Perfect
“Okay Michelle? Michelle?”

Michelle looked up at the woman standing in front of her.

“I’m sorry, could you say that one more time?”

“Are you feeling alright? You seem distant. Oh well. The kitchen is here and the living room is through that door. If you could vacuum both and load and unload the dishwasher that’d be great. Your room is right here next to the patio. My son Trevor’s room is across the hall, but he’s sick, so don’t go over there. He shouldn’t be disrupted. Do you have any questions?” Mrs. Hunters carried herself like royalty, turning her nose up as she spoke. Michelle was intimidated by her. She only took the live-in “maid slash assistant” job just for the summer so she would have some money to buy a car for when she started her senior year in the fall.

“Uh, no I think I got everything. Did you want me to clean Trevor’s room?” She stammered through her sentence.

“Oh no dear, that won’t be necessary. Trevor is capable of cleaning his own room. Don’t go to that side of the house at all. Well I really need to go. Make yourself comfortable and help yourself to anything if you get hungry! You have my number if you need anything! I’ll be back at five!” She flounced out of the room, leaving Michelle to an enormous, empty house. She wasn’t all that thrilled about doing all this cleaning, but she really wanted a car. She mindlessly wandered around, looking for a vacuum. Mrs. Hunters hadn’t left her any supplies. As she made her way through the hallways, she thought she heard music coming from the other side of the house.

There’s no way, she thought to herself. Must be my imagination. Eventually she found a storage closet which contained every household cleaning product known to man. She plugged in the vacuum and got to work on the living room. The Hunters’ house was huge. She admired the hallways adorned with tapestries and garlands and expensive looking paintings. In one room though, that she found really creepy, the walls were covered with stuffed animals. Taxidermy didn’t seem to match the theme of the house, but she shrugged it off. She didn’t know much about the Hunters’, only which Mr. Hunters died two years ago, and that Trevor was her age. No one ever saw him though. She decided to put some headphones in, and actually started to enjoy the cleaning. It was sort of relaxing having the entire house to herself. She cleaned all the dishes, and finished around three. Since Mrs. Hunters wasn’t due home until five, she decided to watch some television and wait for Trevor. She had just barely settled down when she heard the music again. It was eerie piano song. She got up and looked down the hall.

“Hello?” she called out, but heard nothing.

It sounds like it’s coming from the other side of the house. I didn’t hear Trevor come in.
She knew she wasn’t supposed to go over to the other side of the house, but she really wanted to know where the music was coming from. She tiptoed to the door to the hall and gently opened it, even though she knew she was alone.

“Hello?” she said again. The music was getting louder, but still no one answered. She recognized the tune from somewhere, but she couldn’t remember. It seemed to be coming from everywhere. She found the door that she figured was Trevor’s and knocked. No one answered, so she knocked harder.

“Trevor? It’s Michelle, your mom’s assistant. Are you home?” she didn’t want to intrude, but the music was beginning to annoy her. Slowly, she turned the knob and slightly edged the door open.

“Trevor?” She opened the door and saw a figure siting on a bed. The room was completely black.

“Oh I’m sorry I didn’t mean to intrude. I didn’t think anybody was home and the music just kept playing.” The figure didn’t move or respond. “Are you Trevor?” Nothing. She felt the wall for a light switch but before she could find one she felt another hand close around hers.

“What are you doing in here?” It was Mrs. Hunters. Michelle whirled around to face her.

“Mrs. Hunters, I’m so sorry it’s just the music and I didn’t think anyone was home and it was kind of freaking me out. I’m so sorry it won’t happen again.” Mrs. Hunters hadn’t turned the light on and was staring at the wall, still gripping Michelle’s hand.

“You’re right, it won’t happen again. It can’t. Trevor needs his rest. You can’t interrupt his rest.” It occurred to Michelle that “Trevor” hadn’t moved or spoken this entire time. She pulled her hand away and flipped on the light. She had to clap her hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. Trevor was laying on the bed, his face frozen in a smile. His skin looked like it had been replaced with plastic. Mrs. Hunters pushed past her and sat on the bed next to him.

“My Trevor has had a hard year. He needs so much rest. It’s okay Trevor, mommy’s here. And I think I found you a friend.”

“Mrs. Hunters what are you talking about? What happened to him?”

“My Trevor is so lonely. He just needs a friend that’s all. He was so sad. He wanted hurt himself. He just needs a friend that’s all.” Mrs. Hunters stroked her son’s hair as she spoke. Michelle’s hands were shaking as she started to back toward the door. “I just want him to be happy. Can you make him happy? You seem so nice.” Michelle gulped. The animals made more sense now.
“Mrs. Hunters, is Trevor…. dead?”
“What? Oh no, he just needs a friend. That’s all he needs. See; look at how happy he is to see you!” The smile plastered across his face looked like a clown, and she noticed now the purple ring around his neck. Mrs. Hunters got up from the bed and approached her. Michelle backed up even more.
“I have to go now. I’m sorry.”
“Oh honey you can’t go anywhere now,” she chuckled. “Trevor likes you. You can’t just leave him. He’s been waiting for someone just like you. He hurt himself last year. He just needs a friend.” Before she knew what was happening, Mrs. Hunters spun her around and slammed the door.
“And you’re perfect.”