That night I wait until he's asleep... And creep out into the hall of statues. My foot catches on the rug. I grab a statue's arm to steady myself, and my throat tightens when a bit of plaster chips away. Ugh! Maybe I can fix it without him noticing. I lean closer, inspecting the damage. The statue isn't made entirely of plaster. There's something inside — Something dry and wrinkled and brownish-grey. Ben must have sculptured the statue around an armature. He never demonstrated that technique when I was apprenticing. Something about this REALLY feels off. Downstairs, I pull out the keyring I "borrowed" from Ben, and I open the door to his studio. Only... It's not a proper studio at all. It's a plain concrete space with a large vat in the centre. Full of some kind of fluid. The smell reminds me of dissecting a frog in school. I take a step forward to it... And scream when someone grabs me from behind.
Ben: Didn't I say this room was off-limits??
I struggle against Ben's grip.
Callie: You're are hurting me!
He tightens his hold and panic bursts through me.
Callie: Ben, what IS this?What do you do down here?
Ben: I make my statues, of course.
He swings me around to face him, and holds up a little flake of plaster.
Ben: I guess now you know the secret to my Artistic process.
For a second I'm confused. Then I glance from the vat back to Ben... And I remember the dry, wrinkled material inside the statue, and it all clicks.
Callie: And those statues upstairs... They're not just plasters, are they?
Ben laughs.
Ben: I guess you could call them my ex-girlfriends. When I fall in love with a woman... I like to make sure she never leaves me.
My body goes cold with dread.
Callie: You brought them here one by one... And you killed them?
Ben: You don't have to worry about them, baby. These days... You're the only woman for me.
He forces me towards the vat.
Adrenaline surging, I look for escape. If I can just distract him... Keep him talking... Maybe I can think of something.
I force myself to smile.
Callie: That's so, umm... Innovative! And romantic!
Ben: I'm so glad you think so!
My stomach clenches and I keep going. This is the one thing that might work with Ben— Appealing to his ego.
Callie: How do you do it? I was your apprentice, after all. I must know more about your process.
Ben smiles.
Ben: I developed a mix of chemicals and salts. The result in a rapid form of mummification. Then it's just a matter of adding and shaping the plaster.
He tilts his head, staring at me.
Ben: Your statue will be stunning.
He pauses, studying me like one of his creations. This is it— My one chance. I wrench free of his grasp. He lunges towards me with a snarl. I shove him as hard as I can. He stumbles back against the vat, arms spinning for balance. Screaming... I push him again and he falls in, cracking his head on the side.
YOU ARE READING
The Mysterious House
Mystery / ThrillerA short thriller-type story about Callie, an arts student, whose boyfriend Ben, also an arts student, is trying to hide something from her and doesn't even want her to know. Callie doubts Ben and trys to figure it out and when she finally finds it o...
