no no," said Eddie, pulling off his vest, he removed his leather jacket "hold on, here your dress is um...kind ripped." He said, holding it out to the shaken girl.

Myrtle looked at the jacket in a daze and then down to her dress. "oh my god!" she gasped. "I'm sorry." said Myrtle. She rushed to slip on the jacket and zip it up, but every movement made her wince. Eddie's eyes scanned over her "what happened? Do you...do you need me to call somebody, like the hospital maybe?" He asked.

Myrtle felt the panic settling into her core and it matched the building panic in his eyes. "I um...no, It's not as bad as it looks...really. I was just tired and um....the car veered off the road and-"

"You're bleeding from your legs..." Eddie muttered, eyes wandering down two thin trails of blood from her thighs to her calves. "what? oh, th-that... that's just" Myrtle cleared her throat "my period." she said.

"Please, I just need to clean up, and then I can walk to a payphone and call my dad." Myrtle reasoned.

Eddie wanted to protest, but he could see she was struggling to talk through gritted teeth. Turning his back to her Eddie stooped down, "well at least let me give you a lift, My uncles at work, you can use our bathroom." He said.

Myrtle paused, she couldn't imagine climbing onto his back with the way her insides were feeling, walking was hard enough. "Um...I can walk, really." Myrtle spoke quietly. "no offense, but Zombies could walk better, come on." Eddie urged.

Myrtle sighed, she couldn't let him get suspicious, so carefully she stepped forward and climbed onto his back. Shutting her eyes tight, it was hard to ignore the new pain.

Eddie could feel her hands grip his shoulders tightly and her body tense, "are you ok?" He asked. "mmhm" Myrtle hummed. Eddie side glanced and hurried as carefully as he could around the Trailer and up the steps.