Ghosts: Helga looked out the window. It was sunny. How could it be sunny? Her world was practically falling apart, and it was sunny! She sighed and turned to look at Arnold who was still asleep. She had made up her mind. She was going to seek some help...
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"Take a seat Helga" Dr Bliss said. Helga didn't. She just blurted everything out. What her father did, what happened when she told her sister (I'm going to do a prequel) and her mother and Miriams shooting Bob. When she finished she collapsed into a chair. Dr Bliss just sat there for a moment. "Okay. So Miriam did have a motive?" she asked. Helga nodded. "Why didn't you tell anyone this? Have you told anyone this?" she asked. Helga nodded. "Who?"
"Arnold"
"Arnold? Your childhood crush Arnold?"
"Yeah. Well I'm kinda staying with at the boarding house moment. Just until they find me a permanent placement" Helga explained. Dr B nodded.
"Do you still think you love him?"
"Ay? What is it with that question that everyone is asking me? You, him" Helga shook her head.
"Curiosity. Do you get along?"
"Yes"
"Well?"
"Yes"
Are you two involved?"
Helga blushed. Should she tell her. No wait she couldnt. Wasn't it like illegal to have sex under 16? To late. Helgas big mouth betrayed her and it all came out. Shock went quickly through Dr B's eyes then dissapeared behind indifference. Helga hated that look. Like nothing could thaze or shock her. "Why are you asking me these quistions? I mean what does this have to do with anything?"
"WE have a fair bit to catch up on"
"Yeah well lets get this out of the way, then we can go have a cup of tea and have a catchup session" Helga said sarcastically. Dr B smiled. "What?"
"You almost sounded like your old self"
Helga looked thoughtful. "I did didn't I?" she asked smiling.
"So Helga. Do you love Arnold?" she asked again. Helga stood still and quiet. Dr B was about to repeat the question when Helga broke her silence suddenly.
"Yeah. I mean would I let him do what he does if I didn't?" she asked.
"You didn't love your father and that didn't stop him"
"What are you getting at here?" she snapped.
"Maybe you don't love Arnold. Maybe you just let him do what he wants because your scared that if you don't he'll make you" Dr B told her. Helga shook her head.
"No. I do love him" she said but not with alot of conviction.
"Maybe your using him to get back at men. After all you cant get back at your father so the next best thing would be males" she suggested.
"NO! I do love him" she yelled. But in her mind she wasn't so certain. Did she love him? Or was she just using him like Dr B had suggested?
"It could be fear, obligation, uncertainty. Helga Bob would have done alot of damage to you pshycologically. Most you wouldn't even realise..." but Helga wasn't listening. She was leaving. Running out the door... "Helga!" she heard but she didn't go back...
"So how did it go?" Arnold asked. Helga looked at him. Did she love him? Did she want to love him? Did she want him to love her?
"Uh yeah" she said tentativly. Theres hitting home and then theres smashing into it. Dr Bliss had made Helga smash into it. And now she was sitting here in the daze and aftermath...she sighed and went back to her crossstitch. "Are you sure?" He asked. She just nodded. "Do you want to be alone tonight?" he asked. Helga looked at him.
"You wouldn't mind?" she asked.
"No"
"I wouldn't mind. I just..." she stopped to think of her words. "I need to think of some things" she told him.
"No problem. Anyway you won't believe what happened today" he started and launched into this wild story. "I'm telling you Helga, as long as Eugene is around paramedics will never go without a job! Maybe that's why they keep on saving him. So they can keep down a job" Arnold mused.
All night she couldn't sleep. She admitted she missed not being able to turn and talk to Arnold. Which is mostly what they did at night. She looked at her clock. 5.55 am. All night he hadn't come. So she made up her mind to go to him. She got up and slipped on her slippers and dressing gown. She got to the door and stopped. Someone was in her room! She looked around but only saw darkness. But she knew she was being watched. Then a strange odor filled the room. She recognized it. It was a cross between his cologne and whiskey. BOB! But he was dead! He couldn't be here! That's just impossible! There, in the corner, the shadows took on shape. His shape. There was blood on his shirt and face and pants. "Look at me girl. LOOK AT ME!" his voice thundered. "I loved you girl. Loved you! And this is how you pay me back? It was a secret. Our little secret. And you had to go and ruin it. But its okay. I forgive you" he said in a dangerously quiet voice. Helga could barely breath. Her heart was banging so hard against her chest she half expected it to go flying out of her chest. He smiled at her. "Come to daddy Helga" he said outstreaching his arms to embrace her...
Her eyes flew open. A nightmare! Just a nightmare. But she got up and rushed over to the door and turned on the light. Nothing. No shadows, no Bob. Just her and the room. She rushed to get her slippers and dressing gown on. Now she knew why she was sleeping with Arnold. He kept away the nightmares.
"Arnold?" he heard someone call. "Oi, football head?" he slowly opened his eyes.
"Helga?" he asked.
"No. It's the man in the moon" she whispered leaning close and kissing his face. "Of course it's me," she said rolling her eyes. "Can I climb in?"
He blinked and looked at the clock. 5.55 am. "Yeah. I thought you wanted to be alone tonight," he said.
"I changed my mind," she said climbing under the sheets.
"Who's got cold feet now?" he teased when her feet touched his.
"I have cold hands too" she whispered and touched his cheek. Suddenly he felt scared and freaked. Something was wrong. She didn't smell right. And she was to cold. Not just her feet and hands, but, all of her. And she looked so pale. Like a marble statue in snow...and her eyes, they seemed...lifeless. He touched her wrist and didn't feel a pulse and he pulled his hand back. He laid his hand against her chest. No heartbeat. What was going on? He looked down at her nightie. Then he realised what the smell was. Decay. He looked at her face and wished he hadnt. He choked on his scream. Helga, or what was left of her, was sitting in front of him, mouth agape. Now, he was no forensic scientist, but she had been dead a while. The darkened, leathery skin had stretched over her skull; the top layer of skin on her chest stuck to his skin and came off when he pulled his hand away. "Help me Arnold" a moan came from those lifeless lips. He backed away and found himself falling through empty air...then he woke.
Helga heard a thump and opened the door to Arnold's room. She saw Arnold on the floor staring at his bed in horror, white as a ghost. He looked like that was what he was seeing. He looked back and saw her. "Helga?" he asked. Helga walked towards him warily. Why was he on the floor? He got up and grabbed her wrist and put his hand against her chest.
"Arnold, what are you doing?" she asked. He sighed with relief.
He put a hand to her cheek which was warm. "I had this horrible dream..." they said at the same time. They looked at eachother. Under different curcumstances they would have found it funny. But not now. Helga told him her nightmare and then Arnold told her his. They decided that they might just sleep together anyway...
