Story 11 – Jenny O’Plenty

Heather was talking again, the girl just would not shut up. 

Eliza tried to focus on stacking the tins of tomatoes, keeping an eye out for any dented ones she could maybe hide to pick up cheap later.

“I don’t know why we don’t all just go on strike over this. It’s disgraceful, really!” Heather told her.

“Uh huh.” Eliza muttered, non-commitally. She didn’t know what the strike should be over this time and didn’t care. It was always something small and petty, like there only being one brand of coffee in the employee kitchen.

“Do you want to come out for a drink later?” That came out of nowhere.

“Can’t, sorry.” Eliza wasn’t sorry “I’ve got no money for a babysitter and even less to spend on a night out.”

“You never have cash, babes. You aren’t struggling are you?”

“I work part time in a shop, I’ve got an eight year old who won’t stop growing out of her clothes. Yes, I’m struggling. Aren’t we all?”

Heather was quiet for a moment. A moment of blessed silence, Eliza wondered if her brain had finally caught up with her mouth. She kept stacking the cans, thinking she had seen a few dented tins of baked beans, but couldn’t check them until the tomatoes were done.

“I’m not struggling.” Heather said, her voice had a strange tone. “Maybe I’ve got a way to help you out.”

“That’s nice for you. But I don’t have family I can call on to help and I’m not doing another loan. The last one nearly made us homeless.” Eliza didn’t really want a quick and easy money making scheme from a twenty year old who didn’t have much in the way of responsibilities. “You aren’t going to suggest one of those pyramid schemes are you? I’m not a ‘Boss Babe’ and neither are they quite frankly.”

Heather laughed “No, babes, its nothing like that. Look, I’ve got to go restock the bog roll, meet me in the kitchen before you go home, I’ll explain it then. Well, not all of it ‘cos you’ll be rushing off to pick up Sally, but I’ll give you the gist.” 

“Ok, I’ll stop in if I have time.” Eliza said, not really planning to.

“See ya in a bit.” Heather called as she walked off.

Eliza wasn’t really paying attention, she’d just found two cans that had been heavily dented, Stephen would almost certainly let her have them cheap.

When her shift was over, Eliza found the dented tomatoes at the back where she had hidden them, along with the dented tin of beans and a couple of other bits that were on their last day. She took them to the till and had Stephen ring her up.

“You keep getting lucky with these.” He told her.

“Lucky is a word.” She said, not really wanting to have to go into why she only ever bought the reduced things from the shop.

“I’ll see you in the morning.” Stephen said as she walked away with her purchases.

“Yes, you will.” She called back.

She was just going to leave, get home and have a cuppa before Sally arrived, but then she thought about Heather. It couldn’t hurt to listen for two minutes, could it? Maybe the girl really did have a way that could help her out.

Making her way through the stockroom, she found Heather flipping through a magazine in the kitchen.

“Hiya, babes.” The younger woman called out a she entered.

“Hi. Look, you’re right, I don’t have long, but I’ll listen to anything sensible you might have to suggest.”

Heather sucked on her bottom lip “Well, how sensible you think it is depends on how open your mind is, really.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, babes, do you believe in ghosts?”

Eliza laughed “Don’t tell me, you’re a psychic and you do readings?”

“Oh no, nothing like that. But do you believe in ghosts?”

Eliza frowned “No. Of course I don’t. From the expression on your face, I’m guessing you do?”

Heather nodded “Oh yeah. I mean, I never used to, so I understand where you’re coming from. That was until my Granny told me about Jenny O’Plenty.”

“Jenny O’Plenty? Sounds daft.” Eliza scoffed.

“Trust me, babes, I know exactly what you mean. My Granny told me about her when I was sixteen and I didn’t believe a word of it. But then I did what she said when I was a bit desperate and it turns out, she was telling the truth.”

“Well, I’m glad your Granny was right, but I’ve got to be off.”

“Wait, just let me explain a bit. Two minutes, tops.”

Eliza checked her watch, she still had enough time to get back for Sally if she indulgedHeather, so why not, as she was already there. “Go on then, but make it quick.”

“Course. So, Jenny was this rich woman back in the olden days.”

“What’s the olden days?”

“Old enough that they drowned her as a witch.”

“OK, that definitely counts.”

“Yeah, so Jenny was a rich woman who would help out her friends and neighbours by lending them or giving them money if they were in trouble. Something happened, someone didn’t want to repay or whatever and they drowned her, saying she was a witch. Now, you can call her up and ask for her help. If you get it right, she will get you the money you need.”

Eliza smiled, this was ridiculous “That simple, is it? I just call out to Jenny O’Plenty and she’ll make sure my rent gets paid?”

Heather smiled back “There’s a bit more to it than that and there are rules. But yeah, that’s the basics.”

Eliza shook her head “Sorry, Heth, but I’ve got to go. Nice story though.”

“No worries, babes, I understand. Just know that my mortgage is all paid off and its down to Jenny O’Plenty.” Heather said, warmly.

Waving goodbye, Eliza left to await her daughter at home.

While Sally was watching cartoons, the phone rang. Eliza answered it, a chirpy Geordie girl said hello on the other end.

“Hello?”

“Mrs Calder? My name’s Alice and I’m ringing on behalf of Dortmussen Debt Agency.”

Eliza slammed the phone down. Should never have answered it. Shouldn’t have let them know she was here.

The phone rang again so Eliza pulled the wire from the bottom, cutting it off mid ring.

Dodging calls, avoiding the pile of unopened envelopes on the table that could only be more bills. This wasn’t how she wanted to live, wasn’t what she wanted to give to her daughter. A life where every letter or phone call sent your heart racing and made you balance on the edge of tears.

She thought about what Heather had said, it was ridiculous, but if thee was even the slightest chance, could she afford not to? That was why she allowed herself to luxury of one lottery ticket a week. Two pounds that could have gone on food, but she needed that hope each week. That chance that maybe she would ge a win big enough to pay off the debts. She didn’t dare dream of winning the jackpot, that was a miracle beyond hope. She could allow herself the hope of a few thousand, just to put their heads clear of water.

If she was willing to take that chance on a numerical improbability, why couldn’t she just try Heather’s supernatural solution? Was taking one go at something so unlikely really all that different?

She found Heather’s number on her mobile and rang it.

“Hiya, babes.”

“Hi, Heth, Look, what do I have to do for Jenny O’Plenty? I’ve given it some thought and if you’re not telling the truth, it can’t hurt me to try it, can it?” She wished she could keep the scepticism out of her voice.

“Its ok, I get you. I can tell you over the phone if you’ve got a pen and paper handy, otherwise I can tell you at work tomorrow. If I tell you tonight, you could do it in ten minutes.” Heather sounded so happy, Eliza felt like she had to follow this through now.

“Tell me now, just give me a sec to find a pen and paper.” She reached across the kitchen table to pick up a pen and used the back of one of those unopened envelopes to write on. “Wait, just a moment.”

Eliza looked into the lounge, where Sally was still watching cartoons, oblivious to her mother. Eliza closed the kitchen door, quietly, faintly embarrassed by what she was doing and not wanting Sally to hear her.

“OK,” she said, sitting at the table, “I’m good to go.”

Ok, babes, listen very carefully, I shall say zis only once.” Heather said, putting on an outrageous French accent. Eliza chuckled. “To call up Jenny, you’ve got to put yourself like she was. So you have to simulate a drowning.”

“I have to do what?” Eliza squeaked.

“Its ok, you don’t have to actually drown. You just have to be fully submerged in water, you’ve got a bath, don’t you?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Right, so this is what you do. You wait until it is dark and then you run a cool bath, doesn’t have to be freezing cold but it can’t be a hot one either. Then you light a candle and place it where you will be able to see it from under the water. Have you got any candles, babes?”

“I think so. I can always nip out and get one if I have to.”

“That’s the spirit. I mean, it doesn’t have to be a candle, you’ve just got to have a fire burning and I think candles are the safest, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Eliza couldn’t think of a better open flame she would dare leave burning.

“You also need a child doll with one eye missing.”

“I need a what?”

“A doll with a missing eye. I don’t know why, but you do. So, what you do is wait until it gets dark, like night time dark. You run your bath, light the candle and then get in the bath holding the doll. Then you’ve got to put your head completely under water so there is no way you can breathe and you just think ‘Jenny O’Plenty, please help me.’ Over and over again.”

Eliza was writing as fast as her hand could move, she could feel a cramp coming on.”Is that all?”

“Yeah, just keep repeating that phrase in your head as you run out of air. Stay down until you absolutely can’t any more, we don’t want you drowning yourself.”

“And that will work will it?”

“Its how you call her, but it doesn’t mean she will definitely answer.”

“So how will I know if she does?” Eliza felt a little frustrated, like this was a joke of some kind.

“If she does come, the candle will go out. If that happens, before you come up for air, you’ve got to shut your eyes. Then you keep them shut and get out of the bath, but leave the doll in there. Leave the bathroom, shut the door and don’t go in again until morning.”

“What happens if I need a wee in the night?”

“Piss in the kitchen sink, babes. Seriously, if she comes, do not go back in the bathroom until it is light.” Heather sounded dead serious.

“Why? Will she just not give me the money if I do?”

“No, she’ll kill you.”

“What?” This was ridiculous. “What if Sally needs a wee, she’s eight, she does get up in the night.”

“Jenny won’t touch anyone but the person that called her. Sally will be fine.”

“You are aware just how ridiculous this sounds?” Eliza asked.

“Oh, I know, babes, I know. If I hadn’t done it myself, I’d think the same thing.”

“Fine. Go on then, what happens next?”

“Next morning, you go in and you’ll see that the doll has gone but the bath is still full. Drain the bath and carry on as normal. Within two days you’ll get the money you need.”

“And how will I get the money?”

“Depends on the person. It will always be legal. Maybe a rich uncle you didn’t know you had died and left you cash, maybe you’ll find a scratch card you didn’t realise was a winner. However it happens, you’ve got three days after the money arrives to spend every last penny of it.”

Eliza sighed “And why do I have to spend it all so quickly?”

Heather laughed “Because she’s giving you the amount you need right then. If you don’t use it all to get out of whatever trouble you’re in, she sees it that you lied and cheated her. So she’ll come for you.”

“Two things, how will she know how much I need and what do you mean, she will come for me?”

“Babes, you know right now how much you need, don’t you. You’ve got a figure sitting in your head. Jenny will see that. As for how she comes for you, all Granny said was that she comes in reflections. For the next week, you’ll see her every time you see a reflection, each time she will be a bit closer. And if she catches up to you, she’ll take you and drown you.” Heather did not sound like she was joking.

“Seriously? Are you saying this could kill me?”

“Just don’t be greedy. Don’t change the number in your head to a bigger one just to get more money.”

Eliza sighed, looking at the page of scribbled notes “Is there anything else I should know?”

“Just a couple of things, both to do with the money. Firstly, if you try to spend any of the money she gave you during the week that she’s chasing you, something terrible will happen to you.”

“Like what?”

“Honestly, I don’t know, Granny didn’t have details on that. The other thing is, if you survive the week, whatever of her money you’ve got left over, it will be tripled somehow.”

“Tripled?”

“Yeah, I would guess a lot of people have tried to get as much as they can, keep it and then try to triple it. After all, you’ve only got to outrun a vengeful ghost for seven days without seeing her reflection too many times, how hard could that be?” Heather laughed.

Eliza laughed too, feeling some of the weird embarrassment flow away.

“Well, thanks Heth. I’m going to get Sally sorted for dinner now. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Sure, sure. Just, if you do it tonight, let me know when you’re about to start, then just text me once you’re done to eat me know you are safe. Even if you don’t believe it, you are still going to stick your head underwater, I just want to be sure you get out. If I don’t hear from you after fifteen minutes, I’ll ring you and then if you don’t answer, I’ll send an ambulance. Is that ok with you?”

It was, actually. Just that little kindness removed a sense of worry that Eliza hadn’t even recognised as setting upon her. “That would actually be great. Thanks, I really appreciate that.”

“No worries, babes. You go get little ones dinner on and good luck.” Heather hung up.

Eliza stood up from the table, taking a last look at the page of notes she had taken. She laughed. How silly, how utterly daft this idea was.

She was absolutely going to try it.

The problem was that Sally didn’t like dolls. She wanted to be an engineer when she grew up, so she had plenty of Lego and Mechano and other building toys. What she had a distinct lack of, was dolls. There were a couple of cuddly toys that had been kept, but ignored for the past year. A tiger named Mr Licks and a rabbit called Mr Fluffybins. Eliza thought it would be easier to remove one of Mr Fluffybins’ eyes, so he was chosen as the sacrifice. She had snuck the cuddly rabbit out of the bedroom while Sally was brushing her teeth. She felt incredibly guilty over the thought of damaging him, but it wasn’t like she had any other choices. Unless, of case, she wanted to wait and then spend money she couldn’t really afford on a doll, just to mutilate it and maybe never see it again.

Once Sally was in bed, and they had read the latest chapter of Harry Potter, Eliza kissed her daughter goodnight, put on the night light and closed the door.

Heading back to the kitchen, she made herself a cup of coffee and stared at the rabbit.

“You vill talk!” She told it, in a terrible German accent. “If you do not, vell, ve haf vays of making you talk!” She brandished the seam ripper from her sewing kit at the mute bunny. “You vill not talk? Zen you leaf me no choice.”

She had to make it funny, had to go to that dark humour to take her mind off what she was doing as she unpicked the stitches around Mr Fluffybins’ right eye. The eye came away in her hand, somehow the bunny looked sad. She couldn’t take it and gathered him up to give him a hug “Oh, I’m so sorry, Mr Fluffybins. I’ll put your eye back on in the morning, I promise.”

She put the toy back down and turned away from his accusing, one eyed stare to drink her coffee.

“What am I doing?” She asked herself.

At eleven she sent Heather a text “Just about to get in the bath.”

She stood outside of the bathroom, looking at the sad little tea light she had found, burning away on the sink.

“OK. Gud Luck babes.” Came the reply.

Eliza put her phone down outside the bathroom and took a deep breath. She wasn’t seriously going to do this, was she? This was a desperate move, she didn’t need to be this ridiculous.

But, if it was ridiculous, no-one as going to see her do it, were they? This would be a private thing, a joke she could tell herself later to have a laugh when everything else was going wrong.

“Sod it.” She whispered and slipped off her dressing gown, leaving it outside so she could put it on if this actually went like Heather said it would.

Holding Mr Fluffybins in her right hand, she turned off the bathroom light and closed the door. Carefully she felt her way to the bath. Dipping a toe into the water, she gasped. Maybe she had left it a bit long, the water wasn’t even a little warm now. Deciding that the cold was a small price to pay if this worked, she sat down in the water, gasping again as the cold reached her delicate parts.

Looking to the sink, she judged that she would be able to see the candle flame from under the water.

“Last chance to back out.” She told herself.

Nope. She was sitting in cold water with one of her daughter’s toys that she had mutilated. Stopping now would make the destruction pointless, she had to at least try.

Sucking in a deep breath, she slipped her head under the water, pinching her nose to stop the water running up it. She opened her eyes, yes, she could see the flame.

“Jenny O’Plenty, please help me. Jenny O’Plenty, please help me.” She kept repeating the mantra in her head. Over and over.

She could feel the burning start to build in her chest. Could feel her heart start to pound that bit harder. Still the candle stayed lit.

It was starting to be a struggle to stay down. Her chest was hurting, how long had she been under?

Cold seeped into her. Her heart hurt. Her lungs hurt. Still she repeated “Jenny O’Plenty, please help me.”

Pain and panic washed through her, over her. All she had to do was sit up. But not yet, leave it as long as she could.

She started to wriggle, little motions that made squeaks as her bum rubbed on the base of the bath.

How long had she been down? It felt like too long.

This was stupid.

Don’t give up.

It hurt.

It was a silly game.

It might be true.

Her heart was going to burst. Her lungs screamed at her for being an idiot.

The candle still burned.

Twisting, kicking and splashing.

Pain.

Panic.

Stupid.

A chance.

The candle went out.

For a second, Eliza stopped, unbelieving.

Her oxygen starved body demanded she go up, but her brain reminded her of the rules. She shut her eyes and exploded out of the water, sucking in deep lungful of glorious air.

When she felt oxygenated enough, she placed Mr Fluffybins in the water and shakily got to her feet.

Carefully she climbed out of the bath and groped her way to the door. Keeping her eyes shut tight.

For a brief, terrifying second, she couldn’t find the handle. She needed to see, but daren’t. Moving her hands about, her breath came in short, panicked gasps. 

She found the handle, much lower than she had expected it to be. Quietly, she opened the door and slipped out.

She did not open her eyes until the door clicked shut behind her.

Shivering, she dried herself with the towel she had left by the door. She put on her dressing gown and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Seeing her phone on the floor, she remembered to text Heather.

“Just got out the bath. It was dark in there.”

Eliza had got all the way into the kitchen and had the kettle boiling before Heather replied, a lot slower than she had expected. 

The younger girl simply sent back a thumbs up emoji.

The next morning, Eliza found herself standing outside the bathroom door, which was still shut, a little afraid to open it. She hadn’t really slept during the night, waking up every thirty minutes or so, hoping that she would see daylight. If what Heather had told her was true, there should be nothing to be afraid of in her bathroom.

So why couldn’t she open the door?

“‘Scuse me, Mum.” Sally said, bargain past and opening the door. She darted in and shut it again before Eliza could react.

Something cold formed in her stomach, she couldn’t help it.

“Everything ok in there?” She called out after a few seconds, trying to keep the fear from her voice.

“Mum” cried Sally “I’m having a wee.” 

Eliza could hear the embarrassment in her daughter’s voice. That tone broke through and she started to laugh. She was still giggling when she heard the toilet flush. Then the sound of taps running as Sally washed her hands.

The door opened and the first thing Eliza saw was a very soggy Mr Fluffybins being held up. The second was the angry expression on Sally’s face.

“What did you do to Mr Fluffybins?” her daughter demanded.

Eliza’s mind went blank, how could she explain this away. “Mummy was being silly last night. I’m sorry. I’ll make sure he gets dried and put his eye back in.”

The soaked bunny was thrust into her arms “See that you do.” Sally told her, in an imperious tone she couldn’t help but smile at.

It wasn’t until the bath was draining away that Eliza clicked what this meant. Mr Fluffybins was still here. No ghost had taken him away in the night. The whole thing had been for nothing, just as she thought.

What about the candle? Well, that was simple, she must have kicked up some water while she was moving about and extinguished it.

Eliza sighed, it had been nice to hope, but reality always came calling.

Mr Fluffybins went into the airing cupboard to dry off. She would fix him after work.

Heather was waiting in the kitchen when Eliza got to work. The girl was smiling.

“It worked then, she can for you?”

Eliza shook her head “No, doesn’t seem like it. Mr Fluffybins was still in the bath when I got up.”

Heather frowned “Mr Fluffybins? That’s a strange name for a doll.”

Eliza checked her uniform in the mirror, making sure it as on straight. “Sally doesn’t have dolls as such. So I had to use her cuddly bunny.”

“A bunny?” Heather shrieked, shocking Eliza. “Why would you use a bunny? I told you a child doll.”

“Well, my child doesn’t have any dolls. So I used a child’s toy. What’s the difference?” Eliza was annoyed at this. Heather was taking the joke way too far.

“I didn’t say a child’s doll. I said a child doll. A doll of a child. What kind of girl doesn’t have a doll?”

“One who is into engineering and not babies?’ Eliza offered.

Heather clasped her face, the blood draining out of it. “But that means, she wasn’t distracted. She hasn’t chosen you.”

Eliza turned from the mirror to glare at the girl “What are you talking about now?”

Heather didn’t answer, instead she was staring past Eliza, right at the mirror. Her face was pale and terrified.

“Oh no. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” The girl moaned.

“What…” Eliza began when something shot past her, from behind. 

From out of the mirror.

It was an arm. 

Impossibly long. Tinged with green and smelling of decay.

The hand at the end of it gripped Heather’s hair and before the girl could scream, the arm retracted. Heather was dragged into Eliza, knocking her violently to the floor.

When Eliza managed to stand up, there was no-one in the kitchen with her.

She looked into the mirror, seeing her reflection, rumpled from her fall.

There was something else though, something behind her, dwindling into the distance.

It was Heather. 

Held by a woman with greenish skin and waterlogged hair.

Eliza could only watch as the figures dwindled away to nothing.

She thought she could hear Heather still screaming.

© Robert Spalding 2020