Saving Face

Moving into a new apartment wasn’t easy when I first started college. The main issue was the rent. I couldn’t pay it alone so I started networking and getting to know other girls. Callie was the first friend I met and after a few weeks of getting to know each other she decided to move in. We were still struggling so we took on another girl, Amber. Our apartment was beautiful and it didn’t take long until we filled it with everything that we loved. The time we spent together was great and I even started to miss them when they went home on breaks. I never really went home. This was my home, my only home. I didn’t really have anyone besides these two in my life.

You’d think that at some point three girls would start fighting over a boy or just being bitches to each other but that never seemed to happen. We never got bored either. One way we entertained ourselves was by telling each other stories that we would make up. One night it just so happened to be extra spooky and the stories started to twist towards being scary. They tried their hardest to frighten me, but I guess I just had one so scary that no story they told could top it. Finally, after a few audible “boos” from either Amber and me or Callie and me, it was my turn. I smiled an evil smile and started.

“Not too many years ago I heard about a woman who lived in this same town. I guess you could call her a woman, although everyone seemed to hesitate when using that to describe her. Her name was Lucy. When she was a young girl her parents left her in a parked car and disappeared, leaving her alone on a summer afternoon. She couldn’t have been 1 or 2 years old and so she was strapped in tight to her car seat. After a few hours she started to cry out, but no one heard her at first. Eventually someone walking by saw her passed out in the car and rushed her to the Emergency room. The doctors worked tirelessly and somehow they saved her. After trying to find her parents, Child protective services decided to put her up for adoption. Months passed by and still no one wanted Lucy. You see this she wasn’t normal. She was born with a huge deformity where one eye laid just above her lips and her gums protruded from her mouth. At 4 she could barely speak and the other children in the foster home were even afraid to go near her. She was kept in a private room away from everyone. She got so lonely that she would peak out of her door as potential parents came to look at the other children and she would dream of being someone’s daughter. She would dream of feeling loved again.

She attended school in this town and again the people around her were cruel. They called her names and treated her like trash. A break for her didn’t come until high school. One day as she was eating her lunch alone in the computer lab Brandon, a guy she never thought would talk to her peaked his head in.

‘Hey Lucy, why are you here all by yourself?’

She didn’t respond and just kept eating her lunch.

Brandon came over and sat down next to her, ‘Listen I just want to . . .’

‘Ugh” Lucy grunted and backed away with her lunch.

Brandon tried again, ‘I umm, wanted to invite you to a bonfire tonight. I know all the other girls are cruel to you and I just want you to know that someone does care.’

Lucy’s distorted face pushed forth a smile.

‘I guess that means you will go’ he said smiling, ‘I’ll pick you up outside of the school at 7.’

Lucy was so excited. She rushed home and grabbed the black garbage bag full of donated dresses and picked out the best one. She combed her hair and walked to the school. To her surprise, Brandon was there. He looked so handsome in his blue polo and dark jeans.

Brandon walked over to her side and opened the door.

‘Here you go’ he said with a smile.

Lucy’s heart beamed with warmth as she sat down in his beautiful car. The whole way to the bonfire Brandon talked about how he had always seen her and wondered why she hid herself. He told her how he knew that deep down inside he knew she was special.

The red car pulled up to a small gravel path outside of town and he reached up and turned off the car. Brandon started laughing, ‘I’m sorry I can’t play this shit out anymore. Get your ugly ass out of my car.’

She burst from the car, but before she could get any further 3 of her tormenters came out of the woods.

‘Aw did you really think someone gave a shit about you?’ Amanda said.

‘Poor Lucy just wanted some lovin’ scoffed another causing the other 2 to laugh.

Amanda grabbed her, ‘Don’t worry Lucy we’re just going to help you get rid of that ugly ass face’

One of the girls pulled out lighter fluid from her backpack and duct tape. They taped her hands and feet and threw her down. One of them poured lighter fluid on her face.

‘Hey Brandon you got a light?’ asked one of the girls as she pulled out a cigarette.

Brandon walked over and lit it for her.

‘Burn in hell you disgusting bitch,’ the girl said as she flicked her cigarette onto Lucy’s face.

The fire engulfed her as the group ran away. The flames bit at her neck and burned through her flesh. She felt the skin slowly melting off her face as she kicked and tried to roll the fire off. A passing truck stopped and saw her. They rushed her to the hospital but that truck never made it and Lucy was never found.

A few weeks later Amanda was partying in the woods when she decided to go piss behind a tree. A rustle nearby stopped her. The sound echoed through the dark woods and sobered her up quickly. ‘Hello?’ she cried out. The rustling stopped. She finished and pulled up her pants. As she turned around a red face of nothing but tissue and charred flesh stood inches from her before she blacked out.

She woke up in a dark room, strapped to a surgical table. ‘What the hell is going on?!’ she shouted.

‘What the hell is going on’ she heard back in her same voice. From the darkness Lucy appeared above her and flipped on a surgical light. ‘Oh poor Amanda, she’s all alone’ Lucy said mimicking Amanda’s voice perfectly. ‘You took a little something from me Manda’ she laughed and pulled out a scalpel, “So I’m just going to borrow a little something of yours.’

The next day Amanda returned to school and everyone said she was fine although they said she didn’t seem to be acting exactly like herself.”

Amber and Callie sat in the darkness of the room and stared blankly at me. “What?” I asked.

“We’re never letting you tell stories again,” said Callie.

“Yeh I’m going to go try to sleep and turn every light on in the house” Amber reiterated.

I laughed, “You guys wanted me to scare you didn’t you?”

Amber and Callie both went and got into their beds without saying another word to me. I felt kind of bad but at least I won. As I walked by the mirror on my way to bed I noticed something odd. I quickly rushed to my desk and pulled out my private journal. Worrying as it might have been a little smile crept up on me as I wrote, “Time for another face.”