by Wooden, E M
My dad was military, so we moved around a lot. My mother was a trooper and stuck with him through it all patiently waiting for him to retire. After a while I got used to bouncing from school to school. I was able to make and forget friends faster than most people could blink. I guess you could call it a gift; I liked to think of it as a curse. It weighed on me a lot, not having friends that I knew I could really count on. Anyway, after my dad finally retired they moved out here to High Grove because of the land. My mother wanted horses and to be away from civilization. Well she got what she wanted, and at times a little more than she bargained for. Since they are pretty much left to themselves, they have to deal with each other. That was when I usually got a call from either of them to vent about the other. I had another brother they could call, if he was ever in the country. He was married to the military, the most hardcore of the hardcore. I never got to see him much, which was a shame. He was someone that I really admired.
So that is how I came to this oh so lovely little society. I guess I should consider myself lucky. My ability to make friends and boyish good looks helped me avoid having too rough of a time through high school. I was that guy who made friends with everyone, a task I was actually quite proud of. If I ever needed help I usually had someone there, no easy task, especially when you consider that the social clicks ran deep. The really unfortunate thing is that most of the upper class kids only wanted to hang out with me because I had a knack for drawing the attention of cute girls. It was a case of what I could do for them. I hated it, but I played the game. I let them think they were in control. This is where Kellan came in. I actually didn’t meet him until the first year of my enlistment. I was home for some vacation and a couple of friends invited me over to his place where he was throwing a party. I knew a little bit of him from high school. He was kind of like me, didn’t make enemies, only friends; except he made more friends with the upper class society due to the kick ass parties he always threw. I hated thinking about how they used him. How most of them wouldn’t even lift a finger to help him if he asked. Oh well, that was life. So I met him formally at this party and once he found out I was in the military he had pretty much deemed me his new best friend. And that is how things have been ever since. About the time I was getting out of the army, he had decided that he wanted to join. He made it through his basic training but when he got to his schooling, he was in a wrong place at the wrong time situation involving a colonel’s daughter. In order to save face, they gave him an honorable discharge and sent him packing. I know a lot of people that would have loved that, but it tore Kellan up. There was nothing he wanted more than to serve his country. Fortunately, or unfortunately, however you want to look at it, he had a trust fund to fall back on. His dad had owned a few construction businesses and definitely looked out for him. I know Kellan would give it all back to have his father back though. He lost him in a crane accident at one of the job sites. So after his brief stint with the army, he came back to High Grove with a broken pride and crawled into a bottle. He hardly ever decides to stay sober for very long. Today wasn’t any different.
It wasn’t hard to guess which bar he was at. There were quite a few in the rotation but his main watering hole was Canes. As soon as I got into town that’s the direction I headed. A few minutes later I pulled into a packed parking lot. One of the great things about having my bike was that I could pretty much park anywhere. That mixed with the fact that I knew the owner helped tremendously. Once I had found an ample spot, I turned off my bike and made my way inside. Sure enough, what I saw pretty much echoed what I thought when I saw the parking lot. The place was packed. Most people would think it was strange that a bar would be this full at five thirty in the evening on a Tuesday, but that was commonplace in High Grove at dusk. There was a lot of money in this town, and the people here really had nothing better to spend it on. That’s probably why Kellan never left. It really was his kind of town. Especially considering his daddy owned one of the largest construction companies in the metro area. He never said where he got his money, but everyone knew.
One thing I will say about him though is that he definitely knew how to have a good time. He always had a crowd around him, which usually contained two to three beautiful women. So when I looked to the bar and the crowd of people there, I wasn’t surprised to see him at the center. I slipped through the throng of people and slapped him hardily on the shoulder. I think I caught him of guard because he turned rather abruptly. It took him a minute to fully recognize me, and when he did he let a sheepish grin cross his face.
“Will, you’re just in time,” he said as he handed me a shot. I figured I would be there for a while so one shot wouldn’t kill me. I just had to make sure I didn’t get blitzed so I could drive the bike home. Turning fully around, he laid his left arm over my shoulders and grabbed his shot in his right hand. Pointing to the two rather attractive young ladies to his right he introduced me.
“Ladies, this is the guy I have been telling you about. William, I would like you to meet Monica and Sophia. Ladies this is William.” The girls both wore big grins, which I am sure is due to the drinks that Kellan had undoubtedly been supplying. I nodded, which I nod a lot, and told them it was a pleasure. They just giggled.
“Great,” Kellan said eagerly, “now that we all know each other, I propose a toast, to William, the best man I know.” I quickly countered with “To great friends instead.” He replied “hear hear,” and downed his shot.
The ladies and I followed suit. I made a face; it was Crown. I wasn’t expecting Crown. I suppose I was just lucky it wasn’t tequila. Bad things happen when I drink tequila. Kellan turned back around and shouted for the bartender to bring more drinks. He asked me what I wanted and I told him I just wanted a beer. He looked at me in a mocking manner but ordered up one for me anyway. The girls had been quietly whispering back and forth looking in my direction. When I looked right at them, signaling they had been caught, Sophia nudged Monica in my direction. Monica shot Sophia a dirty look and turned back to face me. Her words caught in her throat for a few seconds before she blurted something unintelligible out. I don’t mean to brag but I sometimes had that way with women. I chocked it up to those boyish good looks I mentioned earlier.
A long time ago a hot blonde said I looked like some actor named Jensen Ackles. He apparently starred in some show called Supernatural. I had never seen it. I guess it wouldn’t be fair to call her just a hot blonde. She was more than that, with those amazing green eyes that flashed hints of blue in the right light. But that didn’t matter now, she was gone.
Realizing her folly she quickly corrected herself and asked me.
“Is it true you were in Iraq?”
I chuckled to myself and replied, “I see Kellan has been sharing my war stories again. Well yes, I was in Iraq.” Monica turned around and rather emphatically told Sophia,
“See I told you he was.” She turned back around and asked another question, the oh so dreaded question that I knew would follow.
“So what was it like? Did you ever kill anyone?”
Right then, I greatly missed Eve. She never asked me about what it was like when I was overseas. As a matter of fact she never really took any interest in what happened over there at all. I loved her even more for that.
I took the opportunity to use one of my “get out of conversation free cards” and told her that I had to pee and I would tell her as soon as I got back. Technically I wasn’t lying, even though I had no intention of telling her, I didn’t have any intention of going back either. I wasn’t too worried about leaving Kellan. He knew me well enough to know where I went, and he also knew how I felt about Eve. I sometimes got the impression that those two didn’t like each other; either that or they just had an understanding with each other. Hell they should, they were a lot alike, minus the heavy drinking and partying. Kellan knew that Eve was flighty at times so he tried to look out for me, and looking out for me meant providing me with ample opportunities to ease my frustrations wit
h the relationship I had with Eve; Monica and Sophia were a perfect example. Eve often would say that if I were to stray she couldn’t be mad given the way our relationship was like a roller coaster. I always took that kind of personally. I loved her too much to give in to some random fling. But that’s why she kind of had an understanding with Kellan. He was just looking out for his friend, and she couldn’t fault him for that.
So using my bathroom excuse, I took my leave of the dynamic duo and mingled through the crowd. As usual, I knew a lot of people. No one ever really leaves High Grove. Quite a few of them stay in the area and just live off their parents' money. Just thinking about it made me start to feel suffocated. True, I missed it from time to time, but there was a good reason I got out. After a few hours of wandering from conversation to conversation I determined it was time to go. I had only finished half of the beer Kellan had bought me and I never even felt the effects of the Crown shot. I tossed the half empty beer bottle in the trash and pulled out my phone. I sent Kellan a message telling him it was good seeing him, but I had some homework that needed to be done. Of course when he read it he would know it was a bullshit excuse to get out of there, but he wouldn’t say anything. I looked at the time on my phone and saw it was a few minutes past eight. I had played with the idea of going out to my parents' place, but that could keep me there a lot longer than I really wanted. So instead I decided to drive around town a little bit before ultimately making my back towards the city.
As I passed the old warehouses and factory I noticed the cops had all left and there was that yellow police tape all over the place. The old buildings gave off an eerie glow in the moonless night. I couldn’t shake the feeling I was being watched until I was at least a mile away. The rest of the trip was uneventful as I rolled up to the parking garage with the arm already raised. I chuckled to myself and gave Rick the standard nod of appreciation. He nodded back. I went up to the next level and rolled into my usual spot. I paused for a second, letting the engine purr, before I finally shut her off. Reaching up for my helmet I again felt as if eyes were gazing upon me. I slowly removed the helmet placing it on the handle bars and then stole a peek behind me. Just as I suspected, nothing was there. Taking a deep breath I dismounted the bike and went over to the stairs taking a last look into the darkness of the garage. When nothing jumped out, I decided it was time I got some sleep and proceeded down and then past Rick. I had walked about five steps past the guard booth when someone tapped me on the shoulder, causing me to jump a little. It was Rick.
“I’ll make sure no one takes your helmet,” he said in an old raspy voice. I looked down, and noticed I wasn’t carrying it.
“Uhh thanks Rick,” I didn’t know what else to say. He turned to walk back to the guard shack when I asked him if he ever slept. He didn’t even turn around as he replied,
“I’ll have plenty of time to sleep when I’m dead.” I stood there a second watching him walk back into the guard booth and sit down. That old man puzzled me. I turned back around and continued to my building. The front door was wide open as it was when I left and so too was the empty reception desk. I walked up and pressed the call button for the elevator, and the doors opened right away. I stepped in and pressed the button for my floor and the elevator wasted no time in getting me there.
The cold and closeness didn’t seem as severe this time as I walked down the hall to my door. As soon as I entered I threw my jacket on my bed and put my phone on the charger. I tossed my keys and wallet into the nightstand drawer and went over to my desk where my laptop was. It was time for me to check my greatest link to the outside world, Facebook. How sad is it that my only real interaction with society was through the internet. I had a few new notifications, most of them were about little quizzes people took, or some group I was being invited to. I had a message in my inbox that I opened up. It was from Syndel, and I didn’t feel like reading it, more than likely it was about me skipping class. I let out a sigh and closed my laptop unsatisfied. Truth be known, I was hoping for something from Eve, but no such luck. I rubbed my eyes which was a sure fire sign telling me it was time for bed, especially since I hadn’t had much sleep lately. I stripped down to my boxer-briefs and flopped down onto my bed hoping dreams would come quickly; I should have known to be careful what I wished for.
Chapter 3
Morning came too soon. I yawned and rubbed my eyes, sitting up on the edge of the bed. I surveyed my room. It seemed a little wispy. I rubbed my eyes again, no luck. I stood up and stretched again, but didn’t get much satisfaction out of it. I turned to look at my bed and what I saw startled me; I took a step back wide eyed. I was looking at myself lying there, either dead or fast asleep. I reached down to touch my lifeless form but couldn’t. The bed and my body deteriorated before my eyes in a haze. All the room around me began to shift and change. I was still standing in the same spot, but different. There were pictures, photos hung up all around me. There were pictures of all kinds of things from portraits to nature to some a little more provocative. They seemed to be alive. The people would blink or look away, and trees seemed to sway in a nonexistent wind. Motion drew my attention to the other side of the room where my bed was, except it wasn’t my bed. I was still in my apartment but none of this was mine.
I cautiously stepped closer to the bed to get a better look. A man and a woman were deep in the throes of passion. She, on bottom, was writhing with joy. She almost seemed drunk or intoxicated, like the sex was a drug she couldn’t get enough of. The man seemed dark. His thrusts were not those of someone experiencing pleasure. They seemed calculated, too methodical. I stepped closer almost mesmerized by what I saw before me. The closer I got the more I was able to see of the dark man, except it wasn’t a man. It was dark and from the shadows leathery wings spread out from its back, demonic. The women let out a few soft moans. The creature turned its head and set its gaze upon me. Eyes as black as onyx, as black as the night, peered into my soul. Dark as they were, they still somehow managed to emit a soft glow. I was frozen in place while the creature stared at me, never once deviating from its methodical thrusting. A loud click, the sound of a lock turning, snapped me out of my trance. The creature reverted back to its humanlike form. We both turned to look at the door. The woman’s boyfriend had come home.
The creature dashed to the kitchen and returned, knife in hand. It pulled the euphoric woman to her feet, the knife at her throat. The boyfriend's fists were clenched; sweat was rolling down his face. The creature motioned for him to move from the door. He complied. Slowly the demon-being backed through the doorway never taking its eyes from the man. Down the hall they went, those three, with me in tow. Halfway to the stairs, the demon raised the knife and stabbed the woman in the chest. She let out a gurgled scream. It turned and bolted for the end of the hallway. Her boyfriend looked on horrified. He raced down the hall in a blind rage. He paused only briefly to pick up the knife where the demon creature had dropped it. The creature turned around once it had reached the elevator with a grim smile upon its face. The smile quickly faded as the boyfriend closed in. The creature had clearly expected the man would tend to his dying girlfriend. The demon panicked and turned his back to the crazed man, just in time to receive the sharp blade of the knife. The creature let out a piercing shriek. The enraged boyfriend repeatedly stabbed the demon-being until he couldn’t lift his arm any more. I sat and watched in horror. The human form lay lifeless at the entrance to the elevator, a winged black soul lifted from the body and faded into nothingness.
The man walked over to where his girlfriend lay still. He picked her up, silently weeping. Weary from fatigue and grief, his back slowly slid down the wall until they were sitting on the floor, her in his arms. He looked from the knife to his wrists and the thought was clear. He slowly drew the blade across each wrist, dropping the knife. He wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and waited to see her again. The two of them became a ghostly visage as they too began to fade away. Soon I was in the hallway leading to my apartment all
alone. I turned to my doorway to find it shut. An amazingly beautiful young woman was standing outside apparently about to knock. I knew her. She seemed so familiar to me. Yes, that’s who she was, but why was she here? Why was she in this dream? It was…
Chapter 4
“Syndel,” I exclaimed as I bolted upright out of bed! I was back in my room, the way it should be. My heart was racing. I frantically looked around my room for anything out of place. Everything was as it should have been. The sun had just begun to peek through my windows, so I grabbed my phone to check the time. Eight o’clock. Maybe the sun was brighter than I thought. My heart slowed slightly, I let my defenses ease down a little bit. Then a knock rapped on my door. Startled, I jumped from bed and raced over to the door and threw it open. It was Syndel.
“Well, good morning to you too, Will. Do you always welcome young ladies with quite a show?” Syndel asked with a sheepish grin. Shocked and confused I just stared at her. She was easy to stare at. “If you would like, we can take advantage of this situation. We have time,” she said in a seductive manner.