Help Wanted

“I need your help,” Haley said bluntly, getting straight to the fact of the matter.

“What?” Mark asked, rather flabbergasted.

“Vivian, she’s— she’s been taken…”

The color drained from Mark’s face as he realized what Haley was suggesting. “Oh. So, you want me to—.”

“She’s been taken by a criminal gang. A girl named Jane pretended to be her friend n a **** moment and sucked her in. Get Vivian out of that hell hole, you can freeze me right afterwards. Do whatever you want with my frozen body, I don’t care, I won’t be aware.”

“What about Vivian? Didn’t you say that you kind of take care of her?”

A sad look was on Haley’s face as she took a deep breath. “Permanently freeze her too. Life as an unaware frozen sex doll is better than a life of crime Jane and her gang is forcing her into.”

“That’s a— that is certainly an opinion. Are you sure,” Mark said, flabbergasted, blinking a few times.

“Yes, I’m sure. Plus, it's better than our current lives.”

“What?” Katie said, surprised.

Haley took a deep breath. “Our mom is dead. Our dad is a deadbeat. Our family abandoned us. I haven’t told Vivian yet, but I’ve fallen behind of the payments, and we’re losing the house in a few months. By time graduation comes around, we’ll be homeless. So yeah, life as unaware sex dolls would be better than our current lives.”

Suddenly the image of Haley and Vivian standing naked in his bed bedroom, side by side, completely frozen flashed through Mark’s mind. Having two siblings to do whatever he wanted with would be a nice change of pace, not to mention this Jane and her apparent gang member’s.

Mark looked to Katie for guidance, but it was obvious to him she was having simpler thoughts.

“O.K we’ll do it.”

Haley looked like she was on the verge of tears. “Thank you,” she said in a quiet voice. “Meet me at my house with Vivian when your done. Then— then you can do it.”

“First things first, who is Jane?”

“Jane Dawkins. I only met her once. You should start with her.”

“And how are we supposed ot find her just based off of a name?” Katie asked.

A look of determination came onto Haley’s face. “She left me a letter, and a photo.” She then pulled out a crumpled looking letter and a turquoise iPhone.

“Am I going to regret this?” Mark asked aloud.

“Perhaps,” Haley replied. “But remember what you will gain.”

Mark took a deep breath. “Fine, show me.”