Blood Games

    ‘I wonder how long he was there.’

    ‘God only knows,’ Abilene muttered.

    ‘Long enough to enjoy the view,’ Cora said. ‘Vivian’s probably thrilled to death.’

    ‘She’ll want to leave,’ Abilene said.

    ‘We’d better get back inside.’ Cora turned around, slipped forward into the water, and swam through the archway. Abilene went next, followed by Finley.

    Stroking her way across the inside pool, Abilene saw Vivian and Helen straight ahead. They had abandoned the bar area and returned to the place where they’d left their clothes. Vivian, already in her panties, shot her arms through the shoulder straps of her bra and pulled the flimsy red cups over her breasts and fastened the hooks. Helen was zipping the fly of her Bermuda shorts. ‘Did you see him?’ Vivian asked.

    ‘Yeah,’ Cora said, climbing out. ‘He took off into the woods.’

    ‘Was he alone?’

    ‘Yeah.’

    ‘With any luck,’ Finley said, ‘he’s running home to fetch his older brothers.’

    ‘God, this is awful! We’ve gotta get out of here.’

    ‘Relax,’ Cora said. ‘I told you, he’s gone. Besides, he’s just a kid. He couldn’t have been much older than sixteen, seventeen. What’s he gonna do? There’re five of us.’

    ‘He got a free show, that’s all,’ Finley said. ‘It’s no big deal.’

    ‘At least he didn’t videotape us,’ Abilene said.

    She and Finley climbed from the pool.

    ‘Maybe he’s the one who cleans the place,’ Helen said, buttoning her blouse.

    ‘Probably is,’ Cora agreed. ‘And that’d mean we can stop worrying about the damn “maid service.” I honestly don’t see him as any threat.’

    ‘Except he really might come back with someone,’ Vivian said. ‘If he is the one who cleans this place, he must live nearby. And if he’s as young as you think, I bet he doesn’t live alone. What if he tells his parents about us?’

    ‘I’ve got brothers,’ Finley said. ‘At that kid’s age, not one of them would’ve told Mom or Dad about spying on some naked gals. No way.’

    ‘What would they do?’ Helen asked.

    ‘Depends. Joe’s the kind of guy who’d keep it to himself and just enjoy the memories. Ray, though - he’s more aggressive. He might sneak back, hoping for seconds. He might even bring along some friends. It’d be a big, exciting thing for them, but they wouldn’t do anything. Just try to see us again.’

    ‘We don’t know anything about this kid,’ Vivian said. ‘There’s no telling what he might do.’

    ‘The way he ran,’ Abilene said, ‘I don’t think he’ll be back.’

    Cora nodded. ‘Let’s just go on about our business. We’ve still gotta check out the rest of the lodge, and it’s almost time for Happy Hour.’

    ‘How do you know?’ Abilene asked. None of them wore wristwatches.

    ‘My thirst tells me.’

***

    Vivian and Helen, finished dressing, waited while the others got into clothes. Abilene used her blouse to wipe herself dry. Finley put on her baggy shorts and shirt without drying, tucked her knee socks into the deep pockets, and slipped her bare feet into her shoes. Cora didn’t bother to dry, either. She put on her T-shirt. It clung as if melting into her skin, but was long enough to hang like a very short dress. She stepped into her shoes and picked up the rest of her clothes.

    She started to climb the stairs. Abilene took up the rear, carrying her damp blouse.

    At the top of the stairs, they found themselves in a dimly lighted corridor beneath the stairway to the second floor. On the right, the hall led to the rear of the lodge where it met a windowed door to the porch. The far side of the corridor had two shut doors. There were no numbers on them, and Abilene guessed they might open into rooms that had been the living quarters of the lodge’s owners. On the other side of the corridor, near its end, was a single door. Picturing the layout of the place, Abilene figured it must lead into the back of the kitchen.

    She followed the others out from under the stairway and around it. There, just ahead and to the left, was the front door.

    She felt very glad to see it.

    Vivian walked straight toward it. As she stepped outside, Cora and Finley wandered into an open room to the right. A parlor or library, Abilene supposed. Much of it was walled with built-in, empty bookshelves. There was a fireplace, smaller than the one in the lobby, on its north side. At the front, some limbs from the huge branch on the porch reached through the shattered window.

    Helen gave the room little more than a glance before going out to join Vivian. After a few moments, Abilene followed.

    It was good to be outside. It was especially good to see the familiar car parked a few yards from the porch.

    Vivian and Helen stood in the sunlight beside the car. They were talking softly. They turned their attention to Abilene as she trotted down the stairs.

    ‘Do you want to leave?’ Helen asked her.

    Shrugging, she spread her blouse on the hood of the car to dry.

    ‘Vivian does,’ Helen said.

    ‘I don’t think it’s safe.’

    ‘It might not be,’ Abilene admitted. ‘I don’t know.’ She looked at Helen. ‘I take it you’d rather stay.’

    The girl’s face twisted as if she were in misery. ‘At least for one night, you know?’