"Biting her lips off? Man, no one just loses it like that." Eric shook his head.
Both men sat there, drinking their drinks quietly.
Eric set his glass down and looked at Danny. "What was she singing?"
"It was a nursery rhyme. You know it, Ring around the Rosey." He picked up his beer and downed the rest of the glass.
Eric sat there for a moment, nodding to himself. "Well, that's just creepy." He took a sip from his beer. "You know what that song is about right?"
"It was a children's rhyme. Why does it matter?" Danny started pouring a glass for himself.
Eric sat back in his chair. "It's about the black death, Etter. You know the bubonic plague. Pocketful of posies is what they carried, believing it would prevent them from getting sick. Ashes means they burned those who were sick."
Danny felt a chill run up his spine. He pretended it didn't mean anything. "Some messed up child's rhyme."
Eric played with his glass mumbling something to himself.
Danny tapped the table, grabbing Eric's attention. "What did you say?"
Eric ran his hand through his beard and took another sip. He set it down, but still fumbled with it. "I was saying that darkness is, in reality, the absence of light."
"What's your point?" Danny stared at him now.
"Look, I am not a religious man, but we never know what darkness is."
"Sure, we do."
Eric looked at him with a blank expression. "Then explain to me what it is, Dan."
Danny's confidence fell as he tried to search for an answer. "Well, it's just blackness, I suppose. It's evil."
"Yes, it's evil, but what makes something evil?"
"I don't know," Danny said. He leaned back rubbing the back of his head. "An immoral practice, I guess."
Eric stared at Danny for a moment. "Just as darkness is the absence of light, evil is the absence of God."
Danny rolled his eyes as he took a large sip. "Come on, don’t get all biblical on me. I thought you weren't religious?"
Eric sat up waving his hands. "I'm not, but I believe there is truth to everything." He grabbed the pitcher and refilled both their glasses.
Danny liked that idea. It made some sense as to why people acted the way they did.
"To the truth," Danny said, raising his glass. "May it be a blinding light."
The two men clinked their drinks and chugged them. The night was young, and both men had memories that they wanted to forget.
By the time midnight had arrived both men had nearly drunk three pitchers. The cute bartender's shift ended and had now taken a particular liking to Eric. Danny decided he would be better off leaving the two rather than third wheeling it. He said his goodbyes with mild protest from Eric, but eventually yielded. Danny had a couple of miles ahead of him and no phone, but he figured he could walk off the buzz.
God it was good to be back.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
DANNY COULD NOT wait as he sprinted into the bushes to take a leak. He fumbled with his belt finally getting it undone.
Holy shit.
The street was littered with leaves and debris from the strong winds that had blown through several days ago.
"Come on, Dan, relax the prostate," he said to himself as a gentle stream started to pepper the poor bush beneath him.
Can barely go even when I need to.
The light above started to sputter and suddenly went out. Danny's heart rate and stream increased as he felt the urge to get moving. The bushes thrashed as he stowed his phallus but he realized that he didn’t shake it out thoroughly. A little pee spot emerged on his jeans.
Great! Absolutely great!
The cold air brushed against his neck as he walked around the corner of the street. He could see his garage door roughly 100 meters down the cul-de-sac. A pair of scooters were abandoned on the asphalt. Danny always thought kids these days were careless and spoiled, especially Mitch's kids.
Little entitled shits.
He was about to grab one of the scooters when something moved up ahead. A curtain shifted on a second story window one house down. Danny lowered his head as he shoved his hands in his jacket. A dog howled a few blocks away, drawing his eyes away from the window. He picked up the pace nearly in a slight jog as he stumbled towards his house. His hands fumbled with the keys as he tried to find the right one for the back door. The unoiled hinges made him grit his teeth.
Gotta fix that thing.
The back door gently slid open, and Danny shuffled inside locking it behind him. He looked out at the empty house laughing at his childish fear. The home was warm, safe. Danny opened the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water.
Look at me. Hell, maybe I kicked this alcoholism after all.
He threw himself down on the sofa and took a large sip of water. Danny's eyes looked about the room and finally settled on the bear that sat on the coffee table.
"I would have brought you a cold one there, Jazzy Bear, but I figured Susan would get mad," Danny said, smiling.
He grabbed the bear with both hands, amazed at how soft the fur was. Danny curled it under his arm and started petting it like it was a real animal.
I missed this.
He grabbed his phone and opened it. The bright screen was almost too much to bear as he pulled it away from his eyes.
"Maybe we should call Suzzie? What do you think, Jazzy?" Danny asked, looking down at the bear.
Two glossy brown eyes stared back oblivious. Danny laughed at himself.
"Well, Jazzy, that's more of a reaction than Lucas, but I think you're right. Let's give her a call."
The phone started to ring, and suddenly the line picked up.
"Dan," Maria said, she sounded tired. "What's going on? Is everything alright?"
Far from Mar, but I am still alive.
Danny smiled. "Yeah. It's all good over here, Mar." His words slurred slightly. "I was hoping to catch Susan. I owe her a little bedtime story."
"Dan, it's one in the morning." Maria said. Her voice had the early morning roughness to it.
Danny looked around in shock. "I could have sworn it was only ten."
"Danny, Susan is fast asleep. What the hell are you thinking?"
"I just wanted to make sure everyone was good," Danny said. His words slurred just a little.
It was quiet on the line. "You son of a bitch," Maria said in disgust. "You are drinking again, aren't you?"
"I had a few, but look Mar it was all for a reason, okay? Eric and I had to handle something, and it got completely out of hand."
"You expect me to believe that, Danny? After all the shit you put us through?"
"Maria. Mar, we found out what happened to Kevin---"
"Damn you, Danny," Maria said, crying on the other line.
"Honey, let me just explain. There is something seriously wrong here. I was----"
"Enough!"
Danny sank into the couch silently.
Maria sniffled on the other line. "I was close to forgiving you for what happened before, but how can I move forward if you just keep falling back to your past?"
"Mar, come on. It was just a couple."
"I'm done, Danny! You hear me? I am so done!"
The line cut off. Danny sat there for a moment in silence, but the rage inside of him started to rise. His leg started to tap faster until his whole body looked as though it was about to boil over. The words repeated in his head.
Over! Fucking over! OVER!
Danny nearly jumped out of his seat, throwing his phone against the glass door. It thumped off and scattered on the tile floor in the kitchen. He grabbed the coffee table and flipped it, sending its glass top shattering on the floor.
"She has no clue about what is going on here! Not a fucking clue!" Danny yelled.
He fell to the couch sobbing to himself now.
Damn you!
He held Jazzy Bear in his hands as he held back his tears. The clock ticked away slowly on the wall. A dog barked outside as pol
ice sirens echoed far off. Danny didn’t notice it at first, but a light tapping started to come from the wall to his right.
What?
He stared at the wall.
The tapping stayed at a steady rhythm. It slowly calmed his emotions as he closed his eyes for a moment. Danny sat up, still holding the bear as the tapping grew a little louder. He drew his ear close to the wall. The tapping was more of a knock.
"What the hell is Ken doing over there?" Danny muttered to himself.
Slowly, he raised his hand and knocked back like he would on someone's front door. The tapping ceased immediately. Danny smiled slightly as he backed away from the wall.
Weird.
The house fell silent.
"Worked like a charm, Jazzy," Danny said as he went to sit back down. He fell into the couch, sighing. The knocking started again. This time it was faster, almost thumping every second or so.
Probably Ken’s damn kids or something.
"Hey! Quiet down!" Danny yelled as he banged on the wall.
The tapping went silent.
"That’s more like it," Danny said, easing back into the couch.
Ken did mention that they would be back.
Suddenly the wall cracked as something heavy slammed against it. Danny fell on the floor looking up at the wall.
"What the hell?" He whispered. Danny called out, smacking his hand on the drywall, "Hey! Knock it off you two---"
Something hit the wall again, this time much harder. He could hear the studs and drywall cracking. Danny backed away from the wall. Another massive hit shot the wedding photo of Danny and Maria crashing to the floor. The glass frame cracked right between them in the photo.
"Those kids are done!" Danny yelled as he ran to the front door.
His anger fueled him as he yanked the door open. He started down his front steps but stopped in his tracks as he looked at Ken's door. A low bush divided the two front doors, but there was no red door staring back at Danny. All that stood in front of him was an open door frame. Inside there was only darkness that welcomed him.
Huh?
It felt as though all the alcohol was stripped from Danny’s system. The hairs on his neck stood erect and that warm feeling was replaced with cold hollow fear.
This is wrong. This is very wrong.
He heard the heavy footsteps and a crack.
No. No. NO!
The tapping grew louder, but he couldn't see anything. It then became quiet. That eeriness filled the void of silence as Danny cautiously walked back up his own steps. He held his breath and blinked.
Danny took another step back. He took another breath and blinked. When his eyes opened, a torn and bloody face emerged from the darkness. The impact knocked the wind out of Danny’s lungs as his head smacked on the concrete floor.
What the----
He gasped for breath trying to regain focus. A half-naked man stood above him chewing something that looked like flayed meat.
The man tore at his own face shoving small bits of flayed skin in his mouth as his eyes darted around sporadically.
This can’t be real.
The panic set in as Danny realized he was close to his front door. He began to crawl back towards it. The slight movement drew the man right to Danny. The familiar face smiled and began to walk towards Danny.
"This isn’t real," Danny said as he backpedaled on the ground.
Suddenly, an inhuman scream came from the man. He bent over spitting up tissue and blood on the grey concrete. His head snapped back at where his prey was, but Danny was gone. The front door slammed shut just as the man let out another blood-curdling scream. Danny covered his ears as the cry nearly blew out his eardrums.
Shit! SHIT! SHIT!
He ran for the stairs. A loud crack came from the door, and he heard the door begin to splinter. Another scream came from outside. Danny reached the top and sprinted for the bedroom.
Come on!
Another crack and he heard the door slam open. Danny pulled the upstairs door closed, locking it.
He's coming.
Danny heard heavy footsteps run up the stairs as he ran to his gun safe.
He's coming!
Danny fumbled with the combination.
"Come on!" he yelled to himself.
HE'S COMING!
He couldn't open it.
Something! Anything!
The smell overwhelmed his senses. It was the same smell that was at Kevin’s and that horror show at the YMCA.
It can't be.
Danny felt for something. The cold metal of his safe then leather. He gripped his Ka-Bar knife and unsheathed it.
HE'S HERE!
The door made a cracking sound as the man ran into it. The door flew open as the sound of splintering wood was drowned out by another blood-curdling scream. The man flew into the room right past Danny. He crashed into the wall making a massive hole in the drywall. The crazed man fell into the bathroom and into total darkness.
Every bone in Danny’s body was shaking. He felt a warm liquid run down his leg as his knees buckled against one another.
No. Please no!
It fell quiet, making Danny realize how dark it was in the house. He backed out of the room into the long hallway, near the stairs. A loud laugh came from the bathroom.
Danny held the knife in his shaking hands. It felt awkward and slippery. "Back the fuck off!"
The man’s laugh grew even louder as he started to choke. Danny’s chest felt like it was about to burst as he gripped the knife tightly. The laughing died off now and all Danny could see was a dark door frame and a shadow that stood staring back at him. The shadow stepped out of the door. Danny’s heart nearly fell to the floor as he realized who that man was.
"Ken, don’t do it," Danny said with tears in his eyes.
Ken’s head cocked to the side. Suddenly, he screamed again and charged Danny.
Shit!
With only one option left, Danny tensed up and ran towards Ken, lowering his shoulder. They collided with a massive impact as they both fell to the floor. Danny's weight gave him more momentum sending him tumbling on Ken's frail body. That didn't stop Ken from trying to rip at Danny's throat.
A snapping sound was right near Danny’s face as Ken tried to bite him. Danny began burying the blade deep into Ken's ribs as fast as he could. Chunks of meat were spat into his face as he recoiled from it. The screaming became louder now like a caged animal. Danny felt the warmth of his friend’s blood as it began seeping all over the blade. The handle of the knife became hard to grasp, but Danny started to twist it. Ken began to push away from him, trying to escape. He grabbed Danny's neck. The man's fingernails dug into Danny’s throat near his carotid arteries.
"Stop!" Danny cried out.
Ken smiled into Danny's eyes as he pulled at Danny's hair. "Fuck you!" he screamed.
Danny pulled the knife out of Ken's rib cage and with all his strength, jammed the point into his left eye. It went in easier than he imagined making him stuff it deeper and deeper into the man’s skull until the hilt of the blade was flush with his eye socket. Ken's grasp fell away, and his body began to convulse in a spasm. Danny's wet hands lost the grip of the knife as Ken's entire body convulsed out of control. Something was sick in Danny’s stomach. The smell alone made him puke all over Ken's corpse. Danny jumped up and ran to the bathroom. He let go of a gagging rage of vomit that swung in the sink like beaten eggs. Frantically, Danny reached for the light.
What have I done? Oh God, what have I done?
The image he saw made him gag. His face and hands were caked in blood. Chunks of meat and flesh were speckled on his face like wet tissue paper.
Ken.
He began to scrub as fast he could with hot water, sobbing like a child as he frantically tried to clean himself. He rubbed so hard his own skin was raw and pink. It was all too much for him. It felt as though he was drowning.
What do I do? What do I do? You have got to call the police, Dan.
; "Right—um— okay," Danny muttered to himself.
Danny shut the water off and made for the hallway. The light from the bathroom showed half of Ken's body. Blood had begun to pool in the carpet making the once off-grey rug a dark red. It wasn’t a neat pool either as chunks of tissue fell onto the floor. He tiptoed around the body, gagging at the smell that engulfed the hallway now. Another stream of vomit erupted from Danny’s mouth at the top of the stairs causing him to nearly fall. He ran down using the railing to guide him. The front door had been nearly pulled from its hinges leaving the front door light to illuminate the dining room in a hazy fluorescent orange.
How is this real?
"Right, my phone. My phone," Danny stuttered to himself. He flicked the living room lights on and threw the pillow and blankets away from the sofa.
"Come on, where is it?"
Kitchen.
Danny ran to the kitchen, slipping on the tile. Blood marks caked the floor as he stood up. He grabbed the phone and swiped his hand over the cracked screen. Nothing happened.
"Wet hands. Come on."
He wiped his hands on his pants and went to swipe the screen again. Blood smudged all over it.
"No!" Danny ran to the kitchen, grabbing a dish towel. He scrubbed and scrubbed, cleaning it just slightly. He swiped again this time unlocking the phone. The ring tone started, and Danny put the phone on speaker.
A monotone voice answered, "Hello, you have reached the City of Canyon Crest Police Department. We cannot assist you at the moment, due to a large influx of calls. If someone has died or has a serious injury, press one—"
Danny couldn't believe what he was hearing. He tried to press one but his hand was still wet. "Come on!"
"If you are having a heart attack, press two."
"More than a goddamn heart attack!" Danny cancelled the call.
A dog howled off in the distance. Danny leaned on the island, trying to think.
What is happening here? What is happening?
"News," Danny mumbled. His head shot up, and he walked towards the TV and turned it on.
A news anchor started to speak. "Authorities in Orange County are experiencing a large number of calls forcing them to stretch thin. L.A. County is experiencing the same, making people question what is really going on in Southern California."
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