down when they were beaten
down. The ones who refused to take "no," and instead
took everything. She prayed for years that her daughter
was like that. Sadly, she'd resigned herself to the fact that
it was not meant to be.
Approaching the dorm, Paulina stopped two young
women carrying backpacks and chatting. "Excuse me,"
she said. "Can you tell me where I can find room threeoh-three?"
The thicker one who had short hair and stringy-looking
tassels lining it, pointed to the dorm on the left, then
middle. "One hundreds, two hundreds, three hundreds."
She finished by pointing at the dorm on the right.
"Thanks very much," Paulina said, and waited until the
girls left. She walked up to the entrance, a glass door
leading into a small atrium that was also locked from the
outside. She took out her cell phone, pretended to send
text messages while she waited. Finally a girl approached
the door, looking in her purse for a key. When she found
it and inserted it into the lock, Paulina stepped behind her
and put the phone away. The girl opened the door, and
The Darkness
95
Paulina caught it before it could close, following her into
the atrium. The girl turned around, looked at Paulina.
"I'm sorry," she said, her young blond hair looking so
tender, so naive. "We're not supposed to let strangers
inside the dorms."
"Oh, I'm no stranger," Paulina said, laughing. "Do
you know Abigail Cole?"
The girl's eyebrows lifted. "Why do you ask?"
"My daughter," Paulina said, shrugging. "Surprise visit."
Suddenly the girl smiled, enthusiasm radiating from
her. It took Paulina by surprise. "No way!" the girl nearly
shrieked. "I'm Pam. I've asked Abby so many times about
her family and, well, I guess you know what she's like.
When she decides to clam up, no crowbar in the world
can get her talking."
"That's Abby," Paulina said. "So you know her?"
"Know her?" Pam asked, somewhat surprised. "Hasn't
she mentioned..."
"We don't talk much."
"Oh. Because we've been...I don't know, seeing
each other."
"Really," Paulina said.
Pam nodded, hesitating before she spoke. "But I guess
Abby didn't tell you."
"Must have slipped her mind."
"Here," the girl said, opening the inner door and holding it for Paulina. "Sorry to keep you."
"She's in room three-oh-three, right?"
"She might be."
"Might be?"
The girl began to look nervous. She brought a finger
to her lip and began to chew. "She's kind of been hanging
out at my place. Just for the last few weeks."
96
Jason Pinter
"Is she there now?"
"Probably. She doesn't have psych until three."
"Do you mind then?" Paulina said, pointing toward the
elevator bank.
"Oh, we're on the first floor. Follow me."
The girl led Paulina down the corridor, filled with
campus notices, posters and random detritus. When they
arrived at room three-nineteen, the girl knocked.
"Abby, are you decent?" she asked.
Before the door could open, a voice from inside called
cheekily, "I don't have to be."
"Abby, open up," Pam said.
"All right, don't get your panties knotted." Paulina
heard a latch being undone from inside, and the door
opened. Standing in the doorway was a girl Paulina both
recognized and did not. Those green eyes, that long,
equine nose she got from her father, she'd recognize those
traits anywhere. But the jet-black hair, the nose ring, the
thick eyeliner--it nearly obscured the girl Paulina had
raised all those years ago.
"Hi, Abby," Paulina said.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," came her
daughter's startled reply.
12
Morgan stood outside of his apartment, his cheeks still
stinging from that morning's shave. It was a good pain,
though, one that reminded him of what it felt like to wake
up with a purpose, to wake up knowing that the day would
take him somewhere. Shaving wasn't a big deal on the
surface. Lots of people liked scruffiness, women especially these days, as though there was a magnetism to the
inherent laziness of it. Morgan loved the feel of
down. The ones who refused to take "no," and instead
took everything. She prayed for years that her daughter
was like that. Sadly, she'd resigned herself to the fact that
it was not meant to be.
Approaching the dorm, Paulina stopped two young
women carrying backpacks and chatting. "Excuse me,"
she said. "Can you tell me where I can find room threeoh-three?"
The thicker one who had short hair and stringy-looking
tassels lining it, pointed to the dorm on the left, then
middle. "One hundreds, two hundreds, three hundreds."
She finished by pointing at the dorm on the right.
"Thanks very much," Paulina said, and waited until the
girls left. She walked up to the entrance, a glass door
leading into a small atrium that was also locked from the
outside. She took out her cell phone, pretended to send
text messages while she waited. Finally a girl approached
the door, looking in her purse for a key. When she found
it and inserted it into the lock, Paulina stepped behind her
and put the phone away. The girl opened the door, and
The Darkness
95
Paulina caught it before it could close, following her into
the atrium. The girl turned around, looked at Paulina.
"I'm sorry," she said, her young blond hair looking so
tender, so naive. "We're not supposed to let strangers
inside the dorms."
"Oh, I'm no stranger," Paulina said, laughing. "Do
you know Abigail Cole?"
The girl's eyebrows lifted. "Why do you ask?"
"My daughter," Paulina said, shrugging. "Surprise visit."
Suddenly the girl smiled, enthusiasm radiating from
her. It took Paulina by surprise. "No way!" the girl nearly
shrieked. "I'm Pam. I've asked Abby so many times about
her family and, well, I guess you know what she's like.
When she decides to clam up, no crowbar in the world
can get her talking."
"That's Abby," Paulina said. "So you know her?"
"Know her?" Pam asked, somewhat surprised. "Hasn't
she mentioned..."
"We don't talk much."
"Oh. Because we've been...I don't know, seeing
each other."
"Really," Paulina said.
Pam nodded, hesitating before she spoke. "But I guess
Abby didn't tell you."
"Must have slipped her mind."
"Here," the girl said, opening the inner door and holding it for Paulina. "Sorry to keep you."
"She's in room three-oh-three, right?"
"She might be."
"Might be?"
The girl began to look nervous. She brought a finger
to her lip and began to chew. "She's kind of been hanging
out at my place. Just for the last few weeks."
96
Jason Pinter
"Is she there now?"
"Probably. She doesn't have psych until three."
"Do you mind then?" Paulina said, pointing toward the
elevator bank.
"Oh, we're on the first floor. Follow me."
The girl led Paulina down the corridor, filled with
campus notices, posters and random detritus. When they
arrived at room three-nineteen, the girl knocked.
"Abby, are you decent?" she asked.
Before the door could open, a voice from inside called
cheekily, "I don't have to be."
"Abby, open up," Pam said.
"All right, don't get your panties knotted." Paulina
heard a latch being undone from inside, and the door
opened. Standing in the doorway was a girl Paulina both
recognized and did not. Those green eyes, that long,
equine nose she got from her father, she'd recognize those
traits anywhere. But the jet-black hair, the nose ring, the
thick eyeliner--it nearly obscured the girl Paulina had
raised all those years ago.
"Hi, Abby," Paulina said.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," came her
daughter's startled reply.
12
Morgan stood outside of his apartment, his cheeks still
stinging from that morning's shave. It was a good pain,
though, one that reminded him of what it felt like to wake
up with a purpose, to wake up knowing that the day would
take him somewhere. Shaving wasn't a big deal on the
surface. Lots of people liked scruffiness, women especially these days, as though there was a magnetism to the
inherent laziness of it. Morgan loved the feel of
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