A/N: Glad everyone is enjoying this – I recommend reading the later scenes of this chapter (or anything creepy, really) while listening to some Danny Elfman music. ;)
Chapter TwoArnold opened his eyes and looked around. He was in some sort of small cottage – light streamed in through a window that was half covered by a dingy makeshift curtain. He blinked and sat up, and his heart skipped a beat when he realized where he was.
He was in the hut from his dream about his parents. He jumped off of the bed he'd been lying on and whirled around, looking for those vengeful, rotting skeletons. But they were no where to be found, though otherwise the hut looked like it always had – dusty and dank. Then he saw something move out of the corner of his eye, and turned around to see a girl standing in the hut's doorway.
She was blond, wearing a dirty tank top and a long, brown skirt. She was looking away from him, but he recognized her instantly: Helga Pataki.
She turned, as if she'd felt his eyes on her. She smiled a little. Arnold wanted to speak, to ask what they were doing here, to ask why they were standing in the jungle, in the middle of his lost parents' hut. But he couldn't seem to find his voice. He simply stood and stared at Helga as she walked slowly toward him.
"Arnold," was all she said, as she bent forward to kiss him. Arnold put his hands on her waist and gave in easily, the questions in his mind drifting far away. Helga wrapped her arms around his shoulders, drawing him close, and he melted against her.
Then, like a bucket of cold water dumped over his head, Helga moved quickly away from him, turning and walking toward the door.
"Wait!" Arnold called, but she didn't listen. She jogged out of the hut and toward the edge of the clearing it sat in, running for the thick jungle. Arnold felt a cold stab to his heart: somehow he knew that if she disappeared into the jungle he would never see her again. He ran out to try and stop her.
Helga shrieked suddenly, and Arnold noticed that she had her foot stuck in the mud. Then, as her ankles disappeared into the thick mire, he realized it wasn't mud at all, but quicksand. He ran forward to try and help her, but when he reached out for her she wouldn't take his hand.
"Helga, come on!" he shouted, his heart pounding. But she refused to grab the hand he offered, and kept trying to get a grip and pull herself out on her own. Her hands disappeared beneath the quicksand.
"Helga!" Arnold screamed desperately, as she sunk in up to her shoulders. She looked at him, her face panic stricken.
"Arnold, help!" she pleaded. He leaned forward, but he couldn't reach her – not without plunging into the quicksand himself. He stood up and looked around the clearing, hoping to find a long branch he could extend to her. But he saw nothing – and when he looked back, Helga had completely disappeared.
"Nooo!" Arnold screamed, as the quicksand let out a sickening gurgle.
Arnold woke up with a start, jerking into a sitting position in bed. His heart was racing, and his body was soaked in sweat. He blinked into the sunlight that was pouring through his skylights. It was a just a dream, he told himself, trying to still his shaking hands.
He climbed out of bed, feeling strange. He understood the second part of the dream – he was worried about Helga, worried that he couldn't help her. He thought about she and Curly's fool-brained plan to sneak into the abandoned mental hospital, and felt a nervous pang in his stomach.
But as he put on his robe and headed down the hall toward the bathroom, it was the first part of the dream that that truly troubled him. He had kissed Helga. He felt a shiver move from his head down to his feet when he thought about it, and it wasn't the sort of shudder that his nightmares usually brought on. The kiss had felt so real – he was almost disappointed, now, that it hadn't actually happened.
But as the hot water of his morning shower poured over him, he told himself to stop thinking about it. Helga would be no good for him, he was sure of it. And anyway, there was absolutely no sign that she was interested in him – just like every other girl at school. Arnold sighed as he rubbed shampoo into his hair. He wanted to be kissed like he had in the dream – he'd never had a real kiss like that. In fact, when he thought about it, the last kiss he'd had was from Helga herself, back when the two of them played Romeo and Juliet in their elementary school play. He tried not to feel too pathetic as he thought about this, and tried not to think about the possibility of kissing Helga in reality. Something about it seemed so wrong – why should he be attracted to someone who treated him so badly? He shook his head, and tried – willingly, for once – to think of Lila instead.
Arnold got dressed and went downstairs, where he found his grandparents in the kitchen, his grandmother cooking pancakes and his grandfather reading the paper.
"Hey, short man!" his grandpa called as he took a seat at the kitchen table. "Got big plans for Halloween?" he asked, putting down the paper.
"Just Rhonda's party," Arnold said, drinking the glass of orange juice his grandmother had set out for him. "And I might bring Gerald and a few other friends over here afterward, if that's okay."
"Sure, sure," his grandpa said. "As long as you don't make a ruckus."
"We won't," Arnold said with a grin. He thought of Helga and Curly, and hoped that they would join them tonight instead of going to Clayton. He knew it wasn't likely, but he couldn't help but picture the two of them sitting, happy and safe, in the boarding house's common room, listening to Gerald's stories and eating candy corn and mini chocolate bars. As the image formed in his head he saw himself sitting next to Helga, he saw her leaning idly against him as they sat on the floor in a circle . . .
"Pumpkin pancakes!" his grandma chirped suddenly, making him jump. She dropped three pumpkin shaped flapjacks – a Halloween tradition at the boarding house – onto his plate.
"Thanks, Grandma," he said, his cheeks going a little red. He pushed the thoughts about Helga away and dug in.
After breakfast Arnold went for a walk around the neighborhood. Everyone had dressed up their apartments and houses for Halloween – the holiday was a big deal, here. Kids were carving Jack-O-Lanterns on their front stoops, scooping out the seeds and guts and dumping them onto newspapers their mothers had laid out. Arnold smiled at the old Halloween tradition, and wished for a moment that he was still a kid.
He found himself coming to a stop a little ways down the road, and looked up to realize that he was standing in front of Helga's brownstone. He thought of knocking on the door – but what would he say? He swallowed a lump in his throat – despite his bad luck with them, he usually wasn't too nervous around girls. Why did the mere thought of Helga make him get all trembly and scared? Maybe because he was afraid she'd pummel him if he tried anything, rather than just turning him down like a normal girl.
He walked away with a sigh, hoping that he would get over this weird fascination with Helga when Halloween ended. He told himself he was just thinking about her like this because he was worried about her, and walked on to Gerald's house with his hands in his pockets.
Arnold spent the rest of the afternoon with Gerald, playing video games and sneaking candy from the supply his parents had bought for the evening's trick or treaters. By mid afternoon they were both feeling a little ill from too much sugar, and tired of the video games. They laid out on the couches in Gerald's family room and idly watched TV, waiting for Phoebe to arrive so they could all get dressed for the party.
"So, did you talk the terrible twosome out of their little plan for tonight?" Gerald asked at one point.
"No," Arnold muttered glumly.
"I knew it," Gerald said, shaking his head.
"Do you think they'll be okay?" Arnold asked, raising his head from the sofa cushions.
"All's I know is that I would never go in that place," Gerald said. "I've been up there a few times during the day – man! It's really creepy. And it would be much worse at night."
"I know," Arnold said with a sigh. "I went up there yesterday."
"You did?" Gerald said. "By yourself?"
"No, I went with Curly and Helga," Arnold told him.
"And they didn't sacrifice you on their satanic alter?" Gerald asked with a grin. Arnold scowled.
"Quit it," he snapped.
"I'm just kidding, Arnold, relax!" Gerald said. "I've heard rumors about Satanists doing rituals up at Clayton," he added.
"They're not Satanists, and they're not crazy, either," Arnold said, sitting up. "They're just – unique."
Gerald snorted with laughter.
"Whatever, man," he said with a shrug. "Sorry I insulted your new best friends."
"What would you do if Phoebe said she wanted to do something like this?" Arnold asked, irritated. Why couldn't Gerald understand why he was so concerned?
"I would find some way to stop her," Gerald admitted. "There's no way I'd let her do something like that."
"See!" Arnold said.
"Arnold," Gerald said dryly, staring at him. "You're comparing how I'd feel about my girlfriend being in danger to how you feel about Curly Gamelthrope and Helga Pataki being in danger."
Arnold's cheeks turned red when he realized Gerald was right.
"So," Gerald said, standing. "Unless there's something going on with you and Helga that I don't know about – or with you and Curly," he added with a snicker, "I still don't get why you're so obsessed with whether or not they go to Clayton tonight."
"Just never mind," Arnold said with a frown, folding his arms over his chest. "I don't see what's so strange about me not wanting two people to get hurt – even if I'm not going out with one of them."
"Are you sure you're not?" Gerald teased, walking into the kitchen to get something to drink.
"I'm not!" Arnold said, his cheeks going red at the suggestion. "And even if I was," he muttered to himself. "What would be the big deal?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Gerald said, popping back into the family room with a Dr. Pepper can in his hand. "Did you just say what I think you just said?"
"Forget it, Gerald," Arnold mumbled, embarrassed, hugging one of the couch cushions to him.
"I'm assuming you're talking about Helga?" Gerald said, sitting down in an armchair across from Arnold. "Though Curly might make more sense," he added with a smirk.
"Why?" Arnold asked, wishing he could make himself shut up but unable to help it. " What's wrong with Helga?"
Gerald answered him by looking at him like he was nuts.
"Arnold," he said, leaning forward. "The girl hates you, for one thing."
"Not really," Arnold muttered. He had never truly believed, no matter how badly Helga treated him, that she hated him. "We kind of . . . went to a movie together last night," he added, his voice low.
"What?!" Gerald asked, jumping up. "Whoa, man, why didn't you tell me you had a date with Helga?"
"It wasn't a date," Arnold said with a sigh, sitting up. "We just happened to run into each other, and we sat together, and I walked her home."
"That is the weirdest thing I've ever heard," Gerald said, shaking his head. " Arnold and Helga on a date."
"It wasn't a date!" Arnold said again.
"Did you kiss her?" Gerald asked, ignoring Arnold's protestations. He had an odd look on his face, like he wasn't sure what he'd do if Arnold said yes.
"No!" Arnold told him, though he couldn't help but think of the kiss in his dream. " But what would be – so terrible – if I did?" he stuttered.
"I don't know," Gerald said. "Helga's just . . . weird. And she's mean. I thought you were into girls like Lila."
"I thought so, too," Arnold said with a sigh.
"So . . . you are into Helga?" Gerald asked cautiously.
"No – I – I don't know," Arnold said, shaking his head. "It's just this whole thing with her and Curly, I can't think straight. But don't you think she's kind of pretty?" he added, in a quick and embarrassed rush.
"Who's pretty?" Phoebe asked suddenly, walking into the room behind them with her arms full of Star Wars costumes. Arnold and Gerald jumped in surprise.
"Uh, no one," Arnold said, flushing pink.
"Arnold's in love with Helga," Gerald remarked casually. Phoebe's eyes bulged.
"Helga Pataki?" she asked timidly.
"No, no – just, ugh!" Arnold groaned, burying his face in the couch again. "Can we talk about something else, please?" he asked.
"Sure, man, sure," Gerald said, patting him on the shoulder. "I was just kidding," he added, looking to Phoebe. She gave him a confused look, but shrugged and smiled.
As evening approached the three of them put on their costumes, Phoebe helping Arnold tie his white Luke Skywalker outfit on over a white t-shirt and his khaki pants. She put on her Princess Leia dress and tied her short black hair into two small buns. Gerald simply pulled a vest on over the white shirt and black pants he was already wearing.
"Han Solo," he said, pointing the toy blaster that completed his costume around the living room. "Coolest cat in the history of Sci Fi."
"It suits you," Phoebe said proudly, beaming at him. They kissed, and Arnold looked away, pretending to adjust the belt on his costume. He thought of Helga, wondering where she was. The sun was going down outside – was she heading toward Clayton? He prayed that she would change her mind at the last minute.
The three friends walked toward Rhonda's townhouse, which was in the wealthy part of town, after having their picture taken by Gerald's mother. As they walked the streets numerous trick or treaters rushed past them, giggling and poking through their bags full of candy. Arnold watched them go by, again feeling a little wistful about his childhood. Halloween just wasn't the same anymore – back when they were kids none of them would have even considering doing something as dangerous as sneaking into a deserted building.
"What's wrong, Arnold?" Phoebe asked him quietly, as Rhonda's townhouse, lit up with decorations and pumping spooky music into the street, appeared ahead of them. Arnold looked to her and offered a little smile – it was uncanny how intuitive she could be sometimes.
"Nothing," he muttered, not wanting to talk about it in front of Gerald. Though the two of them were best friends, he'd never felt that comfortable talking about how he felt about things with Gerald – in eleven years of friendship they had never once discussed his parents.
"Gerald," Phoebe said, as they came to Rhonda's front stoop, which had bright orange lights in the shape of pumpkins wrapped around the railing. "Go on inside - I need to talk to Arnold for a minute."
"About what?" Gerald asked, looking a little offended. He glanced at Arnold, who simply shrugged in return.
"Never mind, just run along," Phoebe said sweetly, standing on her tiptoes to give him a little kiss on the cheek.
"Alright," Gerald mumbled, still looking a little suspicious. "I'll see you guys in there." He walked up the stoop and inside the open door, and Arnold couldn't help but grin at how in control little Phoebe was.
"What was that all about?" he asked, when Gerald had gone inside.
"Are you alright?" Phoebe asked, sincere concern on her face. "You seem troubled."
"It's just this thing with Curly and Helga," Arnold said with a sigh, looking up at the night sky. There was a full moon staring back at him. "I'm worried about them," he admitted.
"Do you really have feelings for Helga?" Phoebe asked. "Or was Gerald just joking around earlier?"
"I don't," Arnold said firmly, thought it felt like a lie. "She's just – I can't stop thinking about her lately. Cause I'm worried. That's all."
Phoebe raised an eyebrow, and Arnold knew she was seeing right through him.
"You've always been that way, a little bit," she said softly. "Worried about Helga," she added, clarifying.
"I don't know what it is," Arnold said, shaking his head. "You were friends with her for years, even when she treated you like a flunky and bossed you around. I feel like I've been the same way, putting up with her abuse even though it . . .," he trailed off.
"Even though it hurts?" Phoebe finished for him.
"Yeah," Arnold mumbled, embarrassed.
"That's because you and I understand that she doesn't really mean it," Phoebe said with a sigh. "That it's her way of hiding her own sensitivity and self doubt."
"I guess," Arnold said. "I mean, I've always suspected that. But shouldn't she have grown out of it by now?"
"She has," Phoebe said with a little grin. "She may avoid people, but that's just her nature. She's basically civil to everyone now --"
"Everyone but me!" Arnold interjected. "Every time I try to talk to her she cuts me down."
"Oh, Arnold," Phoebe said, looking at him with sympathy. "Haven't you figured it out by now?"
"Figured what out?" Arnold asked, his cheeks burning.
Phoebe sighed, and looked up the steps.
"I'm going to head in," she said. "You just think about it, Arnold."
Arnold watched her walk up the stairs, more confused than ever. He sighed to himself and looked up and down the street in front of Rhonda's house, foolishly hoping that Helga would walk up to Rhonda's stoop and tell him that she and Curly had called the whole thing off. But he knew she was too prideful to show up to a party she hadn't been invited to.
Arnold looked up at the open front door and started a little when he saw a girl standing there. It was Lila, and Arnold's heart jumped into his throat at the sight of her. She was wearing an old fashioned red and black gown, and her hair was swept up on top of her head in a graceful bun. She smiled down at Arnold, and he thought he'd faint. She looked absolutely gorgeous.
"There you are," she said, walking down the stone steps. "Gerald said you were out here with Phoebe – where did she go?"
"Er, you just missed her," Arnold stuttered, talking over the thudding of his heart in his ears. He looked around Lila's shoulder.
"Where's James?" he asked, a feeling of dread rising through him as he remembered her boyfriend.
"I don't know," Lila said, the cheerful smile fading from her face. "I haven't been able to find him. It's awfully crowded in there . . .," she trailed off, and Arnold could see that she was embarrassed.
"Did he tell you he would meet you here?" Arnold asked.
"Yep," Lila said with a sad little laugh. "But I've been here for an hour, and I haven't seen him."
"What a jerk!" Arnold said, before he could stop himself. What kind of guy would stand up a girl like Lila?
"Oh, Arnold," she said softly. "I'm sure he'll have a reasonable explanation . . .,"
"Sorry," Arnold said quickly. "I just – it makes me mad. He should have at least called you if something happened."
"Well, I don't have a cell phone," Lila reasoned.
"I know you don't," Arnold said with a grin, and she smiled back at him. Lila was one of the few kids in the neighborhood whose family had the same financial struggles that Arnold's did. Often they bonded over the fact that they both felt a little left out when their classmates whipped out expensive cell phones or bragged about their spring break vacations.
"Well, I'm glad you're here, anyway," Lila said. "How do you like my costume?" she asked, holding her arms out a little to show it off. "Do I look like the girl from Titanic?"
"It's perfect," Arnold said, making a conscious effort not to drool.
"Yours is . . . interesting," Lila said, looking him over.
"I'm Luke," Arnold said, holding up the toy lightsaber he'd brought with him. " You know, from Star Wars?"
"Oh," Lila said, "I've never seen it."
Arnold swallowed his shocked protestation. Normally he would be perturbed – who hadn't seen Star Wars?! But for Lila he would forgive anything, even being clueless about one of his favorite movies.
"Let's go inside," he said, taking a step toward the door. Lila smiled and hooked her arm through his. He struggled to keep his shaking knees from bringing them both down as they walked through the door.
Rhonda's house was professionally decorated for the holiday, as usual. There were orange and black streamers draped gracefully through all the rooms, fake spider webs in every corner, and strings of purple lights snaked around the perimeters of every room. In the back of the house a live band, dressed as skeletons and witches, was playing eerie rock music. Arnold followed Lila into the dining room, where tables had been laid out along the walls. They were covered with all the makings of a Gothic feast – a giant turkey sat at the end of one table a man wearing a tuxedo was standing behind it with a carving knife, serving guests. Candles in ornate holders were spaced between the food, which sat in fancy, old fashioned silver serving dishes.
"Rhonda does such a great job decorating every year!" Lila mused as they moved through the crowd of their costumed classmates.
"You really think Rhonda's the one who puts all of this stuff up?" Arnold asked with a raised eyebrow, surprised, as he often was, by how naïve Lila could be. But he dismissed it as a sweet sentiment. Lila assumed the best about even calculating, snotty Rhonda.
Arnold spotted Phoebe and Gerald standing with their other friends, and as he and Lila made their way over, he couldn't help but think that this felt like a dream, like one of his fantasies. Lila's boyfriend had ditched her, and he was here to save the day. Plus, Lila looked like an absolute dream in her costume. He stared at her while the rest of the group sat listening to Sheena - who was dressed up like Yoko Ono - talk about the organic pumpkins she'd gotten for Halloween that year.
It was like a dream, like everything he'd wished for in the past five years had come true.
So why am I so anxious? Arnold wondered to himself, folding his arms over his chest. He looked up at Lila, at her smile, at the loose tendril of red hair that hung by her ear. She was perfect. But as they sat talking, his mind was wandering. The initial joy of seeing Lila and having her hook arms with him washed slowly away, and the image of her sitting beside him was replaced with one that he couldn't get out of his head: Helga and Curly walking toward Clayton Hospital, flashlights in hand, peril all around them.
Dammit, Helga, Arnold thought to himself, clenching his fists. Of course you'd have to spoil this for me. He looked up at Lila again, and sighed to himself. What was he going to do? He thought about calling the police – if Helga got into a little legal trouble it would still be better than getting physically hurt from wandering around inside the deteriorating building. But he knew that Curly would be doomed if the cops caught him doing anything out of the ordinary; he'd be back in a functioning mental hospital in no time.
"Arnold!"
He looked up when he saw Gerald staring at him, and noticed that everyone in their little clique was looking in his direction.
"What?" he asked, a little harshly. Suddenly he wasn't really in the mood for a party.
"I was just asking if you wanted any punch," Eugene said sheepishly.
"Oh, sure," Arnold muttered, and Eugene trotted off to get everyone's drinks.
"Better watch out, citizens," a sneering voice said, and Arnold turned to see Rhonda's boyfriend Teddy standing behind he and Lila. "Rhonda spiked the punch," he informed them with a wink.
"Who cares," Arnold heard himself mutter. Everyone looked at him with surprise, including Lila, who appeared scandalized. But he didn't care – he felt helpless, and couldn't stop thinking about Helga. Maybe a little spiked punch would get his mind off of the goings on at Clayton Hospital for a little while.
"That's the spirit," Teddy said with a grin, clapping Arnold hard on the back and making him stumble forward a little. "What the hell are you dressed up as, dude?" he asked, looking down at Arnold's costume. " A male nurse?"
"Luke Skywalker," Arnold mumbled, holding up his lightsaber. Teddy laughed, and Arnold felt like an enormous dork. Teddy, of course, was too cool for a costume – he was wearing his usual Oxford shirt and jeans.
"Hey, cool," Teddy said with a raised eyebrow. "I used to have Star Wars bed sheets. When I was seven."
"Teddy, have you seen James?" Lila asked.
"Nope," he answered quickly. "Speaking of, has anyone seen my – ah, there she is," he said, beaming a little proudly and looking toward the townhouse's grand lobby staircase. Arnold turned and saw Rhonda descending slowly, surveying the crowd as she went.
Arnold sighed, looking at her. Rhonda rivaled Lila for the title of the most beautiful girl in school. Despite that, she was Lila's polar opposite, with a reputation for getting into trouble and a cold, blunt attitude – she felt no remorse for walking over people's feelings in her quest to be "honest." She was a little like Helga that way, though bolder, because of her money and looks.
Rhonda was dressed as Cleopatra, which was a good fit for her choppy, black hair and stunning looks. She walked slowly over toward Arnold and the others, keeping her eyes on Teddy and greeting her guests with disinterest as she made her way through the growing crowd. Arnold tried not to stare at her while Teddy was watching, but it was hard not to – her costume was split into two parts: a tight, white halter top and a long, loose white skirt. Her tan midriff was showing, and the thin, gold belly chain that circled it loosely drew Arnold's eyes there. He swallowed heavily – Rhonda's beauty was completely different from Lila's. The presence of both made him nervous, but Lila's did because he wanted to be closer to it, while the sight of Rhonda just made him want to run away. She was dangerous, and wickedly, intentionally seductive. She had blown through most of the good looking guys in school already, including a few seniors, and was notorious for breaking hearts and smashing egos.
"Hey, babe," Teddy said, grabbing her around the waist as she reached them. He kissed the side of her head and she scowled and reached up to fix her hair. "You're just in time to freshen my drink," he said, holding up an empty plastic cup.
"Shut up," Rhonda growled, folding her arms over her chest.
"Great party, Rhonda!" Lila chirped obliviously.
"I guess," Rhonda said, with a dramatic sigh. "I'm kind of bored."
"If you're bored, we could go up to Clayton and see if those wack jobs actually had the nerve to go inside," Teddy suggested eagerly, grinning at the idea.
"You know about that?" Arnold asked, jerking around to look at him.
"What?" Rhonda asked with a frown.
"Curly Gamelthrope and Helga Pataki," Teddy said. "They've been telling everyone all week how they're going to sneak into the old mental hospital outside of town. I bet they chickened out."
"Curly?" Rhonda said, making a face. "That kid with the glasses?"
"He hasn't worn glasses since seventh grade," Gerald said dryly, though Rhonda didn't seem to be listening.
"What makes you think they won't do it?" Arnold asked Teddy, hoping that he was right.
"Cause that Gamelthrope freak is a little pansy," Teddy said with a scoff.
"Like you'd do it," Rhonda said sharply, and Arnold had to bite away a smile. He wished he had the nerve to tell Teddy he was wrong about Curly, but he was afraid of becoming one of Teddy's friends' targets for humiliation in school. He inwardly cursed his own cowardice, but for once appreciated Rhonda's cynical derision.
"I ain't afraid of no ghosts," Teddy said, laughing at his own joke.
"Then let's go to this Clayton place and check it out," Rhonda said, with a wicked smirk, looking around the group. "Sounds like fun."
"Yeah, let's go!" Arnold said without thinking. Gerald looked at him like he was nuts, and Phoebe and Sheena exchanged a concerned glance.
"You want to go?" Teddy asked, looking at Arnold and not bothering to hide his surprise.
"Why not?" Arnold said, puffing up his chest a little. But the real reason he wanted to go to Clayton was not to prove to Teddy he wasn't scared. He was scared – but more scared of something terrible happening to Helga and Curly than of going into Clayton himself, if that was what it came to.
"Alright, then," Teddy said. "I'll get my car."
"I don't know if this is such a good idea, Arnold," Phoebe said nervously as Teddy walked off.
"I know I'm not coming," Gerald said, shaking his head.
"I think I'll pass, too," Sheena said. Arnold glanced at Lila, knowing that she would agree with the others.
"Well, I'd love to come along," she said with a carefree smile. Arnold's eyes widened.
"You would?" he asked, betraying his surprise like Teddy had.
"Sure," Lila said with a shrug. "It sounds ever so creepy! And that's what Halloween's all about, right?"
"Lila, it could be dangerous," Arnold said. "The only reason I'm going is to stop Helga and Curly – or get them to leave if they've already gone in." He sighed heavily at the prospect of searching the huge old hospital for the two of them.
"What makes you think you can do that?" Rhonda asked sharply, and Arnold turned to look at her. She was standing on the outskirts of their little group, her arms folded over her chest, staring at Arnold with narrowed eyes, which were expertly outlined, Egyptian-style, in kohl black eyeliner.
"I don't," Arnold said quietly. "But I can't just sit back and do nothing when I know they could be in danger." He shrunk a little when Rhonda grinned darkly at his response.
"Oh, how could I forget," she said, "Arnold who wants to save the world."
Arnold looked at his shoes, uncomfortable under her scrutiny. Okay, so he wanted to save the world. Who didn't? He didn't really think that he could, but there was no harm in trying. Was there?
Eugene returned to the group, his arms full of plastic cups containing Rhonda's spiked punch. It looked like a disaster waiting to happen, but he actually managed to hand the drinks out without spilling a drop.
"What did I miss?" he asked with an oblivious smile.
"Here's to saving the world," Arnold muttered to himself, raising his cup a little before downing the punch – sweet and laced with the toxic burn of vodka – in one gulp.
They rode out to the old hospital in Teddy's sleek black Mercedes, which looked brand new, inside and out. Arnold sat in the back with Lila, and Rhonda was up front in the passenger seat, beside Teddy, who drove. The girls had changed into normal clothes, and Arnold had left his Luke Skywalker costume behind with Phoebe. He looked over at Lila while they drove through the dark streets, which were now empty of young trick or treaters.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" he whispered to her as they drove out of the neighborhood. Teddy was blasting rap music from his high tech stereo, and he and Rhonda were staring straight ahead, not speaking.
"Yep," Lila said, smiling at him. "Arnold, there's nothing to be afraid of," she said, with a little laugh. "There's no such thing as ghosts."
"I know that," Arnold said quickly, embarrassed. "It's just – this place is – oh, forget it," he muttered, looking away from her, out the window. Maybe he was the one being crazy, feeling so paranoid about setting foot inside the old hospital. But to him it seemed like everyone else had turned into pod people – Gerald and the others had been scared, but why was he the only one who understood the gravity of the situation?
"Turn that shit off," Rhonda snapped at Teddy, jamming one of the buttons on the car radio before he could respond. She flipped to a jazz station, and turned the volume down.
"What the hell's wrong with you tonight?" Teddy shot back, glaring at her.
"Nothing," Rhonda mumbled.
"Forgive Rhonda, kids," Teddy said, giving Lila and Arnold a condescending grin from the rear view mirror. "She's a little edgy about loony bins, since her parents almost stuck her in one."
"Go to hell," Rhonda mumbled, looking away from him. Teddy laughed and reached over to touch her shoulder.
"Come on, Rhon, I'm kidding," he said. She didn't look at him. Arnold wanted to ask what he was talking about, but he didn't dare. Instead he just looked at Lila, who shrugged a little, as if to signal that she had no clue what that had been about, either.
When they reached the train station on the outskirts of town they pulled into the parking lot there. The four of them climbed out of the car, and Teddy led the way toward the rusted iron gates of the old Clayton hospital. Arnold looked up at them in the darkness, a cloud moving over the moon as they approached. He shuddered, wanting nothing less than to climb inside. He looked to Lila to see if she'd changed her mind.
"Wow, what an eerie place!" she chirped with a little smile, hugging herself against the cold.
"C'mon, there's a break in the fence over here," Teddy said, leading them over to the broken section.
"You've been here before?" Arnold asked, as Teddy held back the fence so the girls could climb in.
"Sure, a few times for a goof," he said with a shrug, gesturing for Arnold to climb inside. He did, taking a deep breath. Once he was on the other side, Teddy followed him through. The four of them looked ahead, into the darkness. In the small amount of moonlight that was available, Arnold could scarcely make out the weed ridden path down toward the building.
"We should have brought a flashlight," Rhonda muttered.
"I've got one," Teddy said, pulling a black flashlight from the pocket of his baggy jeans. Rhonda frowned at him.
"You carry a flashlight around in your pants?" she asked with a scoff.
"No, but I keep one in the car for emergencies, and I grabbed it when we got out," Teddy said. "C'mon."
He led the way down the tree lined road, and Arnold heard animal noises in the woods as they walked – twigs snapping and small feet scurrying, birds cooing. He looked at Lila again, waiting for her to appear scared. But she just looked back at him and grinned. For once, her smile didn't make him soar with happiness – all he could feel was a sense of dread, as if he was willingly walking toward his demise.
"Look," Teddy said as they came to the clearing that the huge old mental hospital sat in. "I knew it."
Arnold looked ahead, and to his surprise his heart did manage to soar: there were two figures standing up ahead, both holding flashlights. One was blond and one was tall with dark hair – it was them, Helga and Curly!
"Helga!" he called out happily as they made their way through the field. She turned, and when she spotted them the look on her face wasn't her usual annoyance, or even relief that some others had come to join them – she looked frightened.
"I knew it," Teddy said again, as they reached Helga and Curly. "I knew you'd be too chicken to actually do it, Gamelthrope."
"Rhonda," Curly said, staring at her as if mesmerized, seemingly deaf to Teddy's comment.
"Hi," Rhonda muttered, looking at him like she couldn't decide if he was brave or just completely out of line for speaking to her.
"We were just about to go in," Helga snapped in Curly's defense. "We just got here. Curly's car broke down and we had to wait for the train."
"That piece of shit you drive broke down, Gamelthrope?" Teddy said with a laugh. " Boy, that's the shocker of the year."
Arnold looked at Helga, and saw the look of fear on her face replaced with pure loathing, as she stared at Lila.
"What the hell are you all doing here, anyway?" she asked, glaring at Arnold.
"I don't know about everyone else, but I came here to try and get you guys to leave," Arnold said, knowing that his efforts would be fruitless, but giving it one last try.
"Hell no, we're going in," Teddy said. "Right, Gamelthrope?" he added in a sneer.
"Of course," Curly said absently, still looking at Rhonda. She didn't seem to notice him staring at her, though – she was looking up at Clayton. Arnold couldn't believe his eyes, but he thought he saw a little bit of anxiousness in her features. He had never known Rhonda to be afraid of anything – except maybe abject poverty.
"I need a cigarette," she murmured, still looking at the decrepit building. Arnold looked up at it, too, while Curly and Teddy both fumbled in their pockets. He shuddered at the sight of the huge, Gothic structure, its spires and windows shining wickedly in the moonlight.
"Lucky Stripes," Rhonda muttered, taking a cigarette from Curly while Teddy pulled one of his own Marlboros out and stuck it between his lips. Curly offered the pack around – Lila and Arnold shook their heads, but Helga took one.
Rhonda rolled her eyes when Curly whipped out a lighter and held it up for her, but she let him do the honors. Arnold and Lila stood awkwardly while the rest of the group smoked. Arnold watched Helga – she seemed to be faking it; he saw her swallow a cough or two. He knew Curly and Rhonda had both been smoking since eighth grade – he remembered finding out and being scandalized by it – but he had never seen Helga smoke before. He got the impression that she was trying to seem braver, tougher, than she really was. Big surprise, he thought glumly. It was the story of the girl's life.
"So, how do we get in?" Lila asked innocently, looking up at the building.
"There's a broken window on the left side," Curly said, gesturing with his cigarette.
"Well, what are we waiting for!" Teddy said, stomping out his own cigarette and clapping his hands together. "No one's going to chicken out, are they?" he asked, glaring at Curly, who was too busy looking at Rhonda to notice his implied insult. Arnold, meanwhile, looked to Helga. She lifted one of her feet and put her cigarette out against her boot, not meeting his eyes. He walked over to her.
"Helga," he whispered. "Are you sure you want to --"
"Look, buddy," she said through gritted teeth, jerking her eyes up to his. "If you ask me that one more time, fists are gonna fly."
Arnold rolled his eyes. The others began to walk toward the left side of the main building, and Helga followed them. Arnold trailed behind her reluctantly.
"I don't see you trying to stop your precious Lila from going in," she muttered back to him as Curly reached the window and showed Lila how to climb onto a pile of rubble and hop inside.
Arnold's face heated as he realized she was right. Why was the idea of Lila going into Clayton not bothering him? He glanced at Helga, saw that she had pulled the sleeves of her sweater over her hands. Something about her just seemed so much more vulnerable, surprisingly. Lila seemed kind of invincible, but Helga . . .
"C'mon, Arnold," Curly said, making him snap out of it. He saw Helga climb into the window, disappearing into the darkness inside the building, and he realized he and Curly were the only ones who weren't inside yet. Not liking the idea of leaving the girls alone with Teddy, Arnold hurried over.
"Hey," Curly whispered as Arnold put his leg up on the windowsill. "Did Rhonda know I would be here?" he asked with a hopeful little grin.
"Um, yeah, actually," Arnold muttered, before turning to duck inside. He marveled about how Curly could still be pleased to see Rhonda, even when she'd shown up with her boyfriend. It reminded him a little of his years of hopeless longing for Lila – but tonight, he thought as he hopped down into the dark building – tonight she was alone.
Arnold stumbled when he got inside, everything dark except for the beams of Helga and Teddy's flashlights. He braced himself against someone's arm, and when he straightened up he realized it was Helga's. He also realized that he didn't want to let go, but when she gave him a dirty look, he did.
"It smells like crap in here," she said, making a face.
"That would be the pigeons," Curly said, making Arnold jump a little when he appeared suddenly behind him. Helga snickered at his reaction.
The six of them stood huddled in the middle of the small room they were in for a few minutes, shining their flashlights around and letting their eyes grow accustomed to the darkness, which was more complete inside. The room they were in had nothing in it but broken glass, and a single chair sitting eerily in one corner. There was graffiti all over the walls.
"This looks like it was a patient's room," Curly said quietly. He shined his flashlight on a door that led out into a long, narrow hallway, which they couldn't see the end of. "Let's try to find the cafeteria," he said quietly, and everyone began inching narrowly toward the door.
"Why the cafeteria?" Lila asked.
"Because that's where this janitor who was murdered here in the seventies died," Curly explained. "We're trying to communicate with his spirit."
"Oh my God, you are nuts," Teddy muttered, walking ahead of the group. Lila followed him, looking around curiously at the writing sprayed on the walls. Next was Rhonda, who had her arms folded tightly over her chest and seemed apprehensive. Curly followed her, shining his flashlight in front of her feet so she could see where she was walking. Helga was behind him, and Arnold brought up the rear – he couldn't stop looking behind him as they walked, and found himself wishing he had a flashlight. He quickened his pace a little so that he was walking beside Helga.
"This is weird," he whispered. He expected her to call him a baby for being scared, but instead she just glanced at him in silent agreement. He noticed that the beam of her flashlight was unsteady – her hand was shaking.
They came to the end of the hallway and it looked like they were in what was once the front lobby of the old hospital. There was a grand staircase in the middle, which split into two sections at a landing that sat beneath a giant picture window. The window was dirty and broken in places, but through it they could see the light of the full moon, which had come out from behind the clouds.
"The cafeteria is probably this way," Curly said, walking toward another narrow hallway that led from the lobby to the other half of the building. But Teddy ignored him, heading for the stairs.
"Did you guys just hear something?" he asked, taking a few steps up toward the landing. Everyone was still for a moment, and there it was: the scrape of footsteps from the third floor. Arnold looked up at the ceiling, his heart racing – there was someone – something – up there.
"It's probably just a rat or one of the pigeons," Lila said lightly, not appearing scared at all. She started to follow Teddy up the stairs.
"Wait," Rhonda said quietly, frozen at the bottom of the stairs. But Teddy and Lila just kept continuing up.
"It's okay," Curly said, walking over to Rhonda. "The only harmful spirit in this area vacates on All Hallow's Eve."
"Whatever," she muttered, hugging herself.
"Here," Curly said, taking off his pea coat and draping it around her. "You look cold."
"Thanks," Rhonda mumbled, sliding her arms into the sleeves and following him as he started to head up the stairs.
Arnold and Helga looked at each other.
"Want to get out of here?" Arnold asked, his heart thudding in his throat.
"We can't just leave them," Helga said, putting one foot on the staircase. "I have a bad feeling," she added, swallowing.
"Me too," Arnold said, following her up the stairs. Something was off. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he knew that going up the stairs, heading toward the location of the noises they'd heard, was a bad idea.
The stairs creaked in places as the six of them ascended. When Arnold and Helga reached the second floor, the other four were waiting. Teddy was shining his flashlight on a broken elevator shaft.
"Careful," Teddy said, shoving Curly toward the gaping hole where the elevator doors had once been. Curly stumbled a little and fell against the wall. He dropped his flashlight when he fell, and it tumbled noisily down the elevator shaft, smashing loudly when it reached the first floor.
"Stop it!" Arnold shouted.
"That's dangerous, Teddy!" Lila added indignantly. Teddy's cruel laugh echoed through the hall, and Arnold suddenly realized where some of his bad feelings might be coming from: maybe the most dangerous thing inside Clayton was this idiot they'd brought in with them.
Helga helped Curly up, and Teddy headed off down a hall that branched off toward the right. Rhonda hung back and stayed close to Curly and Helga, who brought up the rear. Lila marched ahead, and Arnold followed her. She didn't have a flashlight, and he didn't want her to have to rely on Teddy if the group somehow got split up.
"Are you alright?" he asked her.
"I'm fine, Arnold," she said with a little laugh.
Teddy stopped at a doorway along the left wall, and walked inside. Arnold and the others followed him in, and they found themselves in what looked like a men's washroom – there were a few old bathtubs on the floor, and shower heads poked out of the far wall.
"Do you hear something?" Helga asked, and Arnold started, realizing she was standing right behind him. She pressed closer when the whole group quieted down enough to hear a strange, rushing sound coming from nearby.
"Is that the wind?" Rhonda asked. Arnold could hear a shake in her voice.
"No," Teddy said, walking ahead, toward a doorway that connected to the washroom. " It's coming from in here."
"Teddy, don't!" Rhonda called, her shrill scream echoing all around the tiled room.
"Whoa," Teddy said, once he'd made it to the doorway and peeked inside. "Check it out." Lila jogged over and peered around him, a little gasp issuing from her throat as she did.
"Oh, wow!" she said. Arnold and Helga glanced at each other and then slowly made their way over. Lila and Teddy moved out of the way so they could see into what looked like a bathroom – there were urinals along one wall, and a long row of sinks along the other.
And every one of the sinks was turned on at full blast.
"What the hell is going on?" Arnold said, stepping back. He heard Helga's breath catch, and then felt her grab his arm.
"What is it?" Curly asked, walking up behind them. Rhonda was still standing in the middle of the washroom, Curly's pea coat wrapped tightly around her.
"The sinks," Lila said, pointing. "Who could have done this?"
"The janitor!" Curly said happily, his face lighting.
"Or some crazy psycho who hacks up kids who come poking around here on Halloween," Teddy suggested gleefully.
"I want to go home, now!" Rhonda shouted, making them all turn.
"Oh, relax, Rhon," Teddy said, waving a hand at her. "I was only kidding."
"Want me to walk you out?" Curly asked, rushing back over to her.
"Um, yeah right, Gamelthrope," Teddy said with a dark scoff, stomping over to Rhonda himself. "Speaking of psychopaths, there's no way I'm leaving my girlfriend alone with one." He threw his arm around Rhonda, but Curly didn't step back.
"If you want to leave I'll take you," he said again, looking at her.
"Did you hear what I said, Gamelthrope?" Teddy asked, shoving him hard. "Or are the voices in your head too loud?"
Curly stumbled backward. Rhonda buried her face in her hands and moaned.
"This was a stupid idea," she said, shaking her head. Arnold felt like saying 'I told you so,' but bit his tongue. He felt Helga's hand tighten on his arm, and looked to her. Her face had gone white and her eyes were wide.
"What's wrong?" he asked, and she turned to look at him slowly.
"Listen," she whispered. Arnold tried to, but all he could hear was Curly and Teddy sniping at each other.
"Shut up, you guys!" he shouted, and when everyone was quiet, he heard it – loud scraping sounds, coming from directly above them. Whatever was making the noise was definitely bigger than a rat or a pigeon. Helga issued a little unconcious whimper and curled against Arnold. He put an arm around her and looked up, goosebumps rising all over his skin.
"We've got to get out of here, now," he said, looking to the others.
"No way!" Teddy said. "You weirdos wanted to see a ghost – let's go check it out!"
"Wait," Curly said, turning around the room. "Where's Lila?"
"Oh, crap," Teddy muttered, shining his flashlight behind Arnold and Helga, where Lila had been standing before. They turned, and Helga searched with her flashlight, too, her hands shaking harder than before. Arnold had one of hers clamped tightly in his own, as a terrible sense of doom rose through him.
"Oh my God," Helga whispered, when Lila was nowhere to be seen.
"Listen," Curly said, coming up behind them. Arnold tried to hear what he was referring to, but all he heard was humming silence. Then he realized:
The sinks. Someone had turned them all off: the sound of rushing water was gone.
And so was Lila.
A/N: The concluding chapter will follow soon!