Her Monster

ERICA

I was almost delirious after my trip to the bank. There was $19,000 in my account. It felt like I had won the lottery.

I walked down Main Street, looking in each storefront I passed. There was a sign outside the post office that read “Aldritch Power.” I went in and stood at the counter that served as the power company.

While I was filling out the required forms, I heard the whisperings behind me. “They should have locked her away for good.”

I turned around and saw two women watching me, their faces full of rancor. I glanced at them for a second, but what could I say?

The woman in the green dress glared at me. “A mother’s worst nightmare is what you are,” she said nastily. She turned back to her friend and grabbed her arm. “You never met Alma, the sweetest person on the planet. And that thing killed her husband. Stabbed him five times in the gut!”

“Oh my god,” the other woman replied. “I will be locking my doors from now on!”

I turned back to the counter, guilt seeping through me. If this was what I would have to deal with, maybe I should consider selling the house and moving where no one knew me. Everyone knew everyone else’s business in this town. I would never escape my past.

“Don’t let them get to you, dear. Not everyone thinks the way they do.” I looked at the lady behind the counter. Her name tag read SIMONE.

“Thank you,” I mumbled.

“You’ll have power this afternoon. Cilla wanted you to stay.”

“You knew my gran?”

“Everyone knew her. She had the kindest heart, and she always told me that you take after her.” She smiled encouragingly at me.

I nodded and walked out. I wanted to run back to the safety of my house and hide. Which is exactly what my gran had warned me against. She knew me too well. I took a breath. I would give myself a few months to figure out what I wanted to do. I had survived six years in an institution, I could handle a few haters.

I still had groceries to buy as I hadn’t eaten in two days. The grocery store had been updated since my last visit. I grabbed a cart and walked down the aisles, mindful that I had to carry it all home. I ignored the whispers and focused on my shopping.

I turned a corner and almost bumped into a girl my age. “If it isn’t Erica Baxter, our local killer,” the girl said loudly. She looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place her. Tall with brown hair and green eyes, dressed in a miniskirt that showed off her long legs. “Remember me? We used to play together; we even had sleepovers.”

Oh my god, Kerry. Back then she’d been overweight, but now she was gorgeous. We’d played together during my summer visits. My heart sank. If friends had the audacity to call me a killer, there was no point staying in Aldritch. I would be just as alone here as I was in juvie.

“Kerry?” I asked hesitantly.

She nodded. “Do you know that my mother never allowed another girl to sleepover after you? All thanks to you.” Before I could respond, she slapped me hard across the face.

I was too shocked to say anything, raising my hand to cover my burning cheek. We had drawn a crowd, and I was thinking of running when I heard a gruff voice behind me.

“That’s enough, Kerry. All of you, get back to what you were doing and stop gawking.”

Kerry smirked but moved away. I turned to face my savior. A tall man with a scraggly gray beard and lively brown eyes stood in front of me, smiling. He looked vaguely familiar, and from my gran’s description, I had an inkling this was Walter.

“Walter?” I asked.

“The one and only,” he responded, a twinkle in his eye. “Now, let’s get this shopping done, and I will drive you back to the house. How does that sound?”

“It sounds wonderful,” I acknowledged gratefully.

No more whispers were heard as Walter escorted me through the store. I haphazardly put things into the cart. I didn’t want to keep Walter waiting. I debated whether to pay cash or use the card, but with Walter here, I decided to use the card to see how it worked. Paying was easy, all I had to do was tap the card on the machine under the watchful eye of the cashier, who didn’t utter a word.

We loaded the groceries into the back of his truck. The drive home took only two minutes. Walter helped carry the groceries in.

“Erica, I have a proposition for you,” he said, sitting down at the kitchen table. He gestured for me to do the same.

“Okay.” I didn’t know where this was headed, and I didn’t know if I wanted to hear it.

“I own the hardware store, and I need someone to help with counting stock, placing orders, and a few other tasks. I think you would fit right in. What do you say?”

“I… I don’t,” I stammered. I had never been to a hardware store. What if I couldn’t do the work? What about the customers? The people here know what I did…

“I think you can, in fact, be ready on Monday at 8 a.m. I will pick you up,” he declared.

He stood before I could voice my fears and reject his offer.

“Don’t give me that look, I won’t take no for an answer,” he chuckled. “Monday morning, be ready.”

With that, he left me sitting at the kitchen table feeling very anxious. Maybe I needed this push. Sooner or later I would have to work. I had gotten my GED in juvie, but six years in an institution with very little contact to the outside world reduces your experiences.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, I tried to tell myself. Walter was nice, and my gran recommended him. How bad could it be?