Condemned

by Christopher Renna

  The odor of dirty, piss water reached his nostrils the moment Conner opened the door. Thankfully, the stench had weakened since their last visit to the house.

  He flipped the switch, but apparently the bulb had burned out. Glancing over his shoulder, he said, "We won't have enough light."

  Dave responded, "There's a light on the camera."

  "Well, yeah. But that won't be enough."

  Adam pointed at the window. "Let's take that panel off."

  "Think we should?" Lou asked.

  "Jared's uncle said a crew was going to do repairs. They'll have to fix the window anyway."

  "That's true," Trevor said. "Let's take it down."

  Gripping the edges of the plywood, the three yanked it free. They set it against the wall before pulling the curtains open, leaving the sheers in place.

  Staring at the wall behind the bed, Conner imagined the darkness Jared had described to the priests. He envisioned evil on the other side of the wall, but then quickly cast the thought from his mind. The demon was gone. The threat no longer existed. Jared had made certain of it.

  The sunlight through the window had chased away the darkness of the room. So, the three pushed the bed until the space underneath was completely exposed. But no one needed to stand at a better vantage point to interpret the markings etched onto the floor. The markings were clearly visible, scratched deeply into the dark wood.

  adam

  conner

  trevor

  end it

  where it started

  TWENTY-FIVE

  Conner knelt and ran his finger along the rough, splintery edges of the letter c. He pictured Jared feverishly scratching the message into the wood with a screwdriver. A tingling jolt shot through Conner's body at the thought of Jared squatting where Conner now crouched. Beside him, Adam swiped the pieces of chipped wood away as Trevor laid his palm flat against his own name.

  Dave hovered behind them, directing the camera's bright light at the words.

  "End it where it started," Conner said.

  "Lake Bantam," Adam muttered.

  Circling the three, Dave panned the camera low, capturing their mournful expressions.

  Lou asked, "Do you even know what he means?"

  Standing, Conner wiped his hands on his jeans. "Ending it?"

  "Yeah."

  "No."

  Adam stood and pulled Trevor to his feet. "Maybe we're supposed to kill that man."

  Trevor chuckled. "What? No way, man. I seriously doubt he wanted us to murder someone."

  "Why not?" Adam asked with bite. "Jared's dead because of him."

  Conner rested his hand on Adam's shoulder. "We're not killing anyone. Plus, you just said it on camera."

  "What, then? Go give the man a new goat?"

  The security light in backyard turned on, illuminating the hallway and casting a beam of brightness onto the wall behind Jared's bed. Then the wood flooring in the hall creaked.

  Stella spun around and peered through the doorway.

  "Just an empty house," Lou said.

  After a prolonged moment of silence, everyone redirected their attention to the message on the floor.

  "So now what?" she asked. "Maybe we can use this footage in the episode, but we don't have an answer to the message's meaning."

  "We probably shouldn't use it," Lou replied. "While it might interest the viewers, it could look like we're handing over an unfinished project to the network."

  "Nobody else knows about the floor?" she asked.

  He shook his head. "Mr. Smith didn't even know."

  "A few friends," Conner said. "The night we snuck in here. But no one else saw it. Just us."

  The security light went dark, the room now only illuminated by the sunlight peeking through the clouds and Dave's camera.

  "Well," Lou said. "I don't think we need to film this room. We can get some interior and exterior shots. But I think we should set this part of the investigation aside."

  "Okay." Conner glanced at Trevor, who was staring at the wall behind the bed. As Conner opened his mouth to ask what, Trevor slyly shook his head. So he said, "Let's go. We're done here."

  At the door, Trevor stopped Adam and Conner from walking out into the hall. "You guys go on downstairs," he said to Lou and the others. "Let us have a minute alone here."

  "All right." Stella stepped away and led the men downstairs.

  "What is it?" Conner asked.

  "Wait a sec," Trevor replied as he watched the crew descend the stairs. Then he shut the door. "I know what Jared wants us to do."

  Surprised, Adam asked, "What? Seriously?"

  "I think so."

  Trevor hurried across the room to the window. As he closed the curtains, he said, "I might be seeing something that's not really there."

  Conner's curiosity swelled, but his patience was wearing thin.

  "Look at the back wall. It's dark, but. . ." Trevor opened the curtain again. "Now watch what happens when I move the sheers."

  He gripped the edge of the thin, white curtain and gently waved the fabric, causing the sheer to undulate from one end to the other. Fissure-type shadows moved across the wall, dancing with the sunlight like the shimmer of water reflected on a surface.

  "You see it?" he asked.

  Conner watched the choreography of movement on the wall, but he didn't immediately recognize what Trevor was trying to point out.

  More enthusiastically, Trevor asked, "What's it look like?"

  Adam stepped closer and traced his finger over two cracks in the baseboard that stretched up the wall and then forked out across the ceiling. "It looks like a tree on fire."

  "Exactly," Trevor responded excitedly. "That's it."

  Conner first narrowed his eyes at the image on the wall, then at Trevor. "Why didn't Jared just write burn the tree on the floor?"

  Trevor lowered his voice to a strong whisper. "He wants us to do something to put an end to what started at the lake. Who knows? Maybe he wanted us to kill the man, like Adam said. But . . . Stella told us all about the ritual thing and the demon having to be cut free from the tree so it could enter our world. So, if we burn the tree, that demon can't do nothing to nobody."

  "I guess so. But what if—"

  "Let's do it!" Adam declared.

  For a moment, Conner wanted to laugh at Adam's excessively serious tone and enthusiasm, but he thought better of it. "Really?"

  Trevor jerked the curtain closed. "We can talk and plan later. Just the three of us. Let's get outta here."

  Outside, the group gathered at the foot of the porch steps. They chatted idly and glanced nervously around, no one speaking to the neighbor couple as they exited their car in the driveway next door. Once the neighbors had gone inside, Lou and Stella discussed the pilot episode with the guys, hinting—more than stating—that they'd reached the end of their work together. Dave and Walter stood next to Stella's car, likely discussing the video footage.

  Conner folded his arms tight against his chest, trying to stifle a draft of chilly air inside his coat. "We should go," he said to Trevor and Adam.

  "Go ahead," Lou encouraged. "I gotta return the key, but it's okay if everyone else wants to head out. Dave will keep me company so I don't stand here like an idiot all by myself."

  Teetering on his feet, Conner wasn't sure what to say. "So . . . um, I guess we're all done, right?"

  "If you determine what the message means," Lou said, "then I'd like to talk to you about it. As of now, it's an unresolved detail to the story. Dave and I will wrap up here within the next couple days."

  "No more interviews?" Trevor asked.

  "Couple kids and a teacher about the mass hysteria."

  Conner was curious about their identities but not enough to ask who was being interviewed. "Thanks for helping us figure out the whole story."

  "No. Thank you," Stella stressed. "Your participation was just as valuable as Father O'Leary's. You guys did a great job of helping us piece together Jared's story."


  Lou shook hands with each of the guys. "Yes, thank you." He smiled sympathetically. "Do your best to put this behind you. Don't let this have a lasting effect."

  "We'll try," Adam replied.

  "You have my contact info," Lou said. "I'll reach out to you guys if needed. And I'll let you know about the pilot episode."

  Conner lowered his gaze to the sidewalk. "Doubt I'll watch it."

  "That's understandable." Lou stepped toward Trevor's car. "I wish I had better parting words than take care."

  Adam shrugged. "Don't worry about it. Anything else would sound really weird."

  As they reached Trevor's car parked at the end of the driveway, the three shook hands with Stella and then said goodbye. As they pulled away from the house, not one of them looked at the paranormal investigators or at the house. And as they drove down the street, not one of them glanced back.

  Trevor steered the car onto the next street. "We're in agreement, right? We're gonna burn the tree."

  Adam eagerly replied, "Hell yeah. Burn that bitch to the ground."

  "When?" Conner asked. "And how are we going to do this without getting caught?"

  Trevor smiled. Conner had always been the practical one, always thinking logically. Adam, on the other hand, was the impulsive one, always eager to move forward with anything that Trevor or Conner suggested. So Trevor knew Conner would make sure their plan made sense, and Adam would make sure they achieved their task. Now Trevor needed to devise a good plan of action.

  "Obviously," he said, "we can't tell our parents what we're doing or where we're going. Secondly, we can't show up at that field during the day. We don't want someone to call the cops."

  "They'd arrest us," Adam replied.

  "Exactly." Trevor's smile widened. "I feel good about this. I don't know, I feel like we're finally doing something good as far as Jared is concerned. We can't go back and make things right, but we can make sure things don't go more wrong."

  "I feel good too," Conner replied. "Let's plan the best way to do this. Then we'll go"—he glanced at Adam—burn that bitch down."

  * * *

  "We did good work," Stella said. "Don't you think?"

  Lou gathered his notes from the coffee table in her suite. "We did. I have a good feeling about this."

  "Yeah, me too," she replied, dropping her purse onto a chair. She gathered her hair into a ponytail and tilted her head from side to side. "We can finally relax a little."

  "Dave and I will interview the kids and teacher tomorrow in the a.m. Then we'll probably head home Thanksgiving morning."

  "You're really not going to do anything for the holiday?"

  "No. Don't worry. We're just a couple of lonely guys. I'll probably treat Dave to dinner once we're home."

  "That sounds nice."

  At the dining table, Lou collected his remaining papers and folders while Dave packed his gear. "I'll let you know how tomorrow goes."

  "Please do."

  "Then we'll all work our asses off making the pilot too good for the network to pass on."

  "Don't worry." She plopped down onto the sofa, more relaxed than Lou had ever seen her. "This was the perfect story to negotiate a series deal. We'll be fine. Let's put it together and then fine-tune it for submission."

  Lou set his butt against the dining table and crossed his arms. "You know, it was nice working with you."

  "I agree."

  "I know we've had our differences and not-so-friendly run-ins, but we worked good together. Thank you for all your help."

  "You're welcome." She rose to her feet. "Thank you for all your hard work. And for taking me and Walter on with this project."

  He waved his hand dismissively. "One of these days you can bring me on board one of your projects. That is, unless we're in a long-term committed work relationship now with the series."

  "One can only hope."

  He smiled and extended his hand. "Drive safely. I'll let you two get settled back home for a day or two before I start calling."

  "That's mighty generous of you," she teased.

  "Well, I'm a nice guy."

  She escorted them to the door and then placed her hand on Dave's shoulder. "Take care of each other. I'll talk to you guys soon."

  In the elevator, Dave set his bag of gear onto the floor and then searched his pockets. "We'll have to think of a new nickname for her. She's not much of a ball-buster anymore."

  Lou chuckled. "When we're working on the series together, she won't hesitate to bust our balls. Trust me."

  * * *

  Puckering in front of Jasmine's bathroom mirror, Hailey applied her favorite pink power frost lipstick. Then she brushed a few stray strands of hair from her forehead. Pleased with what she saw, she smiled at Jasmine's reflection in the mirror. "So . . . I'm ready."

  "You look great." Jasmine rested her chin on Hailey's shoulders. "You always look good. But you look especially good tonight."

  "Thanks."

  "Are you sure about this?"

  Turning, Hailey asked, "You think it's a mistake?"

  "No. I just wanna make sure you really know what you're doing."

  "I know what I'm doing. You and I talked about it. I'm not making a mistake. You're one hundred percent behind me, remember?"

  "Yeah. And I am. I'm just looking out for you."

  "Okay. But don't make me nervous."

  Jasmine laughed. "I'm sorry."

  Glancing around the bathroom, Hailey sighed. "Where did I put my cardigan?"

  "I think you left it on my desk."

  In the bedroom, Hailey slipped on the purple knit cardigan and then grabbed her little pink purse. "I'll call you after, okay?"

  "I'll be waiting," Jasmine sang.

  Hailey kissed Jasmine on the cheek and then rushed out of the room, down the stairs, and outside to her car. Behind the wheel, she pressed the ignition, took a deep breath, and said to herself, "All right. Time to stop being a little girl."

  Conner bounded down the porch steps and hurried to Hailey's car at the curb. Swinging the door open, he smiled. "Right on time. You know how to impress a guy."

  She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, goofball. Get in."

  Buckled up and comfortable, he said, "All right. Take me out."

  While she drove to Charlie's Diner, they talked about various topics unrelated to the incident at school or the interviews with Lou. It was nice to discuss other things for a change, like Jasmine's attempt to cook homemade soup for lunch—which she'd burned—or Miguel's growing anxiety about joining Levi's family for Thanksgiving dinner.

  At the diner, they said hello to several friends, and to Conner's surprise, no one avoided him. As they ate dinner, the small talk continued until Hailey introduced a more serious topic.

  "Well," she said, setting her fork aside. "I wanted to talk to you about something."

  "What's that?"

  "Us."

  That one word flared his nerves to life. Caught off guard, he was suddenly jittery. "Okay."

  She looked from one side of the diner to the other. "Maybe this isn't the best place for this conversation."

  He furrowed his brow. "Now I'm really curious."

  "It's nothing bad," she said, leaning forward and setting her elbows on the table. "I think I owe you an apology."

  "What? No, you don't. Why do you think you have to apologize to me for anything?"

  "Because I realized that I was using you."

  Conner chuckled. "What?"

  "Yeah, I know. Sounds weird, huh? A lot of people, like my dad, probably assume that you were using me. And maybe you were but—"

  "No, I wasn't. Does it seem that way?"

  She lifted her shoulders with a deep breath and then exhaled. "Just listen to me, okay? Let me say what I want to say, and then you can say whatever you want to say to me."

  "All right." Intrigued by what he might hear, he relaxed his posture and fixed his eyes on hers. "Go ahead."

  "The past year or so, I've wanted my par
ents to treat me more like an adult. But they continued to treat me like a little girl, especially my father. I guess I thought that rebelling against that might influence them to start treating me differently. So, that's why I've been doing things I normally wouldn't have done. Sneaking into Jared's house. Drinking beer. Being more sexual." She blushed and bowed her head. "I don't regret any of those things, but I realized that those things aren't going to make me feel more like a young woman. Those are just things that people do. Doing them won't change who I am." She returned her eyes to his and whispered, "I'm not ready to lose my virginity and start having sex all the time like most of our friends are doing."

  He smiled broadly but tried to suppress any reaction that might be mistaken as mocking her. When she didn't continue speaking, he said, "Is that it? Can I talk now?"

  She nodded.

  "You don't have to apologize. I understand what you're saying. I can relate because sometimes I feel like I'm trying to impress my friends. You know, like drinking and sleeping with girls. So, I understand what you mean by things not changing who you really are. Trust me, I haven't really been the real me either."

  She exhaled as if she'd been holding her breath. "Oh. Good. I was worried that you were going to be mad and think I was a bad person or something."

  He laughed. "Not at all. I hope you don't think I've been a bad person. I mean, I was really interested in you and wasn't just playing around so I could sleep with you."

  "If we'd had sex, I didn't think you'd avoid me the next day."

  "No. I'm not like that."

  "I know." She sipped her iced peach tea and then smiled. "So, we're still friends, right?"

  "Of course. Nothing's changed. We'll always be friends."

  Conner had to admit, he was relieved by Hailey's words. He no longer felt the pressure to be the Casanova with her. Apparently, there was no expectation on her part. But he'd convinced himself that there was. Plus, he'd tried to fulfill his friends' expectations of him. Peer pressure, he guessed. Yet he knew he'd also placed expectations upon himself. Now he was completely at ease and comfortable with Hailey. And himself. He was tired of putting on an act at school just so he could protect his image. He wanted to be who he truly was.

  Something had shifted between the two. They enjoyed the rest of their night together more than they had enjoyed the beginning.