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“We’re here!” Sue sang. “You can take your hood off.”
Gertrude did, and then squinted as her eyes adjusted. She smoothed out her hair and surveyed her surroundings. They were standing in a small clearing in the woods, in the middle of which stood a small cabin. Behind the cabin was a small pond. Good. Maybe I’ll get to drown her.
Gertrude looked at Sue, who was standing uncomfortably close to her. Gertrude thought about punching her in the nose, but Sue was still holding the gun, and Gertrude already knew she was a scrappy little thing.
“Go ahead in,” Sue said, nodding toward the door. “Let’s meet the others.”
Gertrude took a deep breath and then, holding the rickety railing at her side, climbed the few steps to the front door. She had never needed her walker so badly in her whole life.
She opened the heavy wooden door and stepped inside to find a whole host of women staring at her. It seemed there were more women in the cabin than there actually were, because the cabin was so small.
“Everyone, this is Gertrude, our new friend!”
Directly in front of Gertrude was a small, round wooden table. Around the table sat three women playing cards. The youngest of the three was exceptionally attractive, and Gertrude recognized her immediately. “Samantha?”
Samantha looked shocked, and slowly nodded.
“It’s going to be all right, Samantha. Andy and the cops are looking for—”
Sue pointed the gun at Gertrude’s head. “We don’t talk about our former lives here. We only live in the present here. The happy, peaceful present, where we all live together, in harmony. Isn’t that right, friends?”
The women nodded.
“Now, it seems you know Samantha. This wonderful woman to her left is May. And to the right of Samantha is Doris. Say hi, ladies.”
“Hi,” May and Doris said.
“And on the couch is Barbara, Martha, and Deborah.” The couch was pushed against the far wall, which wasn’t very far away at all. Each of the women held a paperback. Each meekly said hello.
Beside the couch was a doorway to a screened-in porch. Two women were standing in that doorway, looking at Gertrude. “That’s Agnes and Betsy over there,” Sue said pointing. “Betsy is my besty!” she quipped and then laughed maniacally.
Another woman was lying on a cot that stood against the wall to Gertrude’s left.
“And that is Ruth!” Sue said, pointing at Ruth.
“Hi, everybody,” Gertrude said tentatively. “Uh, why are you all just sitting—”
Samantha caught Gertrude’s eye and slowly shook her head. Gertrude closed her mouth.
“They’re just relaxing,” Sue said. “Go ahead! Join them.”
“You want me to ...” Gertrude looked around as her brain tried to make sense of what it was seeing. “... relax? So ... you took all these women? And everybody’s still ... alive?”
Sue cackled crazily. “Of course they’re all alive! They’re my friends! I don’t kill my friends! Now, make yourself comfortable. I’ll go get you a cot and some blankets.” Sue disappeared into a room to their left.
“Actually, I’d really like to use the bathroom,” Gertrude called after her.
“Go ahead, Gertrude!” Sue called back. “Make yourself at home!”
The bathroom wasn’t big enough to turn around in. The only window was the size of a bread box. There would be no squeezing through that exit.
When Gertrude rejoined them in the main room, the women seemed to have already forgotten about her. No one watched her as she hobbled toward the table. Doris had vacated the seat beside Samantha, and Gertrude collapsed into it. “Come on,” she whispered. “Let’s make a break for it.”
“Now?” Samantha whispered.
“Yes, now. She’s not looking.”
“Look, I realize you just got here, but that is a dumb idea. She would chase us, she knows the area, I don’t, I’m assuming you don’t, and she has a gun. Besides, I’m not leaving them with her.”
“We could send help.”
“You’re not listening. I’m not leaving them alone with a crazy lady with a gun.”
Gertrude sighed and looked around. “What’s in there?” Gertrude whispered, nodding toward the room Sue had disappeared into.
“Sue’s bedroom.”
Gertrude studied the opposite side of the cabin. “You are considerably younger than most of the women here, Samantha. Any idea why that is?”
Samantha rubbed her chest, as if she was suffering from a particularly nasty case of heartburn. “She said that she didn’t plan on taking me, but then I was so ‘nice and friendly’ that she couldn’t resist. That will teach me to be friendly.”
Gertrude smirked. “So she just brings women here, and then what? We just hang out being her friends?” Gertrude had a sudden horrifying thought. “Samantha, did all these women come from VardSale?”
“That’s right,” Sue said from behind her.
“Jumping hot beans!” Gertrude said. “You are a sneaky one, aren’t you, Sue?”
“VardSale is the perfect place to meet people. You get to feel them out first, see if they are someone you want to spend time with. But I think I’m done collecting friends for now. It seems you’ve attracted the attention of law enforcement, so we’re just going to stay put for a while. Aren’t we, ladies? Your cot is right over there,” Sue said, pointing, “and I have more blankets if you need them, but it’s been warm, so one should be enough for now. When you want to lie down, set your cot up where you like, but when you get up, please fold up your cot. We are limited on space around here! And you’ve found the bathroom, so that’s good. We ask you to limit your showers to two minutes. Our hot water tank is a teeny little thing, isn’t it, ladies?” She cackled again. “We’ve got a garden out back, so there’ll be plenty of food, but if you need anything else, just let me know. I make a supply run every once in a while.”
“A supply run to where?” Gertrude asked.
“The nearest town.”
“Which is where?”
Sue smiled and patted Gertrude on the shoulder. “Don’t you worry about that, dear. You just relax.”
“Are we allowed to go outside?”
“Of course! It’s beautiful out there! You can kayak on the pond, or go for a walk. Soon the water will be warm enough for swimming, and then maybe we won’t need to take so many showers!” The crazy laugh again. That noise was really starting to grate on Gertrude’s nerves.
“What do you say, Samantha? Want to show me around?” Gertrude asked, trying to sound peppy. “Outside?” she added for clarification.
Samantha looked at Sue as if for permission.
“Go ahead, dear. Just be back in time for supper. Now,”—she turned toward the rest of the women and clapped her hands twice rapidly—“whose turn is it to cook, anyway?”