Chapter 4

All the lights in the house were on when he pulled up in the drive, but as he opened the door, they all went out, leaving him in total darkness. Not even the VCR was blinking. Mark sighed, and grabbed a flashlight to find the circuit breakers.

It didn't work.

The muted sound of sobbing was audible from upstairs. He frowned, and dug out a candle. It took three tries to get the candle to light, and even then, the flame was small and flickering.

The sound grew louder as he climbed. It wasn't coming from his bedroom, but from the small, empty room next to it. He could hear a baby crying quietly, too, as he came closer.

When he opened the door, he discovered that the room had been transformed. Instead of an empty room, what he saw was a lovingly decorated nursery. Smiling cherubs were painted on the walls, and there was an abundance of pink satin and white lace. There were dozens of stuffed toys. There was a rocking chair in the corner by the expensive looking crib. Sitting in the rocking chair was a woman holding a baby, both of them crying.

She looked very much alive, but somehow he knew she wasn't. She was heart-breakingly beautiful; her honey-gold hair and sapphire blue eyes made her look like an angel come to earth.

"Tell me how to help you," he said.

She looked up at him. "You can't. Only he can." The baby waved an arm and she held out a finger for it to grasp, fresh tears welling from her eyes. "She's always with me. I wish she wasn't. Look at her..." She uncovered the baby and held her up for him to see. She had her mothers glorious golden hair, but her eyes were a deep brown. "Her daddy's eyes. How could he doubt that she was his?" She clutched the baby to her chest. "Only he can free me."

"Who is he, and how do I get him to free you?"

"He was wrong. He was so wrong, but he'll never admit it. No one could ever get him to admit it."

"Who is he? What does he have to do to free you?"

The baby started to fuss more loudly. "You must go now, young man. She's hungry. I have to nurse her."

"Please, tell me before I have to go."

She started to unbutton her blouse, and power returned to the house suddenly, the bright light revealing only an empty room.

Mark sighed, looking around, and decided he might as well go to bed. His dreams that night were less erotic, though still full of Kristen. They were more disturbing, though. The setting was different, and clearer than in previous dreams. At one point, he realized that they were making love in the nursery, and that the cherubs on the walls were crying.

Mark drug himself out of bed in the morning, feeling slightly better than the day before since he'd gotten more sleep. The ghost made him coffee again. Unfortunately, it tasted like decaffeinated.

Like most teachers, he'd made a habit of leaning against the wall by his door in the morning. This let him watch the hallway. Technically, he was watching all of the hallway, and could spot misbehaving students. This was why most teachers did it. Mark, however, couldn't resist keeping an eye on his girlfriend. She didn't seem to realize he was watching her this morning, however.

She was smiling when she opened her locker, but frowned when she reached inside it. He saw her pull out a sheet of paper, read it, and go pale.

He tried not to be obvious, but he couldn't help but make his way towards her when he saw her face. He hadn't made it quite halfway there when Aaron, the young man who was beaten up for taking typing and so transferred into his chem class, stopped by her, frowned, and tapped her on the shoulder, asking something. She jumped a couple of feet in the air and dropped the note. He caught the piece of paper as it fell, and smiling and obviously saying something teasing, started to hand it back to her, glancing at it reflexively.

His hand gripped the piece of paper tightly, and he suddenly looked angry as hell. Mark could hear him arguing with her, and she was shaking her head. As he come closer he could make out what Aaron was saying.

"Look, you have got to tell someone. This is not a joke, Kristen."

Mark stepped up behind him. "Miss Davis, Mr. LaRoux, is there a problem?"

Kristen jumped guiltily and tugged at the piece of paper. "No."

Aaron didn't let go of the paper, and spoke at the same time, "Yes."

Mark raised an eyebrow. "I think the two of you had best come with me." He motioned them towards the teachers lounge.

Kristen frowned and glanced at him like he'd gone totally insane; Mark simply raised the other eyebrow, and waited for her to start moving.

Once in the lounge, he asked, "What seems to be the problem?"

"Tell him, Kris."

"Miss Davis?"

Kristen sighed. "It's just someone playing a prank, Mr. H. No big deal."

"Mr. LaRoux?"

"I don't think so. I think it's a threat, a real one."

Mark held out his hand for the paper.

With an apologetic look at Kristen, Aaron handed it to him. "Sorry, Kris, but you can't ignore this."

It read, "It's too late to play innocent, slut. You're going to start putting out again ... one way or the other." It was typed, no signature.

Kristen watched him anxiously as he read the note.

Mark paled slightly, and set his jaw. "I'm afraid he's right, Miss Davis. This will have to go to the principal." He glanced at Aaron, then looked at her. "I'll say something here that perhaps I shouldn't. I may be new to the town, but I do know your reputation. I also found out about the change you seem to have made on Monday. I can tell you that I have yet to hear from a teacher who doesn't support your choice."

Kristen blushed and looked at her hands.

"Speaking personally, I'm glad you've decided to take control of your life. If you have any trouble from ... louts who won't accept no, any of the teachers will help you, you know."

Kristen said quietly, "I don't think there will be any trouble, sir."

"Bullshit." Aaron snorted.

Mark raised an eyebrow at Kristen. "You are telling me that the quality of teenage male has improved so dramatically since I was in school?"

Aaron snorts. "Quantity maybe, but not quality. We could do with some population control around here. Mr. H, Dirk had her pinned in the girl's john for half an hour Tuesday. It's just a good thing he's too dumb to think about going in a girls' room."

"So that was you, Miss Davis. I'd wondered. This means we've already had one incident. Come, let's go talk to the principal."

"M ... Mr. H, Dirk is harmless. He didn't mean anything, really." Kristen's face was completely red.

Mark shook his head. "I'm afraid we can't take that risk, Miss Davis.

"I really don't think this is serious. They're just mad and trying to scare me. I don't want to overreact." Kristen mumbled. "This is embarrassing enough."

Mark glanced at Aaron, his gaze lingering on the fading black eye. "I think it is serious, Miss Davis." He motioned to the door. "Let's go."

Kristen's shoulders slumped in defeat. Aaron reached over and squeezed her shoulder when he didn't think Mark was looking.

Mark led them to the office, again going in to talk to the principal before bringing them in. "This was in Kristen Davis' locker this morning." Mark handed him the note.

Dr. Ward read the note, frowning. "Do you think this is serious, or just a threat, Mark?"

Mark raised an eyebrow. "Assuming Aaron was right when he said Dirk had her trapped in a bathroom yesterday, I'd say it's serious." He sighed. "I'd also say we have to treat it as if it was, no matter what. After Columbine..." He hesitated. "Not to mention, in the high school I went to, there was a girl with a reputation for being easy who decided to stop. She ended up gang-raped, and killed herself. And she didn't have half the reputation that Miss Davis does."

"I know you're right, son, but I will be damned if I know what to do about it. I can't suspend the girl for keeping her legs closed. I can't keep the entire male student body in detention. And anything I do to draw attention to it is just going to make the problem worse and probably humiliate the poor child. I can call an assembly and have Angie give a lecture on sexual harassment and the law. That might do something."

Mark sighed. "I know. Although..." He looked thoughtful. "If I remember correctly, we can legally set up surveillance cameras. I've got a couple of those wireless X-10 cameras at home that I never got around to doing anything with. I could set them up to cover her locker, and at least we could find out who's leaving the notes. And I suspect that if we quietly let David and Kevin know they wouldn't be considered tardy for walking her to and from her classes..."

"Hmmm. Yes, I think we can keep her safe here at school, but she walks home. Hell, she walks everywhere, she's known for it. And that father of hers leaves her alone in that house more often than not." He looked seriously worried.

Mark frowned. "Do any teachers live near her? If so, maybe one of them would volunteer to act as a safe house for her?"

He shook his head. "Mark, you're the closest one to her. I think you can see the problem with that."

Mark winced. "Good lord. The rumors that would get started..."

"Exactly. You wouldn't even have to so much as look at her. And the next closest is me, and damn it, there already are rumors."

"Of course there were. You're male. Hell, I'm surprised there aren't rumors about the female teachers, the way people talk about her." Mark sighed. "I don't know what to do. I'd hate to see her end up ... in trouble."

David sighed. "I almost wish she would change her mind. It'd be much easier. And you didn't hear that."

Mark shook his head. "I don't. Maybe pick a few boys she did want to sleep with ... you didn't hear that either." He frowned. "How much trouble did you have with the rumors?"

"Not that much. Basic gist was that I never paddled her because I was doing other things to her sweet little bottom. Frankly, I never paddled her because she never got in that much provable trouble. And ... well, to avoid worse rumors."

Mark chuckled. "I can just imagine." He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. "Maria -- the girl I told you about -- was a friend of mine. I've always felt that ... well, I should have been able to do something. I'd be willing to put up with some rumors to help her, but there's a big difference between rumors and having someone shoot at you, or fire bomb your house, or losing your job and career."

David sighed again. "I understand, Mark. If we could persuade the girl to pick out one guy to date on a serious basis, preferably one of the big ones, then probably the others would leave her alone. If her father were a more responsible parent, he never would have let his daughter get in this situation. Still ... I suppose he does need to be informed of the situation. Wanna volunteer for that one?"

Mark made a face, then sighed. "Shit. Yeah, I will. And I'll try to get those cameras set up before I go home tonight -- if it's okay, I'll run home at lunch and get them."

"Fine by me, as long as you come back. I don't want to have to teach that damned advanced chem class of yours. Those kids scare me."

Mark chuckled. "Oh, you could just get Kayla to teach it."

"Probably. Say ... you don't think that rumor's true, is it?"

Mark raised an eyebrow. "Which one?"

"You hadn't heard it? The one that suggests that the reason Ms. Davis isn't interested in our fine young gentlemen is that she's fallen for our studious young lady?"

Mark choked a bit, then laughed. "I rather doubt it. I assume you heard about my demonstrations at the party they held the day before school started?"

"Oh yeah. From many different viewpoints." He grinned broadly.

Mark grinned back. "Well, shortly before I left the party, Miss Davis danced. It was a ... most impressive sight. Several of the girls did pay more attention than you might think, but Kayla wasn't one of them."

"Ah. Pity. Kayla would make a good vengeful, jealous girlfriend with corrosive chemicals."

Mark looked thoughtful. "I wonder if she's a good actor..."

"Not worth it to either girl unless it's true, Mark. They'd catch hell for it, literally. I was just joking."

Mark grinned. "So was I. Still, the thought of Kayla chasing Dirk down the hall with a beaker of something in her hands..." He chuckled. "I'll let Kristen and Aaron in now, and we can talk to her."

"Wait ... Aaron? What's he got to do with this? He might just be the only guy in the school who hasn't lost anything from Kristen's new chastity."

"He saw the note when she dropped it. That's what caught my attention in the first place -- he was trying to talk her into telling someone. She, of course, doesn't want to think it could be serious."

Ward rubbed his brow. "Right. Okay, bring them in."

"And why hasn't he lost anything? Surely she hasn't slept with all the other guys?"

"Likely she has Mark. I've only been here two years, but it's pretty much a confirmed fact that she started making her way through them before she was twelve."

Mark shook his head. "My." He moved to the door, and let the two in. Kristen entered reluctantly, followed by Aaron.

"Have a seat kids. Dr. Hasseran showed me the note, Kristen. I agree with him that it is not something you can take lightly. We've discussed the matter, and there are some steps that we'll be taking to ensure your safety here at school. We'll need your cooperation, as well, young lady."

Kristen mumbled, "Yessir."

"Aaron, you were right to insist that Kristen tell an adult about this. Therefore, you will be part of a group of students who are charged with ... discreetly ... making sure she doesn't walk to class alone, particularly if it's a class not in the main building. You will not be considered tardy for doing this ... you'll still receive a tardy slip and have to have it signed, but it will not go on your report card or reflect on your grades."

"Yes, Sir!"

"Kristen, please wait for your escorts, dear. Whether you want to believe anyone would hurt you or not, the fact is that people can be extremely stupid, and extremely cruel."

Kristen sighed. "Yessir."

"If the threats persist, we may have to take more obvious measures to discourage the perpetrators. We will be attempting to discover their identity, and if we do so, steps will be taken. Finally, you would be well advised to be more cautious outside of school as well. Always lock your door, curtail your long rambling walks for a while. Dr. Hasseran will be talking to your father about this situation, Kristen, I'm sorry, but it's necessary."

"What?!" Kristen exclaimed. "No it's not! I'll be careful, I promise!"

Mark made a face. "I assure you, Kristen, there are any number of things I'd prefer to do than talk to one of my students' father about something like this. But I'm afraid that it does have to be done. I'm sorry."

Kristen moaned and covered her face with her hands. Without raising her head, she asked, "Is there anything else?"

"I think that's all for now, Ms. Davis. Dr. Hasseran?"

Mark nodded. "I think so."

"You may go to class now, children. You have choir this period, Kristen?" She nodded. "Then Aaron will accompany you to the music building."