Copyright 2012 Christina Smith

Brownridge, Vermont

Three years ago

“How the heck did I get here?”  I asked myself for the fourth time, although I already knew the answer.  My voice was muffled inside the closed confined space.

It was Saturday night, and instead of hanging out at a party with Derrick and Emma like I was supposed to be, where am I?  In a closet, and not the proverbial kind either.  I’m literally in a closet, fluffy towels and all.  Why?  That’s a good question, and the only answer I can think of, is my own stupidity. 

Stephanie Brown, pale blonde hair, vivid blue eyes, with curves up the wazoo, who by the way was wanted by every boy in my new private school, had it out for me.  And again, the question is why?  Well that answer can only be, her ex, Ryan Crenshaw.  Not that he’s not worthy of her attention, his wheat colored hair and soul deep blue eyes would make male underwear models envious, but he just wasn’t interest in her anymore.

He told me once that the only reason he liked her in the first place was because he was new to the school and didn’t know any better.  But once he did, he dumped her right on her cashmere covered ass.  And when Ryan started eating lunch with me, she decided that I was her enemy.  She even convinced the entire school to hate me, and the social climbing drones of the student body listened to her.  Ever since I started at Hadley academy six months ago, the only friend I’ve had was Ryan, and he is only a friend.  As much as Stephanie the self proclaimed queen of the school, thought differently. 

Not that I was desperately in need of extra friends, I have two of the best ones anyone could ask for, but since they go to a public school on the other side of town, my days were filled with cold stares, and the occasional prank.

I thought my luck had changed a few days ago when the queen witch herself asked me over for a slumber party with her two best friends.  At first I was skeptical, considering her obvious dislike for me.  But since she had made the effort, I hoped it was the start of a normal life for me at school, so I agreed against my better judgment. 

The evening started out okay, she showed me around her enormous mansion, making sure I noticed all the expensive looking furniture, rich silks and classic artwork that were displayed throughout the rooms. 

After a gourmet dinner, complete with fingers bowls, I followed Stephanie up to her room, which happened to be decorated like a picture in a magazine.  The walls were red and white, with photos placed perfectly around the room.  Above her bed was a portrait of the queen herself, which I thought was tacky. 

The distinct scent of Gucci perfume filled the air; it was such a strong odor, I figured she bathed in it, or spilled the bottle.  Either way the smell was overpowering.  I used to like the scent, but now I feared I could never use it without thinking of her.

She sat on her bed with her puppets, as I now called Trudy and Tara, beside her while I sat on a chair near the closet.  She started to ask me questions I didn’t like.  “So Sarah, do you think you’re pretty?”

“Uh…I don’t know, why?” 

She scowled.   “I asked Ryan why he was talking to you all the time.  And do you know what he said?” 

I didn’t like where this was going.  “No,” I answered quietly, afraid to look into her eyes. 

“He said that you were sweet and pretty.  And that he liked your dark eyes and your long brown hair.” 

I glanced at Trudy and Tara, hoping for help, but their twin smirks told me that they could not be counted on.  This wasn’t good. 

She didn’t wait for a response before continuing, and really what was I going to say, she was obviously up to something.  A knot of trepidation formed in the pit of my stomach.   “I can’t do anything about your eyes, but I can do something about that hair.”  She bent down and picked something up that was hidden under her bed.  Okay, now I was worried.  I had a feeling I knew what was about to happen, but I hoped I was wrong. 

She turned back around, holding a very large pair of shiny, silver scissors.  Oh shit.  Her smile was all steel as she glanced at me, and then at the scissors. 

Now I knew why they invited me here, and it wasn’t to become my friend. 

God I was so stupid, why would I think that after months of her ignoring me; the frost queen would suddenly be nice to me?  I should have known that a girl like her, rich, snobby, and just plain mean, was incapable of change.

Glaring at the scissors, I gulped, making the only decision I could think of.  I took off out the door of her bedroom. 

As I was running down the hall, I heard her yell.  “Get her girls.” 

This was so cliché; I was living a horror flick, and couldn’t believe I fell for it. 

So here I am, hiding in a closet, and I have no idea what to do about it. 

If there was a light bulb in here, I wasn’t going to turn it on, for fear I’d give away my position.  It was so dark I couldn’t see the hand I held out in front of my face.  A floral scent wafted around the tiny cubby, I stretched out my hand and felt the soft towels that were folded neatly on a shelf beside me. 

With my head pressed against the door, I sat down on the floor, trying to think of what to do next.  My eyes were closed as I listened carefully, hearing only my own breathing and the faint sound of footsteps as they searched another part of the house.  I was safe, for now.  However, I knew I couldn’t hide in here forever. 

Since I had nothing else to do, I tapped my jean clad knee with my finger to the tune of the national anthem.  It must have helped my thought process, because I remembered something.  I had seen a phone sitting on a stand in the hall on my way to this closet, maybe I could crawl over to it while the crazy girls were occupied, and call my mom.  Then I could sneak outside and wait behind some bushes.  I really didn’t want a haircut.  I couldn’t believe she was going to chop off my hair just because her ex-boyfriend talked to me and became my friend. 

What was I thinking, of course she would. 

I waited a few seconds, making sure they were still out of hearing distance before making my move. 

Opening the door very slowly, I crawled out; looking around to make sure I was alone.  Since my eyes had adapted to the darkness of the small closet, they now felt strained from the wash of light coming from the fixture above me.  The hallway was clear, so I continued to crawl slowly on my hands and knees along the soft oatmeal colored carpet, careful not to make any sound.  The phone was just a couple feet away on a small oak table against the wall. 

I was almost there when I heard a squeaky voice I recognized as Tara’s.  “There she is,” she yelled, pointing at me.

Crap, they saw me.  I stood up and ran as fast as I could for the portable handset.   I picked it up and dialed my number quickly.  My mom answered, “Hello.”  

The words, “come get me,” rushed out of my mouth before a well-manicured hand reached for the receiver.  I turned to see Stephanie slam her finger down, ending my call, and the only chance of escape.   

She smiled wickedly, her fierce blue eyes shot out imaginary icicles that filled me with fear.  “This is going to be so much fun.” 

Tara and Trudy held on to me while I pleaded with them to stop.  I hoped that they would feel guilty and let me go.  But when I saw humor in their eyes, I knew they were just as evil as Stephanie was. 

As I struggled, I felt the first cut and some of my hair that had taken years to grow, fall to the floor.  I panicked, stomped on someone’s foot, and took off running, fingers slipped from my skin.  I was free.

“Get her, now!” the evil witch screamed.  In my haste I tripped on the edge of the carpet, giving Tara a chance to grab my arm before I could get away, her pointed nails dug into my skin.

They held on tighter this time, and as hard as I tried, I couldn’t get away.  I sobbed quietly as they chopped off my hair.  My heart sank with every snip of the scissors.  The strands brushed my leg and foot as they fell to the floor.  It felt like soft feathers caressing my skin.  I closed my eyes, hoping that was all it was, a pillow torn open above my head.

When the awful snipping sound stopped, I opened my eyes to see most of my hair laying in clumps at me feet.  I could no longer pretend they were anything else.  I knew that the pile of brown clippings curled up along the carpet, were mine.  I stared down at them with a feeling of numbness, my long mane that I took such care of, was now taunting me from the floor.  When I was little, I asked to have long hair just like my mother, after that, she would brush it lovingly every night, buying products to keep it soft and shiny.  She said it was one of the reasons she wanted a daughter, to dress me up and play with my hair.  And now the remaining pieces lay on the floor, being stomped on by Stephanie’s open toed red sandals.

They let me go and started to laugh.  “I don’t think Ryan will be interested in you now.  My goodness Sarah, what happened to your hair?” she mocked.  “You know, you really should stop going to your dad’s barber.”  Stephanie’s sick attempt at humor made the lump in my throat threaten to grow.

Trudy and Tara laughed at her joke with twin high pitched screeches. 

I ran to her room, picked up my bag, and took off in the direction of the front door.  As I rushed out, I heard her shrill voice calling after me.  “Oh Sarah, are you leaving so soon?”  And of course more laughter followed. 

I stumbled out of her house into the night.   In the darkness, I followed her walkway to the road.  Feeling embarrassed and angry, an ache formed in my chest before the tears started to fall.  I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going and started walking aimlessly.  My tears were flowing hard, obscuring my view.  My foot caught in a crack in the road, and I fell to the ground.  My hands dug into the asphalt, scraping my palms. 

I pushed myself up and continued walking. 

Would this horror movie ever end?  I hoped to wake up in my room, having dreamt the whole thing.  Closing my eyes, I willed it to be true, but fate was not on my side, this was really happening.  I was still here wandering the roads, praying I was heading in the right direction. 

After what seemed like hours, I saw headlights behind me.  A car pulled along the sidewalk, and the passenger side window slowly rolled down.  “OH, MY GOD SARAH!  WHAT HAPPENED?” my mother yelled from the front seat of her car.