Jennifer knew she was finally becoming reasonable again when she saw her threats about calling the cops had worked on that disgusting “homeless” man Alex. He had leaned forward to open his door wide.
She marched in with Alex darting glances sideways as he backed away from the door. At last Jennifer would get her phone back from the homeless woman she’d just heard scream! And stop thinking about that stupid other man who’d given her Alex’ name and address. Even though he had the most gorgeous blond hair, green eyes…
Oh no! She must be imagining things! She thought she caught a flash of that gorgeous blond hair in her peripheral vision.
“How could I have?” It was Alex. What was he talking about? He was looking at the place, now behind her as she stomped farther in, where she thought she’d seen the other man with the green eyes. But of course there was no one there.
“Jennifer!” It was the homeless woman. Holding a dead cat that was covered with, and even dripping, blood. Apparently crying over it. “Run!” she continued shrilly, though her voice was still beautiful. “Nothing’s safe here! Leave this place!” Of course she wanted Jennifer to leave…so she could keep her phone. People were so unreasonable.
Jennifer marched over to the homeless woman. But the homeless woman suddenly looked behind Jennifer.
Something Jennifer didn’t understand…but that set the hairs on the back of her neck on end…happened behind her. She tried to make sense of it…a huge displacement of air, maybe?…as she turned around. Oddly, she found her hand wrapping around the broken stiletto heel in her pocket. But before she could turn all the way around, a hand caught her mouth, and she smelled something very strange.
Suddenly she found herself in a dream. Or was it a memory? No, this had never really happened, had it? She had a sister, and that was impossible because she’d always been an only child. And if the homeless woman had the most beautiful voice she had ever heard, this non-existent sister had the ugliest. She’d come storming into Jennifer’s bedroom, yelling at the top of her lungs about how no one would ever allow Jennifer to have anything. Then she grabbed her very best baby doll right out of her hands and started ripping it to shreds. Jennifer heard herself pleading, “Please, Judy! Not her hair. Not her eyes!” Judy laughed as she gouged an eye out…and actually ate it.
Jennifer screamed and screamed and screamed until she was sure she couldn’t possibly scream any more. And then she screamed some more.
