Stopped Cold

by Pallotta, Gail;

  “Got ya’.” How silly of me to expect Emily to sit around trying to analyze the situation. “I guess we’ll go over these problems in math tomorrow.”

  “Yeah, that should help.” Emily giggled. “Maybe it’ll be in our brains by Tuesday.”

  “See ya’.” We hung up.

  My thoughts buzzed like angry hornets, directed toward evil without a face. Who were these people? All of the algebra problems ran together in a blur as I stared at them. Slamming the book shut, I hoped the Monday review would help.

  ~*~

  It did.

  Then on Tuesday, the exam turned out to be easier than I thought it would be. I breezed right through the graphing in section A. My mind wandered to the criminals. The problems in sections B and C needed all my concentration. I blocked out my preoccupation with drug dealers long enough to finish.

  My pencil thumped in the quiet room as I dropped it on the desk. Right before it rolled onto the floor I grabbed it. Waiting for the bell to ring, visions of Jimmy, Emily, and me spying on the drug dealers danced in my head. They’d find out what happened to gangsters who sold drugs to smart, good kids. Even with anger boiling inside me I couldn’t stand up to ruthless criminals, but Joe could. He’d make them pay for what they did as soon as I told him where to find them. I couldn’t wait until tomorrow.

  8

  Wednesday in English Jimmy’s oxford cloth shirt was crumpled, probably from the events of a busy school day. Sally Dumont ran her hand through her blonde hair then propped her elbow on her desk and leaned her head on her fist. Papers rustled around the room, pencils thumping. The teacher opened a large book and read:

  “This is the way the world ends. This is the way the world ends. This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang but a whimper.” She drew out the sentences in a foreboding voice that hushed the pencils.

  Students pulled their shoulders back and sat up.

  Then the bell pierced into the eerie mood.

  “All right. Tomorrow come prepared to tell me what you think T. S. Eliot meant in his poem, “The Hollow Men.”

  My world already had ended, and I planned to see that the drug dealers who ended it paid for it. I grabbed my books and headed out the door.

  Jimmy caught up to me. “Whoa! Hurrying won’t make the day go faster.”

  “I know.”

  “I feel the same way.” He started upstairs but stopped and turned. “See ya’ soon.” He gave me a thumbs’ up.

  The day seemed to move in slow motion. By chemistry, my last class, I hardly could sit still. The teacher lectured about chemical reactions. What about the reaction of steroids on teen bodies? My skin crawled.

  Finally,school ended.

  Going to swim practice seemed such an inconvenience with the fire to find the temple raging through my veins. In the locker room my teammates chattered and giggled as they changed clothes. They had no scores to settle. I tugged on my suit and lit out to the pool deck wanting the session over before it even started. Most of the swimmers meandered around the pool waiting for warm-up while I sat by myself on a bench, shaking my leg and chewing the corner of my swim towel.

  “Warm-up, girls, lane four; guys, lane five.” Coach Lohrens blew his whistle.

  I walked to the end of the line. Taking my turn, I dove in and sprinted as fast as I could. The jitters still danced inside me. Who would be in those woods? What would I do if I found someone selling drugs? The wall seemed a good place to rest and clear my head.

  “How’s it going, Maggie Butterfly?” Tammy stopped beside me.

  “Oh, hi, I’m just not into working out today. I have to meet someone after practice, and I’m ready to leave.”

  Tammy wiggled her eyebrows. “Are you seeing someone special? A hot guy?”

  Tammy was a good friend. I couldn’t tell her where I was going, but I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. Jimmy was a good-looking dude, but I couldn’t say “yes” and name him. She’d think I had a date. “I’m getting together with a friend from English to go over some things.” A vague, but true answer.

  Tammy nodded. “Got ya.’”

  “This is not a tea party, ladies.” Coach Lohrens’ loud, harsh tone jarred me.

  My heart sank. Had my pre-occupation for finding the temple caused trouble for Tammy and me? Those drug dealers had messed up everything. Hate for them flashed through me. “Sorry, Coach.”

  Maybe he’d forget about our loafing if I swam the butterfly as fast as I could. Maybe I’d swim off some of my anger if I pushed my body hard enough. Fury toward the criminals sent me surging up and down the lane. Would this session ever end so I could leave and find them? Was it still Wednesday?

  At last, Coach Lohrens blew his whistle. “Good job. See you tomorrow.”

  A sinking sensation crept through my veins as I pulled up on the handles on the starting block and lifted myself out of the pool. Would Tammy and I have to do push-ups for goofing off? I didn’t want that for her. Anything that took more time from this never-ending day was the last thing I needed. Each step I took I listened with dread for mine and Tammy’s names. If only I could become invisible.

  My muscles relaxed as I cleared the pool deck, opened the door to the lobby, and headed into the locker room. A magician couldn’t have changed clothes any quicker than I donned my brown checked shirt and jeans. Weighed down with my swim and book bags, I backed into the gym door and pushed it open with my body. Then I put myself in high gear and charged toward The Grill as fast as I could.

  “Your hands are full. Here ya’ go.” A girl with long auburn hair I didn’t know held the door for me.

  I smiled at her. “Thank you.”

  I strolled inside and scanned the room, alive with the chatter of students in the front. Where were my sleuthing partners? Panic gripped me as I sat in a booth by the door.

  Emily entered, stopped short, and looked around, her pose as graceful as a model’s.

  “Hey, here I am.” I waved.

  She turned on the toe of her black boot, walked over, and took a seat across from me. “Hi.” She spoke in a shrill, excited voice. “Where’s Jimmy?”

  Had he lost interest in our meeting and me? Disappointment welled up inside me as I twisted the button on my shirtsleeve. “I guess he forgot. I haven’t seen him.”

  A frazzled-looking Jimmy bounded through the doorway, running his fingers through his blond bangs. He slipped in the seat beside me. “Hi, sorry I’m late. Mrs. Triddle stopped me in the hall to talk about the student council’s plans for Fall Festival.” He took in a ragged breath. “I’m here now. Let’s get started.”

  My spirits soared like a kite.

  “We can put our bags in my trunk,” Emily said.

  We went across the street to her car, and Jimmy, being the gentleman, hoisted in our things.

  My heart beat fast as we walked past the football field, leaving our co-eds hanging out, or practicing sports far behind. From a distance the forest looked plush with fall’s rich colors.

  Emily tapped Jimmy on the arm. “Do you think we’ll see wild animals and the criminals?”

  He shrugged his shoulders as we entered the outskirts of the woods. “We’ll be fine.”

  Small sticks and limbs crunched underneath our sneakers as we meandered to a creek with crystal clear water rolling over large gray rocks. It looked similar to a stream Sean and I had played beside when we were little. Sean collected sticks, pretended they were swords, and slashed at the pine trees. I picked up leaves. My favorite ones, the yellows, fanned into three points with large veins running through their middles. I had taken them home and used them for plates for my baby dolls’ lunches.

  My foot rolled over a branch, jarring me and bringing my thoughts back to today. Was I tracing Sean’s footsteps in these woods? Had he walked along this very path to meet those evil people? I shivered.

  If only I could re-live the last few weeks, I’d change them. Sean would come home and tell me about the criminals who sold steroids he refused
to take. He’d make me promise not to mention them to anyone, especially Mom or Dad, because he was planning to report the dirtbags to the police.

  Emily’s voice pulled me from my fantasy. “Look, there’s a house in the clearing. If we see the people who live there, I’ll say I’m looking for samples for botany class. I can tell them I’m Buddhist, and I’ve always wanted to see the temple. Then I’ll ask where it is.”

  Jimmy gave Emily a high-five. “Great idea.”

  Taking a little skip, I bounded over a log. “Thank you guys so much.”

  We trod through tall weeds to get to the old wooden building. Up close the cracked paint stood out. The porch planks squeaked as I stepped onto it and peered in a window with no curtains. A dilapidated wooden table and two chairs sat in the middle of a room with a brick fireplace blackened around the edges from soot.

  “It looks as though someone moved out and left some junk. Let’s go inside.” I waved over Emily and Jimmy.

  “Sure.” Jimmy strolled to the door and pushed on it.

  Barely hanging on its hinges, it wobbled open.

  We entered, and Jimmy pointed to a half-opened door. “Wonder where that goes?” He glanced at me then Emily. “Let’s find out.”

  Thinking we might as well explore the whole place while we were here, I nodded. “Sure.”

  Jimmy went first. The rickety handrail shook as I grabbed hold of it and followed him. Emily stayed so close behind me her breath blew on the back of my neck until we reached a dark, musty basement. Slivers of light shone through the edges of black painted windows on the other side of the room.

  Jimmy put his foot on the floor.

  A dog growled.

  I nearly jumped out of my skin. “This place isn’t abandoned. Let’s get out of here.”

  Emily stood as still as a statue when I turned and tapped her hand. “Come on.”

  She didn’t budge as I clomped past her to open the door. It was locked. Thuds pounded the floor on the other side, and I trembled from my head to my toes.

  “What you growlin’ at?” A man’s gruff voice made the hair on my arms stand on end.

  My knees buckled. I slipped off the step and swung back like a rag doll. Grasping the rickety handrail with both hands, I regained my footing.

  “No wonder that mutt’s growlin’ and barkin.’ It ain’t right keepin’ ‘im tied up like that. It just ain’t right.”

  The man took another step then another until his footfalls sounded fainter and finally disappeared.

  “He’s gone. The dog’s tied up. We can walk past it, but we have to keep it from barking.” The cheese crackers in my jeans pocket felt like gold in my hand. “I bought these at The Grill. Maybe they’ll help.”

  Jimmy reached in his pants pocket. “I have crackers too.” He took a thin flashlight out and switched it on. “And I have this.” His voice rang proud.

  A black mutt on a long rope paced back and forth in the light’s beam. I strained my eyes to see the end of the leash anchored to a hook on the wall to our left. We couldn’t move to the window without getting in the dog’s path.

  Jimmy held the flashlight with one shaky hand and threw out a couple treats with the other as he trod on the floor. The mutt gobbled up a treat and licked its chops, making a slobbering sound. Jimmy threw out crackers as if they burned his hand. The dog slurped, ignoring Jimmy while he headed toward the window.

  Then, the dog gulped the last two wafers and lunged toward Jimmy like a ball of fire. I held my breath.

  The light created erratic flashes, the beams jerking as Jimmy stuck the toe of his shoe in a hole in a cement block. The mutt bounced on his front paws, barked, and snapped at Jimmy’s heels as Jimmy scaled the wall and pushed himself up to a wide shelf underneath the window. The light shone on his pale face when he sat down. Only his and the dog’s heavy breathing penetrated the silence in the room when he flung out another handful of snacks. He motioned for Emily and me.

  She put her arms around my waist while we took steps together as though we were one person walking on ice. The mutt gobbled up the food Jimmy threw out then snorted, whirled around, and sniffed my cheese cracker. Its hot, moist breath spread over my hand. My heart beat in my ears. Trembling, screaming inside while keeping silent, I dropped that cracker. My eyes locked on Jimmy’s, his steady gaze calming me.

  Forging ahead with Emily holding onto me, I threw out my last morsels of food. It seemed I walked in slow motion and never would reach Jimmy. At last he grabbed my outstretched arms. Emily let go as he hoisted me up to the shelf. He reached for Emily while I opened the window and crawled into the weeds outside. Then he and Emily joined me as I stood rubbing my aching neck.

  With no idea which way to go other than the path we followed here, I started back to the front yard. As I rounded the corner of the old house, I nearly bumped into a man wearing a red plaid shirt and overalls. He stopped raking and glared at us with beady brown eyes. “I thought I heard somebody in the house.”

  I opened my mouth, but my voice froze.

  Jimmy stepped up beside me. “Do you live here?”

  The man twisted his mouth around as though he chewed tobacco. “No, I can’t rightly say I do. I’m doin’ clean up for the fellow who owns this place. He’s some sort of teacher at one of them thar fancy schools.”

  My palms grew sweaty. He meant Meriwether.

  The man poked out his neck and leaned toward us. “What ya’ll doin’ out here?”

  My brain froze. I had to be careful what I said and sound casual. “Well sir, I’m Margaret. This is Jimmy—”I pointed to Emily “—and this is Emily. Nice to meet you. What’s your name?”

  He pulled back his shoulders and grinned. “Jest call me Eight-Ball.”

  I took a deep breath. “You see, Eight-ball—” If I hadn’t been so frightened, I might have snickered when I said his name. “We were in the forest looking for specimens for Emily’s botany class. We saw the house and thought it might have historic significance.” I spoke as respectfully as I possibly could, but did Eight-Ball hear my knees knocking?

  He leaned back. Wrinkles formed underneath strands of greasy brown hair on his forehead. “Where’s yer samples?”

  My carefree chuckle sounded synthetic, but Eight-Ball didn’t know me or my laugh. “We grew fascinated with the wildlife, the creek, and then this house. We haven’t started on Emily’s assignment yet, but it’s getting late. We need to get busy collecting samples.”

  Without saying a word, Eight-ball stared at me for what seemed like an hour, but probably was only a minute. “All right, don’t be stopping back by this house. Thar’s a dangerous dog in thar.”

  Jimmy shifted his weight. “No sir, we won’t.”

  I started to leave, but Emily stood her ground. Was she too scared to move?

  She peered at Eight-Ball. “Can you tell us how to get to the old, deserted temple? I’m Buddhist. I wanted to see it.”

  My mouth gaped, but I snapped it shut. Her voice sounded so steady, so convincing. Still if Eight-ball knew the drug dealers, or worse yet, if he were one of them, he probably wouldn’t like the idea of anybody nosing around the temple.

  He peered at Emily with squinting dark eyes, never flinching as though he thought he could determine her intentions if he scrutinized her face long enough.

  She looked him square in the eyes.

  He cocked one eyebrow. His thin lips went up the tiniest bit. “Yes ‘um, but it ain’t rightly deserted all the time. I seen the same man that gets me ta clean this house over thar the other night. I was just leavin’ after huntin’ squirrels all day.” He grinned real big, showing a space between his two front teeth. “Have ye ever ‘et squirrel soup for supper?”

  I nearly gagged.

  Emily appeared calm. “No sir, I haven’t, but I did eat frog legs once.”

  Eight-ball leaned back and laughed heartily. “I don’t reckon it would do any harm.”

  He seemed to believe everything we told him, and he should. Wha
t we said was true. Emily did need to find specimens for botany class, and she was Buddhist.

  “You’ll see a tree, kinda bent over like it’s bowing. Go to the right of it. About a hundred yards from there, you’ll see a little creek. It kinda ends and seeps into the ground like it ain’t got quite enough water to keep goin’.” Eight-ball grinned. “It’s kinda like my energy. I ain’t got quite enough.” He snickered.

  I forced a giggle.

  “About fifty yards beyond the stream, you’ll see a log cabin in the distance. That’s it.”

  “Thanks so much.” Emily reached out and shook his hand. Which way do we go from here?”

  Emily’s chutzpah amazed me. The longer we stayed the weaker I grew with visions of Eight-ball suddenly turning on us with his rake.

  He pointed to the right.

  We walked out of his sight, and I took my first good breath since I’d seen him.

  Jimmy pulled a magic marker from his jeans pocket. “I’m going to mark some of the trees in our path.” His hand trembled when he made the first line then it stopped.

  “That weird old man made my skin crawl. Do you think he eats squirrels?” Emily shivered.

  Jimmy shrugged. “Probably.”

  “I’m with you, Emily. He freaked me out. You were so brave to talk to him.”

  Pride twinkled in Emily’s dark eyes. “I wanted to help.”

  I hugged her. “Thank you for making it easier for us to find the temple.”

  “He’s just an old farmer, no one to be afraid of.” Doubt laced Jimmy’s words. Was he trying to convince me and Emily or himself that Eight-ball was harmless?

  We headed deeper into the forest.

  Pretty moss growing near a tree caught my eye. I picked it up for Emily’s botany class, damp earth rubbing off on my hand. “Here.”

  Emily’s eyes lit up. “Thank you.” She pulled a small plastic baggie out of her jeans pocket and put it inside.

  The sun set, the air grew cool, and the sky dark. Jimmy pulled out his flashlight. What would Emily and I have done without him? I tightened my rust-colored jacket around my shoulders. “Thank you for coming with us, Jimmy.”