The Dead House

(SF): Well, this one time, maybe around September or October, at the beginning of the school year, Naida was pissed about something. I tried to make her feel better, you know? Tried to find out what was wrong. She just said that they’d had some kind of argument and that it was upsetting her. I asked if she’d talked to Carly about it since then, and she laughed in this angry, kind of hate-filled way. I remember, clear as day, she said, “Yeah, right, I did.” That was all.



(FH): So you had the impression that Naida was angry with Carly?



(SF): Honestly, I thought Naida hated Carly at that moment. [Pause] Like any of that matters now.



(FH): So they had a falling-out.



(SF): [Dully] It wasn’t until after the Halloween party that things felt okay again between the two of them.



(FH): After the Juliet incident.



(SF): [Pause] Yeah. But like I said, I don’t know what happened to her. I want to make a phone call. I want to talk to my father.



(FH): Humor me for a few minutes more. In your own words, tell me again what happened.

[End of tape]





26


95 days until the incident


Naida Camera Footage

Saturday, 30 October 2004

Halloween Party Clip #1

Time Index Not Noted



“I’ve got it all set up,” Naida says into the camera. “Aila’s house is huge and perfect. So, dear viewers, I hope you delight in the horror of tonight. ’Cause we’re going to have us some nightmarish fun.”

The camera focuses on a wide porch, which is covered in grinning jack-o’-lanterns and box lanterns. The stairs leading up to the house, which itself glows orange from unseen light sources, are also lined with carved jack-o’-lanterns and an array of statuettes. The main statue, which stands on the grass, is of a life-size headless horseman. Each of the front-facing windows is covered with black material, out of which an image has been cut, and with the orange illumination inside, the effect is sinister. The whole house is one giant grinning face.

“This is it,” Naida says. “Tonight is going to be awesome.”

Naida carries the camera up the stairs and into the house, right through the wide-open mouth.


Halloween Party Clip #2

A living room, decked out in Halloween decorations—jack-o’-lanterns, spiderwebs, spiders, dangling black ribbons, candles, glowing lights. Students from Elmbridge High mill around, red plastic cups in hand. Johnny Farmer’s “Death Letter” plays from an unseen radio. Present are: Scott Fromley, senior, dressed as Candyman

Brett [name omitted], senior, dressed as an Arthurian knight

Juliet McClarin, junior, as Red Riding Hood

Maggie Myers, junior, as the Little Mermaid Ariel

Carly Johnson, senior, in steampunk couture

Brenda “Bobbin” LeRoy, senior, as Smurfette

Mike Bowers, senior, as Dracula (It should be noted that Mike’s face still bears the fading marks from the vandalism of September. Otherwise, he seems unaffected.) Naida appears from a door leading to the kitchen. She is dressed as a stylized Grim Reaper—her face is painted with a stark white-on-black skull design. She wears a black tuxedo that hugs her figure, a top hat, and black sunglasses. Between two slender fingers she holds a lit cigar, which she brings close to her lips, where it smokes provocatively.

“Ladies and gentleman,” she says, grinning, “welcome to the house of terror.”

The two younger girls, Juliet and Maggie, giggle and eye Brett from under their lashes. Brett, unaware, takes a sip from his cup, his focus on Carly, who is sitting on the sofa nearest the window. Scott snorts and stands up to greet Naida, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close.

Faintly, we hear his muffled words. “Hey, baby. You look sexy.”

She pulls back. “No kidding. You have a Grim Reaper fetish?” When he seems confused, she gestures to herself. “Collector of the Dead, for your delectation and delight.”

He nods, brows raised. “Kudos for effort.”

“Why, thank you, Candyman.”

“Mr. Daniel Robitaille,” he corrects her, before planting a kiss on her lips.

“Get a room!” Brenda yells, the lilt of laughter in her voice, even as she glances suggestively at Mike, who sits beside her.

“Wow,” Juliet says in Naida’s direction, “this is so cool!”

Brenda snorts, and Juliet’s blush deepens. Brenda turns to Mike and whispers, “What are they doing here?”

Mike grins but says nothing, and Juliet glances at Maggie, who smiles and shrugs.

As Scott pulls away from Naida, lips smeared white, we get a glimpse of Carly grinning at them.

“I should tell you,” Naida announces, “you are currently being filmed for my sociology project. Anyone who isn’t comfortable being seen should leave now.”

She waits, eyes passing over the faces present. No one moves, but several eyes surreptitiously scan the room for the cameras. Juliet’s lips frame the word where?—nothing more.