Free Harmony House by Nic Sheff

around absently in my hands.
    â€œI don’t know,” I say, feeling awkward suddenly.
    â€œWhat I heard,” Candace says, “is it used to be like a house for unwed mothers—run by like nuns, or something. And I heard the monsignor guy, you know, who ran the place, used to torture those girls. Like he used to do all these terrible things to them.”
    â€œTerrible things like what?” I ask.
    The three girls all look at one another. Finally, Christy says, very quietly, “Those are just rumors.” She puts a delicate hand on mine, halting the endless turning of the coffee mug.
    â€œNo, it’s okay,” I say. “I don’t mind.”
    â€œYou know what else I heard?” Candace says. “That the guy who built the house back in the 1800s killed his wife and daughter.”
    â€œNo,” says Mercedes. “I heard it was the daughter that killed her mom and dad.”
    Christy shakes her head. “I’m pretty sure the daughter just killed herself. Then the mom killed herself, too. And the dad went crazy. That’s what Rose told me.”
    â€œNice,” I say. “So, basically, I’m staying at the Overlook Hotel.”
    They laugh.
    â€œI think it’s cool you’re staying there,” says Candace. “I’m impressed.”
    â€œWell,” I say. “You guys can come over. Anytime. Is there a video store in town?”
    â€œThey rent ’em at the deli,” says Christy. “Maybe we could get some scary movies and sleep over.”
    â€œI’d like that,” I say, meaning it. “Tomorrow night, maybe?”
    The girls look at each other again, then nod and smile.
    â€œSure, that’d be great,” says Christy.
    I smile now, too.
    â€œPerfect,” I say.
    We go on talking like that for a while and, I guess not surprisingly, I don’t end up doing any math homework. I eat the eggs and bacon and toast and then order a BLT and French fries for my dad.
    I say good-bye to the girls and to Rose and decide to cut over to the deli, real quick, to rent some videos before going home.
    Again not surprisingly, the selection of videos at the deli pretty much sucks. But I end up renting The Omen with Gregory Peck, a movie with Donald Sutherland called Don’t Look Now , which I’ve never seen, John Carpenter’s The Thing , The Devil Rides Out , and The Silence of the Lambs , in case the girls haven’t seen it, though they probably have. By the time I leave the deli, I’m pretty well weighed down with bags of videos, candy, and all the food from the Double R.
    Out on the street the wind has picked up and I feel chilled all over as I walk back toward the house.
    Thankfully, I’ve only been walking for about half a block when that girl Candace drives by in a silver Volkswagen Jetta. She rolls the passenger window down and tells me to get in.
    â€œThank you so much,” I say, stepping off the curb.
    A voice calls from behind me. My breath catches and my stomach goes tight. I turn back to see Alex walking out of the shadows.
    â€œHey,” he calls out. “Where you think you’re going?”
    I stand staring at him for a minute.
    â€œYo, Alex, get fucked!” Candace yells, flipping him off.
    â€œCome on,” she tells me. “Come on, get in.”
    Alex is looking directly at me, his eyes black and vacant.
    â€œCome on,” says Candace again.
    I climb quickly into the car.
    Alex watches us go.
    â€œWhat was that about?” Candace asks, taking out a cigarette from a pack of Parliaments and offering me one.
    I take it and thank her and use her lighter to light it, my hands shaking kind of bad.
    â€œHe just wouldn’t leave me alone yesterday,” I say, not wanting to make too big a deal out of it. “I don’t know what the hell is wrong with that guy.”
    I inhale and exhale.
    Candace shakes her head. “He’s an