mary. [ BILLY HARGROVE ]

xlvii. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

     "God, I hope it's not you," she said, Mary looking over at her. "I really hope it's not you." 

~*~

     The Sauna Test was all set up. The dummy in the sauna, the walkie-talkie taped to it, all of them standing by to lock Billy into the sauna. It was all ready. Eleven began to make things clink outside of the pool, getting Billy's attention. 

     "Pool is closed," he said. More things began to clank, Billy slamming his locker shut. "Hey. Do you hear me? Pool is closed!" He went to go out the door, but they'd locked it shut from the outside. 

     "Billy!" Mike's voice echoed in a sing song voice from the walkie. 

     "Who's there?" Billy called. 

     "Billy!" Mike's voice sang again. 

     "Who's there?" Billy replied in the same sing-song voice. Mike pretended to laugh as Billy pulled open one of the shower curtains. 

     "Billy!" Mike called. "Billy!" 

     "You think this is funny, huh?" Billy questioned. Mike laughed into the walkie again, everyone almost weirded out at how creepy it was. 

     "Billy!" he said, more eerie this time. "Come and find me!" 

     "I find you, it is your funeral," Billy said, beginning to round the corner. 

     "Come and get me, come on!" Mike called, Eleven closing the door to the weight room. "Billy!" He burst into the weight room, seeing the dummy set up in the sauna. 

     "Got you," he smirked. A laugh escaped his lips, everyone beginning to go to the door to watch him walk forward. He opened the sauna, noticing it was a dummy. 

     "Hey," Mike said over the radio. Billy grabbed the dummy, hoisting it in the air. "Behind you." Billy slammed the dummy to the ground, turning to see Eleven standing there. 

     "Hi." She slammed Billy into the wall, everyone bursting into the room. 

     "Now!" Mike yelled. Eleven shut the sauna door right as Billy tried to burst through. The put the metal bar in the handle and locked the chain to the handle as well. Billy began to hit the door with all his might, then paused. He looked up through the glass, his eyes landing on Mary. 

     "Mary," he breathed out. She stared at him for a moment, knowing it wasn't her Billy. 

     "Do it," she said. Will went to the thermostat, turning up the heat all the way in the sauna. The temperature began to increase, and Billy faded from view for a moment. Then he appeared again, hitting the window. 

     "Mary! Let me out of here!" he screamed, hitting the window again. "Let me out." She tensed up, not knowing what to do anymore. "You kids... You think this... is funny? You kids think this is some kind of sick prank, huh?" He spat on the door as he geared up to yell again. "You little shits think this is funny? What is this? Open the door. Open the door!" He hit it hard, all of them jumping. "Open the door!" He hit it again. "Open the goddamn door!" Billy took a step back and screamed, Will going to the thermostat. 

     "We're at 220," he said. There was a grunt, and then the sound of Billy sobbing quietly. 

     "It's not my fault," he sobbed out, Mary furrowing her eyebrows. "It's not my fault. It's not my fault, Mary. I promise you, it's not my fault." Mary took small steps forward, Max right behind her.

     "What's not your fault, Billy?" Mary asked, scared that he'd snap. 

     "I've done things, baby. Really... bad things," Billy said, his voice hoarse as he had his knee's to his chest. "I didn't mean to." Billy took a few deep breath's as tears brimmed Mary's eyes. "He made me do it."