The basement reeked of day-old piss, musty clothes, and stagnant water pooling in the corner of the dungeonous room. Kendall noiselessly chewed on a fresh piece of bread as she looked around. She knew he would be back soon. She crammed the rest of the bread in her mouth; washing it down with bottled water he was so kind to give her. Yes, kind was the only word that came to mind when Kendall thought about her circumstances.
********
Just the day before, she was trying to hitch a ride back to California. When she stuck out her thumb for the 10th time along the endless highway, she thanked God, Santa Claus, and Buddha when the black Escalade pumped its breaks. She jumped in the SUV without a second glance to the driver. Her eyes went to the backseat first, eyeing the cushions and floor for anything out of place –like weapons, or maybe someone laying in wait. Once her suspicion eased, she turned to the driver who remained quiet throughout Kendall’s inspection. Maybe he wanted her to feel more comfortable –or at least give her the impression she was safe. When he finally spoke, Kendall was even more soothed by his easy-going inflection, and kind gray eyes.
“Where ya headed”?
“Cali –uh, L.A. to be exact. But I’ll go as far as you’ll take me”.
He fixed his eyes on the road again, seemingly lost in thought. Kendall wasn’t sure what to say next; and since the sun was setting and the desert would bring a merciless cold soon after, she didn’t want to risk saying the wrong thing, or asking any personal questions to get her ass kicked out.
“Yeah, I’m coming from Vegas,” She continued, “Almost lost my shirt while I was there. I barely had enough to get any food, so I figured I’d pocket what money I had left and hitchhike the rest of the way. Stupid, huh”? She softly chucked.
The driver silently nodded in agreement.
The rest of the drive was a relaxed one, albeit agonizingly quiet. Before she knew it, Kendall had drifted off the sleep, dreams filled with flashing lights, and the familiar sound of the jackpot she never won. Kendall’s eyes popped open when the car went over something that felt like a pothole. The night was pitch black, with nothing but twinkling start speckling the sky. She looked down at her jeans, white t-shirt, and denim jacket. Everything was intact. Her backpack (and buck knife hidden inside) was still securely on her lap. Despite being groggy, Kendall realized she was okay, and untouched.
But something was wrong.
They had turned off the highway, and were on a dirt road she wouldn’t recognize if her life depended on it. The driver kept one hand on the steering wheel, and rested against the seat, eerily familiar with where he was going –and where he would be taking her. Kendall’s heart pounded in her chest, as she gave a side-ways glance to Mr. No-name. Now completely alert, she didn’t want to show him how frightened she’d become.
Then, her predicament became all to clear: no one knew where she was. Her family was back in Newark, and the friends she did make were way more successful than her, but always too busy to help her find gigs. Her acting career never took off like she hoped; landing a few spots here and there as an extra on some crappy sitcom, but damn sure not enough to live on. She traveled to Vegas in the spur of the moment, determined to hit it big, or at least get a sugar daddy if things really went south. But neither one happened, and here she was, trying to get back to her 1-bedroom lousy apartment, courtesy of a guy she never laid eyes on before.
Kendall cleared her throat, “Where are we”? She asked as calmly as she could muster.
The driver smiled at her, displaying perfect evenly spaced teeth, “I’m taking you to my house. I’m tired of drivin’ and I don’t want my wife to worry anymore. While you were dozin’ I called her and said I’d be home soon, and bringing a guest for dinner…I hope you don’t mind”.
“Well, actually I” –
“You did say you were low on cash and hungry, didn’t you”?
Kendall looked down at her dusty sneakers, “I said something like that. But I really don’t wanna be a bother, especially to your wife”.
“It’s no trouble” He smiled again; “She’s dying to meet you”.
They pulled into a long driveway, leading to a beautiful 3-story house, with not another home in sight. Kendall’s anxiety subsided a little when she saw an outline of a woman in the doorway, waving at them.
“So, you a dancer, or somethin’?” He asked suddenly, just as Kendall reached for the passenger door.
“Uh no, I’m an actress…I guess a wanna-be actress at this point”. She muttered, unable to hide her bitterness.
“Yeah, my wife was an actress too, long long time ago –way before you were born”. He mused.
Kendall smiled meekly. This was the most he ever spoke the entire trip. Perplexed, she remained in the vehicle as he gazed in the direction of his house.
“We’re working on her comeback,” He replied, as if to gage Kendall’s reaction, “And we could really use your help, since you’re a part of the biz, and all”...
Kendall laughed, “Dude, you found me walking along a highway, what the hell can I possibly do for you”?
He grinned, but his face was void of amusement “Don’t count yourself out, I imagine you’ll be exactly what she’s looking for”.
*******
Kendall finished the bottle of warm water as she pieced together the rest of what happened that night. Just as she reached for the car door again, the man slammed her head into the window twice, even though she had been knocked out with the first blow. He ripped her backpack away from her, flinging it into the backseat. The woman ran to the passenger side, opening the door as Kendall toppled onto the cold ground. When she came to, she felt herself being carried down some stairs, and into the basement that would become her home. As soon as she tried to scream, he backhanded her into instant submission. He was a lot stronger than he looked.
The couple looked at Kendall cruelly, as she curled into a ball and cried
“Yes”. The wife cooed, “She’s perfect”.
********
Neither the man nor the woman said another word to Kendall after that, only giving her enough food and water to live on. After a while, it seemed like Kendall was a part of the furniture that just happened to be held hostage in the basement. They never touched, or hit her again. Kendall began to think she would make it out of her in one piece after all. She just had to remain calm, and play along.
The basement door opened then, and the man walked in, as Kendall expected. She handed him her plate and empty bottle, saying nothing.
“She’s ready for you now”. He said flatly, “Come with me”.
Kendall wobbled to her feet, following him up the stairs into the house. The surroundings were immaculate, with each room adorned with it’s own color scheme. The kitchen was a cheery bright yellow with eggshell trim, where the living room had a warm magenta tone, with complementary charcoal furniture and lighting fixtures. He led her to the second floor, and into a spacious beyond-clean starkly white bathroom. Steam rose from the tub, as Kendall moved closer, to the hot water.
“You have to be clean first”. He handed her a crisp towel, and washcloth, “She’ll be in to bathe you.”
Kendall nodded, and proceeded to undress. The man looked on absently as she eagerly peeled the dirty jeans, and dingy t-shirt from her tired skin. She’d been used to him looking at her is if she was an object, so she shamelessly unhooked her bra and slid off her panties with silent glee. She never felt so dirty in her life. The woman seemed to have appeared behind him suddenly. She tapped him on the shoulder,
“I’ll take it from here hon”.
With a peck on the cheek, he left the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind him.
“Please, get in the tub”.
Kendall dipped her foot into the hot water timidly; it felt as if it was boiling “Ouch”! She lurched back. The woman gripped Kendall’s shoulders from behind firmly, “Oh, I’m so sorry dear! I’ll fix that”.
She reached for a curious chrome bottle, pouring a thick green substance into the water. For a second, the syrupy stuff encompassed the whole bathtub, and then it dissipated just as quickly.
“Try again”. She said happily.
Knowing she had no choice, Kendall, stuck her foot into the water again, and just like that, the water had indeed cooled. She immersed herself, as the woman coated a washcloth with more of that weird green ooze. She lifted Kendall’s legs out of the water, lathering them each with care. Kendall’s skin began to tingle all over. Next, the woman cleaned Kendall’s breasts and shoulders, working her way to her back.
Just then, the tingle turned into a strange burning sensation. The fumes from the wash filled Kendall’s nose, and she suddenly felt like she couldn’t breathe at all. She ineffectively tried to speak, as the vapors seeped in her mouth, down her windpipe, and into her lungs. Her limbs felt like lead now; she lost all control over her arms and legs and could barely lift her head, as it hit the back of the tub with a loud thunk! That strange burning sensation turned into unimaginable pain as it traveled up, down, and inside her naked body. Kendall felt the liquid move into her orifices, as if it were searching for something.
The woman hummed softly, as she continued to clean Kendall. Once she was satisfied, she stood up and watched, as Kendall’s body went into total paralysis. She could still hear, see, and feel everything. Even though she had a hard time breathing, the woman knew it wouldn’t matter much longer.
Kendall’s skin glowed neon green, as her bones began awkwardly protruding forward; as if they had a life of their own and wanted to escape. Kendall’s eyes screamed bloody murder, but her lips remained mute. As the green slime did its work, Kendall’s skeleton slid off her flesh with ease. Once her skin was detached from her bones, the woman pulled Kendall by her brown hair out of the tub with little effort. She let the water out, and watched the bones dissolve with it down the drain.
A few minutes later, the woman stepped from the bathroom, flicking long dark bangs out of her eyes. The man beamed, as if seeing his wife for the first time.
“Do you like my new skin”? She grinned
“I love it”! He exclaimed, taking her in his arms, “You’re so much prettier than the last girl I got for ya. You’ll be a star in no time”!
