I woke up with Ashley sitting beside my bed. Her arm wrapped around mine, both hot and sweaty. I tried removing my arm without waking her but she shot up like a rocket.

"Oh my God Lemon are you ok?"

I nodded. "How's the paramedic?  Did you get his number?"

"Lemon!  Focus!  You almost died down there. What happened?  You kept screaming about your mom and Mariah. And no one could get ahold of your mom at all.  Your dad ended up signing the papers and agreeing to the repeat surgery."

I had forgotten all about my dad. My mind had been so filled with swirling memories and knowledge of mom and Mariah. And now Betty. I needed to speak to Betty as soon as possible. Somehow this all had to end.

"But yes, I got his number!! But don't worry, Lemon. I promised your dad I would stay here until you were awake and then I'd call him to come back. He looked pretty horrible and I made him go home to sleep once they said you would be ok."

A slow wet tear trickle down my left cheek.  If my dad went home and the creep was there, my dad was as good as dead. I needed to get out of here. End whatever stupid thing I had going with this guy and get my life back. It may have been dull and pathetic, but people were  dropping like flies. I silently cursed myself for ever thinking he was a messenger. Or a candidate for dating.

I looked over at Ashley who somehow looked older, and not in a good soft wise way.  It was true her skin looked better than normal but her eyes had more baggage than the back of a bus and her hair was dull and flat. I'm completely surprised she got that guys number at all. He must have been desperate.

"Listen Ash, I gotta talk to the nurse that came over. Betty right?  I've gotta see her ASAP and get out of here."

Ashley squeezed my hand and swallowed so hard I could hear it. "Becky, her name is Becky. And you can't talk to her Lemon. She's not here."

I closed my eyes to ward off the headache that was threatening to take me out of the game. I pulled my hand out from Ashley's and pulled the IV tubing out. Sitting up I wiped the trickle of blood with the clean white sheet and swung my legs over the side. "We have to find her Ash. She knows things."

Ashley handed her sweater which I promptly threw over my gown. She handed my my yoga pants, the only pants loose enough to fit over the large foot bandage. "She's on her way to your house Lemon. She said she's waited too long to settle the score."

I jumped out of bed and grabbed my cell. I tried calling my dad but got no answer. Ashley paled and put her arms on the sides of the chair. "Maybe we should let Becky take care of it Lemon. You just had surgery. And whoever this mystery guy is, he doesn't seem like he's that into you. I mean, he tried to kill you!"

I thought about all the times I had pulled Ashley into my hair-brained schemes. All the times I'd disappointed her mother, gotten her in trouble, and been a horrible friend. But then I thought about all this guy had taken from me. And all he would keep on taking if he weren't stopped, and nothing else mattered.

"Call your EMS boy Ashley. We need a ride."

*************************************

When not tied down on a stretcher of mass destruction the back of the ambulance seemed much larger. Of course I thought David Hassellhoff would bring a car. Silly me. Apparently the EMS angle really works for him because just minutes after she hung up we were stealthily sneaking out the emergency room and door and into the ambulance.

Turns out David's real name is Kobe. (Which, incidentally, is the name of David Hasselhoffs son on Baywatch for those of you who didn't stay until the beach was patrolled by middle aged lifeguards with girdles and walkers). And he's a pretty nice guy. He didn't even try to talk me into staying and getting the medical care I needed which either states that he's incompetent as a medical person, or hasn't been out with a girl in a very long time.

Ashley sat shotgun and I stretched out in the back among the instruments and equipment. I wanted to do some serious planning about how I was going to get rid of my spider man problem (no, not the good one) but seeing all that equipment freaked me out. Instead I started counting syringes and gauze, and wondering how they keep track of how many they use or if they just randomly refill everything after each run. It sounds stupid, but counting and organizing has always calmed me down when I'm stressed.

We pulled into the driveway in less time than I anticipated. I swung open the back door and hobbled out. Ashley started to open the passenger door and I slammed it shut before she could get out. "Stay Ashley. Keep Kobe busy, make out, whatever. Just give me a few minutes alone okay?"

She giggled and twirled her hair. Kobe sidled up to the window and gave a thumbs up. "You need a few solitary minutes. You got it. I'll keep her busy!"

I walked to the front door and swung it open. The house was silent. No sign of Becky/Betty or my dad. Definitely no sign of my mom
Or Mariah, but that I was fine with.  No need to see those sights again, like ever. For an instant I thought about calling out for my dad, but I remembered something they always say on the Investigative Discovery Channel: "The element of surprise is always a major factor."

So I quietly closed the door. Plunging myself into the shadows. I listened for any noise, and waited. When I was sure it was tomblike I made my way into the kitchen. There on the table were the dead flowers, petals scattered across the table and floor and leading to the basement.

What I assume is Becky's purse (because it was a large yellow hobo bag with no designer label) was on the floor. It's contents spilled out as if she'd dropped it in a hurry. A Mac lipstick rocked back and forth on the linoleum and I knew because of its motion she hadn't been there long. I saw a pack of Big Red gum and got sidetracked. Who chews Big Red. Like, seriously, that's the gum of 90 year olds with dental work that things stick to. And it's hot. Makes your tongue tingle in a not delightful way.

As I reached out to snag the pack, just to refresh the memory of that cool cinnamon smell, a scream pierced the air from below. I left the pack where it lay and grabbed my moms prized possession, her mother's cast iron skillet. My mom always said that pan had never let her down, and I was hoping that would be true for me.

It's weight felt familiar. I'd washed it so many times I swore it felt as at home in my hand as my iPhone. I snuck down the stairs as quietly as possible for a person with one good leg carrying a 10 pound piece of metal. Surprise was on my side. Until, I tripped, and bounced the rest of the way down. The skillet pounding and rolling down every step like an announcement bell.

****************************************

It's showdown time. Can Lemon stop slendy?  Will she be able to help Becky/Betty stop him?  Will she ever get to hear how Becky knows him, and how she survived her past with slendy? 

Thanks for reading. Feel free to vote, comment, or throw tomatoes. Just make sure you aim low, whether it's a fruit or vegetable no one likes juice in the eyes😎