Sheep's Clothing

by Gary Lewis

  Terry extended his palm to the old man, who stunk of mildew and rotten food. “I’m so sorry, sir,” he said with wide eyes. “We didn’t see you.”

  The blind beggar’s white eyes stared into the space where Terry stood, pulling out his wallet. “You...” His hoarse voice eerily moaned as he pointed his filthy fingernail at Terry. “You’ll be asking for forgiveness soon.” He spoke with a sinister glee through rotten teeth as Terry handed him a five-dollar bill.

  “Come on, Terry,” Sarah said, impatiently waving him over to her parked car. “Let’s go.”

  As she climbed into the car, Terry rushed over and sat in the passenger seat. “What is it, Sarah?” he asked with wide eyes of concern as he buckled his seat belt.

  "It was Benning," she said as she forcefully backed out of the parking spot.

  "Being his usual self, is he?" Terry asked. His eyes darted as she swung a hard left around the building. "Careful."

  Sarah abruptly turned a right onto Central Avenue. "He's sure we're involved in the killings and I wouldn't put anything past him to close a big case and get his name out there," she said, continuing north on Central Avenue.

  "Sure. Whatever you say." Terry held out his palms. "Let's just stay on the road, please."

  She looked over to see him gripping the door handle with one hand and the center console with the other.

  "I know what the hell I'm doing," she said, turning a hard left in the direction of Bluff Mountain and Moss Lake.

  "You already know where it is?" Terry asked.

  "Of course. It's in the woods, right?" she asked. "Just head down the path past the woodcutter to Grandma's cabin?" She noticed that his eyes were still lost. "It was a joke, Terry.”

  With wide eyebrows, he slowly nodded his head up and down at her.

  “I just assumed it was out here somewhere, because..." She flipped her hand up with an eye roll. "What the hell hasn't been, lately?"

  "Oh. I get it," Terry said, still slowly nodding his head. He squeezed a smile across his chubby face before propping his arm against the window and resting his head back. At least he's not hanging on for dear life anymore.

  Sarah glanced over at him. "Are we going to drive around playing hot or cold or you going to tell me where it's at?"

  "Oh yeah." Terry pointed ahead. "Just head to the Big Rock Trail and park there. It's where David and Vance were the other day."

  "Psht. David." Sarah rolled her eyes more slowly this time as she took a right before Moss Lake. "Shortcut."

  "Speaking of David,” he said. “I thought he might be here with you."

  "Why the hell did you think that?" Sarah snapped back.

  "Nevermind,” he said, rubbing slowly at his curly haired head before turning it to look outside the passenger window. “I guess I shouldn't ask."

  When they arrived, the trailhead was deserted. Sarah hopped out, immediately marching to the trail. "Not feeling very manly today?" she shouted behind her where Terry was still hanging back.

  "It's just that..." Terry hesitated and looked around.

  "Out with it, already. Are you going to show me where it is or not?" Sarah held her hands up. "What's it going to be?"

  "I just thought that more of us would be here," Terry said. "After what we saw the night that we were all stuck on the mountain..."

  "And then there's that," Sarah slapped the side of her jeans before raising her palm. "Does anyone want to explain why I'm the only one who still hasn't seen the damn thing."

  Terry still stood beside her car, slowly sweeping his head around at the forest that surrounded them.

  "Look, just tell me where it's at." Sarah said. "I didn't come all the way out here for nothing. You can help yourself to my car, but the keys stay with me." Sarah shook her head as Terry unlatched his hand from the side of her car and began briskly walking toward her.

  "I think I'll take my chances with you," he said, jogging to find a place alongside her.

  "Good. It's settled then," Sarah said as they abandoned the open space behind them to enter the cool shade as lush green plants and looming trees engulfed them.

  "Wait," Sarah said as she stopped with an audible skid of her shoe against the dirt of the trail. "What do you mean, take your chances with me?" He turned toward her and shrugged without saying a word. "Alright, then," she said. They continued their trek until a well-worn gap emerged through the brush to their right. Though it went off trail, it was well worn from regular foot traffic.

  "I think this is it," Terry said, adjusting his glasses.

  "Wait," Sarah said. "Doesn't this head toward the fire tower?"

  "Actually, yes." Terry stepped through the footpath, into the woods. "You already know the place?"

  "Lucky guess." Sarah smiled as she followed. "But I don't really know this way."

  After some time of walking quietly through the woods, Sarah asked, "Are you sure you know where we're going?" Terry didn't answer. They continued walking as the forest got darker and denser. "Terry? It sure got quiet out here."

  Terry stopped just short of the power line clearing ahead and turned to sit on an old log. "This is it," he said slapping his hand down on the damp rotted wood. Sarah couldn't quite figure out what he was getting at.

  "Let me guess. We're going to play fetch and hope that it chokes on a fork sized splinter?"

  Terry smiled. "Well now that you mention it..." He rubbed his chin. "Actually, the scope cam David and Vance mounted is right over there." Terry pointed uphill where the sunlit clearing broke bright light between the trees. "Not only that, but they're pretty sure they got good video evidence of it on that SD card. You see, it probably broke through the clearing to kill that deer just after David mounted the camera."

  "Well, what are we waiting for, let's go get our proof," Sarah said, striding toward the brightly lit grass.

  "Not so fast, Sarah," Terry said.

  "What now?" She swayed back around to face Terry.

  "You see, Sarah, there's some crazy trap set up on the tower." he said. "Only Vance knows how it works. But the real trap is catching whoever tries to get that camera down. We made it a point to tell everyone involved about its location. I was against the idea, myself. But I guess all I can do is pray that nobody randomly goes climbing up there."

  Sarah took a moment to think about it. "So, what happens when nobody goes up there and gets the damn thing down?"

  Terry smiled. "Well, in a few days we're all camping out, right here. That's when they'll disarm the trap and we'll see what we've got.”

  She bent forward to smile down at him. "Sounds like a horrible idea," she said while he looked up at her from his seated position. With a raise of her hand, she stood back up. "Count me in." Sarah shook her head before walking back in the direction they came from and Terry hopped from his rot wood bench to catch up. "You know," Sarah said. "It might be a good idea for me to go ahead and get saved." She took a quick glance behind to him as she continued hiking through the overgrowth of weeds that filled every sunlit inch of the uneven forest floor.

  "It's never too late," Terry said. "When you completely give yourself over to-"

  "Because in a few days," Sarah interrupted. "We're all going to be, you know..." Her smile stretched as she continued. "Dead and all." She cracked a laugh as the trail became visible ahead, between trunks of vine covered bark.

  After stumbling through the last cluster of bushes, they emerged onto the trail and Sarah turned around to get her bearings. "I'm pretty sure it's this way," she said over the rustling of brush that Terry was still squeezing through. The noise was followed by an even louder crash of sticks and leaves that startled her into turning back to face Terry.

  "It wasn't me," he whispered.

  Sarah opened her eyes wide and looked toward the ground with her mouth open, standing solid in place.

  She whispered back at Terry. "Quiet and fast. Let's go."

  Sarah sprinted as silently as possible, sweeping through the forest air. She could hear the
quiet taps of Terry's shoes close behind. Suddenly, his running seemed louder as a crash sounded through the forest beside them. Her legs burst into full speed as Terry quickly caught up to her and the white hood of her car became visible, parked just ahead. As they got closer, the noise faded to the sound of their own feet. They panted for breath all the way back to the car.

  As soon as she reached the familiar, white, four door shelter of safety, Terry rushed into the passenger seat and Sarah swung the driver door open. A pause of hesitation froze her legs before sitting. She stood in the open doorway of her car. The sound of Terry slamming his hand against the dash gave her a startle as she looked back to the trail from which they fled. "Get inside!" Terry's distracting voice pressed her focus while she stared deep into the surrounding forest. All was perfectly still along the edges where sunlight brightly burned against the vivid, leafy splotches of green, brown and gray. The dark gaps between trees offered doorways into a world unseen beyond the first several feet.

  "Hurry!" Terry's voice blasted from inside the car.

  "Shut up for a minute," she shouted into the half open door, still clasped in her hand. "You're the one who wants to spend the night out here." She slowly eased into the driver seat, fixated on every branch for a hint of movement. "Probably just scared a deer or something anyway," she said as she started her engine.

  "Right," Terry said, still huffing as he shook his head up and down. "A deer."

  #David#

  The midday sun met the top of the sky as David drove toward fate, passing one road after another, leaving them all in the past with the breeze that flowed through his face. He pulled into Janice's driveway slowly with a gracefulness that would impress any driving instructor. "Well, Jan. You said wait in the driveway so I don't wake your mom," he said as he gazed through the windshield, across the fields behind her house. A light wind blew when her front door opened and Janice stepped out in a shimmering red dress. Her elegant clothes shifted along her hips and breasts as she strolled down the steps.

  David's heart beat harder as she opened the passenger door to sit down.

  "What?" she asked David with a smile.

  Realizing that he must have been staring a little harder than he thought, he quickly reached for a response, but his trove of witty remarks seemed empty. David opened his mouth and went with the first thing that came out. "You won't have to pinch me," he said.

  "Oh," Janice said with a big smile. "Why is that?"

  "Because I know there's no way I could dream up anything like this."

  "Aww..." Janice's smile began to glow brighter by the second as she leaned closer to David. "I might not pinch you, but..." She let out a quiet giggle.

  "The Sunset then?" David said as he propped his arm over her shoulder.

  "Sounds great. But you should really apologize to Sam for yesterday." Though still smiling, Janice's tone turned to a playful scold.

  David laughed. "You're right. Small price to pay for a dinner date with the most beautiful girl in Pine Bluff."

  Just as he stepped onto the brake to shift into reverse, his pocket vibrated. Obviously not Jan. He began to back out of her driveway, attempting to give no further thought to it. Then the loud sound of a chime rang from hers and she slid her finger up the screen while David pulled out onto the road.

  "It's Sarah," Janice said. "She says her and Terry ran into it by the Big Rock Trail."

  David shook his head and sighed. Of course something would have to try to ruin the most perfect day of my life. He turned his face to her. "It?" As if I even have to ask. Janice just looked back at him for a few seconds as he drove closer to the end of the road. "Jan, I just want all this to be over." His fingers gripped the steering wheel tightly as they sat at the end of her road. "I'm ready to put the monster hunting crap behind us."

  "I know, David. Me too," Janice said. "But she'll know I left it on read. Maybe we could just see if they're okay first?"

  David let out a long and drawn out "I guess," as he pulled out his phone to reply. "On my way." He took a right to drive in the opposite direction of the diner. "We'll take the back way, past the chicken houses. It's shorter."

  Janice took control of the radio as David cruised up the highway, taking a left to pass through the neighborhood where he and Tony had grown up. Her music selection was perfect and as the setting seemed to flow with the romantically slow song, he wondered if anything could possibly go wrong with her at his side.

  They got closer to the chicken houses and run down, rusted trailers came into view. He had forgotten that Vance's trailer park was close to the chicken houses, not far from the back way to the trails. David hoped that it wouldn't ruin the mood as he caressed Janice's shoulder with his right hand, handling the wheel with his left.

  Finally, they passed the chicken houses and David turned onto the old gravel logging road. It snaked and curved through forested hills, eventually bringing them out near the gas station where he saw Sarah's car parked less than a mile from the trail. He slowed to honk twice, waiting for her car to begin moving before he sped on toward the trailhead.

  Having put some distance between them and Sarah, he slowed down before coming to a slow roll into the empty parking at the Big Rock trailhead. David and Janice stepped out onto the circular gravel clearing in the woods and he watched her gracefully walk over to him with the forest behind her.

  "This would make a wonderful portrait," David said with a light laugh, outlining a square with his fingers. "If only the best photographer in Pine Bluff could take it, because it's her."

  Janice quietly smiled, but the blush that filled her cheeks as she looked up into his eyes told him all that he needed to know. He could feel her inching into his space. Their faces became closer as their fingertips started tiptoeing together and David became lost within her shining green eyes. Once again, time stopped and he no longer existed. There was only them. A heavy warmth spread through his arms. If she feels the same… Her eyes gazed back as bright as her smile. …Nothing can come between what we have.

  The sound of crushing gravel became louder by the second. They turned to see Sarah's car flying in. It came to an abrupt stop on the other side of David's car that sent Terry into a whiplashing recoil from her passenger seat. Sarah remained in the car as Terry stepped out with a smile.

  "You two look great today," Terry said.

  Janice turned from David and smiled. "Thanks."

  "So, what's going on?" David asked. As Terry began to open his mouth Sarah's door creaked open and she stepped out onto the gray dirt. Her shortened lips and locked jaw muscles did nothing to distract from the glare pressed beneath her eyebrows. It beamed straight toward David with a pressure he could feel bearing down on him.

  "You couldn't have stopped back there first," she snarked.

  David held out his hand. "I just thought this was where it happened, so..."

  Sarah's unrelenting eyes remained unwaivered. "Didn't think you'd take the time to go pick up company on the way."

  "Well," David said, rubbing the back of his head. "We were about to grab lunch at the Sunset."

  The group went silent as Sarah looked away.

  "Look," he said. "If you're mad because I haven't been out hunting werewolves, I've been kind of busy lately." He attempted it without coming off as sarcastic, but it sounded so ridiculous that it was hard not to.

  "As if I'd care what you've been doing in your spare time," Sarah said with a sideways glance before she folded her arms to look at the trail.

  "Well, I don't know what the problem is, but we came," he said.

  Terry's lips pressed into a silent laugh as he lifted his eyebrows and shifted to the side.

  Janice stepped closer in Sarah's direction. "I'm sure glad you're alright, Sarah. We thought that-" A loud high-pitched sound rang through the woods. As it got louder from behind, they all turned to look downhill where the gravel road cut through the forest. A cloud of dust rose from the trees and continued in their direction.

 
"What the hell?" Sarah asked as she backed a little closer to the group and Janice returned to David's side.

  “What is that?” Janice’s quiet voice was nearly inaudible over the approaching clatter that rattled their eardrums.

  "Sounds like a buzz saw," Terry said.

  "Well,” David said. “Whatever it is, it's coming."

  "Oh really?" Sarah said. "Thanks a lot, captain obvious."

  The metallic scraping noise started to slow and mixed with the beat of loud music. It blared from just around the forested curve until a red pickup pulled around.

  "Ow-woo!" Vance could be heard howling as his arm stuck out the window to raise a bottle of beer. A few others from the football team squatted in the truck bed as thick chains dragged a giant steel cage along the rocks, stirring dirt where he slowed to a stop just past the trail entrance.

  David hadn't prepared for Vance to be there. His mind became blank as he turned to look at Janice. She patted dust from her red dress while Terry and Sarah choked in the cloud of dust. Without Tony there to maintain order, David had to think of something. But dealing with Vance was probably beyond his capability alone. Never mind the fact that he brought his friends.

  With a hard rev of his engine that David felt in his chest, Vance turned to lean his head out the window.

  "You lovebirds ready for the big party?" Vance shouted with a slur that was barely heard above his truck.

  "What's the deal?" David shouted.

  The truck engine rattled to a stop along with the music. David felt his breathing speed up.

  "Camping at the fire tower this weekend, right?" Vance shouted in a drunken stupor. "Just like old times, buddy." He raised his bottle before turning it up for a swig.

  "You're going to get someone killed!" Sarah yelled at Vance.

  "Damn right I am!" He arched his face to the sky in a loud howl and laughed.

  "Where'd you get that?" David asked, motioning toward the large, steel cage chained to the back of Vance's truck. Its thick bars looked fit to hold a gorilla.