If you like this story check out my fan fic horror in hillwood you will love it. Thanks for reading hope I can collect some readers soon!

Chapter 1

How to get a Gal in 10 days

Ben: "You see, the key to this game is being able to read people."

The wind howled a ferocious invisible beast clinging to my chilled bones. My shaggy cornflower hair was whipping around in the wind; as if it hadn't already been untamed enough beforehand. Majority of people did not favor fall weather. Autumn, however, had always been my most favorable season. The leaves faded into vibrant charismatic colors of red, yellow, and orange. The Earth transformed herself gradually and majestically right before the human eye. It was more than Hot Coca and cuddling weather to me. Autumn was the physical manifestation of the fact that everything in life changes including the outside world. My life had always held its most meaningful moments during autumn. As the chilling wind hissed around me I knew Mother Earth carried a muffled whisper to me. She whispered that a change was whirl winding in my direction.

I entered my office tossing my coat on the desk. I could see my reflection against the tinted office windows. I was quite the successful twenty-two year old. I was built, a muscular man. My muscles the reward for the fruits of effort I had given during years of high school and college Football and Baseball. I was six foot two with vibrant Hunter Green eyes. I had grown into a hunter of the work place. I strived to be the top of my unit. I worked for a sports magazine proof reading the articles just before they passed off for printing. I wanted more though, I wanted to be the man who interviewed the sports teams. I grew restless with sitting over a desk, reading about the sports stars, verses meeting them in person. Though a silent man, in many aspects of the term, I was still a determined man. Arnold Phillip Shortman was a man who got the job done. When I desired something I strived to achieve it until it happened. This work position was just temporary and my goal to interview would be obtained no matter what the price. I had decided no matter what it took; extra hours, picking up other's slack, or taking all the weekend shifts I would be promoted!

So, for the past three weeks I had over worked myself craving the promotion I knew would surly come my way. It was coming my way but not nearly in the form I had anticipated it to appear. I entered the consistent Friday press meeting not anticipating how off beat from the average it would be. Stinky stood sobbing in front of a stunned boss.

"My fiancée done left me!" He wailed in devastation. The boss merely nodded; clearly trying to be sympathetic but with a patients that was running thin. I had grown up with the country boy and sympathy went out towards him. He was a Southern Gentleman who had been prearranged to marry the Southern Bell Lila Sawyer. I frowned to imagine her as the runaway bride she'd become.

" I just can't do nothing right and now my darling Lila done left me!" Stinky wailed. "You can get her back man. It's all about how you act!" My best friend since I could remember Gerald piped up. The two men were a contrast. Stinky was as pale as paper verses Gerald's dark russet complexion. "It's all about word play. It's about how you make a girl feel and how you present your attentions to her." Gerald went on speaking more to the boss since Stinky was lost in a sea of tears. Stinky sniffed his red pigmented eyes burrowing into my Jade ones. "Oh, yeah, until Lila I couldn't keep a gal for more than a week and I am a nice guy! I am just as nice as Arnold, yet, Arnold would get the gal in a day verses me." Stinky insisted and I felt my ivory cheeks fade into a flushed pink at the mention of my name to the boss.

I cleared my throat vigorously. "Uh, Sir, I think Stinky is just upset and that his statement is clouded do to his circumstances." I announced awkwardly rubbing the back of my neck. The man I worked for was a plump balding fifty year old man. He beamed at me his false teeth looking rather dull. "Ah, Mr. Shortman you are a humble man. I have seen you work first thing in the morning; seen you also be the last to close up for the evening." He hesitated, his gleam less brown eyes analyzing me. "Listen here, Son this whole ordeal has given me an idea! Do you want a promotion dear boy?" He inquired of me as Gerald and Stinky's head's snapped in my direction. "Well yeah Mr. Ross; I would appreciate a promotion, I could really use the better finances." My words jumbled quickly together tangling themselves over one another.

"Well, listen here kiddo, we're going to put Stinky's theory to the test!" Mr. Ross spoke out earnestly. The room which once held hushed co-workers who'd been speaking amongst themselves now also focused on Arnold. "You will write the article yourself! It will be a how to guide for all the hopeless guys like Stinky out there!" Stinky gave Mr. Ross a dirty look. "You will tell every man who buys our paper the secret to catching a woman. Not just how to catch her but how to win the gal over in ten days! We'll call the article: "How to get a gal in ten days." Mr. Ross threw his fat arms into the air with such ferocity that they jiggled in his suit. " Well I don't know Mr. Ross, I mean I haven't had a date since senior year of high school." My voice was muffled in shyness. "You want that promotion as Sports Article interviewer or not Mr. Shortman? I'm sure there are other men willing and capable of doing the job." Mr. Ross responded dismissively his hand still out stretched to shake mine in agreement for the deal. Reluctantly I shook his hand.

"Man Arnold, agreeing to get a random woman to fall in love in ten days! Now I've seen everything!" Gerald taunted me as we walked into the business dinner. The boss instructed me that at tonight's mixer of corporations I was to find the girl for my article. I doubted I would find her; considering that the room was just stuffed with high society and tedious looking individuals, who were enslaved in their work. "How about her Arnold?" Gerald's enormous hand waved to a petite almost frail looking Asian woman. "No I kind of like them tall so that they can at least be sort of eye level." I responded dismissive. "This is a job promotion! This is not a Notebook love story just pick someone." Gerald snipped at me irritation masked into his deep voice.

Just as Gerald had ordered me to pick a person I spotted her right before my eyes. She was turned around so I couldn't see her face. She wore a Blue silk cocktail dress that clung to her heart-shaped bottom. With her heels she was five eleven a nice height. I'd go talk to her. I snagged two glasses of champagne as I made my way towards her. I could hear her laughing at some joke. Her laughter made me grin. It was a charismatic laugh. Her laughter was loud and stole your attention. She had that kind of laugh that held no shame only pleasure as it tinkled a bell cutting through the air. She tilted her head back and her blonde waves cascaded down her curvaceous body resting just above her heart bottom. If her body was as lovely as a picture it made me starve to see and caress what must be a perfect face.

"Do you believe in love at first sight? Or, should I walk past a couple more times?" I silently scolded myself for using the corniest pick up line in existence. However, I was pleased with how well my voice was able to masquerade my insecurity. "Well that is cheesier then the Cheese Festival in my home town," She was from the same town as me! Whoever this girl was she came from Hillwood too! "Well, I'll tell you what; if you're as hunky as your voice sounds pal, I'll by pass how clique your word play is." Her voice was adorable to me. Her voice was raspy and spunky yet it held a high pitched feminine tone to it.

"Deal, so why don't you turn around so I can admire that pretty little face of yours," Where was this overly cocky boy coming from? I didn't recognize this dude that was speaking for me. "Crimeony where do you get your pointers from the Geek bait burrow?" she teased but she gave that laugh, that laugh that could pull a thousand more sailors then a siren's call. She spun around and her look of flattery from the flirtation disappeared into one of surprise.

I was surprised too. She was indeed as beautiful as all her other features promised. Her platinum brow furrowed in shock as her already wide sapphire eye opened roundly. Her plump full red lips forming the shape of a perfect O. Her long slender petite manicured hand clasped over her mouth. "Helga?" I asked her stupidly of course she was Helga. The same Helga who had tormented me, healed me, then tormented me all over again. This was more than a job promotion now. Now, this was personal! I would get Helga in ten days. I was not usually spiteful in nature but it was going on over sixteen years of Helga's crap piling on me. Helga broke my heart. I would break her heart in return after ten days. How to get a gal in ten days; more like how to seek revenge in ten days.