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Red Water
I am in blood
Stepp'd in so far, that, should I wade no more,
Returning were as tedious as go o'er.
Macbeth, Act III, Scene IV
The room was dark. So dark that shadows were invisible and the trail of light that seeped in from the window cracks and stairs’ door were but a thin line of white. The room smelled too. An odour caught between old cheese and decay.
Nothing moved in the room. Everything seemed dead. Except for the four people gathered around a black table. Perhaps it was white. Or red. It couldn’t be told. The room was too dark and the four people melted into the blackness, save for the bottom half of their faces and Scarlett’s hair because it was a radiant red and could always be seen. In fact, it was one of the light sources in the room.
“Does everyone agree on the plan?”
Three heads nodded in unison.
“Are you sure?”
“Seth, we’re damn sure,” Wendell said. “We’ve been working on it for hours.”
Seth’s mouth formed a thin line and no one said anything while he paused. He was the leader. He was the head. They all listened to him because he was smart and he knew what to do.
“You know there’s no going back once we do this.” He looked at everyone then, each one in the face, thoroughly and searchingly and they knew this though they could not see his eyes in the dark. They could feel him—his eyes touching each one of them with the intensity of a thousand stares. “Wendell?”
“I’m not backing out.”
“Cain?”
He shrugged in a way that meant yes.
Seth paused. “Scarlett?”
There was an uncomfortable silence. It was tense because everyone was watching Scarlett’s mind play out recent events. “Yes.” It was barely audible. A silent yes. One nonexistent but oh-so existent at the same time.
“For Christ sakes Seth, of course she’s sure! She was almost—”
“Fuck Wendell shut up, I know what happened.” Seth was angry. “I was asking her to make sure. Don’t want her to do something she doesn’t want to do. I’m not him.”
“Yes,” Scarlett repeated, clearer. “I want to do this.”
“Well that settles it then,” Wendell looked at everyone and then stuck out his hand, though no one could see it. “We’re all in it together.”
First Seth, then Cain. They stared at Scarlett. She gently placed her hand on top.
“Let’s do it.”
“Can’t. I said I want you.”
“Well I don’t want you. I told you I’m with someone. I don’t even like you.”
“Too bad. I love you.”
“You don’t love me! You wouldn’t be here if you loved me.”
“You’re right. I don’t love you. I’m obsessed with you.”
“Get away. I said stay away!!”
“No.”
They stood under the big oak tree on the property, staring at the school. They were an odd bunch; Scarlett, small and weak with flashing red hair, Seth tall and intimidating, the only cloud outside, Cain mellow and languid, leaning against the tree with no effort at all, and Wendell with his glasses and his tie but not completely smart.
Scarlett’s back leaned against the tree and Seth, beside her, had his arm above her head. He had an urge to touch her red hair because it was shinning so much and he’d never gotten rid of his early childhood obsession of shiny objects. That’s why he’d met her in the first place. But he didn’t think it was the right time.
Wendell stared at the school, calculating the time they should go in. Cain leaned on the other side of the tree, probably smoking or sleeping or doing something. But Seth just stared at Scarlett’s hair and after a while his hand found the red strands and stroked.
Scarlett was surprised and turned to look at him. She smiled and let him.
“I told you. I’m with Seth.”
“Screw Seth. Oh wait. You probably have.”
“Shut-up.”
“Now it’s my turn.”
“That sucks. I was just beginning to have fun,” Seth said, staring at Scarlett’s flashing red hair. But it was time. It was now or never. They’d never get another chance. Seth turned to the group. Wendell was determined, Scarlett was scared and Cain was…Cain. “Everyone knows what to do?”
“Not that hard,” Cain said. They all looked at him. He hadn’t said anything special but it was special every time he talked. He didn’t talk very much. Not after what happened, at least.
“I still don’t see why I can’t fight,” Wendell pushed his glasses up his nose in frustration.
Seth gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to punch Wendell. “If you remember, Wendell, you can’t fight. That’s the reason we’re here, isn’t it?”
Wendell glared through his glasses, but nodded.
Seth glanced at the school once before putting his fist in his hand. “Let’s go.”
They walked. They didn’t talk. They didn’t want to talk, because they might have to think about what they were going to do. But Seth knew they had to do it. For Scarlett, at least. For Scarlett.
“Why not?”
“It’s against the law.”
“Since when have I ever cared about the law?”
A pause.
“That’s right. Now come here…”
Then they got to the hallway. And they put their plan into action.
Cain stuck his foot in front of Seth and Seth tripped. It wasn’t a real trip, Scarlett knew. No one could trip Seth. No one.
Seth stood up, angry, yelling, “What’s your problem man?”
And that’s when he punched Cain and the whole hallway stopped in awe as they watched a fake, realistic fight, carried out by their classmates.
“People are stupid,” Wendell whispered in Scarlett’s ear as they were pushed out of the way, towards the back of the crowd. “They stand and watch people hurting each other. And they like it.”
Scarlett shifted feet, tucked some of her red hair behind her ear and said, “I know. But the plan is working.”
Wendell shook his head, “Its pathetic how predictable people are.”
Scarlett shrugged, “Not everyone.”
“We’ve already established that. Why the fuck do you think I’m going to listen to your reasoning?”
“You’re Seth’s friend for god’s sake!”
“Was. Was Seth’s friend. He pissed me off.”
“So?”
“So here I am.”
Scarlett gently took her hand out of Wendell’s. “Don’t,” she said.
And he didn’t.
They ended up in front of the Chemistry Office. Wendell knocked but Scarlett did all the talking because she looked kind and innocent and good.
“Miss Reid, there’s a fight down the hallway,” Scarlett said in a small, kind voice.
“Oh dear,” Miss Reid said, putting a hand to her cheek. “Teenagers! Always fighting. Dear me. Where did you say this fight was? And with whom?”
“In the main hallway by the library. It’s Seth Wales and Cain Weider,” Scarlett responded perfectly.
Miss Reid ran a hand through her hair before rushing out into the hallway, muttering, “I thought they were good students.”
Wendell and Scarlett stared after her until she disappeared. No one was there. The hallway was a ghost town. Everyone was busy watching the fight.
“Seth must be making it good,” Scarlett stated.
“Yeah,” Wendell agreed. “Miss Reid is wrong,” he added.
Scarlett looked at him.
“Teenagers don’t fight. They pick up the pieces adults leave behind.”
“Pretty much, yeah. He got on my nerves and now I’m getting on his.”
“What you’re going to do is way worse than ‘getting on his nerves’.”
“I know.”
“Then why are doing it?”
“My dad did it. My uncle’s in jail for it. My grandfather was shot doing it.”
A pause.
“It’s in the family darling.”
It was because of Cain that they could do this. He knew no one had Chemistry after lunch and he knew that the door’s lock was broken and all it took was the push of a thin plastic card to open the door.
They didn’t turn on the lights. They didn’t want anyone to know what they were doing. They tried the card on the Chemistry supply room door.
It didn’t work.
“Try again,” Scarlett said.
Wendell tried. It still didn’t work.
“You’re not doing it right.” Scarlett tried. It worked. “What did I tell you?” she said.
Wendell just fixed his tie.
They turned on the light in the supply room. No one would be able to see it from the hallway.
“Remember,” Wendell said, “we’re looking for non-diluted hydrochloric acid.”
“Do you think they’ll be any left?” Scarlett asked, browsing through the top glass cabinets.
“Yes,” Wendell said automatically, stepping into the back of the room. “Miss Reid said she only diluted half of it.”
“What?” Scarlett said, stopping cold.
“Huh?” Wendell stopped too, looking at her confused.
“You mean you asked her?”
“Yeah. What’s the big deal?”
Scarlett played with her ring. She did that when she was nervous. “What happens when they find that it was hydrochloric acid in the dart? Then Miss Reid’s going to remember that you asked her about it. Especially when she finds it’s missing.”
Wendell took off his glasses and started cleaning them with his shirt. He put them back on and then spoke. “There was no other way. You don’t understand. I had to get the strongest, most effective poison for the dart and Seth needed an answer right away. There was no other way. I can’t—I’m not…I’m not like Seth, okay?”
Scarlett shook her head. “So what happens when they catch us?”
“They won’t,” Wendell said with confidence, looking as scared as Scarlett. “It’ll be okay.”
But Scarlett had heard that one before.
“Yes I do.”
“Why?”
“It’s in my blood.”
“No—please—please don’t! Someone will come!”
“They won’t.”
“You’ll get caught!”
“No. I’m good at this. Now come here and be quiet. Don’t worry. It’ll be okay.”
As she and Wendell rounded the corner, they heard the noise begin to quiet down as the loud, rumbling voice of their principal ordered Seth and Cain into his office.
They all knew this would happen. It was inevitable. They worked it into the plan knowingly. Seth and Cain would get a suspension for foul play. Scarlett and Wendell would go to class as not to draw attention. At two o’clock, Scarlett and Wendell would leave class with the excuse of a stomach ache. Then they would meet under the oak tree in the park down the street.
It worked out because the school was predictable. Seth and Cain got away with only a one-day suspension because they were “good kids”. Scarlett and Wendell got out of class because the teachers trusted them.
Seth had no forms of physical injury when they all met under the tree, while Cain sported a bruise to his cheek and a bloody nose. When Scarlett looked at him, he just shrugged.
“Did you get the acid?” Seth asked Wendell in a hard voice.
Wendell nodded. “It’s in Scarlett’s bag. We got it fast. No one spotted us.”
Scarlett thought about telling the group that Wendell had made a mistake. But she decided against it. Wendell wasn’t Seth.
“Good.” Seth said smiling with approval, though it was directed more towards Scarlett then Wendell. He opened his bag and took out the gun. He put it in Scarlett’s bag and she handed it to Wendell. “Cain’s car is parked just around the corner. Do your stuff and make it quick. We only have half an hour.”
“Right.” Wendell hurried to Cain’s car. He wanted to do this right. He’d screwed up too much already.
“You okay?” Seth asked Scarlett when Wendell was out of sight.
“I should be asking you that.”
Seth ran his hand down her hair, pausing at her cheek. He held her soft white skin, as though it might break. And it could break, they both knew. “I know,” Seth murmured.
Scarlett closed her eyes. When Seth touched her, it felt as though hot water was being poured on her—all over her body, making every part tingle with pleasure. She didn’t want it to stop so she threw herself against Seth, asking silently for more water.
“Oh shut your fucking mouth. You’ve said that ten times already.”
“Let go of my hand—you’re hurting me!”
“Ah now you’re getting the idea.”
“No—I’ll tell Seth—I’ll—”
Slap.
“You won’t tell anyone you little bitch.”
Scarlett put a hand to her cheek. She could feel the cold hand print as though it’d been engraved on her skin in ice.
“Good.” Seth glanced at his watch. “We’re right on schedule.”
There was a moment of silence in which everyone stared at each other, knowing what they were about to do.
“This is a crime,” Cain said, ever so softly. The sun shone brightly overheard. They all looked at Cain. They all knew he was right and yet they were doing it.
“I don’t care,” Scarlett said increasing in intensity. “I don’t care.”
“He deserves it,” Seth snarled.
In some ways they were right and in other ways they were making excuses.
“Not everyone can be forgiven,” Wendell muttered.
“Stop it! Get your hands off of me.”
“I’m sorry Scarlett, I really am. Try to remember that after we’re finished, okay?”
Scarlett felt a tear roll down her cheek. The bruised cheek.
“Crying won’t help.”
The excuse was that Wendell wanted to make some money. He was smart—everyone knew that—and so he wanted to do other people’s homework for some money. They knew he’d buy it. They knew what he was like.
Cain didn’t come with Wendell. He was only watching—watching in case something went wrong. They didn’t want anyone to get hurt, not even Wendell, so Cain was the look out for any fights.
Wendell spotted him at the back of the gym doors, with his group of friends. He cautiously approached them.
“Lincoln?”
There was a pause. A deathly quiet pause where everyone in the group turned to stare at the tall, lanky nerd. “It’s Link, Wendy. Don’t you remember that?”
Wendell pushed his glasses up his nose. “Right. Sorry.”
Link crossed his arms over his broad chest. “What do you want? Can’t imagine it’s revenge.” He smirked.
Wendell remained stoned face. “Can I talk to you for a minute? Alone?”
Link raised his eyebrows but nodded. Wendell led him towards the edge of the school property.
“What do you want Wendy? Compensation? An apology?”
Wendell shook his head. “No, it’s about something completely different.” Then Wendell explained everything Seth and Cain had told him to.
Link’s expression was unreadable the entire time, but at the end he smiled. “Sure. I love helping the needy. In fact, I have some assignments today. If you wait ten minutes and come back to my house, I’ll give them to you so you can get a head start.”
“Ten minutes?” Wendell said loudly. Cain was smooth. He was slick. He’d heard.
“Yeah Wendy—you deaf? Ten minutes, kay?”
“Sure.”
“Why? Because you won’t participate? Don’t care—I’m used to it.”
“I’m on my period.”
A snort. “You know how many times I’ve heard that excuse? You girls think I’m that stupid?”
“I can prove it.”
He crossed his arms. “Okay. Let’s see then.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to do it?” Seth broke the silence, causing Scarlett to jump.
She swallowed. “No, I can do it.”
Seth smiled tightly. “I know you can. I have faith in you.”
Scarlett stared at the deep blue sky. “I need to do it.”
Seth glanced over at her. “So do I.”
Scarlett turned to him. “Yes, but it happened to me.”
Seth met her gaze. “And he did it because of me. I could kill myself.”
Scarlett clutched her bag tighter. “So could I…so could I.”
A pause.
“That’s a good thing. If you had lied to me, it would have been bad for you.”
“What are you going to do to me?”
A sigh. “I’m a human, Scarlett. I like it good. So I won’t do that to you.”
A breath of relief.
“Instead I’ll do something else.”
“I’m still not apologizing,” Link kept saying, thinking it was the reason for the silence.
Wendell wanted to say ‘You’re still not forgiven’ but instead said, “I know.”
They arrived at Link’s house slightly behind schedule. But it was okay because they had all predicted this.
Link lived in a mansion. He was an all-round athlete, extremely popular in school. He was rich and good-looking, charming and lovable, all things that got him plenty of friends and honour. The problem was his two-sided personality. That got him enemies.
“The work’s in my room.” Wendell followed Link up the lavish stairs and into his large room. With every step his heart beat quicker and with every step his breath ran thin. He hopped to God it worked.
“What are you going to do?!” She cried out.
“Shut your little trap.” He dragged her out of her room and into her backyard. He dragged her all the way to the edge of the property until they were in front of the well.
They wore camouflaged clothes; though they were lucky Link lived on a wide property. They would not be seen by any neighbours and even if Link happened to notice them, he wouldn’t live to register the thought.
Scarlett and Seth climbed until they reached the branch that bent towards the window. Scarlett got the gun ready and Seth sat behind her, reassuring and strong. He was not scared and she was.
Then, they waited.
“Sure. If I can’t steal your virginity, I’ll steal your life.”
Link was rummaging through his desk. He didn’t notice Wendell’s tense and excited behaviour. In fact, he seemed more concerned about finding his homework then anything.
“Link?”
“Yeah?” He didn’t pause in his search for his English outline.
“Do you mind if I open the window? I’m really hot.”
“Whatever—fuck where’s that stupid paper?!”
Wendell rolled the window open as wide as he could. Again, it was because of Cain that they knew how the screen on the window looked. Cain remembered things—stuff a lot of people would brush aside. Cain had a photographic memory. He’d even been able to tell them the exact size of the holes in the screen so they could get the right darts.
Wendell stood very still, looking out the window. Scarlett stared back at him and it was like looking into a mirror.
“Here it is,” Link said, straightening up with a piece of paper in his hands. “Man Wendy, what the hell are you looking at?”
He walked over to the window.
Scarlett stared down at the long stone passage and the dark water.
Link touched her hair. “I’ll be sad to see this go to waste but what can you do?”
Another tear cascaded down her cheek.
“Don’t worry,” Link whispered in her ear, “they’ll be plenty of tears where you’re going.”
He pushed Scarlett’s back but she still resisted.
“Still unwilling, eh?”
This time Link grabbed her hair.
He didn’t have to tell her that because she could feel it. It was in the air, it was in Wendell’s eyes, it was in her.
No one would have suspected, much less given Scarlett this task. But she knew how to shoot and they would only have one chance. It was funny, Seth was thinking at that moment, as Link approached the window, that little and angelic Scarlett was going to be the one to kill the devil.
And then Link was there, staring out the window. His eyes connected with Scarlett’s and then Seth. They were wide. They were surprised. But it was only for a moment.
Link didn’t care.
His objective was to extinguish the flames.
He heard her scream.
He saw the fire strands on his hands.
And he looked at what he’d done.
And that woke Seth up. He grabbed Scarlett around the waist and swung her towards the tree bark. She threw the gun in her bag and slid down the tree until she was within arms reach of Cain, who quickly helped her down. Seth followed suit.
Then they ran. They ran until they got to Seth’s car and then they drove as far as they could, away from the place where it had happened.
And it was only when Wendell was sure they were gone, that he screamed as loud as he could, calling for a maid or a housekeeper or whoever was in the house.
He screamed for help. He screamed for his mind to calm down. He screamed so that no one would ever suspect him.
And she had no light and no hope because of the water.
And yet she screamed and screamed until she was breathing water and dying in the water.
And then Seth came.
And because Wendell looked smart and could act it, the police believed his story. Link was pronounced dead on the scene and Wendell was asked to come to court as a witness.
They inspected the wounded.
It was an acid-filled dart. A pure hydrochloric acid based dart. Most likely from a factory, they said. They were going to focus on the parents—see if they had any enemies. Wendell was brushed aside.
Link was gone by then but Seth had saved her.
He’d called the house and when she didn’t answer, he thought something was wrong.
He’d saved her from the dark water.
He’d seen the trail of blood when he came through the backyard to go through the side door. He’d the seen the blood gleaming in the moon light, leading right up to the well.
He’d followed the trail, scared.
Seth never got scared.
But he was scared when he saw the blood.
“We got away with it,” was all he said when he slumped in his chair beside Seth and Cain.
And Scarlett couldn’t stop herself from smiling. And it was a real smile—the first real one in six months.
And everyone stared at her because her smile was like her hair.
“He’s gone,” she said in wonder. “He’s gone.”
“Yes Scarlett,” Seth said, taking her hand. “He’s gone.”
He held a nearly-naked Scarlett afterwards. He was shaking and crying, realising that she’d almost died.
Scarlett couldn’t speak because there was too much water in her. But she did ask, “Is he gone?”
“Yes,” Seth said, his heart breaking, “Yes, he’s gone.”
Abby
