The trip back to the shed was more bearable than our first trip. The hours didn't seem so long. Happy was the main reason. Her jovial face and wagging tail came into my mind and easily distracted me from the heat. My heart hurts a little less knowing I have a friend. I knew she would be awaiting my return. She heard the truck approaching and came out to greet me, crouching low by our building. I am eager to jump up and run off to see her, but I rode for hours in his truck bed, under the black trash bags. I can't risk blowing everything. I also need to see what he stored in the shed earlier and what else he's hiding.
The truck's brakes squeal as we stop in front of the shed. When he slams the truck door, I poke my head out from under the bags. The shed is partially open, swaying a little from the early morning breeze. I quietly extricate myself from his truck and tiptoe over to a big boulder for better concealment. There's rattling around in the shed and then silence. I hold my breath as he steps out. He strides over to the passenger side of the truck with his head down. I still can't see this guy's face; even from twenty feet away.
What is he grabbing now? A black box? I arch my eyebrows in surprise. It's a sewing kit. My mom and my grandma own one of those. They hold needles, thread, and anything else needed for a sewing machine. He shifts the sewing kit under his arm and unloads red fabric from the seat. Things just got even more strange. What is this guy's motive?
My interest to see what else he has in the shed has reached an all time high. "Come on asshole, leave," I whisper. About a minute later, he comes out and shuts the shed, yet he doesn't lock it. Why are his locking habits inconsistent? His actions scream control, not forgetfulness. His suspicions of someone watching him might be why he didn't lock it this time. Maybe he's toying with me too.
Immediately after he leaves, Happy runs over to me and tackles me, showering me with kisses. "Hi girl! I missed you too." She whines as she's kissing me and sits on my lap to get closer to me. "I love you, Happy." I stand up and grab the food out of my pocket to give her. She eats it faster than I can pull it out. I laugh and say, "Let's go, Happy. I want to see what he delivered." We make our way over to the shed and Happy sits, unwilling to go any further. "Okay girl...wait here."
I glance back at her and she lays down. Happy is smart. Her instincts tell her not to go in. I wish my instincts told me to stay out. They're not. They are shouting for me to open the door. I do and spin around in confusion. There are no signs that bodies were in here in the first place. What I find only adds to the mystery of this man and what he did with the bodies. Am I going crazy? There is the sewing equipment and blank female mannequins; no faces, hair or clothes, just the body of the mannequins themselves. This guy is a fucking freak, I think to myself. What do the mannequins and the girls have to do with each other? There must be a connection, but what?
I sniff the air inside the shed and gag. The lingering smell of death is faint. That's not what is making me gag, though. My hygiene is. Living in the desert is rough with no showers and the immense rays of sunlight. A trip to the RV park to shower is a must. I close the shed and decide to make the few miles it takes to get to the park to get cleaned up.
"Happy, come on girl. Stay with me," I say, as we walk by a group of overweight, middle aged women. They are congregating around a picnic table filled with food and cheap off brand soda. They must be having some kind of barbecue. They turn to watch as Happy and I walk by. Most of them are smiling and quite a few of them have missing teeth. I guess they're nicer than I originally thought. I smile back and walk towards the communal showers, hoping they don't say anything. Technically, you have to be a resident to use the showers in the park; however, I've used them before and they haven't said anything.
"Hey girl?" One of them asks. I turn around to see an older woman with blond hair, wearing a tank top riddled with holes and jean shorts. I stop in my tracks and wait for her to approach me. As she gets closer, I get nervous.
"Please, don't kick me out," I mutter under my breath.
She shakes her head and smiles. "I'm not kicking you out, girl. You are a girl? Right?"
I blow out a breath of relief. "Yes, I am a girl."
"I know it's probably not my place to ask, but I'm going to ask anyway. Why did you shave your head? You're too pretty to not have any hair," She says, with a smile.
Normally, I would be offended and get upset, yet I'm not. She asked in a warm motherly way, without malicious intent hidden behind her question." I...I...I had lice," I say. My cheeks turn hot from embarrassment. "I didn't have any money for lice treatment, so I shaved my head."
She nods her head in understanding and says, "Let's get you and your dog cleaned up and something to eat." She doesn't ask anything else as we walk to the women's communal showers. I glance around to make sure there are no men lurking around to sneak a peek. She speaks up before I get the chance to ask. "Don't worry, the men's showers are on the other side of the park. It's blocked off really well. They won't see you."
"Okay, thank you," I grin.
"No problem. I will bring you shampoo, body wash, and some clothes and things. My daughter is about your size. What's your dog's name?"
"Happy," I say, with a smile. I bend over to pet her and wait for the kind woman to return. I haven't spoken to anyone in weeks. I forgot how nice people can be. She brings back everything I need and gives me privacy, heading back over to the other women who live here. 'Thanks!" I shout. She waves and continues talking with her friends.
Once inside the showers, I start to bathe Happy first. Her eyes close and she grins. I didn't know dogs grinned, until her. When she's nice and squeaky clean, I step under the stream of warm water and crank it to hot. I sigh. The hot water feels amazing and long overdue. A swirl of brown water goes down the drain revealing how dirty I was. I'm so grateful for this moment. I never realized how much I took for granted. Clean clothes and showers were at the top of that list. Being homeless is a humbling experience and changed the way I view things.
After I shower I get dressed quickly, not wanting to bring too much attention to Happy and I. The woman comes back and says, "You smell clean and you look clean. Come get some food girl." I begrudgingly walk close behind her. My stomach is rumbling and Happy is salivating over the smell of barbecue. I don't think I have been this excited to eat. This beats begging for money and fighting the temptation to steal food.
I grab myself a plate of food, piled high with a hot dog, a hamburger, some potato salad, a mountain of chips and a Diet Coke. I make Happy a plate piled just as high as mine. It might be a while before we get the chance to eat again. All the women gathered around the tables raise their eyebrows at me as I walk by.
The kind woman beckons me over to sit with her and her daughter at one of the empty picnic tables. Happy goes ahead of me and picks her spot on the ground, waiting for her food. I set it down and watch her eat for a minute. "Hey, what's your name?" An unfamiliar, high pitched voice asks.
"Tibby," I say, quietly and look up from staring at Happy to see them both watching me. I freeze in place, not sure how to react when I see her daughter up close. She's about sixteen or seventeen and has red hair and blue eyes. She resembles Solia. She could be this guy's next victim.