by H. M Reilly
“Not yet. Not long, I hope. I'll stay outta your way, though.”
“I don’t mind. It’s nice to have some company,” she said as she grabbed another handful of popcorn. “I just wondered about cooking food.”
“Oh yeah.” He chuckled. “Nah, don't worry about that now.”
She shrugged her shoulders with a smile before she leaned back against the couch to enjoy the rest of her movie. Logan didn't even complain when she put on the second chick flick she had sitting on the coffee table, but his eyes started to feel heavy as the movie failed to grab his attention.
He was half asleep when he felt the remote fall into his lap, jolting up as his stepmother rose from the couch. He rubbed the sleep from his tired eyes and glanced up to read the clock on the wall. It was already after one in the morning. “I’m heading to bed. I got work in the morning. Night, Logan.”
“Night, Sandra.” The cats darted out of the living room as his stepmother stepped out into the hallway. Logan grabbed the remote and turned off the television before pushing the blankets aside. The couch may have been cozy, but he would regret sleeping on it in the morning. His muscles already felt tight from the long drive more than halfway across the country. He would need a good stretch before crawling into bed for the night.
Logan cracked open the only window in the attic and sat on the edge of the bed. He could hear a dog bark off in the distance. He picked up the joint sitting in the ashtray and lit the charred end, putting it to his lips. He leaned back, enjoying his smoke as his mind wandered to another time. A time when things had been simpler and life had been much different. He still missed his girl, but now he had a chance to avenge her death.
Soon he would face the demon that changed his whole life.
CHAPTER 5
The sun falls in the horizon, casting shadows across the land—shadows that grow as the day passes into twilight. Darkness drapes across the sky, lending shelter to the world’s secrets as they curl up in their hiding places, some of which may never be known. Charlotte found herself back at the playground up the street from her dad’s house, slumped over in the swing. The chains creaked as she rocked slowly.
It was eerily quiet—like the last breath before a violent storm. She kept her eyes lowered to the sand beneath her, and despite being alone, she felt somebody watching her nearby. It felt like a pair of eyes stared right into her, but she saw nothing and nobody around. She stared across the playground, and all she saw was the jungle gym fixed in the sandpit several feet away. Even the merry-go-round stood still.
Then a pair of red glowing eyes slowly appeared off in the bushes. They glowed like a flame, burning brighter with each passing moment. A gust of wind floated through the playground, carrying a chill as the first few drops of rain fell. The glowing eyes faded away, and with a blink, they were gone.
Charlotte lifted her eyes to the dark sky, and the rain poured from the clouds floating above.
Charlotte woke with a startle, her heart pounding in her chest. She glanced around the room, focusing on her breathing. The low static of thunder cracked across the sky, muted by the distance. She stretched across the couch cushions, touching the arm with her red toes.
She rose from the couch and stretched her arms over her head. Jack curled up around her ankles, and she reached down to scoop up the black feline, carrying him upstairs. When she made it to her bedroom, she let him down to the floor and shut the door. She changed into a clean set of pajamas and crawled into bed, pulling up the blankets. The wind whistled outside, and she rose to shut the window, closing the curtains to keep the dark shadows from creeping through.
When she climbed back into bed, she heard a beep from her cell phone, but she didn’t remember where she left her phone. She tossed the blankets aside, searching, and finally finding it under a pile of blankets near the foot of the bed. With a press of a button, the screen lit up to find a text message. Her heart started to pound in her chest when the preview showed it was from Julian.
I miss you, Charlie, baby. Nothing…
Her hands started to shake as a warm wave of emotions washed through her, starting in the pit of her stomach. A thousand things went through her mind. She struggled to find her strength, using every bit of self-control to keep herself from answering. A wave of nausea swept through her, and she laid down on the bed, setting her phone down.
She felt conflicted. She hadn’t heard from him in weeks. Her heart ached nearly every night since she’d left her home back in Santa Fe. She had plunged right into learning how to be alone again. She always believed herself to be an independent woman, but life was proving to be a little difficult on her own.
She closed her eyes as they filled with tears that fell down her cheeks. She took slow, deep breaths and reminded herself of what Julian became. A lying, cheater. Yet all she thought of was the last time they had been happy together. The thought nearly broke her heart into pieces once more. Jack curled up beside her, and she wiped the tears away, holding him close as he purred against her ear. She drifted off to sleep with tears falling down her cheeks.
Charlotte woke to her cell phone, vibrating on the side table. Jack jumped down from the bed when she pulled the blankets over her head. The vibrations of her phone didn’t stop. With a groan, she snatched her phone and brought it to her ear to accept the call without a second thought. She kept her tired, puffy eyes closed. “Hello?”
“Hey, sleepyhead,” a familiar voice said on the other end of the line.
“Adriana,” she said. Charlotte pulled the blankets back down. The sound of her best friend’s voice inspired the ghost of a sleepy smile to appear on her lips. Weeks had passed since she last spoke to her friend, which was unheard of. As much as she missed talking to her oldest friend every day, she missed having Adriana only a short drive away even more.
“Did I wake you?”
“Kinda.”
“Oops. Well, get your butt up! It’s almost noon."
“What for?”
“You can’t lay in bed forever, Charlie.”
“Who says I can’t, Adriana?” she replied. Adriana sighed on the other end as Charlotte rolled over on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
“I just wanted to see how you were doing. I haven’t heard much from you since you moved back in with your parents,” she said.
Charlotte closed her eyes. “Julian sent me a text last night.”
“Oh, Jesus. What happened?”
“Nothing. I never even answered him.”
“Good. You don’t need him. He doesn’t deserve you.”
“I know, but I feel so lonely up here. My dad’s always working. My mom is still a bitch and can hardly look at me. I hate it up here.”
“I know, babe, but I don't want you coming home for him. Not after what he did to you. That's not love,” Adriana said.
Charlotte knew Adriana was right, but that was the last thing she wanted to admit. She missed him, and the time they spent together. Bittersweet thoughts floated through her mind, striking the pain she wanted to forget.
“Things will get better, Charlie. Promise me you’ll get up and do something today. You need to get your mind off that asshole.”
“I’ll try.”
“I love you, Charlie.”
“I love you too,” Charlotte said. She tossed her phone back on the bedside table and laid back on the bed. She stared up at the ceiling, and all she thought of was Julian. She wanted all the pain and memories to go away. She needed to do something to take her away from the negative thoughts of what she once had.
When she peeked out the window, she saw that her grandparents' car was missing from the driveway. She went out into the hallway and downstairs to brew a fresh pot of coffee. The first bubbles gurgled from the pot as she took the stairs and entered the bathroom to jump in the shower. Even after a hot shower, she struggled to find the motivation she needed to get ready for a day out of the house.
She sat on the edge of the bed, wrapped in a towel, staring out
the window. She watched as a leaf fell from the tree standing nearby. A bird landed. Clouds floated across the sky. She rose from the bed and opened her suitcase, slowly looking through her pile of clothes.
When she finally headed out of the house, she had a tube of pink lip gloss stuffed into her back pocket. She even took the time to hand Jack a few snacks before heading out for the day. She passed by a mirror on her way out the door and managed to crack a smile. She would make today a good day.
Hollow’s Creek was a small town that occupied only a few thousand people, but many people seemed to be wandering around today. Window shopping sounded like the perfect way to get her out of the house. She passed several shops, many of which she thought to be tourist attractions.
The roar of a Harley zoomed past her as she pulled off the highway and into a grocery store parking lot. She crossed the large area toward the sidewalk, following a line of small shops. Window shopping was her goal, but as she walked, she noticed several shops and a few restaurants with help wanted signs in the window. She had only been in Colorado a short time and was unsure she was ready for a new job in such a new town. Charlotte took a few detours and went inside a few shops to inquire about the available jobs, though. Later, she might fill out a few applications.
Charlotte peeked inside the window of most of the shops she passed. After all, she didn’t have much money to her name and didn’t want to spend any…despite the pretty little pieces of jewelry and shoes she saw in one of the windows. More people seemed to come out on to the road as the sun rose high in the sky. Her stomach growled. The last time she ate had been a bean and beef burrito for dinner the night before.
Lunchtime traffic congested the road. Several cars and even a couple of old trucks rolled by with their windows rolled down. Smoke trailed into the air. Some smelled of sweet leaf while others smelled of potent tobacco, but she could still smell fall in the air as the breeze slipped past her.
She glanced up and down the road, not seeing any restaurants nearby, and crossed the street when there was a break in traffic. For a moment, she contemplated going back to her truck and heading back home, but she walked along the sidewalk in search of a place to have lunch.
As she made her way up the street, she came across a small tavern on the corner, only a block from the frontage road. The sign read Troy’s Tavern. A few cars sat in the unpaved parking lot, and a help wanted sign sat in the window. She pulled the tube of lip gloss from her pocket and put on a fresh layer.
When she stepped inside, a little bell over the door rang, and she was greeted by the scent of fries and fresh coffee hovering in the air. Soft music floated from the ceiling. A dimly lit dining area opened before her with iron chandeliers scattered across the ceiling. She could almost smell the sawdust and varnish from the unfinished furniture throughout the dining area. A pool table stood near the far corner with a handful of stools lining the walls, and a jukebox hid in the corner. Paintings of New York skylines hung from the walls.
She glanced around, finding only a handful of customers scattered around the room, but nobody who appeared to work in the tavern. A low murmur of voices floated from the back hallway.
A young man appeared suddenly. He wore a green apron over a pair of old jeans and a gray polo shirt. His dark brown hair was tucked into a hairnet. Faded tattoos that looked like they were once vibrant with color climbed up each of his arms. He grabbed a menu from near the register at the bar. “Just you?”
“Yes, just me.”
“Great. See anywhere you wanna sit?” He cracked a smile. “I know we’re slammed.”
Charlotte smiled and crossed the dining area to a table near the front corner. She found a seat near the front window to enjoy the unobscured view of the mountains and had a seat, taking a glance out the window as the young man stepped up. “It sure is beautiful out here.”
“I take it you’re not from around this area.”
“No. Just moved up here a couple weeks ago,” she said. She set her purse down and glanced at the nametag pinned near the top of his apron. The fat letters read Bryan. She opened the glossy pages of the menu he set down on the table.
“Cool. Well, I hope you like it out here. Things can get wild,” he said with a smirk appearing on his lips. “What can I get you?”
She ended up ordering a burger with fries and an iced tea. When he disappeared after collecting the menu from her, Charlotte turned her attention out the window once more, still in awe of the view as the low murmurs of conversation buzzed in her ear. Several pine trees blocked the view of the highway, but from where she sat, she saw a few houses perched along the mountains.
The volume of the music floating from the back rose, and she heard Bryan singing. The grill sizzled as her burger cooked, and hot oil popped as a basket of fries was dropped. Charlotte sat quietly as she listened to the music. She snickered as Bryan’s vulgar outbursts floated over the music.
Another man with auburn hair speckled with gray and salt and pepper facial hair came down the back hallway. He wore slacks and a gray polo shirt like Bryan, only his wasn’t stained with grease spots. He wore old, worn work boots on his feet. He smiled when he saw Charlotte and carried a tray of food over to her table. “I’m guessing this is yours.”
“Thanks.”
Charlotte grabbed the ketchup bottle as the older man made his rounds through the dining area, greeting a few of the customers on a first-name basis. She directed her attention to her food, spreading mayonnaise on her bun before placing the tomato, lettuce, and pickle on the cheesy patty. When she took a big bite of the burger, the juice ran down her chin, and she let out a gentle groan, hoping nobody heard her.
The older man continued around the dining area, talking to the locals about the new coffee shop being built and the tourist traffic starting to die down as college kids went back for a new semester at school. He wasn’t too worried about it because the tavern always did well as the only real bar in Hollow’s Creek. The older man appeared one other time to refill her iced tea.
After Charlotte finished the last bite of her burger, mostly juice soaked bun, she rose from the table and went over to the register to pay. A help wanted sign propped against the register as well. Neither Bryan nor the older man was anywhere in sight when she approached the bar, and she reached over to hit the bell. When Bryan appeared, the front of his apron was wet.
“Were you waiting long? We’re a bit short right now, and Troy’s in the back.”
“Not at all,” she said as she pulled out her wallet and grabbed some cash. “What kind of help are you looking for?”
“A couple waitresses. Ours left a week or two ago. Went back to college in Durango.”
“Can I…how would I apply?” She handed Bryan the cash.
He glanced over his shoulder and called out. “Hey, Troy. I think we have an applicant for the waitressing position.”
The older man appeared as Bryan handed Charlotte her change, but she declined, telling him to keep the change. With a smile, he pocketed the change and shut the drawer.
“I’ll take care of it, Bryan,” Troy said. He gestured for Bryan to get back to work, then turned to greet Charlotte properly, offering a hand as he finally introduced himself as the owner of the restaurant. “My name’s Troy, and it’s a pleasure to meet you. Let’s have a seat. Would you like a refill on your iced tea?”
“Yes, please.”
Charlotte had a seat as Troy disappeared to grab her a refill. When he returned with a fresh glass in his hand, a lemon wedge pierced on the brim of the glass, he had a seat in the booth across from her. “Well, Charlotte, tell me about yourself and how you ended up here in Hollow’s Creek.”
She squeezed the lemon into her glass and took a drink before answering. She told him about moving up to Colorado to live with family again after a personal emergency, leaving out the sensitive and gory details of her last relationship. She mentioned her previous job as a breakfast waitress at the local Denny’s.
“Great. So,
you do have some experience in the industry,” he said. “Well, I myself am a transplant from New York, which you can likely tell from the paintings. Been here about fifteen years now. I opened the tavern about twelve years ago, before my daughter was born.”
Troy continued with the interview, asking more about her previous work experience and her time in college. She told him about her time back in New Mexico, including attending community college as well as her previous job experience as a cashier at the burger hut in high school. Charlotte had her own questions about the position and the facility by the end of the interview.
“Well, Charlotte. I enjoyed speaking with you, and I would like to see how things work out with you here. What do you say?”
“I’d like that.”
“Great. Can you join us tomorrow morning? We open at ten. Do you think you can be here at about nine tomorrow? Give us enough time to discuss things needed before we open.”
“Yes. I can do that.”
“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow then. Oh, go ahead and park around the side in the employee parking area,” he said.
Charlotte smiled as they exchanged another handshake and departed for the day. When she exited through the door, the smile still plastered across her lips, the first person who came to mind was Julian. It brought a momentary wave of sadness over her that she quickly tried to brush off with a walk down to the park.
When she made it back to her truck, she checked the time on her phone. The afternoon shadows had grown long and old, and she was ready to head home. The day had been a nice break from the norm she had grown accustomed to over the past few weeks. Her mind didn’t feel so heavy with thoughts from the last few weeks, and she hoped the feeling would last.