𝐈𝐍𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐒 | 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬 ¹✓

[06] ROCK WAR!

"Sorry, Rich," Verity shrugged, jogging to join the others.

◇

Bev showed them inside, stopping in front of a locked door. "In there." She said, a slight tremor in her voice. 

"What is it?" Stan asked.

"You'll see," 

"Why- Why are you taking us to your bathroom?" Eddie said nervously, wringing his hands as his eyes darted this way and that. "Did you know that eighty-nine percent of the worst accidents happen in bathrooms?" 

"No Eddie, I don't think any of us knew that," Verity muttered. 

"A-And it's where all the bacteria, and fungi are. It's not a very sanitary place..." He trailed off feebly.

Bill pushed on the door, and it swung open slowly, revealing something from a nightmare. The entire bathroom was covered in a thick layer of scarlet liquid. It had splattered onto the light fixture, casting the room in a sickly shade of dark crimson, and even ran sluggishly down the walls.

"Let me put it this way," Verity said under her breath. "I doubt that's cherry-ade,"

Eddie gagged. "I knew it,"

"You see it?" Beverly asked in a low voice, relieved when the others nodded.

"What happened in here?" Stan asked quietly, frowning.

"My dad couldn't see it.. I thought I might be crazy," 

Ben looked around, speaking in hushed tones, "Well if you're crazy, we're all crazy," 

"We c-can't leave it like this," Bill said, stepping inside. 

"Well ladies," Verity said, the ghost of a smile on her lips. "Anyone got a mop?"

The boys ventured down the hall to find the closet as the girls stood there, observing the bloodied walls with a sort of grim fascination. 

"Wait," Verity said suddenly, turning to the other girl, eyes bright. "Bev... have you got any cassettes?" 

◇

After she had raided Bev's music collection, the group got to work; donning rubber gloves and wielding buckets, cleaning as the tune of Six Different Ways played in the backround. A wide grin had spread across Verity's face when she had spotted The Cure's name on one of the tapes, so of course she had put it on. 

Each person had a specific task; Beverly washed the mirror and walls; Stan cleaned the window over and over again with precise strokes; Bill worked with a mop, trying in vain to clean the floor as the blood spread around under his feet; Ben wiped the tiles with a cloth; and Eddie worked with his inhaler in his mouth, whimpering as he drained the dirtied rags. 

"This is stranger than I'd ever thought," Verity sang along under her breath, scrubbing the inside of the sink. "Six different ways inside my heart,"

She didn't notice as Stan stole a glance at her, a pink blush creeping over his face.

Soon all of the blood had washed away, and the room was sparkling.