Ray Garton - The New Neighbor

"There's nothing wrong. I just… forgot."

"You forgot."

He nodded without looking at her.

"I don't believe you, Robby. I admit I don't know you well, but I know you're not the kind of student to forget a test."

His jaw worked back and forth as he stared at the floor.

"Is it because you're sick?" she asked. "You don't look well at all, you know. But if you're ill, why don't you stay home?"

He said nothing, hoping she would steer clear of the subject of home.

"Is something wrong at home? Is that it? Because if – “

Robby's head jerked back and forth suddenly.

"Are you sure?"

He looked at her and spoke quietly and slowly through his teeth. "Nothing's wrong, okay?"

Miss Weiss leaned forward over her desk and softened her voice. "If there is something wrong, Robby, it's okay. I mean, everybody has – “

"Look, I'll take it tomorrow," he said, his voice wavering slightly. His eyes left her and darted around the room. "The test. I'll take it tomorrow. Okay?"

She watched him a moment before saying, "Listen to me, Robby. If there's anything I can do… or even if I can't do anything, maybe I can turn you to someone who – “

“Tomorrow? Please? I'll do it tomorrow, I promise."

"Okay, okay. Tomorrow, I'll give you the same test you just took. I want all the questions answered, okay? All of them. I want you to try , which you didn't seem to do today, because almost three quarters of the questions haven't been touched. If you don't… well, I think I'll have to talk with your parents."

Panic widened his eyes slightly and his neck stiffened as he turned to her to protest, but said nothing for a moment as his hands fluttered nervously with one another over his books on the small desktop.

"No," Robby whispered. "Don't do that."

"Why?"

His mouth felt dry suddenly. "I don't… want you to… well, they… wouldn't understand. That's all." Then, after a long pause: "Please?"

"Will you be ready tomorrow?"

He nodded quickly.

"Okay."

Robby stood so suddenly that the desk scraped over the floor and he staggered toward the door, clutching his books beneath one arm.

"Robby?"

He stopped but looked at his feet instead of turning toward her.

"Are you… taking any drugs? Or – “

"No," he whispered.

"You're not well. And I don't think it's just the flu. Are you sure there's nothing you want to talk about?"

"No," he said on his way to the door. "Everything's fine."

He was out of the room before she could say anything else.

Robby trudged down the hall, out of the building, and tried not to drag his feet as he crossed the grass toward the next building, where his biology class was about to begin. He expected Dylan to be waiting for him in the hall, but remembered he'd stayed home sick that day. Robby had been tempted to stay home, too, but there was really nothing wrong with him, except for the weakness that made him nearly unable to get out of a chair or carry his books, and he hated to miss school unless he really had to.

Unfortunately, he'd completely forgotten about the test. Staying home had been a better idea than he'd thought.

He heard whispering footsteps in the damp grass behind him, but ignored them, until -

– a hand touched his arm and a familiar voice said, "Your sister is in danger."

When Robby turned to him, the stranger's mangled face seemed to wither, as if he were looking at someone more hideous than himself.

"My God," he whispered, squeezing Robby's arm.

"Get away from me," Robby said, pulling away. He knew he didn't sound very convincing, but he went on anyway. "I'll have you thrown off campus. You know, you can get into a lot of trouble for coming to the – “

"No, no, please, wait." The man simply stared at Robby for a moment, then whispered, "She's already started. She's not wasting any time."

"Who?" Robby snapped.

"You're sick. You look awful."

"So I've got the flu. It's none of your goddamned busin – “

"Is anyone else in your family sick?"

"Why? What're you – “

The man stabbed his cane into the wet grass, as his face twisted into an angry scowl, and muttered, "She's moving faster now. It won't be long, she's – “ He looked at Robby again.

"You've got to listen to me. I saw your sister today. With her ."

"With who ?”

"You know who."

"I don't know what you're talking about and I wish you would leave me the fuck alone !" Robby spun on his heel and hurried away.

The man hobbled quickly to catch up with him. “Does she come to your house at night?" he asked, stepping in front of Robby and bringing him to a stumbling halt. "After all the doors are locked? Does she just appear ? Like a ghost ? She can put everyone else into a deep sleep, you know. Even someone lying right beside you. So they can't hear what she's doing to you. She did it to me. But after a while, she doesn't need to, because everyone is so weak, so ill, that they spend most of their time sleeping anyway."

Robby prepared to deliver another threat, but he said nothing. Gooseflesh crawled across his back and his hands trembled. He wanted to hurry away, but couldn't.

"You don't look well," the man continued. "The flu? Is that what you've got? Yeah, that's what we thought it was. But I know better now. Because I don't think the flu would make my wife take a chainsaw to my son. Or to me. That's how this happened, you know." He touched his fingers to his mangled cheek. "She did this with a chainsaw. Five years ago. And she didn't have the flu. But we did have something else. A new neighbor," he whispered. "A beautiful woman. A very friendly woman. She was especially friendly to us and to the family three houses down."

When the man took a step closer to him, Robby’s testicles crept up inside him.

"Do you know what happened to the family three houses down?" The man waited a moment, then: "The man beat his nine-year-old daughter's skull in with the butt of a shotgun, then tied his naked wife to a chair, stuck the barrel into her vagina and fired. If nothing like that has happened in your neighborhood yet, it will soon. I figured within the next few months, but I know now that it'll be sooner. Probably much sooner. I can tell by looking at you. It's going to happen soon and maybe in your house. Because she's there. Across the street from you . And she's already started, hasn't she? She's… seduced you, hasn’t she? Probably your father. Maybe even your muh – “

"You're insane," Robby croaked. His throat felt made of half-dry cement, his scalp was crawling over his skull and his eyes were beginning to mist. "Stay away from me. Just… stay away."

"It won't be long before you realize I'm telling you the truth," the man said, his voice trembling with urgency. "The people around you will begin to change. You'll change. Your thoughts will not be your own. You'll need me," the man snapped. "When that happens – “ He pulled a slip of paper from his coat pocket and stuffed in into Robby's. “ – call me at that number. I can help you. I'm the only one who knows how ." He turned and hobbled away quickly.

Robby walked numbly into his biology class and clattered into his desk, interrupting Mr. Hinchley's lecture. Normally, he would have felt self-conscious, but he didn't even notice the stares or Mr. Hinchley's icy glare. Robby opened his notebook on the desk, moving stiffly, mechanically. Mr. Hinchley's voice was a distant buzz. The only things on Robby's mind were the words of the man with whom he'd just spoken.

S he's already started, hasn't she? She’s… seduced you, hasn’t she ?