Diedre

This was a little one off I wrote for a horror flash fiction. Do you want to be her roommate?

Jenn Wilson was a realtor and she had found the perfect match for the five-bedroom abandoned house on the outskirts of town. She called it the albatross. A woman name Diedre purchased the house for herself and her friends. A few weeks after the sale Jenn called Diedre.

“Hello?”

               “Hello Diedre. Jenn Wilson, your realtor. I just wanted to check in and make sure everything was okay. Are you settled? Have your friends all moved in? Is there anything I can help you with?”

 “Yes … yes, my friends are all here, somewhere. I’ve only seen Mark today. He is quite handsome. Would you like to come over? You could see the progress I’ve made. I could make some tea.” Diedre put out a charcuterie tray using what she had on hand: grapes, crackers, pepperoni, brie cheese. She made some sweet tea. She was always a good hostess, everybody said so. Her roommates were being incredibly quiet.

Arriving at the house, Jenn noticed the landscaping. The door opened before she knocked. Diedre appeared happy to see her.

“Hello,” Diedre said, “Come in. Would you like some tea? A snack perhaps?”

“No, thank you.”

“But I really must insist. I made it for you. It would go to waste otherwise. You wouldn’t want to waste things, would you?”

“Okay,” Jenn said and took the offered glass. “The garden looks great. Show me what else you have done.”  They walked through the house, with Diedre pointing out things. Jenn looked for any signs of people living there but found none. “Your roommates must be exceptionally neat. No one seems to leave anything around.”

“Yes, yes… they are very neat. They know that I don’t like things messy. Everything must be clean. I have plans for the basement. Big plans. It will be the nicest room in the house. We’re going to make that room fun! We love parties. Don’t you?”

The change in demeanor was so abrupt, Jenn didn’t know how to answer her. “Yes, parties can be fun. Do you throw parties often?”

“We do. My friends and I … I would love to go to a party with Mark. He’s handsome. Have I mentioned Mark? Sandy, she’s the party girl. She really loves to have fun, but she is bored here. I don’t think she is going to last long. Kim, that’s one of my roommates, she doesn’t like Sandy. She doesn’t like Mark either, come to think of it. Kim tells me she is my best friend, my only friend. She doesn’t trust the other two. She is okay with Peg though. Peg is great, she takes care of all of us. She keeps everything just as it should be – she orders our food and makes sure we take our medication when we aren’t feeling well. You should go now. My friends will be home soon. They don’t like unexpected company.”

Jenn cleared her throat. “Yes, well … make sure you invite me to that party okay?”

“Yes, to the party. We love parties.”

A few weeks later, Jenn returned. The only car there was the one that belonged to Diedre. Intent on getting answers, Jenn walked around the outside of the house – peering in windows, trying to catch any glimpse of the roommates. On the clothesline were white towels tinged with bright red. Her thoughts were racing. Maybe someone just washed an errant pink sock. Surely nothing evil happened. “Too many Netflix movies.” She went back around the house and knocked on the screen door.

“Who is it?” called Diedre.

“It’s Jenn. I had a paper you needed to sign.”

“Well come in.”

Jenn walked in to find Diedre on her hands and knees. Diedre’s hair had gone from mousy brown to bright red. Jen laughed nervously at her suspicions. “Oh my goodness, your hair looks great!”

               Diedre turned, sitting back on her heels. “Oh do you like it? Sandy did it, before she was gone that is.”

               “Gone? She moved out?”

               “Yes, she left. Everyone leaves, they always leave. Mark too. Mark is gone.”

               “Wait Mark too? I thought you and Mark were a couple.”

               “Mark wanted to be with all of us. We can’t have that. Sisters before misters. He had to go. We made him leave.” Diedre stood. “Tea?”

               It was then that Jenn noticed the stain spreading across the hardwood. “Diedre, what happened to the floor?”

               “Oh that? I was refinishing the floors, such lovely hardwood. I spilled the can of varnish, now I must clean it all up. I hate messy things, don’t you?”

               “Sure.”  Jenn wondered if she should call the police. What would she tell them? People she wasn’t even sure existed might be dead? Who would believe her?

               “Diedre, how are Peggy and Kim? Are they upset the others left?”

“No … no … Kim would never be upset. She wants it to be just her and I. She doesn’t even like Peggy anymore. She thinks Peggy’s too bossy. She tells me Peggy should leave next. I like Peggy. Peggy takes care of us. She remembers all the things that I forget. I don’t want them to leave. I don’t want to be alone. Everyone always leaves.”

Jenn made a show of looking at her phone. “I just remembered I have an appointment to show another house. Can I just get you to sign the paper?”

“Oh yes, my roommates will be home soon anyway. They don’t like unexpected visitors.”

“Yes, so you’ve said.”

Two weeks of restless nights and uncertainty made Jenn curious enough to go back and visit Diedre one more time. When she got to the house, she really wished she hadn’t.  She found Diedre sitting on a bench outside, surrounded by trash bags. In her hands, a hacksaw that she was meticulously cleaning. The rag was stained bright red.

“Hello,” Diedre said brightly.

“Diedre, what did you do?” Jenn asked, abject horror in her voice.

Diedre looked at her quizzically.  “I’m glad you are here. I finished the basement. My special room is done. I am ready to sell the house.”

“The saw Diedre? What did you do?” Jenn could not tear her eyes away.

“Oh this? I cut down the nightshade bushes in the back. There were so many. Nightshade is poisonous you know. You should never play with nightshade.”

“Oh, I didn’t know. Did you say you are ready to sell the house?” 

“Yes, yes. I’m moving out tomorrow. I will give you all my forwarding details. I trust you to take care of everything.”

“What about your roommates? Peggy and Kim?”

“Gone … all gone … just like the others. Peggy was the last to go. I didn’t need her anymore. I remembered to take my medicine all on my own. She was bossy. Kim was needy. I’m glad they’re gone, though I am all alone once again. I will make more friends. You’re my friend, right?”

“Friend … yes, yes of course. I’m your friend Diedre.” Jenn was afraid to say otherwise.

“Would you like to be my roommate?”