The Final Shortcut

by G. Bernard Ray

  She yearned for friends outside the normal residents of the back woods; felt that she was being deprived of fulfilling her dreams. Being an artist or singer was just a couple of her more recent obsessions, something that changed as often as the seasons of the year.

  However, she couldn’t get motivated enough to actually do anything about it. Her frustration over her inability to accomplish any of her dreams had started eating away at her. Privately making her resent her present life. This trip, she hoped, would make Marty anxious to travel more often.

  Heading out to New York at the beginning of the week would give them plenty of time to sightsee along the way. Their new camper was stocked to the hilt with food, clothes and plenty of smoke. Ellen had also stashed some other goodies that she was keeping to herself for now.

  They spent the next two days winding through the mountains, finding scenic campsites along the way. Everywhere they stopped was a new thrill; everything was new and exciting. The plan was to get to the concert site a couple days early and check out the area there, maybe even go into New York City for a quick tour. When they had gotten within twenty miles of Bethel, they couldn’t help but notice the increase in hitchhikers and vans with “Woodstock or Bust” signs. After stopping for gas and getting the lowdown on the amount of traffic headed their way, they decided to go on to the concert and camp there until it was over. Which turned out to be a very good idea. As it was they had a hard time finding a dry campsite. The country boy that he was made him take extra care to find a good spot. A big shade tree covered most of their camper and they were far enough away to be reasonably quiet. Just a short walk to the stage area and within sight of the emergency crews. The first evening they hardly stood still. They walked around meeting people, sharing a joint here and there. Ellen was extremely pleased that Marty was so outgoing, making introductions and meeting new friends. They didn’t sleep very much that night, or the next. The old cow pasture seemed like a city of its own. Cultural diversity, food of many kinds and more drugs than they had ever heard of. They fell asleep in each other’s arms after making love, twice. The concert would start tomorrow and the field was teeming with activity. A local radio station had kept them up to date on the amount of people there and which bands were to appear. It seemed to them that this was to be the event of the year. The event of their lifetime to be sure, in more ways than one.

  When Marty woke up that morning, Ellen was already outside watching the mass of folks that had converged on them during the night. A nearly unbroken carpet of moving colors; a deceptively dangerous throng of humanity. A couple camped nearby had become new friends and Ellen was anxious to go with them to the stage. And as how Marty wasn’t into music much, he seized the opportunity to stay back and look after Junior. He used the reasoning that it was a long concert and he could take his turn later. Truthfully he wanted to get some more sleep. Once she disappeared into the crowd a thought crossed his mind that she might not find her way back. A thought he didn’t dwell on long; didn’t give into the sudden feeling of dread that swept over him. He turned instead to see if Junior had gotten up yet. When he looked at his son lying in his bed, cold chills ran up his spine. An anxiety flooded over him, the likes of which he had never felt before. He couldn’t understand it, but it frightened him. Just then Junior woke up, rubbed his eyes and looked at him. Without a word he grabbed Junior and gave him a long hug. Junior giggled a bit and Marty smiled broadly and asked, “Are you hungry sport?”

  “Yeh!” Junior squealed as he bounded out of the bed; Marty rose feeling a little better, just a little.

  That evening around a campfire, Ellen and her friends Sarah and Mark, regaled Marty about all that had occurred during the day. They laughed and sang parts of songs they had heard. Mark had a guitar and did his best to entertain the rest of them as they passed yet another joint around the fire. The stage was well lit in the distance and the music played late into the night. Everyone, everywhere was partying like there was no tomorrow. Three times Marty had seen naked girls and guys strolling about, he had even come upon a couple making love earlier that day, right out in the open. Ellen jumped up and said, “Hey, I got a surprise for you.” Marty looked at her with red eyes and a permanent grin.

  “Who me?”

  “Well,” she started, “something we can share with our new friends.” She went into the camper and retrieved her stash. “I got some ‘shrooms I been saving for the trip.” She giggled when she said trip. “For a trip…or two.” They both giggled as she held out the bag

  “ Man o’ man.” Mark stood up and staggered a bit as he reached for the bag. Ellen opened it enough for them to see that it was over half full of the intoxicating fungi. “I have never seen that many mushrooms before.”

  Ellen smiled, raised her hands in the air and said, “I got more than that for later, enough to share with the world.” She almost fell as she turned to set the bag down. Marty was not extremely happy at the thought of babysitting her while she tripped, but he was so stoned he couldn’t stop smiling. “Would you like one.” she gleamed as she held one out to Mark.

  “Man, you mean you just eat them, raw? We usually make tea or a cocktail.”

  Sarah chimed in, “Yeh, they taste a lot smoother in some tea or a screwdriver.” Ellen popped one in her mouth and hugged up to Marty, holding the mushroom in her teeth. She kissed him and they chewed it up together, she getting the larger portion. Marty didn’t like to be so out of control and he made a mental note that he was going to have a serious talk with her about it once they got home. Mark and Sarah followed suit, laughing so hard they almost didn’t get to eat it all. “Where did you get so many of these? Are there more?”

  Ellen stood tall and proud and proclaimed, “We grow these on our farm in Kentucky. We even have our own cattle.” She burst out laughing and sat down hard on the ground; Marty came over and sat down beside her. Junior lie quietly on a sleeping bag near the fire, exhausted from a long day’s adventuring.

  “Why don’t I make some tea for later? My special recipe.” Mark stood up and held out his hand, “could I have a few shrooms for the brew.”

  Ellen grabbed the bag and said, “Hold out your hands.” pouring from the bag she gave him at least ten.

  “Whoa, we want to be able to leave…in a few days at least.” Everyone laughed hard; Marty lit another joint and rolled over to kiss Ellen. “We will be right back.” Marty waved half-heartedly as their buddies staggered over to their campsite, glad to have a few minutes alone. Even though there was a constant flow of foot traffic, it felt like a bit of seclusion to them. His hands roamed a bit over her body, but they couldn’t stop giggling long enough to accomplish anything naughty. He knew she was ready to get wild, maybe even out in the open, but not right now.

  Mark pulled the sauce pan off the camp stove to let it steep. The tea bags and the chopped mushrooms were almost ready to mix. Sarah put some sugar and cinnamon in the pitcher; she then added two hits of LSD25 and poured the water in through a strainer. “That ought to be a nice surprise.” she grinned inanely like a mad scientist.

  “That might be dangerous…or not,” said Mark. The effects of the mushrooms caused them to laugh uncontrollably. The mind bending cocktail was ready, their little surprise for their new friends. They looked at each other sheepishly as they walked back to the Baumann’s camper, looking forward to the psychedelic night ahead.

  “Hello in the camp!” Mark called out as they neared the campfire. “Have you got some ice?”

  Marty slowly got up, still laughing, “We sure do, I’ve got a freezer full.” Ellen was quick to brag about their brand new camper, stocked with all the newest frills.

  “He’s got a big ass generator underneath this thing somewhere. You want to come inside?” Everyone paused for a brief second then they all laughed out loud again, at nothing.

  “It’s too confining, besides nobody here is going to fall asleep for a while.” Mark made his proclamation and plopped down on the ground next to Ellen. Marty
returned with four glasses full of ice and joined them on the ground. The cocktail was poured and everyone had a long drink, except Marty. He pretended to drink heavily, but only had a small sip. His fatherly nature spoke to him and he decided not to get any more out of control. He felt he had already gone too far as it was. “I think I should put Junior to bed.” Marty said as he got up. Junior had been resting by the fire when Marty scooped him up and took him in to his bed. He was still asleep when Marty backed away and returned to his friends. It only took half an hour for the cocktail to fully render its effects. Off in the distance was a thunderstorm, and in their present state it was the focus of their attention. Marty was feeling it as well, but he was glad he had poured the rest of his glass out when no one was looking.

  A light rain had started to fall on them and they didn’t care. Marty decided that he was going to take a walk and try to clear his mind. Before he left he looked in on Junior to insure he was still sleeping. All was well; he set out on his trek just after one AM.

  Junior heard the camper door close and got up from his slumber. Still half asleep he walked outside to see what was going on. He was very thirsty and started to ask mom for some water when he spied a glass of tea sitting next to her on the table. He helped himself to a few large gulps and set the glass back down. Ellen turned and saw him standing there, but she couldn’t quit grinning and she couldn’t make sense of anything going on around her. She just patted him on the head and sent him back toward the huge silver Airstream; not checking whether he went inside or not. Junior had already slept several hours and he wanted to play, so he decided to take a hike. Wandering off in the dark to investigate a nearby campsite. Some small fireworks in the distance, a friendly dog barked at him and led him off to play. The rain began to fall faster and heavier. His family camper disappeared in the gloom. Everything around him seemed to be moving in an unnatural way. Sounds and sights that were beginning to frighten him; fear of the horde of hippies crowding him. His gut began to churn and he felt like he was going to be sick. He climbed under some bushes and huddled there afraid to move. Vomiting profusely and retching endlessly, his head began to pound and he could feel himself begin to tremble. All alone in the dark, in a muddy puddle of vomit and rain water. He began to have convulsions and couldn’t even cry out for help. The rain began to come down in sheets now, helpless, afraid, paralyzed and alone, completely alone.

  Marty made his way back to the camp just before four AM. He had hid from the rain in a nearby campsite with some more tripping night owls. The new friends were snuggled in a sleeping bag near the fire, still giggling. Ellen was lying prostrate across the camp table staring at the stars, her eyes wide as half-dollars. Marty leaned to kiss her and she responded hungrily.

  “I was hoping you would come back soon, I’m as horny as a jack rabbit and ready to pounce.” Ellen grabbed him by the zipper and tried to get off the table. With a little more effort she rose and locked her arms around him for a long, sloppy kiss. He couldn’t help but smile and he picked her up to take her inside. They didn’t notice the camper door standing open, or that Junior wasn’t in his bed. He made the trip to the bedroom and wasted no time undressing them both, anxious to spend the morning in her warm embrace. It only took forty minutes before they stopped trying so hard, the acid in their system was making it hard to continue, but they really didn’t care. Marty walked naked to the toilet and relieved himself. Turning right this time to check on Junior, but his bed was empty. He felt it and it was cold, looking around frantically he scanned the camper before running to the bedroom for his clothes.

  “What’s the matter?” Ellen sat up aware that something was wrong.

  “I can’t find Junior. Did you see him get up?” His tone was becoming urgent.

  “No, he slept all night, quietly.” She was becoming straighter as each moment clicked by. “No wait, he came out after you left, but I sent him back to bed.” Ellen’s face began to show the intense worry that only a mother can feel. Marty bolted outside and roused his friends around the fire.

  “You have to help us find our son, he’s wandered off.” Marty’s face was twisted with dread at the fate of his beloved child. Mark spoke first.

  “I don’t remember seeing him last night.” But it was Sarah that cast the damning report.

  “Oh my God, he got up and took a drink of tea and then took off into the dark.”

  “What? He had some of this tea, and nobody tried to stop him?” Marty exploded! Ellen and Sarah were already crying.

  Mark stood up, completely naked, “Hey, everybody, we need help.” he was screaming at the top off his lungs. “Brothers and sisters we need your help, our friend’s five year old has gotten into our stash and now he’s lost. We have to find him. He may be in terrible danger. Free mushrooms to anyone who finds him, he goes by the name Junior.” Mark grabbed a pair of shorts and continued to give his speech. Dozens of flower children and most everybody nearby converged on the camp, dividing into groups and headed off in all directions. It had rained most of the night and even an experienced hunter could not find a trail. It was an agonizing time waiting for any news of Junior. Marty was jogging non-stop calling for him, returning to the campsite every fifteen minutes or so to see if he was there.

  The sun was coming up and the rain had lifted, and it promised to be an otherwise beautiful day. But right now Marty didn’t care if he ever saw another sunrise; he felt his heart being wrenched from his chest. Junior had become the main interest in his life, his reason for living. And right now he wasn’t sure that it was worth continuing unless he could find his son. After nearly an hour he spotted a large bearded man in a tie dyed Dashiki jogging in his direction holding the limp body of a small boy. Marty immediately ran to meet him. It was Junior, twitching involuntarily; sweating profusely and his heart pounding so hard you could see it through his tee shirt. They both ran at top speed toward the medical tent some hundreds of yards away. The big guy trading off carrying Junior during the long haul for help. When Marty got there the aid workers asked what happened. After Marty told them some of what he had ingested they immediately called for an ambulance to take Junior to the hospital. The only way to get him out in a hurry was a helicopter.

  The copter was a commercial job that just happened to be standing by to transport rock stars. But after a few hundred dollars lie across his palm, the pilot had only to call his patrons and tell them he would pick them up later. There wasn’t enough room for passengers and the medics so Marty and Ellen would have to meet them at the hospital.

  He kicked the chairs and table away from camper, haphazardly rolled in the tarpaulin that was connected to the side. They hugged their new friends and quickly gave them their mailing address. Marty fired up the dually, hooked up the camper and began to pull away before Ellen had gotten fully inside. He dumped the rest of the mushrooms out of the window, and glared at Ellen resentfully. She had stopped crying and was holding her chest just over her heart. Any trace of their buzz had long since gone. He blew the horn, gunned the engine spinning his wheels in the mud. Weaving between campsites and pedestrians, making his own road. After nearly two hours he had finally gotten to a paved road and wasted no time pushing traffic out of his way. His driving was maniacal but Ellen didn’t say a word. She knew Marty was very close to explosion or collapse, and she didn’t want to spur him toward either.

  When they had finally reached the hospital, it had been nearly four hours. Both of them feared the worst, only a miracle could help them now. The doctor met them in the emergency room looking like he could chew nails.

  “Just what did you give this boy?” The doctor’s face was very near rage when he barked at them.

  “He wandered off and got into some mushrooms that were at the next campsite. We didn’t know anything about it until later.” Ellen’s face was stony at this point. Marty nodded in agreement knowing that they could possibility be facing some serious criminal charges. “Can we see him? Is he going to be alright?” Marty tried to giv
e the Doctor his best poker face.

  “Sit down here for a minute first. There are some things I need to tell you.” Ellen could feel her heart skip a beat and Marty felt himself begin to swoon. He sat down hard in the chair and put his face in his hands. The Doctor continued, “We had to pump his stomach, though there wasn’t much there. He is stable right now but he has a serious facial twitch that may be with him for a while. Are you sure he didn’t get into something stronger than mushrooms?” They both looked at each other mystified at his question.

  “Not that I know of, but we can’t be sure. You see he wandered off and we didn’t find him till much later.”

  The Doctor calmed his voice a bit and continued, “Well, I’m sure he got into something stronger, much stronger. His facial twitch, I should say muscular deformity, will probably be with him for the rest of his life. And there may be some psychological damage as well.” They all looked at each for a moment without saying a word, then Marty put his face down and began to sob loudly. Ellen slumped in her chair feeling as though she might pass out. “When you two get yourselves together, you can see him.” After a few moments of contemplative silence, Marty got up and helped Ellen from her chair. She was so distraught that her knees wouldn’t hold her weight. Twice she almost went to the floor.

  “It’s all my fault…I should’ve been more careful with the tea…I should’ve….” Her voice weakened into a sob and she couldn’t hold her head up anymore.

  Junior was in a wardroom with about six other children, a nurse sat next to his bed holding his hand and seemed to be praying. She opened her eyes and they could see that she had been crying. There were two IVs in his arms and a heart monitor next to the bed beeping in a regular beat. Almost at once Ellen began to sob loudly and nearly fell on the foot of the bed. Helping her to a chair, the nurse finally spoke.