“What do you do?” Thomas asks.
With a perfect grip on her emotions, she says, “We kill.”
Melanie and Arianna keep Wesley and Andrea close to them as they start packing up boxes.
“Don’t be silly. We aren’t leaving,” Thomas says.
“He’s right. He and I will investigate this with the mayor and we’ll prove that some of the residents here are just…”
“What? Crazy?” Melanie says. “I can’t risk Andrea finding it. She is already talking about the smiling man. You know who that is?”
Michael nods.
“You are putting their son in danger too. You think he is only after Andrea? How can you do this to us? You know how impressionable she is. He’ll tempt her and she’ll follow. You can’t expect Wesley to always save her.”
“Mike, say something,” Arianna says.
“I don’t know. Wesley and Andrea go into this cave that everyone is talking about. Stay out all night. I don’t know what to think.”
“Thomas, you know exactly what it means. You two idiots came here with the intention to let Andrea be tempted and have our son clean up your mess. I hate you.”
“I am going over to Gordon’s house. We will clear this up,” Thomas says.
“Stop relying on others to clean up your mess.”
“Arianna, we will take the children and let our husbands drown in their stupidity.”
Thomas raps on the door hard.
“He’s an old guy. Don’t be so nasty.”
“He wasn’t old looking when he met him.”
“Exactly. Think about that for a second.”
Thomas steps back. “I don’t want to admit that our wives are right.”
Gordon opens the door. “Gentlemen?”
“Please, come and tell our wives that you people here are just superstitious about the forest or the bridge or whatever and tell them that there is nothing wrong here.”
“Mr. Darsmin, I can’t lie to them like that.”
“I don’t believe this,” Michael says.
“They are coming for your children tonight.”
Thomas’s attitude changes instantly. “If anyone lays a hand on my son, I am stabbing them in the eye.”
“The same goes for me.”
Abbey leans over the railing. Although there is water down there, she sees beyond it. “I wish I could fly away from here.”
“Fly away?” Wesley says.
She jumps. “Oh, it’s you.”
“Where would you fly to?” He stands next to her and she moves away. “Would you go on a plane? Or sprout wings of your own?”
“You are a strange little boy. I’ve never been on a plane. And I doubt I’ll ever have my own wings, no matter how much I dream about it.”
He smiles. “Dreams are powerful.”
“What kind of boy are you?” She grips his shoulders, stares deep into his eyes.
He looks away from her, to the water. “I often get seasick. Yet my parents keep taking me on boats.”
“Huh?”
“You can be afraid of this little world of yours, but that doesn’t mean you have to let it rule you.” He reaches up to whisper into her ear. “That’s your freedom, Abbey.”
He walks away, whistling a sweet tune.
“But the moon does rule us.”
“Says who?”
“Says… You know, I don’t know.”
“See, it’s not really a problem.”
Her face brightens. Like inspiration in its fine making. “What a strange boy.”
Arianna watches her son coming up the driveway. Thomas puts his hand on her shoulder. “What is it?”
“He’s doing it again.” She shrugs him off. “He’s changing things again. I don’t like to fight with you. Do you want to see a repeat of home?” She is more disgusted with herself than him. She is the mother. The one who is supposed to see things coming before the father because of motherly instinct and all that jazz.
“You want me to keep the boy in a cage? He has made friends. He is doing better. Things will be fine. I’ll make sure of it.”
“No, he’s not.” She grabs a glass vase and smashes it on the floor. “I want you to stop pretending that he can be normal. He isn’t like them.”
“They are all under the impression that I am fumed about these men coming for him tonight. Just wait and see what happens when they do.”
“Thomas, if you use that thing again, we will be in serious trouble. You shouldn’t have even brought it with you.”
Wesley comes inside. His eyes find the broken vase at once. “Mother? Father?” Without another word he begins collecting the pieces.
“See, Thomas? It’ll be as good as new in a few hours.”
“What is she talking about? It will take me more than a few hours to collect all the tiny pieces.”
Thomas helps his son collect the pieces. “Son, you have to stop changing things for these people.”
“I’m not.”
“You remember what happened to home?”
Wesley stops and sits back. “I do.”
“We came here because of what this community offers.”
“But you said not to fight against this. You yourself have - -”
“Wesley, you will stop this. I’ll send you to the place that you wish never to see again.”
“You can’t. Andrea will follow me. Didn’t we move here because of her? We swore to her parents that we’d keep her away from that other place.”
Thomas walks into his office and slams the door.
“Eventually we are heading back there.” Wesley goes back to gathering the broken pieces.
Arianna kneels down next to him. “Son, of course we are going back one day. But not for a while.”
“I don’t want to hear about it anymore, Mother.”
Darma has assembled the entire community. Her husband lies down on the couch while she instructs the others throughout the dining room and kitchen.
“We can’t just kill them,” Henry Jones says.
“The new moon supplies us with the perfect alibi,” Darma says. “We all know what happens during the new moon. Whether we want to admit it or not.”
“Why not get them to leave by another way?” Sam Dunes says.
“If it were that easy, I’d do it,” Abigal says.
“You told them about us,” Darma says.
“Not exactly. I mean I mentioned a few things. I explained what happens during the cycles. I thought it’d get them to leave. They are intrigued. But how can they endanger their children?”
Darma pours herself a glass of wine. “Those children. That boy.”
“Wesley is a good kid,” Abigal says.
“That would get them to leave. Kill the boy.” Darma sips the wine like a sophisticated lady lounging by the pool.
Abigal runs out of the house. Can she believe what she heard?
Mark goes after Abigal. “Mrs. Martin?”
“Not now, Mark.”
“Tell Abbey that I’m really sorry.”
She grabs Mark’s hand, holding onto him like he was her life saver. “We will be free of this curse.”
“Can you tell Abbey that I will be waiting for her tonight?”
“Sure. I’m glad that it is you that she will have.”
Abigal sits in a chair in the living room, staring at her empty coffee mug, then starts staring out the window.
Abbey comes downstairs and looks for a snack. “What happened to the cookies that Jilly made?”
Abigal stares at her daughter with a blank expression.
“Mom?” Abbey peeks over the island counter.
Abigal continues to stare, no sign of speaking.
“Earth to Mom.”
Still no words.
“I guess I’ll find something else.”
“How did you fight back?”
“I don’t know. One moment I was ready to let go and have Mark take my body. Then I was able to resist.”
; Abbey grabs a bag of potato chips and heads for the stairs.
“No one just resists out of nowhere.”
“What happens if you resist? You don’t know because you never tried. I did try, and I succeeded.”
Gordon gets up to answer the knocking on his front door.
He grows pale as he looks upon two men. One is dressed in a cop’s uniform and the other like a CEO. They wear hardened expressions.
“May we come in?” the wannabe cop asks.
“Sure.”
They walk inside. Gordon closes the door quickly.
“You are early. The moon is not due out for a few hours.”
“We have come to discuss a few things about the newcomers,” the businessman says.
Gordon’s shaky legs are about to fall out from under him. He finds a chair and sits down. The gentlemen continue to stand.
“You’re going to let them break this curse,” the wannabe cop says.
“Maybe my hearing is going finally. What did you just say?”
“You remember what happened at Stanley’s house?” the businessman says.
Gordon grips his chest, sweat comes down his face. He nods with effort.
“Good. Then we don’t need to remind you. Now, as for Wesley Darsmin. Befriend him. You’re going to take him into the cave tonight.”
“Me? But I don’t know where it is.”
“Liar,” the wannabe cop says.
Gordon stands. “You two better leave.”
“Andrea O’Kelly is to remain with you during the cycle,” the businessman says.
Gordon shakes his head. “You’re killing me.”
“We can,” the businessman says.
“Let me do it,” the wannabe cop says.
The businessman raises his hand. “Gordon is going to do as we say. If he wants to see his wife again.”
“Elaine?” He smiles into the air. “How I long to see you again.”
Wannabe cop looks at businessman. “We should go now.”
“Have a good night, Mr. Peters.”
As the two gentlemen leave, Gordon remains transfixed on the image of his wife hanging above him.
3
The moon comes out.
The left side of the road is full of groaning and moaning. Passion at its highest.
Abbey comes out of her house to meet her friend Mark.
“Let’s go down to the beach,” he says.
“Perfect.”
They run together to the end of the road, up over the dune.
Gordon can’t resist it anymore. He climbs over the railing of the bridge. “Honey, I’m coming home.” His grasp is barely firm. Each finger slowly lets go. He falls feet first into the stream that empties into a river. It’s a strong current today. He had fished down here many times but never had a strong current like this. The water rolls over and over the top of his head until he goes down and doesn’t come up.
Two shadows loom over the railing. Gordon’s dead body washes up onto a grassy patch.
Wesley goes into his parent’s bedroom. He stands at the foot of the bed like a creepy little kid from a horror movie who is about to devour his parents. A shadow passes their window. He goes to the window and looks down and around.
“Wesley?” His mother wakes and frantically gets out of bed.
“What?” His father wakes and almost falls out of the bed.
“Someone is out there.”
A knock on the front door brings the three of them downstairs.
“I’ll handle this,” Thomas says. He opens the door.
“Good evening,” the wannabe cop says.
“You’re here for my son?”
“No. We wanted to make sure that Gordon did as we asked. I see that he didn’t.”
Andrea comes into her parent’s bedroom and tugs on her mother’s arm. She wakes, rubbing her eyes. “Andrea, dear, what is it?”
“There’s someone outside the house.”
Melaine quickly puts on a robe and shakes her husband awake.
“Mel, what is it? Andrea?”
“Andrea saw someone downstairs outside the house.”
Michael puts his wife and daughter into the bed. “You two stay here.” He leaves the room, closing the door behind him.
“Mommy.”
“It’ll be okay.” Melanie opens the door and goes out. Andrea runs after her, but her mother closes the door on her. She holds onto the doorknob so Andrea can’t open the door. “I’m sorry.”
Michael opens the front door. “Who the hell are you?”
“Good evening, Mr. O’Kelly,” the businessman says.
“You here for my daughter?”
“No. I came to see if Gordon completed his task. I see he didn’t.”
“What do you want?”
“I’m afraid that your daughter will need to come with me, after all.”
“You come near my daughter and I’ll break every bone in your body.”
The businessman laughs, hard and echoing.
Melanie appears next to her husband. “What is it, Michael?”
“Where is Andrea?”
Andrea appears from behind her mother.
“Hello, Andrea.” He is so casual in his greeting, like he knows her.
“You can’t have her,” Melanie says. Immediately recognizing the businessman for who he truly is.
“Melanie, take Andrea upstairs.”
“You can’t see who he is?”
“Your wives were always better at perception. Too bad that Thomas didn’t have his wife deal with me instead. Wesley might have been safe.”
Andrea walks up to the businessman and kicks him in the leg. He winces, but recovers.
“Andrea!” Melanie pulls her back.
“She comes with me.” The businessman grabs Andrea by the hand. She kicks and screams.
Melanie and Michael punch and kick the businessman but nothing is hurting him. Only Andrea’s kick made him cringe in pain. Melanie and Michael try all they can but they can’t get to her. They can’t get past whatever the businessman did to the space around them.
The businessman keeps his hand tight around Andrea’s hand. “Andrea, do you feel safe with me?”
Andrea shakes her head.
“Aww, you will.”
They walk alongside the forest until they take a sharp turn inside. Andrea struggles to get free.
“No. Don’t wanna go.”
“Andrea, you will do well to listen to what you are told.”
Andrea used to like this forest. The idea of playing by the water’s edge or chasing butterflies around the grassy areas, but now she hates it. And she is powerless against the businessman.
As they continue down the dark path, light comes. In the form of tiny bugs. They light up the path here and there, giving some hope of good things to come. Andrea tries to catch them as they walk along. Their lights burn brighter as they approach the cave.
The wannabe cop stands at the entrance. Arms folded. Like he expected his comrade to have been here sooner and he has to suffer the disappointment of doing this alone.
The businessman pushes Andrea forward. The bugs’ lights dance around her head then fly off. The wannabe cop takes Andrea by the hand and leads her into the cave.
It smells and looks different than last she saw it. There’s moss growing at the foot bed. Vines hanging down the mouth and scattered along the walls where holes let in light and escape. Only big enough for small things to get through. With no light to navigate, Andrea wonders if she will step in something bad or turn the wrong way. And what has become of Wesley? He is the only reason she is somewhat accepting this would-be holding cell.
“Please, let me go.”
“You’ll be reunited with your friend soon.”
The cave seems to go on for miles. There are no turns. There are no hidden chambers. Where can everyone be hiding?
Andrea listens carefully. She wants to hear another child’s voice. But she hears something else. Scratching. Gn
awing. Her heart races. She has always been a shy girl but she has never been afraid. Now she is.
The wannabe cop stops, causing her to hide behind him.
“End of the line, little one.”
She comes around him. “Where?”
“You have to go inside there.” He points up ahead.
She shakes her head “no” and hides behind him.
He takes her out from behind him and pushes her forward. “You remember this, don’t you? It barely hurts.”
She takes a step forward. The scratching. The gnawing. Growing intense. Close. She looks behind her. Gulps hard. Takes a step forward. “Wesley?” It’s almost a whisper.
But loud enough to wake what lies ahead.
The darkness before her opens. A slit right down the center of it. Light of all colors beams out. Illuminates the things behind the scratching and the gnawing. The talons of hawks and eagles and falcons emerge from the darkness and into the light. The gnawing of wolves with bones in their mouths, flesh still stuck to them. As they move with the light, their bodies are illuminated in brilliant shades of red and blue.
Andrea is dazzled by the lights. By the illuminated animals.
“Andrea!” Wesley cries out.
“Wesley!” She runs to the light.
Andrea looks around for a moment before she starts walking. A beautiful glistening stream enchants her. She bends down and tries to catch the frogs jumping from lily pad to lily pad. Butterflies flutter around her and then cross over to the other side of the stream. She splashes into the water after them. Though the water isn’t deep enough to cause her harm, it still holds danger.
All around her are trees that shine like jewels. Their tops shake in the wind and create a melody that is as light as the air that wraps around them. Swooping down are the birds from before. They barely touch the top of her hair. Seeing as they mean no harm, she smiles up at them, reaching out. Swooshing besides her. The wolves run on either side of her, anxious to outrun each other. Once more, no harm intended for her. She runs after them until she reaches the only dark portion of the forest.
Relics and Runes Anthology Page 89