The Assistant (Prt 1)

(Hello loves! It's spooky season once again & that means it's time for a Fiction Friday Halloween story! Or, stories, actually. Since I'm still pretty busy with my other not-so-secret side project, I decided that this October, I'd do a few different short stories instead of a longer series like The House. Because of this, all the stories are going to be a range when it comes to "scariness," so there should be something for everyone!

Today's story is less on the horror side because, let's be real, the world is scary enough. Part two will come out next week! You can check out the other Fiction Friday Stories here! I hope y'all enjoy!)

"I don't think I can do this anymore," Regina said as she left her apartment.

"WHAT?"

Regina winced at her sister's indignant voice shouting over the phone. Thank God she hadn't put Jenn on speaker. The last thing Regina wanted on her way to work was attention. Even though it was a Friday night and most of her neighbors were out enjoying a social life, she could never be too careful.

"What do you mean you can't do it anymore?" Jenn demanded. In the background, Regina could hear a cork pop followed by the sound of wine being poured. "It's been less than a month!"

"It's been longer than that," Regina protested. It had been exactly a month, actually. "At least, it's been long enough for me to know I don't want to be there anymore. And you're the one always saying I should do what makes me happy, so really, I'm just following your advice."

"My advice was for your social life, like taking art classes or going sky-diving or hooking up with randos at bars. Not quitting your job!"

"It's not that big of a deal." Regina rolled her eyes at the sound of a glass slamming against the counter.

"Not that big of a deal? In today's job market?" Jenn scoffed. "You were lucky to get this job in the first place!"

Lucky was a subjective term. Most people wouldn't see Regina picking her way over garbage and sketchy puddles and think she was 'lucky.' Sure, the commute was great---a five-minute walk did save her a lot of gas money---and she'd gotten used to the odd hours, but that hardly excused everything else she didn't like about her job.

Like only getting paid in cash or I.O.U.s, for example.

"I just don't see it going anywhere," Regina sighed as she stopped in front of a steel door. She scowled at the lone bulb flickering above her. Jack said he would fix that days ago, the lazy bastard. "I don't want to be an assistant my whole life."

"It's all about getting your foot in the door," Jenn said in a sing-songy voice.

"Don't think this is the right kind of job for that saying." She rummaged through her bag for her key. Truthfully, Regina didn't think this was the right kind of job for anything.

Yet, here she was, about to clock in like a good little employee anyway.

"What is it you do, again? I feel like you've never told me."

"That's because I haven't told you," Regina raised her voice over the loud creaking of the door. "Signed an NDA, remember?"

She could hear Jenn sip her wine and held back a jealous groan. Why couldn't she spend her Friday nights having a romantic evening at home instead of in a grungy, underground room? Jenn's husband had probably spent hours cooking her sister a delicious meal, while Regina would spend her night fighting Jack for whatever left-over McDonalds he had.

And she hated McDonalds.

"I know you say that, but I still don't buy it," Jenn said. "I think you made the NDA up because you're embarrassed. Which is stupid, Reggie, this is your first real job! It's not going to be perfect, but that's nothing to be ashamed about."

"Yeah, right. Embarrassed," Regina chuckled weakly. "That's one word for it."

"Well, I for one, am proud of you. So is Marc. Tell Reggie you're proud of her!" Jenn's voice was only slightly muffled as she yelled at someone off the phone.

"Proud of you, kid," Marc's deep voice distantly called. "World wouldn't run without secretaries."

"She's an assistant, not a secretary," Jenn snapped, before switching back into a sweeter tone. "Anyway, you're going to have a great night doing whatever it is you do, and you'll reconsider quitting, I just know it!"

Regina sighed. It wasn't worth arguing with Jenn. "Fine. I'll sleep on it."

"That's more like it! Love you, Reggie!"

"Love you too, Jenn," She said before hanging up.

After triple-checking the locks, Regina started walking down the many stairs to the basement. They rattled and creaked in time with the hissing pipes in the wall like the world's worst orchestra. This building had to be in violation of so many safety codes.

On her first day of work, Regina had naïvely followed the e-mailed instructions to meet Jack outside of the mostly abandoned business complex. He had greeted her with a smile and professional handshake, like he was an actual employer, before telling her to follow him around the back of the building. When he had started leading her down the rickety metal staircase, she had been positive he was about to murder her.

But no, Jack wasn't nice enough to do that. He gave her this job instead.

Regina easily jumped over the bear trap waiting on the last step. Compared to the dangers of the building, Jack's "surprises" were child's play. It honestly was a bad building. Some days Regina prayed just to survive the end of her shift. Other days---the really bad ones---she hoped the entire building would collapse on itself. That would make it easier to lie at her next job.

Oh, sorry about that awkward gap on my resume. My previous employer died in a horrible accident so I won't be able to get a reference from him.

Laughing to herself, Regina turned the corner and entered a room that would have been spacious, if it weren't for the growling, rusted boiler in the corner. The thing was such a pain. Not only did the machine's incessant noises make phone calls harder to hear, but it also made the room constantly feel like an oven. She shrugged off her jacket and tossed it over a weathered armchair, followed by her phone. Beside the armchair was a stain-covered nightstand with a small black flip phone on top of it. Regina slipped it into her bag as someone appeared in front of her.

A man that Regina would have considered attractive if he wasn't so obnoxious waved at her. At first glance, Jack was intimidating. He was tall, clearly athletic, and always had a cocky air about him that was a magnet for trouble. But, after spending less than an hour with the man, Regina was no longer phased by his charm or his threats. Instead of waving back, she ignored him.

Jack didn't appear bothered by this as he flashed her a smile while answering the caller. "I'm not saying you have to leave the house, but if you think you're in danger---" He paused as more shouting poured from the phone. "Oh. Hm. I can see how the doors being locked could be a problem."

Regina rolled her eyes and pulled a stack of papers from her bag. Under any other circumstances, she would have found his calm demeanor unsettling as he listened to the panicked woman's pleading. But after only a few weeks on the job, Regina had learned to develop the same customer service tone whenever clients called.

"Uh-huh," Jack said, silently mouthing the words 'thank you' to Regina as she handed him the folder. "Well, is she floating right now? She is?" He balanced the phone on his shoulder as he began flipping through the pages. "I say just ignore her. Reacting is exactly what it wants. Oh, I'm sorry," He said, pulling a newspaper clipping from the folder. "Exactly what he wants. Anyway, just set up some blankets and pillows if you're worried about him dropping your daughter, and leave everything else to us."

Regina waited until he had hung up to speak. "Is Chrissy alright?"

Much to her annoyance, Jack let the other papers fall to the ground as he pocketed the newspaper. "Who?"

"Sandra's daughter. The child of the woman you were just speaking to." She placed her hands on her hips. "The floating girl?"

"What? Oh, her! Yeah, give her a few years of therapy and I'm sure she'll be fine." He grabbed a set of car keys from a wobbly coffee table and jangled them. "Ready to go, Harker?"

Regina scowled at the use of her last name. She wouldn't have minded if this was a normal work environment. The first time he'd called her that, she hadn't batted an eye.

But then he'd introduced them to a client as Mr. Van Helsing and his partner, Ms. Harker, and she'd immediately gotten tired of it.

Yes. Jack's real last name was Van Helsing. She checked.

And yes, he was in fact, related to that Van Helsing.

"You could let me drive this time?" Regina said, eyeing the keys.

"No time to argue! Little Cathy is in danger," Jack said, already on his way to the exit.

"It's Chrissy," Regina corrected him as she followed.

It was a forty-minute drive to the cemetery. Forty minutes there and forty back. That meant over an hour stuck in Jack's dirty Ford Bronco listening to eardrum-bursting metal music. Regina gripped the handle above her for dear life as Jack somehow managed to hit every single bump in the road. She turned the volume down after they hit a pothole so hard that she was certain she had whiplash.

"Totally unprofessional, Harker," Jack tsked, reaching for the volume dial again.

Regina slapped his hand. "Focus on the road, please. We aren't going to be of any use to anyone if you get us killed by your crappy driving."

"Of use to anyone. That's funny. Last I heard, this job wasn't a big deal. Not really important, right?" Regina groaned at his smirk. "Having second thoughts, Harker?"

She raised her middle finger at him. "Stalker."

"Not my fault your voice carries over a mile. You and your sister. How is Jenn, by the way?"

"I could sue you for lewd behavior at work, you know."

"Why stop there? Might as well report me for murder and vandalism too. Tonight's gig alone would be enough to put me behind bars. Then again," Jack said, turning so sharply that Regina slammed into his side. "You'd be seen as my accomplice. Oh well. Better luck next time."

Rubbing her arm, Regina glared at him as she straightened back in her seat. She knew he did that on purpose.

The car finally slowed to a normal pace as they drove past the sign for Old Hope Cemetery. Regina was glad they didn't have to break another gate again. It was necessary, but she always felt a little guilty after.

Once the car was shut off, the night was completely silent. Regina shivered from the cold until Jack tossed her a plain black hoodie. He was already wearing the other one and had a duffel bag slung over his shoulder. Trying not to inhale, Regina slipped the garment over her head and refused to think about the fact that it had never been washed. She kept telling Jack she'd happily take the laundry if it meant she could feel clean on these types of jobs, but he always said no.

He did sort of have a point about the stains being too suspicious for her apartment's communal washing room.

"You're positive this is the right guy?" Jack asked, tossing a shovel at Regina. "I really don't want to get screamed at again tonight."

She caught the shovel easily and frowned at him. "Of course, I'm positive. Just like I was positive a week ago about this not being a cursed object. But noooo," she tapped him lightly with the shovel. "Someone just had to have an excuse to sort through the Donovans' attic."

Jack made a face as he closed the Bronco's trunk. "You saw how many dolls were in there. One of them is for sure haunted."

"Maybe, but they're not the ones hurting Chrissy." Regina's teasing faded at that.

Jack seemed to be done joking as well. He nodded toward the back of the cemetery. "Let's go, then."