frankie [episodes 1-3]

-15-

The three of us stand staring into the furnace until the liquid from the Curator's body starts to fizzle out the flames. The heat stings my skin, and melts the drops of wax that covered me when I fought him.

I'm aware of the other two girls, now; one stood beside Jared, the other beside Rebecca. They're watching too. A stunned silence seems to weigh heavy in the air.

"What the...?!" whispers the dark-haired girl finally.

"Pretty disgusting, huh?" says Jared – bulking out his chest a little as he catches her eye.

"I think it's the most disgusting thing I've ever seen," says Rebecca, her eyes focused on the hot liquid wax that's now dribbling out of the metal furnace, "and that's saying something. I've seen Jared clipping his toenails."

Jared shoots her an annoyed look and the corner of my lip tugs upward. We stand in silence for a few more minutes. And then I turn to Rebecca.

"Shall we get out of here?" I say.

She nods.

"Affirmative," she looks at the Curator's two victims. "Are you OK? Do you need a lift anywhere?"

The blonde shakes her head, her eyes still wide at the things she has seen.

"I have a car. I can give you a lift if you like?" she says to the other – her voice slightly croaky.

"I'll walk you both out," says Jared. He catches Rebecca's eye. "Meet you back at the hearse?"

He starts to move but the two girls hold back. The one with dark hair looks at my face and for a moment I squirm like I always do when people look at me. But then I realise it isn't disgust in her expression; it's admiration.

"You saved us," she says.

"I...I guess..."

"Thank you."

She leans forward and lightly kisses my cheek. My body tenses and I shift awkwardly.

"Um...no problem..."

"I'm Anika, by the way," she says.

She looks over at Rebecca as the other girl steps forward and throws her arms around me. Over the blonde girl's shoulder I think I see something pass between the two.

"Josie," says the blonde girl in my ear.

She steps back and the two look at me expectantly. I give them a small smile.

"Frankie," I say. "I'm Frankie."

They nod and smile back. Then follow Jared through the door of the workshop. Another look seems to pass between Anika and Rebecca as they leave. Rebecca says nothing for a moment - watching her back as she exit the room.

Then she turns to me and grins.

"That was pretty awesome, you know?" she says. She raises her fists and jabs at the air in an impression of me moments before. "Correction. You're pretty awesome, you know?"

I feel heat in my face – and am thankful that after I came back I've not been able to blush properly.

"Shut up, Rigor," I mumble, though I can feel the small smile creeping on my face. I look resolutely away from her, "shall we..."

I stop speaking as I notice a slip of paper on the floor by the desk. Rebecca follows my eyes, frowns, and picks it up. She flashes it at me. There's a smudged name and address written across it.

I recall what we overheard before – between Mr Redwood and the Curator; something about a client.

"Do you think...?"

"Maybe..." says Rebecca – immediately understanding what I'm thinking.

She stuffs it into her pocket and the two of us head out of the workshop, up through the dungeons, and out of the wax museum of horrors.

We saunter through the London drizzle back to the hearse. For once I enjoy the feeling of rain on my stinging skin – it cools it. I feel it washing away the sweat and wax.

Jared is already at the car when we get there, leant against the side, speaking to Carter through the window. When he sees Rebecca he begrudgingly passes her a slip of paper.

"Anika wanted me to give you this."

She takes it, looks down, then grins.

"Score! Rebecca, 1. Jared, 0!"

She does a weird little dance which Jared watches blankly – running a hand over his closely shaved black hair. I peer over her shoulder as she does and catch the string of digits handwritten across it; a phone number.

I think back to the look I'd seen pass between the two, and then to Jared's assertion a few weeks ago that he definitely wasn't Rebecca's type.

Jared looks at me and rolls his eyes and I smile. 

She finally stops dancing and looks at us both.

"Fancy a drink over at The Joint?" she says – still looking pretty pleased with herself.

I wrinkle my nose. I think back to the grungy pub, filled with my classmates, and reeking of stale beer. I recall my reaction last time Rebecca pretty much forced me to go.

"Weak cappuccinos, terrible music, and people from school?" I say.

Rebecca's face falls slightly but then I grin.

"Sounds like fun to me."

END OF PART 3 - ELEANOR MASTERS - THE LEFT LEG

Stay tuned for the next body part!