Beth's lingering smile began to annoy Harry, "What's so funny?" He asked, the hint of anger in his voice, obvious.
She chuckled, "You trying to cut my throat with a piece of plastic, you should have seen yourself, it was hilarious," she said, putting her hand on her mouth, to stifle her mirth.
The man knocked on the door, "Are you two getting to know each other in there, shall I leave you alone?" He asked.
Beth's smile shrunk, while her tone darkened, "Yes. Harry and I have to talk," she said.
"What about?" Asked Harry, feeling vulnerable locked in a toilet cubicle with a potentially volatile girl.
But Beth was: cool, calm and collected, "Relax Harry, you're so tensed up you look like a plank of wood," she said.
Harry repeated, "What's this about?"
Beth let out a loud sigh, "Harry, you know what this is about, you were going to cut my throat, weren't you?"
He looked sheepish and downcast his eyes, "Yes." He swiftly looked up to avoid any suggestion of guilt, "But you know why, don't you?" He asked, hopeful.
She gave him an eye roll, "The man with the dog told me the whole story." Then she turned serious, "Harry, do you know how insane it all sounds?"
Harry jumped in, "It's all true! I'll even bring in my friend, Ian, who's a skeleton now, to prove it you," he said, sounding quite desperate.
Beth shook her head, "And to think it's me that's supposed to be the insane one," she looked around, "locked up in a Young Person's Mental Health Institute." She turned and flung open the door, "Come on Harry, sing a song for us, I think we all need cheering up," she said, walking out into the bathroom space.
Harry stalled, "Where's the man, with the dog?"
"He's left, dogs aren't allowed in here," replied Beth, nonchalantly.
Harry opened the door of the second cubicle and peered inside, "But he said he was going to get me for being bad."
Beth hovered by the door, "He'll probably get you outside; remember, you can leave here, I can't," she said, opening the door, stealth like.
When she was sure the coast was clear, she grabbed Harry and pulled him into the corridor, "Although, to be honest Harry, I really think you could benefit with spending some time in here," she said, walking back towards the visiting room.
###
Although Harry was perplexed by everything that had just happened, he was confident in his truth. Of course it all seemed like insanity to those who didn't have his, Gwen's and Ian's experience. And besides, he knew Beth had an ulterior motive– she fancied him and wanted him to become an inmate, so she could spend more time with him.
But Harry wouldn't let that happen; now that he had to continue on with the Dark Side Deal, he was determined that his place was on the World's Stage and not in a Young Person's Mental Health Institute.
###
Gwen Carter caught Harry's eye as he returned, "Is everything okay with you guys?" She asked. Harry gave her a surreptitious wink; whilst Beth shrugged, "I'm kind of okay." She whispered in Gwen's ear, "We need to talk about Harry, girl to girl, later," she said, conspiratorially.
###
Gwen Carter, Beth and Tina sat tightly together on beanbags in the middle of the visiting room, patiently waiting for Harry to walk in and begin his audition piece.
Harry stood in the corridor, quietly mouthing the lyrics to his song; while imagining he was in the wings of the huge auditorium. When confident he was in the zone, he took a deep breath, turned into the visiting room and walked towards his audience.
He glanced at there expectant, smiling faces. Beth played the role of head judge, "Hello Harry, how are you feeling today?"
"I'm good."
She smiled, and nodded, "Okay, go ahead, in your own time," she said, supportively.
Harry glanced at the floor, and began the first verse of the song that he'd rehearsed over and over in his bedroom. He was happy with his tone and pitch, and he was in the right key, always a good start.
As he approached the first chorus, he was confident in his performance and he glanced at his audience as he launched into the all-important first chorus.
He was somewhat thrown by their disapproving faces, but he didn't let this derail him, he continued to blast out the chorus– until Beth's hand shot up, "STOP STOP STOP!"
Harry felt his blood begin to heat as Beth asked, "Do you have another song prepared?"
"No."
"That's such a poor song choice, Harry. It's got no life in it, it's like an old man's song, it's actually smelly– seriously, you need to rehearse a more current song Harry, something younger, more upbeat." Beth's critique was intended as constructive, but Harry wasn't reading it as such. His experience in the toilet, and now this all conspired to make him feel confused and severely pissed off. He stormed off, in a huff, like an overgrown spoiled child.
Half way down the corridor, Harry realised he was being childish and he turned back, to apologise. But the bell, sounding the end of evening visit rang out, and he continued towards the exit, feeling in emotion turmoil.
###
Outside Harry's head hurt, physically; and the questions spinning around it only added to the pain.
"It's a shame you let The Dark Side down, Harry, they're crying out for young, fresh Slicers, like yourself," said the man, who had sidled up behind Harry, making him jump skyward.
"Jeeeeez– you just keep popping up." Said, Harry, grabbing the man's arm quite aggressively, "Don't worry, I'm checking you're real, like physically here," he said. The man punched his chest, "Oh, I'm real alright, made of flesh, blood and bone; just like you Harry," he said, with his wide, disconcerting grin.
"So what happened in the toilet, why didn't the knife activate?" Asked Harry.
"Because you faltered in your decision, you threw the knife away. The Dark Side takes a dim view of falterers– they like firm believers– firmers."
"So why did you give the knife back to me, knowing that was the case?" Asked Harry.
"To teach you that lesson."
"Beth thinks I'm insane, that I belong in the Institute, with her."
"Good, let her think that." The man patted his shoulder, "Oh, and you don't have to take her advice about the song, stick with the one you've got. Your Deal's on, so you'll get through the audition even if you sing the alphabet," he said.
Harry so wanted to talk with Gwen Carter, but he couldn't, because she was in a Young Person's Mental Health Institute, because of his and Ian's foolish actions.
Ian?
Harry had a sudden and urgent need to talk with Ian. He looked at the man, "Erm, do you know where Ian lives, or hangs out?" He asked.
The man was forthcoming, "In the woods, he sleeps in the grave that you two dug, obviously," he said, with a wink as he walked away.
###
Although the light was fading fast, Harry headed back to the woods where his sorry saga began. He needed to unravel the truth, and to do that he was going to unravel the scarf wrapped around Ian's head– to see with his own eyes, exactly what it revealed...
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