Condemned

by Christopher Renna

  "Well," Trevor said, "then there's no problem."

  Gwen set her hand onto Adam's shoulder and leaned close. "Bring up a map on your phone. I'll show you where to go."

  He tapped the screen to his cell.

  "People usually start showing up about ten," Sam said. "But it'll be eleven before everyone's there."

  After locating the party spot in a field off Lake Forest Passway, the girls said they hoped to see the guys there and then continued their evening stroll.

  "See?" Adam said. "We got something more exciting to do than hang out at the cabin." He directed the car's fob, unlocking the SUV. "And if Gwen and Sam have two more friends, we'll each have a girl for the week."

  Trevor shook his head. "You just want to get laid."

  "What's wrong with that?"

  "Nothing." Trevor glanced at Conner and then back at Adam. "Thankfully, you won't be like this at college. You'll have Conner to keep you focused. You'll be a star athlete, just like you are now."

  "But it's the summer," Adam replied. "We're free now. There's no school tomorrow. We're on vacation, man."

  Close to ten thirty, the guys convinced Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler that they were only hanging out with local kids, and that there was no harm making new friends during their stay. Not that it really took much convincing. Adam had always had a long leash.

  "Don't come back too late," Mr. Wheeler said. "Your mom and I don't want to be awakened by a bunch of noisy teenagers in the middle of the night."

  "So . . . any time, huh?" Jared arched his eyebrows in surprise.

  "One."

  Adam cocked his head. "Dad!"

  "One thirty."

  "Dad!"

  "What? That's three hours. That's plenty of time to be friends with people you'll never see again when the week is over with."

  Adam was going to complain again but relented. "All right. And we'll be quiet when we get back."

  "At what time?" his dad asked.

  "One thirty."

  "Good. Now, you boys be careful. And don't get into any trouble."

  Within minutes the guys were upstairs, freshening up and changing from tank tops to T-shirts. They regrouped on the wrap-around deck and then made their way down the steps and to the main road.

  It was still warm outside. The cloud coverage had thinned enough that the moonlight shone brightly during their trek of three or four blocks to Lake Forest Parkway. There, the road darkened. They passed one house, and then the road was bordered by nothing but trees.

  Briefly, the song of insects filled the humid air. Then Conner said, "If no one's friendly or if they act stupid, we shouldn't stay long."

  "It'll be fine," Adam said. "Besides, we're out of the house."

  "Dude," Trevor groaned, "you shouldn't expect to sneak off into the woods with a girl. You'll probably get poison ivy on your dick."

  Everyone laughed.

  Adam nudged Trevor in the ribs. "Shut up. I don't need to sneak off with a girl."

  "I'm serious. You really wanna roll around in the dirt?"

  "Hey. I wanted to get out a while, you know? Just be out, instead of another night of bowling on the Wii."

  Jared chuckled. "That's 'cause you came in last."

  "Kicked your ass at golf, didn't I?"

  "Whatever, man."

  The sound of voices in the distance signaled that they'd nearly reached their destination. At the end of the road, the crumbling asphalt dead-ended, giving way to a dirt path littered with small rocks and twigs, forking away from the road and snaking into the tall grass. Not far off, a flame of light flickered.

  In a clearing, a dozen or so people stood or sat on stumps set up in a semicircle. When the guys stepped into the area, Gwen immediately rushed toward them with Sam and another girl on her heels.

  "You came," she said, smiling wide. "Sam didn't think you guys would show up."

  "Oh, really?" Adam stepped into the lead. "And why is that?"

  "Even we don't hang out with the local crowd much."

  "Lucky for us," Jared said.

  The girls laughed.

  "This is our friend Miranda." Gwen gestured to the crowd. "And this is everyone else worth knowing around here."

  The small group of girls and guys uttered lukewarm hellos or obligatory nods.

  "These are our new friends," Gwen said. "They're staying at the lake for the week."

  For the next hour, beers were passed around. Then someone lit a joint, which made the rounds. It wasn't long before the guys were buzzed and slightly high. Conner and Trevor entertained Sam. Gwen had attached herself to Adam. Miranda had practically draped herself over Jared's shoulder. Everyone was having a good time.

  Just past midnight, a tall silhouette appeared at the end of the dirt path. The figure stepped closer to the light of the small fire, revealing a nice-looking man in his early twenties. He was tall and lean, clearly fit. A cigarette rested between his lips, burning bright and trailing a wisp of smoke into the cooling air. As he stepped into the clearing, he called out, "Who the hell are these dickheads?"

  The chatter plummeted to an abrupt stop.

  Miranda jerked away from Jared in such a rush that she nearly stumbled and fell. She approached the man with wobbly steps. "Hey, Kevin."

  He brushed past her to stand in front of Jared. "Yo, dickhead. What the hell are you doing with my girl?"

  Because Jared could be a smartass, he said, "Nothing yet."

  Kevin jabbed at Jared's chest with a knuckle. "A funny dickhead."

  Adam, Conner, and Trevor raced to Jared's side.

  Shaking his head, Kevin let out a long whistle. "Backup?"

  "No," Adam said. "Jared can kick your ass if he has to. But you swing once, and we're all pounding on your ass."

  Amused, Kevin chuckled. "Really?" He butted his palms against Jared's chest.

  Jared staggered, off-balance, but recovered quickly and retaliated by shoving Kevin. Adam followed by knocking Kevin to the side. Trevor yanked the guy by the shirt, forcing him forward. Then Connor landed a punch to Kevin's stomach.

  On his knees, Kevin coughed, "You're dead meat, assholes!"

  Jared rammed Kevin, launching him backward onto his butt.

  Then the four sprinted from the clearing with Adam yelling, "So long, loser!"

  From the clearing, Kevin shouted, "Keep running, faggots!"

  Conner dug his heels into the dirt and turned. Cupping his mouth, he replied, "These four faggots knocked you on your ass, bitch!"

  They continued to run, giggling and hooting like elementary kids who'd reached the end of an exciting adventure. At Lake Forest Passway, they slowed their pace to a jog. Arriving at the cabin's gravel driveway, Adam whipped off his shirt.

  "Let's cool off in the lake," he said.

  They eagerly discarded their clothes and dove into the water.

  Conner resurfaced and spat. "It's freezing!"

  Groaning, Trevor returned to the edge of the dock. "Okay. This wasn't such a good idea." Hoisting himself out of the lake, he spread out on the wooden planks and caught his breath.

  His buddies joined him, shivering and complaining about the water's frigid temperature. Clutching their clothes to their bodies, they hurried to the steps leading to the wrap-around deck. Before entering the guest rooms, Adam said, "Hey. We got back by one thirty."

  They laughed with restrained volume.

  Conner quickly dried himself with a towel and collapsed onto the twin bed. Soon after, Jared tossed his wet underwear at Conner's head and then rummaged through his duffle bag.

  "Hey!" Conner flung the underwear back at Jared, then sat up. "I guess we shouldn't walk around town again."

  "Ha. Probably not."

  Trevor entered with a towel wrapped around his waist and a concerned look on his face. "Did one of you guys pick up my cell?"

  "No." Conner searched his pile of clothes and waved his phone at Trevor. "Just mine."

  Jared didn't have an extra phone either.

  "D
ammit," Trevor fumed. "I bet I dropped it at the field."

  "Probably when we ran," Conner said.

  "Duh." Resting his hands on his head, Trevor exhaled heavily. "I'll check the dock again. Or I gotta go find it."

  "Not now," Jared said. "You can't go back to the party."

  Conner studied Trevor's worried expression. "If it's not on the dock, we'll look for it in the morning. We can call it until we hear it ringing. Or use the phone tracker. It won't be hard to find."

  "Yeah, I guess so," Trevor replied. "Hopefully that dude doesn't have it." He pivoted, then returned to his room.

  Laying down, Conner closed his eyes and listened to the cicadas screeching in the night. He heard the ruffle of a blanket and then Jared's weight on the other twin bed.

  "I think that little fight destroyed the buzz I had going," he said.

  "Mine too," Jared muttered. "It was still fun, though."

  Conner laughed. "Hanging out or almost getting into a fight?"

  "Both. But I knew there wouldn't be a fight. We've never let that happen to any one of us."

  Turning onto his side, Conner watched Jared shift his position under the blanket. "If one of us is in threatened, we all step in."

  "Always and forever."

  Conner awoke to the sound of Mrs. Wheeler calling out, "Breakfast!"

  Downstairs, he and Jared loaded their plates with scrambled eggs, ham, and hash browns. Not a minute later, Trevor and Adam joined them at the dining room table.

  "I located my phone," Trevor said. "It's in that damn field."

  "We'll get it," Conner replied. "After we eat."

  When Adam's parents asked about the party, all four downplayed the evening as if it had been a boring waste of their time. They discussed Mr. Wheeler's plan to rent a boat for the afternoon. When they finished eating, they immediately headed out the door in search of Trevor's phone.

  Once they finally reached the dirt path, Trevor said, "It looks a lot different during the day."

  The other three agreed.

  "Obviously the tracker doesn't tell me exactly where my phone is. So, someone needs to call me."

  Adam tapped his cell and then lifted it to his ear. "It's ringing."

  They stopped and listened. Nothing.

  Adam called again.

  They stopped and listened. Nothing.

  Jared called Trevor's phone.

  "I hear it," Trevor shouted.

  They paused to listen and then rushed forward.

  Conner called Trevor's phone.

  "Over there." Trevor pointed.

  They waded through the tall golden-green grass at the edge of the clearing. Not far from the tree-stump seats, Trevor picked up his phone and wiped the dirt from the screen.

  "Yes!" He smiled when the screen lit up. "My parents would not be happy if they had to buy me a new iPhone."

  A celebratory slapping of Trevor's shoulder and butt followed as though they'd just won a hard-fought basketball game.

  When they set out to leave, they heard the sound of an animal in the distance. The animal cried out again.

  "Is that a damn sheep?" Adam asked.

  Trevor shrugged. "Maybe there's a farm or something close by."

  The wavering bleat resonated across the field.

  Jared pointed. "I think it's a goat."

  Squinting at the shape, Conner replied, "Oh, yeah. I see it. What the hell is a goat doing out here?"

  "Maybe it's lost," Adam said as he stepped in the direction of the animal. "Let's take a look."

  "What? Why?" Trevor asked.

  "If there's a farm," Adam said, "we can lead it back to its home."

  "Really?"

  "Yeah. What else do we have to do?"

  The four stomped through the overgrown field toward a lone tree. As they neared the goat, they discovered that it was tethered to the tree by a rope.

  "Goats eat grass, right?" Conner asked. "Maybe this goat is, like, supposed to chow down on the field."

  The goat nervously twitched and waved its tail as they edged closer. It was dark brown with splotches of white. A narrow, black patch ran the length of its muzzle. Its black-tipped ears fluttered at the whine of a loud insect close by. Then it froze, eyeing the strangers.

  "Those are some crazy horns." Adam slipped his phone out of his pocket and aimed the camera.

  Jared shook his head. "You're really gonna film this?"

  "Why not?"

  "It's just a goat, man."

  Adam lowered the phone. "There's better stuff to film anyway."

  The horns were long and curved at the ends in what seemed like an abnormally severe angle.

  Directly in front of the goat, they abruptly stopped in their tracks.

  The goat stood on a heap of fresh dirt. Four symbols were etched into the trunk of the tree. The length of blue nylon rope had been wrapped with black ribbon.

  "What the hell?!" Trevor exclaimed.

  Conner asked, "Uh, did we hang out with Satanists last night?"

  Adam spun on his heels, scanning the field. He knelt in front of the goat and scratched its head. "We need to set it free."

  "What?" Jared asked.

  "Before someone does some voodoo-sacrifice crap with it."

  "I don't know about that."

  Conner agreed. "We don't know what the hell is going on here."

  "Open your eyes," Adam said as he stood. "Those symbols in the tree." He stepped up to the trunk. "Look at this crap. It's like air, water, and elements or whatever."

  "Then what?" Trevor asked. "Take it home with us?"

  "No. We can walk it somewhere and let it loose. Then it'll have a chance of surviving instead of being sacrificed in some bloody ritual."

  Conner tugged on the rope. "Hmm. Well, the knot is really strong."

  He studied the etchings in the tree. Adam was right, they did resemble symbols. One of the markings definitely looked like fire. Another was obviously meant to represent a snake. The other two, he wasn't sure about.

  The goat barely moved an inch while the guys meandered around.

  Adam snapped the ribbon, then inspected the rope. "This is pretty thin nylon, so it won't be too difficult to cut." He slipped the cabin key out of his jeans pocket. "I can separate the braids with the end of this. And then use the jagged edges of the key to cut through it."

  "Oh, sure," Trevor replied. "Piece of cake."

  "It might take a few minutes, but we can do it." He slid the key between the strands of nylon and started twisting, pulling, thrusting, and slicing at the rope. "Be on the lookout in case someone shows up."

  Several minutes later, the nylon split in two. The goat jolted and then staggered forward like it was set to run.

  "See?" Adam seized the end of the one-foot length of rope. "We just saved a goat from some voodoo freaks."

  "Where are we gonna take it?" Jared asked.

  "I don't know." Adam surveyed the area. "Maybe into the trees."

  Trevor groaned. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

  They led the goat into the woods, walking slowly at first. Then they walked more quickly to increase the distance from the etched tree.

  "C'mon, Billy," Adam said. "Pretty soon you'll be free to explore the world on your own. Just stay away from creepy, voodoo freaks."

  Conner chuckled. "Billy?"

  Nearly ten minutes later, they decided that they had walked far enough to let the goat go. Each gave Billy a gentle pat and then wished him luck. Satisfied with their accomplishment, they said goodbye to the goat and then retraced their path back to the field.

  "Teamwork. Now Billy's free," Adam said with a broad smile. He glanced around, then he nudged Trevor off-balance. "These woods aren't too bad at all. I seriously doubt I would have gotten poison ivy on my dick."

  They all laughed.

  Minutes later, they reached the edge of the woods and stepped past the etched tree, then froze.

  An older man stood on the mound of fresh soil. He glared at them with th
e immediately recognizable intensity of a man about to explode with anger. "What the hell did you do with my goat?"

  EIGHTEEN

  Conner stared at the guy and gave his best I-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about look.

  Jared exchanged glances with his friends.

  Trevor crossed his arms, standing his ground as if preparing for a heated discussion.

  Adam asked, "What goat?"

  "What goat? My goat," the man replied. He appeared to be in his forties—maybe younger despite the prominent weather-worn creases on his tanned face. There was no softness in his gaze. His eyes were dark as though his anger had drained the color from his pupils. "The goat that was here just a while ago, until you did something with it."

  He knelt and inspected the severed rope attached to the tree.

  "Sorry, mister." Adam tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "We don't know anything about a goat."

  The man groaned as he stood with effort, as though one leg was weaker than the other. "A bunch of stupid kids."

  Trevor stepped away. "C'mon, guys. Let's go."

  "You ain't going nowhere!" the man shouted. "You kids know what larceny is? It's theft. You can be arrested and charged with theft of a man's animal. Fines and jail. Did you know that?"

  Adam cocked his head. "You don't have any proof. And what the hell would we do with a goat?"

  "Teenagers do some stupid shit."

  "Sorry you lost your animal," Conner said. "But we just came out here to find our friend's phone."

  "In the woods? How'd you lose it in the woods?"

  Trevor said, "We hung out with some friends last night. And I dropped my phone, so we tracked it this morning and came to get it."

  The man bellowed, "Bullshit!"

  "Honest," Jared replied.

  "You're a bunch of liars. I know who you're talking about, these friends you mentioned. They don't hang out in the woods." He pointed toward the clearing in the field. "They hang out over there, drinking booze and smoking marijuana."

  "Well, yeah," Conner interjected. "But we walked in the woods too. Just fooling around, you know?"

  The man leaned against the tree and folded his arms. "Yeah, I know. Gotta be careful in the woods, though. You might get poison ivy on your dick."

  The guys cast their gazes from one another and back to the man.