Darkness Falls

by A E Faulkner

  Chapter 39

  Conversation swirls through the car, but the hum of the engine and the warmth Wes radiates lulls my eyes closed. My mind transports me back to the day we got Snickers. After months and months of begging for a pet, our parents finally caved and took us to an animal shelter.

  The distinct smell of wet dog, combined with the pungent odor of urine, invades my nose as I follow my family through the warehouse-like hallway of kennels. Yelping and crying fills my ears. Anxiety and nervous energy hang in every molecule of air.

  When I tug on my mom’s sleeve and ask if we can leave, she simply says, “You’ve only been here for a minute and you want to leave. Just imagine how they must feel.” Her soft fleece jacket slips through my fingers as she strolls deeper into the room. Her eyes sweep through each kennel as she passes, pausing here and there to offer gentle reassurances to the most vocal residents.

  “Guys, come here,” Riley calls, kneeling outside of a kennel, her fingers wrapped around the chain-link door. Kneeling down beside her, I nudge her over, so I can see. My dad reads the cage card as we watch the small bundle of white and brown fur shiver in the corner of his kennel.

  “This is Snickers. He’s a Rat Terrier mix. They think he’s about two-years-old. He was found as a stray with a broken leg. They believe he was hit by a car. He’s been at the shelter for four months.” An arm wraps around my shoulder, squishing me into Riley. Squatting behind us, my mom speaks loud enough for us to hear over the chorus of canine voices. “He looks pretty sad, girls. Should we ask him if he wants to come home with us?”

  The arm around me tightens and I start to lose my balance. My eyes spring open and disappointment washes through me as I take in the faces surrounding me. They bear no resemblance to my parents or my sister. “Quinn, it’s okay,” Wes says quietly. “You fell asleep, but it’s time to wake up.”

  Raising my head from the pillow I apparently made on Wes’ shoulder, I attempt to wipe the sleep from my eyes and the embarrassment from my cheeks. “Quinn!” Chris practically shouts, “look where we’re going!” His little pointer finger shakes in excitement as he motions out the window.

  Jeff’s broad smile fills the rearview mirror while Aidan nervously runs a hand through his tousled black hair. Arms crossed over her chest, Jasmine sulks in her seat. Wes watches me intently, as if I might bolt from the car. Practically jumping up and down in his seat, Chris is like a sparking firework spinning on the ground.

  The neon yellow and green storefront practically burns my retinas and it’s not even lit. Its huge orange letters scream its name: Ton O’ Fun. Without another word, Jeff loops the car around the strip mall slowly and glides into one of many empty parking spaces. “Looks like it’s just us,” Jeff says. “We got the whole place to ourselves.”

  “What the hell?” I ask, my voice rising with each word. Raising his hands in a placating gesture, Aidan explains, “We’ve already covered some distance. We thought it would be a good idea to stop and rest for the night. Jeff and Chris saw this place, so we thought we’d check it out.”

  Why on earth would we stop driving? If the roads were clear, we could make it to Virginia by late tonight. Jeff throws a sly smirk around the car as he turns it off and opens his door.

  “We are gonna have some fun tonight!” Jeff says. “And if anyone gives me any trouble about it, they’re getting tossed in the ball pit.” Wes shakes his head, chuckling to himself. My eyes widen when Jasmine actually smiles. Her face didn’t even crack in the process.

  I don’t really want to stop driving, but I can’t exactly demand that we keep going if everyone else wants to stop. Besides, the look on Chris’ face clearly gives away his vote. The kid is ear-to-ear smiles. What ten-year-old wouldn’t be?

  Aidan turns toward Wes. “What do you think, man?” Wes nods and says, “Sure, why not?” He glances between me and Jasmine. “How about it, ladies? We could all use a little bit of fun. Blow off some steam.” When Aidan casts those blue eyes on me, I answer so quickly that I almost cut him off. “Sure.” He hesitates, sensing my disappointment, but turns back to the others. “Chris, I already know what you’re thinking.”

  Chris nods. His eyes wide with obvious anticipation of the whole place at our disposal.

  “Alright then, let’s grab our stuff while Jeff rolls out the red carpet.”

  Aidan catches up with Jeff to assist with a quick recon mission of peeking into the indoor playland’s front windows, checking for signs of life. Unloading and shouldering our bags, we stroll along the sidewalk toward our destination. Black and white flyers dot the storefront windows, announcing that the plaza is closed until further notice due to a local power outage.

  When we meet Jeff and Aidan at the entrance, their smiles convey confidence that no one’s inside. We proceed with our plan. I don’t really want to know why Jeff is so proficient with a fork and a screwdriver that he can pick the door lock in less than five minutes. Either he expected to need those tools, or he carries them around with him the way I used to carry lip gloss.

  We rush through the door like sardines, bumping into each other’s bags and bodies. A hint of mildew and sweat mingle to greet our noses. A rainbow-colored confetti and ribbon design brightens the thin black carpet. Basketball hoops and Skee-Ball ramps line the walls. A maze of video games, pinball machines, and virtual-reality simulators clutter the large space.

  I have to admit, this place is inviting.

  “Wow,” Chris exhales. “Can we play some video games?” His hopeful green eyes widen under the shaggy brown bangs dusting his eyebrows. Jasmine’s smooth ebony skin tugs into a grin when she answers him. “Buddy, the signs said the power might be out, so we’ll have to see if anything works in here.” He quickly shrugs off any pending disappointment as his eyes feast on the ball pit.

  As much as I thought this was a bad idea, it’s kind of cool being the only ones inside a giant indoor playhouse. I’m still taking in my surroundings when Jasmine calls out to the group. “How about we bunk in the party rooms? They’re toward the back of the building, so if anyone walks past outside, they won’t see us.”

  “Great idea,” Aidan says. He walks toward the party rooms. “Looks like there are three rooms. Us guys can take one room. Jasmine and Quinn, I’m figuring you want your own rooms?” Jasmine and I both answer at the same time. “Yes!”

  My relief that sleeping arrangements have been settled is short-lived when Jeff says, “You know, ladies, if you prefer, I would be willing to stay in a room with you both. I can just be like a bodyguard, make sure you’re both safe.”

  Jasmine turns on her heel and strides into Party Room 2. I take a moment to give Jeff the full eye roll he deserves and then head toward Party Room 3. I drop my bags and sink to the floor, my back propped up against the wall. Resting my head in my hands, I try to tamp down the frustration I feel. I just want to find my sister. Why couldn’t we all just take turns driving? Why do we have to stop and waste hours here?

  I nearly jump out of my skin when I hear a hearty, “Hey, Quinn!” Standing in the open doorway, Chris looks pleased that he crashed my pity party. “Oh, hey, Chris, what’s up?”

  Sliding down beside me onto the floor, Chris fills me in on the group’s plan. Jasmine and the guys have already headed back to the kitchen area to look for food. They’re hoping to find some frozen pizzas, french fries, or really anything edible.

  Chris takes one of my hands in his and pulls as I stand up. I willingly follow as he leads me to the kitchen. I’m better off helping round up some food than sulking, thinking about where I’d rather be. Once he’s satisfied that I’m going to join the others, Chris takes off running back into the fun center. It’s probably better that way. I’m not sure I want a kid handling the food. Who knows when he last washed his hands?

  Chapter 40

  The kitchen is a small gold mine. In a short period of time, the gang has formed an assembly line of sorts.

  Aidan stands at one end of a long stainless-steel tabl
e, freeing pizza crusts from their packaging.

  Wes thrusts a dingy thin pan in front of Aidan for each crust.

  Jeff and Jasmine bump into each other as he spreads sauce on each crust and she tosses cheese on top.

  “How are we going to cook this?” I ask.

  Jeff smiles and dashes to the side of the oven, pointing behind it. “Propane tank! And it’s full.”

  Deciding it’s time to make myself useful, I stride over to the massive commercial oven, briefly examine the knobs, and set the temperature to 375. I figure that’s a pretty basic setting.

  When I turn back toward the group, Aidan throws me a smirk as he drops the last pizza crust on a pan.

  “What?” I ask, crossing my arms.

  “Just glad to see you decided to join us,” he says, walking past me. Gripping the mighty oven door, he pulls it open and slides all four trays of pizza inside.

  “Alright,” Jasmine announces, pushing a lock of silky black hair behind her ear. “Let’s find plates and silverware.” Conveniently, for us, the store must have closed normally. We find clean plates stacked in the kitchen and a mound of heavy plastic forks and dull knives wrapped in white paper napkins. Once we’ve all collected a plate and utensil bundle, Jasmine turns to Chris. “So, little man, where should we eat?”

  Without hesitation, Chris shouts, “Ball pit!” Glancing at each other, everyone shrugs or nods. “Alright, bud,” Jasmine says. “How about we find some drinks and set those up at the ball pit so we’re all ready when the pizzas are done?” He nods eagerly and tears off into the labyrinth of fun.

  Jasmine yanks open the large stainless-steel refrigerator. A slightly cool breeze wafts from inside. She smiles and calls out, “This place must have some kind of generator. The fridge is cool.” We all gather around the open door, silently taking inventory. The shelves are full of bottled water, juice boxes, bags upon bags of lettuce, and tubs of salad dressing. Jasmine grabs a water bottle and a juice box and moves out of the way. As I wrap my hands around a bottle, Chris runs back into the kitchen. “The soda machines won’t work!” he announces. Jasmine smiles at him, actually smiles, and says, “I bet they’re shut off, buddy, but that’s okay. We found other drinks.” She thrusts the juice box toward him. In one swift movement, he swipes it from her hand and dashes back to the electronic playland.

  It still shocks me to observe Jasmine being so nice to someone. Granted, Chris is a child, but I would think she’d be more apt to tell him that the Easter Bunny is a fake or that monsters really do hide under beds and in closets. Unless it’s just me she hates. I guess that’s entirely possible.

  Wes grabs his drink and heads over to the stainless-steel oven, cracking it open to check on our baking feast. A heavenly smell wafts through the air directly to my nose. My mouth waters in response. “I think they’re just about done. Let’s find some hot pads,” Wes says.

  Reminded of the food, Jeff springs into action. He finds silicone oven mitts and slips them over his hands. “Release the Kraken,” he says dramatically, gesturing for Wes to open the oven door. Jeff swoops in and pulls the pizzas out, one by one, setting them on the stovetop. Aidan waits with a pizza cutter and starts slicing.

  We load up our plates, balancing drinks and cutlery sets, and make our way out to the ball pit. Chris leads the way, practically strutting with pride. He’s only been with us for a day, but he already seems like a happier kid. I can’t understand how a ten-year-old can just leave his home and tag along with a bunch of strangers on a road trip. I know he’ll tell us his story when he’s ready, but it’s really sad to think that he chose us over whatever family he has out there.

  Mimicking Chris, we all sit on the edge of the ball pit, our feet dangling inside. Twilight bathes the parking lot, and thanks to the wall plate labeled “overnight lights” that Aidan switched on, Ton O’ Fun is blanketed in a dim, unassuming light. While the storefront is lined with floor-to-ceiling windows, the glass is covered with brightly colored jungle animals. Their massive bodies and cartoonish faces shield us from anyone passing by.

  After several return trips to the kitchen to replenish our plates, we bask in the luxury of full stomachs and solid shelter. Several contented exhales later, Jasmine slowly rises. “I’m gonna wrap up the leftovers and put them in the fridge in case we want them for breakfast tomorrow.” Jeff jumps up, “I’ll help. I loooooooove cold pizza for breakfast.”

  “You know,” Jasmine adds, a momentary distant look in her eyes. “Maybe we should pack up some of the food and bring it with us. Just in case we run out of gas or something tomorrow, at least we’d have something to eat.”

  “Yes!,” Chris says, “And maybe we can find some dessert too!” He takes off running toward the kitchen, mumbling something about brownies and cookies.

  Jasmine and Jeff chuckle, following after him.

  “Well, I’m beat,” Wes says, stifling a yawn. He stands and stretches. “I’m going to sleep.” Aidan and I wish him goodnight as he trudges back to the guys’ party room.

  Awkwardness washes over me when I realize it’s just me and Aidan left. I don’t really want to make small talk, so I slowly rise to my feet. “Well, I guess I’ll head to bed too,” I say, gathering my empty plate and napkin. His voice stops me in my tracks. “Quinn,” Aidan says quietly. Turning toward him, he’s standing just inches away, our faces close. “Thanks for going along with this,” he says, motioning his hands around the room. “I know you wanted to keep driving today, but I think everyone needed this.”

  “It’s okay.” I shrug. “It’s nice to have four walls around us and indoor plumbing, you know?” He nods and smiles, running a hand through his messy dark mane. We pile up the empty plates, napkins, and water bottles and start making trips to the trash can. Just as we finish cleaning up, Chris comes running over to us. “Hey, Quinn, let’s go look at the ball pit.” He grabs my hand and pulls me with him.

  I’m not really sure what we’re supposed to be looking at, but I don’t have to wonder for too long. Seconds after I register movement in my peripheral vision, a muscular arm wraps around my waist and a solid body collides with mine, launching me off the ground. Before I can say a word, I land in the pool of brightly colored plastic orbs. Laughter greets my ears. While I attempt to find my footing in the shifting flow of balls, Jeff lounges in the pit about a foot away from me. A coy smirk overtakes his face as he awaits my reaction.

  I glance to the others, who are still standing outside the pit. Jasmine is bent over, shaking, presumably laughing so hard that she struggles to breathe. Aidan rubs a hand over his chin as if trying to cover his grin. Chris is full-on belly laughing. I half expect him to drop to the floor and start rolling around in giddiness.

  Whipping a red ball at Jeff’s head, I say, “Hilarious. You guys are freaking hilarious!” Before I have time to decide if I’m angry, Chris runs full speed toward us and plunges into the pit. Aidan and Jasmine follow Chris’ lead.

  After what feels like hours, we finally tire of swimming, jumping, and thrashing in the mountain of balls. My stomach aches from laughing so much. Thoroughly exhausted, we all lie motionless for a few minutes. When Jeff starts fake snoring, we all slog through the pit and head to the party rooms. It’s time to call it a night.

  Chapter 41

  Taking full advantage of our accommodations, I visit the restroom to splash some water on my face and rinse my mouth. It’s the closest I can get to actually brushing my teeth. Smoothing out my long brown hair, I gently separate a few minor tangles. As I catch my reflection in the mirror, a smile flutters across my face. I literally feel lighter. Maybe a little bit of fun was just what I needed.

  On my way back to Party Room 3, Chris intercepts me. “Quinn, the guys’ room is really crowded. Can I stay with you?” I respond, “Of course, buddy.” I have a feeling that he is the only reason we came here, so in a way, he’s responsible for lightening my mood.

  Since Chris has hardly any belongings, I send him to the restroom with toothpast
e we found during our second scavenging trip at the trailer—at the very least he can use his finger as a makeshift brush and slosh water around in his mouth to rinse. While he gets ready for bed, I push some tables against the wall to create a small nest of space on the floor for us. I spread the blankets Riley and I used at the campground. They offer little cushion, but at least they protect us from the carpet and the filth from who knows how many shoes that have passed over it.

  When Chris returns, he takes off his shoes and crawls into our makeshift sleeping area. I flip the light off, and before he can protest, I explain that I’m leaving the door open. The dim light from the main play area will still shine in our room all night. Although his mouth opens, as if he’s about to protest, he keeps quiet. I slide my shoes off and crawl onto the blanket next to him.

  A comfortable warmth envelops me as Chris snuggles up against my back. His rhythmic breathing slows almost immediately. I fight to keep my eyes open until I’m sure Chris is asleep, but the darkness overtakes my vision before long.

  Swirling thoughts transport me to the last track meet of my sophomore year. The sun beats on my face as I squint toward the fence, seeking out my family. I bend down into a starting stance for the 400-meter dash, and shouts of encouragement float to my ears. Before the gun fires, I flash my parents and Riley a quick smile. The moment the starting pistol thunders into the clear blue air, my feet soar over the smooth red rubber. Even halfway around the loop, I can still hear their feverish chants. “Come on, Quinn!” “You got this, keep it up!”

  When I round the last turn and know that I’m going to be first to cross the finish line, my eyes wander to movement on the right side of the track. My mom is jumping up and down, my dad is snapping pictures on his phone, and Riley is full-on cheering, her hands cupped around her mouth to amplify her voice.