We all watch the news and hear about how insidious things happen in this world. In the back of our minds, there lingers this ignorant thought: It couldn't happen to me, thought Daria. It's like Maynard said in 'Vicarious':
"'Cause I need to watch things die, from a distance
Vicariously I live while the whole world dies
You all need it too, don't lie"
We all complain about the horrible instances of the world, when in reality, in some morbid, twisted way, we feel safe when we watch it and hear about it. We feel distant and disconnected... and it's a good thing. Because it's on the TV. It couldn't ever happen. It's an archaic, ritualistic entertainment: watching people suffer, like the people of ancient Rome in their Colosseum, seeing wild African beasts render victims limb from limb. However, now the tables have turned, and the bookworm re-considers her position, no longer a spectator, now in fact one of the victims in wait, waiting, anticipating for the lion to leap for her, as the world around her dies, their cheers reduced a dense hum, as the king of cats bares its fangs and takes her head.
"Daria"
The analysis had driven away the brunette from a state of self awareness and she returned to find the Kevin and Brittney walking off together down the road, the street lights flickering. Jane's hand rests on her shoulder.
"You okay?"
"Huh, yeah. Guess I'm feeling a little warped from earlier"
"Don't blame ya, I didn't actually to expect to walk in on some set-up. At least there were no bodies"
"How do you know they weren't busy disposing of them?"
"How would you dispose of a body?" inquired the artist, smirking.
"I guess i could just feed them to the neighbors dog, but that would take too long and be too messy"
"Okay, taking the Bricktop method. I like it"
"Bricktop fed his victims to pigs" the bookworm corrected.
"Plenty of pigs at Lawndale High" the raven haired teen implied.
"What would you do?"
"I'd either throw it in a wood-chipper, see how that goes, or I'd leave it in a ditch so the bugs could do their miracle work then I'd come back several months later, clean off the rest of the gunk and reassemble him so I can use him as an anatomical study piece. So, if people wondered about it, I'd say I bought it online"
"No bleach?"
"Nah, I messed up last time with that stuff. Turns everything chalky"
The conversation had certainly worked to divert her attention temporarily, but after another analysis, she just saw that it proved what she had been considering. After placing herself in the position of those victims... no, maybe she'd be fine with that after all. It's HOW she would day that unnerved her.
Just as Jane was to open her mouth, suggesting she come inside the house for a rest, a piercing shriek rang from the garage, followed by a a rhythm from a set of guitars. Withdrawing a long sigh, she looked to Daria, her eyes begging.
"Come on, I think it's time you spent some time at my place. I don't mean it as an assurance that we'll find total solitude, after all, Quinn's den is just down the hall from mine"
"Hmmm, I'm not sure" said Helen, cocking her head some. "It's a school night"
"I think it'd be better if Jane stayed here tonight. Since she's trying to get her own natural alarm clock fixed, I think this would be good opportunity to help her onto the right path" Daria offered, in her deadpan expression and vocals.
"Is that true, Jane? Do you struggle with insomnia?"
"The amount I sleep is fine. It's the actual time I set for myself to sleep that's a problem" the artist explained.
Smiling some, Helen nods. "Well, then you're very welcome to sleep here tonight. Daria has a strict morning time set for herself and works very well with it. I hope your sleep pattern improves"
A small groan draws out from Jane's lips.
"Hey Jane-o!" greets Jake, standing in the kitchen.
"Hello, Mr. Morgendorffer"
"You staying for dinner? I made lasagna!"
"Jake, you didn't use all the Parmesan, did you? I was going to save some for Sunday's dinner" Helen sighed, slight irritate indicated in her voice.
"Can't a man thrive and have some freedom in the kitchen?" he whined, layering out the sauces and pasta. Dabbing her finger in the cheese, she took a test taste. Her face contorted with the richness.
"Jake, how much cheese did you put in this?"
"Does it matter? I wanna be able to taste it"
"You used up a whole block of Cheddar! Are you trying to give yourself another heart attack?"
"If there's one way to go, lasagna may not be a bad option" Jane mused.
"See, Jane agrees with me!" Jake yelled, pointing to the artist, having not heard much from her other than 'lasagna', 'not' and 'bad'.
"The doctor said for you to cut down on cheese!" Mrs Morgendorffer shouted, arms upheld, exaggerating her proclamation. As the two resumed in their daily argument, the teens retreated from the scene to the couch to watch telly.
"So, Daria, about this person you're seeing..." Quinn dumbly started, provoking intrigue around the table.
"Yes, the person I'm see right now I'm hoping finds themselves in the near future progressively become bald, wrinkle and shrivel into an insignificant spectacle to rightly accommodate their IQ level" Daria growled quietly, eyeing her sister with severe contempt.
"That's the kinda person she's into?" peeped the air headed father, looking to Helen, who rolled her eyes in response.
The mother turned her eyes sternly to the youngest. "Maybe this is a conversation best saved for later. We have a guest, Quinn"
"It's just a question" she defended, raising her hands up.
"But, yes" Helen continued, her gaze shifting to Daria. "You have been out of the house more than usual. We're wondering what's going on"
"Whoever it is, I swear if it's some trouble maker..." Jake warned, with clenched teeth and fist. Jane gulped quietly and looked down at her meal.
"JAKE! It's fine" Helen assured, resting a hand on his back. "If it IS someone you're seeing, that's great and we hope you're happy. But, you know how me and your father are and how we understand your routine and habits. It piqued our curiosity is all"
"When do we get to see him?"
This was hell. Daria was being confronted left and right and didn't know how to respond... what to say.
"Hey, Mr. Morgendorffer" Jane instigated, saving Daria from some pressure. "Do you know anything about the abandoned psychiatric hospital? Me and Daria are doing an assignment on it"
"Hey, cool! I always wondered what it was like in there. Did you take photos?"
"Daria, you can't be serious! You actually set foot in that dump?" Helen cried, surprised her daughter would venture somewhere so horrible.
"Like Jane said, it's for an assignment. We wanted to look into the history of the hospital and see what's become of it now" Daria calmed her mother, eating more the lasagna; which had rock hard rims on the pasta and a sauce so thick, it was like layered cottage cheese.
The fashion club member grumbled "Sandi told me some real freaks hang out around there. Don't tell me you're one of them. You're already a big enough freak as it is"
"QUINN!" exclaimed Helen.
"Freaks?" shivered the father. "What kind of freaks?"
"I don't know. I think just people with spray paint, cigarettes, and magazines" the stereotyped teen explained, pushing around food on her plate.
"Squatters?!" Jake frantically roared. "Drug dealers? Murderers? What has this town come to?!"
"Daria, go get your father some water" Helen suggested, rubbing her temples. The brunette obliged, leaving her love amused at the chaotic ramblings. "You haven't set foot near there, have you Quinn?"
Quinn shook her head "Well, Joey, Jeffy and Jamie were talking about when I was coming home from school once. They showed me where it was and they'd say they'd go through it and wave from the top window so they could show me how brave they were"
"What did THEY see?"
"Well, Joey was the only one who did it. The other two couldn't go as far as the doorway. He said there were beer cans, lots of creepy bugs, rats and graffiti"
When graffiti was mentioned, Jane's interest was found "Graffiti?"
"Jane..." droned the bookworm, passing her panicked father a glass of water.
"Yeah, graffiti. They looked like black, contorted squiggles, lots of stars, numbers, there was a big picture of a goat"
"A goat?" parroted Helen.
"Satanists!" screamed Jake.
"Oh boy" groaned Daria, watching her father rise from his chair and start pacing.
"Girls, could you clear up please? I'm going to go calm your father down" Helen asked, attempting to calm Jake and guide him out of the room.
End of Part Nine
