Since the day was still young and there would be a few more hours until sunset Cole decided to go for a walk out Calkins Road. He walked passed Mattie's Tavern and crossed Highway 246 to where he would spend most of the rest of his daylight hours. He hadn’t been out this way since last summer and he marveled at how quickly houses had sprung up across the once desolate area. A field he used to cross to the same river he and Laila had been in by Saint Marks was now a three-story house with an immaculate lawn. A brown fence lined the perimeter of the property with ‘No Trespassing’ signs displayed intermittently along the roadway. ‘Strange what time will do to the world around you,’ he thought stoically with the realization of how quickly time could change the most significant to the minutest aspects of life without warning. Practically all the houses that had been erected over the course of the school year were high-end upper-class homes with large fenced lots and tree-lined driveways that snaked their way back to afford their owners greater privacy. He made his way slowly, taking a steady pace as he went along. Calkins Road had always given him access to Foxen Canyon which rested behind the properties to his left. However, he was denied access to the many areas where he used to traverse due to all of the new development. Disappointment fell over him as he continued on thinking that maybe he would have to cut his walk short if he couldn’t find a more private area. He preferred to avoid scrutiny, even from passing vehicles, when he wandered. After venturing about a mile down the road he noticed a boy about his age swinging a stick at a group of blackberry bushes causing leaves, and fruit, to go flying this way and that as he hacked at them. Cole thought to turn back but found he was more curious than concerned about what the boy was doing. When he came within fifty feet of the kid he could tell that the boy outweighed him by at least fifty pounds. “What’s up?” Cole called out to him not wanting to close the distance between them until he was sure what the other’s intentions would be after being interrupted. After all, the kid was holding a stick and seemed to enjoy that he was beating something. He stopped beating the bushes suddenly and turned to face Cole with his stick still held tightly in his hand but, he seemed non-threatening.
“I’m gardening,” he said sarcastically shifting on one foot then the other. He pushed the rim of his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose and pushed the stick in front of him accentuating his point.
“Gardening huh?” Cole mused glancing at the stick and then at the strange boy. “Effective.” He complimented feeling his previous unease pass.
“I’m Matt. Who are you?” The boy asked without hesitation again pushing his glasses up to rest more comfortably on his rounded face.
Cole knew this guy was definitely new, he’d never seen him in school nor had he ever seen him around town. He was certain he would have remembered him. “Cole Larson.” he offered feeling a little awkward that he had provided his last name during the introduction but, the strange boy seemed not to notice at all.
“Nice to meet you, Cole Larson.” He said at last. “You want to help me?” He asked motioning towards the bushes.
Cole was reluctant. Even if the kid before him lived in the beautiful house at the other end of the driveway, he was certain that destroying the bush would probably upset the kid’s parents. More-so if Cole participated. He put his hands wide, “What about…?” he began but he was interrupted before he could finish his sentence.
“Don’t worry, I was told we are having this bush pulled out so we can destroy it however much we want.” He offered walking towards Cole offering the stick with more than a little enthusiasm.
Instinctively Cole felt himself feeling a little uneasy at the new-comers apparent confidence at approaching a total stranger. ‘Maybe I’m just being paranoid,’ Cole thought as he attempted to ease his trepidation while Matt approached him.
“Here, take it.” Matt offered handing the stick to Cole thick end first.
Cole took the rudimentary gardening tool and Matt quickly moved to pick another one up off the side of the road before walking back towards the lone bush. He motioned for Cole to follow. Although reluctant, Cole made his way the short distance to the bush and the end of a long driveway. “Is that your house?” Cole asked trying to be absolutely certain that he wasn’t simply destroying someone’s property at the whims of someone he’d never even met before.
Matt gestured with the stick pointing up the driveway, “you can’t see it really well from back here but yeah that’s where I live with my mom, my brother, and my sister.” He said before returning his attention to the bush hacking steadily away at it. “Come on and give it a try.” He offered to Cole.
Although he hesitated momentarily, Cole swung fiercely at the bush but was too far back to cause any real damage and managed to snag only a few leaves on his first attempt.
“Come on. You swing like a girl.” Matt laughed.
Cole stepped in as he took another swing taking off a branch with his second attempt.
“There you go.” Matt congratulated him as he followed suit.
For a few minutes, neither one of them spoke and instead they just hacked at the bush fiercely.
Cole had to admit it was quite a workout and he enjoyed the simple act of destruction but, he pondered what he should make of Matt while they obliterated the bush. ‘He seems like a nice enough guy,’ he thought although he found that he was reserving himself considering the fact that he had just met him during an act of simple undirected violence.
Abruptly, Matt threw his stick into the now sickly looking bush and asked, “Do you want to come inside? I have a Nintendo 64 if you want to play.”
Cole thought to make up an excuse, any reason that he couldn’t stick around and go into this strange new guy’s house but, he knew that he didn’t like to be taken at face value so he would not do it to another without at least trying to get to know him first. “Yeah sure, if you want to,” Cole said at last.
Matt’s house was huge and by all means immaculate. Walking up the length of the driveway took the two of them winding underneath a canopy of pepper trees that were dotted with pinks and reds by the husks of their seeds waiting to be dropped come fall. Although it couldn’t be seen from the road due to the densely packed trees and other bushes, the property sported a relatively large lawn that made its way up to the front porch of the two-story Victorian style home. Cole made note more than once that he truly believed Matt’s family had to be rich to own a property like this and he found that he was a tad jealous of this new kid. Matt showed him around the house pointing out the four bedrooms, on the first floor, however, he told Cole that the upstairs was being remodeled and apologized for not being able to properly show him around. Although the doors were closed on three of the rooms that Cole had passed, he assumed from the layout of the house that the rest were just as intricate if not more-so than Matt’s own room which rested at the very back of the house. They had completely bypassed the living room but, when they returned from their brief tour Cole’s jaw dropped when they came into view of the fifty-two inch projection television; something he had never seen before outside of department stores.
“What’s the look for?” Matt asked casually as he moved around the dual couches to sit in front of the immense screen.
“Is your family rich or something?” Cole retorted knowing in that instance he probably shouldn’t have asked by the perturbed look on Matt’s face.
Matt rolled his eyes, “are you going to sit down or what?” He probed taking up a controller that linked to a Nintendo 64. Cole let his question go and didn’t require any more coercing than the offer of the other controller.
For nearly two hours the two of them played non-stop speaking rarely during the duration. When at last Cole realized the shadows being cast outside indicated the approaching night he set his controller aside and looked over at Matt who tossed his own down at the other’s gesture.
“You leaving?” He asked looking at his wristwatch then back to Cole who was rubbing his eyes trying to soothe the irritation th
ey felt from staring at the huge television for so long.
“It’s getting dark out,” Cole remarked knowing that he wouldn’t be comfortable walking by himself at night. He considered that he was being paranoid with his unfound fear of the night but something told him to follow his instincts rather than avoid them.
“What? Are your parents going to ground you or something if you’re not home before nine?” Matt snickered in such a way that he almost seemed condescending but, Cole just nodded so that he may avoid the truth. He was sixteen, just turned but sixteen nevertheless, and didn’t like to make it known that the dark was something he had never developed a trust for.
“Okay. You know where I live if you ever want to come back.” Matt replied, at last changing his tone from mocking to somewhat friendly.
Cole found that he appreciated this guy, even if he was strange. He produced his hand which Matt looked at perplexed before extending his own. “I will dude and it was good to meet you.” Cole shook his hand and released his grip as he began to make his way towards the front door. Matt followed him to the porch seemingly distracted as he did so. Cole picked up on the quiet slump Matt seemed to be in but decided to not say anything about it until Matt put a hand on his shoulder.
“Thanks for hanging with me.” He said looking at the ground embarrassed by the simple remark.
Cole looked at him in the light of the well-lit porch and he saw the person he always felt that other people saw him as. Matt was shy and seemed sad. “I should be thanking you,” Cole said truthfully causing Matt to once again look up and face him squarely. “I had a good time.” He finished, at last, looking towards the driveway intent on making it back to town before the night had fully enveloped the day.
“It’s just hard for me to make friends with people is all but, it’s not your problem dude. I’ll see you around.” Matt finished uneasily again looking away from Cole doing his strange shift from foot to foot. He backed his way into the house and nodded his goodbye before closing the door. He waited a brief moment before looking out the house’s front window to watch Cole depart.
Cole began making his way down the driveway and out to Calkins Road. Although he didn’t look back, Cole was aware that he was being watched as he left the property. ‘Strange guy,’ he thought to himself hurrying his pace as the sky turned to night in the east and the waning sunlight in the west was nothing more than a flicker behind the hills. He made good time as he power walked his way back to town. On more than one occasion, he found himself looking around and over his shoulder for anything that might be out with him on the lonely road but, he saw nothing. Still, something seemed out of place. Everything was silent except for the low rumbling of cars racing by on the highway about a half a mile down the road. No birds chirped their last calls to the day signaling the night. The voices of the world seemed dead all about him. He scanned the open fields to his left noticing a few horses that stood huddled close together looking around cautiously but not even paying Cole a cursory glance. He watched the trees to his right as he walked. Somehow he expected something to come rushing at him from the dense underbrush the moment he let his guard down. Although he found that he wanted to discount the unnerving thought as paranoia, something nagged at the back of his mind telling him that there truly was something watching, shrouded by shadows within the near darkness of the fast approaching night. When he came within a hundred feet of the highway he felt a slight sense of relief wash over him only briefly. Night had overtaken day and the silhouette of the road had almost faded entirely from his view. In an instant he felt the unquestionable urge to turn quickly lest he be overtaken. Cole whipped around to face the way he came, terror evident in his demeanor as he now stood twenty feet away from a slender figure standing in the road. Cole couldn’t make out the stranger’s features in the darkness but, he could tell from the silhouette that the person was wearing a long, dark overcoat that in the approaching moonlight was evidently black. He desperately tried to run but found that he was compelled to remain in place as the strange figure watched him. Cole felt his whole body trembling and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as if he were a feral beast awaiting an inevitable fight that he could not hope to win. ‘How could he have gotten so close without me noticing him,’ Cole thought perplexed considering how much he had been looking around as he walked along. His paranoia had heightened his senses to near super-human since he left Matt’s house no more than twenty minutes prior yet the stranger had the drop on him. Every muscle in his body screamed at him to turn away, to run without looking back but his body had stopped responding to his call as if he were paralyzed. He tried to speak, to ask the stranger what it was he wanted however, his attempts came as an undecipherable gurgle. Through an impulse that was not his own he felt his breathing become shallow, his muscles less tense, and his eyes heavy. Generally he didn’t believe in magic or anything of the sort but, he felt as if he were being hypnotized by the stranger and that he was powerless to prevent it. The stranger seemed to float effortlessly as he came towards him. His silence was eerily stunning considering the deafening quiet that now shrouded the two of them. ‘How? I could have heard a pin drop out here but I can’t make out the sound of his steps.’ Cole thought fighting through the hypnotic daze that seemed to hold him with unrelenting strength. When the figure was within ten feet of Cole he stopped, suggesting that he did not wish to come any closer but, even more disturbing was he gave no signs that he planned to leave either. ‘What now?’ Cole thought feeling the fatigue running through his body like a fast-moving plague that was eating at his very core threatening to topple him at any moment. 'It's a bad dream,' he thought distantly. Only a single voice within him told him otherwise. He knew he couldn't fight to stay standing much longer and a sense of finality came over him as he took what he believed to be the end of his nightmare with a stoic sense of resolution. It was all too much. He could no longer will himself to remain standing and he dropped to one knee fighting to keep his head up just enough to watch the stranger. Slowly he let his eyes lower to the ground and blackness began to overtake him. 'I have to look up!' He thought pleading with his muscles to respond. He managed to work himself to a position where he could see the stranger approaching again; within seconds he would be on top of Cole and he knew there was nothing he could do. He fought to make sense of what was happening but, cognitive thought was nothing more than a fleeting idea in his current state. He would have to let fate decide his outcome and as consciousness slipped from his grasp, he saw the silhouette of the dark stranger descended upon him.
* * * * *
When at last Cole awoke, an elderly man with hair as white as snow was standing over him bathed in brilliant white light. ‘Am I dead?’ he thought gazing up at the concerned man.
“Son are you ok?” the old man asked in a gruff voice as he pushed his thick bifocals to rest more comfortably on his wrinkled face. He stooped a little paying close attention to the young man.
Cole was dazed and his first instincts told him to lash out at the old man, remembering that the last images imprinted in his mind were that of the dark stranger. The man’s demeanor, however, seemed to be that of a concerned grandfather more-so than anything threatening. With some effort, Cole took a deep breath and forced the dark figure from his mind.
“You’re finally awake.” The man said pointedly looking back at the source of light that played across the area around them.
Cole managed to pull himself up to one arm and followed the old man’s eyes, quickly going blind. Many seconds passed until his eyes adjusted well enough that he could see that he was looking into two very bright headlights. “Where am I?” he asked.
“You’re in the middle of the road son.” He stated flatly looking back to the boy.
Cole knew from his surroundings that he was lying in the road but, amidst the brightness of the headlights he wasn’t sure if he had been moved from where he had collapsed.
“What’s your name son?” the old man asked pulling
Cole from the road. He kept a tentative hold on him to ensure that the boy wouldn’t topple.
Cole was awestruck. Old as he appeared, the old man had picked him up off the road with little to no effort. “How…?” he began to question but was cut short.
“Doesn’t matter ‘how anything’ son. I asked you a question.” The old man interrupted. He knew he must sound annoyed, probably did to everyone else too. “Good. It is annoying.’ He thought.
“Cole, my name’s Cole,” he said taken completely off guard. A wave of dizziness washed over him and he felt his legs go numb briefly. Still, the old man didn’t falter and seemed to have no trouble taking the brunt of Cole’s weight until he managed to catch himself and stop the world from spinning.
“Well Cole, folks call me Red. I live over in that house over yonder” he replied pointing towards the direction of his car.
Cole’s vision was too blurry to make out anything past the headlights however he nodded a sign of acknowledgment.
“My horses made quite a ruckus while you were out here, luckily I decided to come down and investigate what was going on or you could have been here all night.” Red declared as the two of them started towards the car. “So what happened?” The old man asked Cole helping him to maneuver and sit on the hood of his station wagon.
“I don’t know,” Cole lied knowing that he didn’t readily know what the truth was nor did he believe that whatever he thought would have been believable anyway.
“Ok son. You don’t need to tell ol’ Red what happened but maybe I can give you a ride home then?” He offered taking a step back once he felt satisfied that Cole could hold himself in a sitting position.
Cole glanced up at the old man able to see him more clearly as his face was now illuminated by the headlights. With his vision clearing and the added light, he noticed the small cross that hung on a silver chain around Red’s neck against his flannel shirt and he felt a sense of relief. “I’d appreciate a ride home, sir.” he finished, at last, knowing that he probably shouldn’t accept the ride but felt more compelled to do so in light of the circumstances.
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