Blood Generation 2007
CHAPTER THREE: The Beauty Within
written by Hilary Rose
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Brad closed the supply room door and shuddered. His hands were clammy and he broke out in a cold sweat. She touched him. Her. He made a noise in disgust. The feel of her arms wrapping around his neck and the smell of her perfume made him want to vomit. He waited for the muffled voices to disappear until he opened the door. His father, Frank Chase, stood in the middle of the store looking at his son in disappointment.
�Bradley,� he said in a low voice, shaking his head. �The girl didn�t do anything to you. For God�s sake, you two used to be high school sweethearts!�
�She�s evil, dad,� Brad�s face tightened. �She doesn�t belong here.�

�I don�t get it, Em,� Helena walked closely by the side of her friend. �He pushed me away like I was contagious or something.�
�A lot of things have changed, Helena,� Emily looked around cautiously. �After you left, things got really weird. People changed. Do you remember Mrs. O�Malley?�
�Yeah, that really sweet old lady who lived next to you? She�d say hello to us every day and give us cookies and stuff.�
�Yeah,� Emily nodded, looking serious. �Well, about a month or so after you ran off, Mrs. O�Malley turned into one of the biggest bitches in town!�
Helena stifled a giggle when an older man glared at her friend. Emily said a quick sorry for her use of language.
�So what? She was an old lady, Em. She probably became so senile that it changed her personality completely. That can happen.�
Emily stopped and looked at Helena before taking a deep breath. �She killed a little boy, Helena.�
Helena felt her heart stop for a moment. Suddenly everything seemed so cold and dark, like it had been before she left town. �What?�
Emily nodded. �Yeah. Joe Pinto�s boy. He was just six years old.�
�But, why?� Helena felt like crying. She had to babysit the child a few times when she was in high school. He was the sweetest little boy.
�I don�t know exactly why,� Emily gestured for Helena to keep up with her as she walked. �I�ve heard that the boy went into her yard to get his ball back, and Mrs. O�Malley just came out of her house screaming with a gun. She shot him.�
A tear fell down Helena�s cheek and she swiped it away, sniffling. The lump in her throat was almost unbearable.
�Before the police or paramedics could get there, Mrs. O�Malley shot herself. Witnesses said that before she did it she said something about �damn evil demons.�� Emily wrapped an arm around her long time friend as she walked hurriedly across the street.
�So she just went crazy?� Helena choked out after a few moments.
�Helena,� Emily sighed. �Everybody�s gone crazy.�
Later that night, Nathaniel sat in the local bar drinking in the faces in the crowd. Over the hum of the other customers� conversations, he could pick out various whispers of a young woman who had come back home. Some people sounded enthused by the news, but others seemed to spit the words out of their mouths like a child with medicine.
He stood up from his booth in the far corner of the bar and went for the door. The cool nighttime air tingled against his flesh and a bubbly little brunette in a tight black dress shot a crooked little smile his way.
Not tonight, dear, Nathaniel thought. I�ve got other plans.
The sweet familiar smell of a woman�s perfume caught the wind and he followed it faithfully. After a short walk with a few leaps over some fences, he found himself crouched beside a bedroom window peeking at the beauty within.
Helena, he thought as he caught his breath. You look so much like your mother.
Emily stepped into the guest room to see Helena sitting at the vanity, brushing her long blonde hair.
�Still brushing 100 strokes each night?� she asked, smiling.
Helena stopped brushing and laughed. �And conditioning like hell.�
Emily sat on the edge of the bed and shivered. �It�s cold in here.�
�Is it?� Helena thought for a moment. �I don�t think so.�
�Well then you must be a very warm-blooded woman,� Emily said. �But, hey, if you�re comfortable then that�s all that matters.�
�Emily?� Helena turned to her friend and took a breath. �Do you think really Brad hates me that much?�
Emily looked confused for a moment. �Is this about earlier today?�
�Yeah,� Helena picked at her hairbrush. �I mean, after my mom died all those years ago, it seemed like you and him were the only ones I had left. Then I left so suddenly and I know I should have explained...�
�Helena,� Emily shook her head. �You were grieving. One would have had to be stupid not to see that. I understood why you left without you having to tell me.�
�It doesn�t seem that Brad understood,� Helena turned back towards the mirror.
�I know,� Emily sighed. �But you can�t let that bother you. If he wants to hold a grudge, then let him. It�s his own problem.�
�Yeah,� Helena nodded. �I guess so. It just seems so weird for him to have treated me like that, even if he was mad at me.�
�People change,� was all that Emily said before getting up and giving Helena a hug. �Goodnight, dear. Don�t let this bother you and get some sleep tonight.�
As Emily left the room, Helena stared at her reflection. Her green eyes shimmered in the dim light, and a shiver went down her spine as someone whispered in her ear, �You look so much like her, Helena.�
And upon turning and looking around frantically, she realized that no one was there.
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