Dark Gardens

by Erb, Thom

  All the best,

  Thom Erb

  Cutting Class

  Cutting Class

  Ricky Spelling stared out the window of Arcadia Falls’ elementary school. The array of red, orange, and yellow leaves from the large rows of maple trees created a cocoon for the kids playing and running around the playground. The fall sun would have normally felt warm and comforting through the thick glass of the classroom’s multi-paned window. But today, it might as well have been another cold brick wall.

  “So what are you gonna do?” Ray said. He shot a hot stare at Shelly, who nodded her head in agreement.

  “I don’t know…yet,” Ricky responded. His voice cracked and flitted into the humid air of Mrs. Dickson’s classroom.

  “You can’t stay in here forever,” The voice from behind him had awoken him from his tranquil gaze.

  “Yeah those jerks have been calling you names since kindergarten man,” Dylan added.

  “I know,” Ricky said, pushing up his thick glasses, and staring out the window.

  “Come on, how many times do they have to smash your face into your locker before you do something?” Ray added.

  “Don’t be such a wimp. It’s only gym class. Don’t let that piece of crap Mr. Brown make you his bitch!” Ray shouted.

  Ricky shifted on his thin and frail feet. He found his breathing difficult and it was getting worse by the day. He wheezed as he tried to draw in a deep breath. He snatched his inhaler from his pale blue shirt pocket and took a puff. He felt some relief.

  “Ah, leave him alone guys. You know he can’t do all the push-ups and stuff that Mr. Brown wants him to do,” Shelly pleaded.

  “Ah, the hell with that jerk,” Ray jumped in. “If you don’t go Ricky, he will make your life miserable. You saw what he did to that Felton kid.” Dylan finished and walked behind Mrs. Dickson’s desk and tossed one of the several silver pens about the cluttered mess.

  “I know guys. I do the best I can every time but no matter what I do, it’s never good enough for him,” Ricky said and leaned against the window as the rain began to pelt the glass and dark clouds replaced the sunny skies that sent warm beams of light into the classroom.

  “Don’t take his crap Ricky.” Ray said.

  Shelly stepped forward and placed a comforting hand on Ricky’s frail shoulder.

  “That’s easy for you to say Ray,” Shelly said. “You can run the laps and do the pushups and stuff the way Mr. Brown wants you to. It comes pretty darn easy for you,” She crossed her arms and finished with a pout.

  “Yeah…so what? Ray shouted back. If Ricky really got out there and tried, he could be just as good as everyone else. If not, well, then he shouldn’t be out there.” He finished.

  “How much crap should he have to take Ray?” Shelly shouted and stepped forward into the classroom.

  “What do you mean?” Ray said. Crossing his arms and plunking down into Mrs. Dickson’s cushioned chair.

  “Come on, Ricky gets dressed for every class and does the best he can. But that doesn’t matter. Everyone just stares and laughs at him and points. It’s him and the other fat kids that Mr. Brown picks on for crying out loud.” Shelly said. She slammed her hand on the desk and her face turned bright red.

  The room seemed to darken and the shadows claimed all that was once light and filled the room with grey.

  “All the more reason to tell that jerk gym teacher to pound rock salt and all the other idiots in your gym class Ricky.” Ray punched the desk and papers were sent flying off of the large wooden desk.

  Ricky swallowed hard and turned his attention back out the window. This was an ongoing struggle in his life. He had no confidence. His dad was never around. He always had some fire department function to attend to or some bowling league that needed his attention. His mom would always tell him that it would be alright and everything would be okay. He never had the heart to tell her that she was wrong. That his life sucked, being the skinny kid and always sick. He was the one that everyone glared at and made cruel jokes about. He developed an effective defense system, but it wasn’t perfect. Some days still came hard and crying on the bus on the way home, wasn’t an unfamiliar occurrence.

  The silence was broken by the static-filled speaker shattering the shadows and sending them to the corners of Mrs. Dickson’s room. Ricky cringed, as the all-knowing voice, invading his sanctuary.

  “All students must report the gymnasium for the State’s physical fitness tests. Mr. Brown is waiting for all to take the required test.” The static-filled voice finished and hung in the air like a heavy summer haze.

  The only sounds that could be heard in the sixth grade classroom was that of the rhythmic timing of the large numbered clock hanging on the pale green painted wall next to a long poster of the President’s of the United States, the pounding slapping of the torrential rain that now battered the windows. Put the overriding sound was that of Ricky Spelling’s racing heartbeat.

  Ray rose and walked over to Ricky and put his arm around him and leaned into his pale ear.

  “Hey Rick, you remember when I brought my Dad’s pistol into school a couple of weeks ago?” Ray whispered low and looked up at Shelly and gave her a smirk and a wink. He pulled Ricky in closer. She sneered at him. He knew she didn’t hear him.

  “Yeah, I remember Ray, so what?” Ricky’s voice shook and caught in his throat. Ray was always pushing him to be stronger; to be more like their father. A tough take no crap Marine. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t make Ray or their dad happy. He was always the scrawny pussy and he would never be able to change their perception. He wanted to resist but that never worked. It always ended up with him getting his butt kicked and became the entertainment at the family dinner table. So he caved like always and let Ray pull him closer and whisper into his ear.

  “You know what Dad says Ricky; a man can only take so much and this dumb ass gym teacher has had his final joke on you bro,” Ray said and squeezed Ricky’s shoulder tighter and he could feel even more air come out of his frail brother.

  The dark clouds penetrated the classroom and large rain drops splattered against the windows and the shadows grew long and stretched out and created eerie shapes against the far wall, and Ricky shivered as the temperature in the room seem to drop twenty degrees.

  “I think you should just go to the gym Ricky, it’s easier that way.” Dylan urged and sunk into one of the desks. His tone was one of defeat and desperation.

  “Dylan’s right. You know how Coach Brown can be. Just take the test and get it over with.” Shelly matched Dylan’s tone and her eyes dripped with soft tears as she too, took a seat in one of the desks.

  “The hell with that you guys. Brown’s a dick and he will do nothin’ but make Ricky cry. He will get him out there and have him demonstrate all of the tests, knowing that poor Ricky boy here, can barely change into his gym clothes, without being out of breathe and he will laugh at him, while the rest of them do too.

  “Come on now Ricky, are you gonna take this shit for the rest of your life or are you gonna be a man? Let’s teach that son of a bitch, who’s the boss.” Ray reached into his jean jacket pocket and pulled out a snub nose 38. And smiled, as he shoved it into Ricky’s quivering, sweat-covered hand.

  “You don’t have to hurt anyone Ricky, just scare the living crap out of them that’s all,” Ray nodded and chuckled, as Ricky grasped the walnut grip of the pistol.

  Shelly and Dylan both jumped from their desks and rushed towards Ricky and stopped short of him.

  “Don’t listen to Ray, he’s crazy! You can’t bring a gun into school.” Dylan pleads, his tears growing in number as he speaks.

  “It won’t solve anything. It will only make you just as bad as Mr. Brown and all those other idiots that make fun of you. Shelly added and tried to grab a hold of Ricky’s arm and pull him back, away from the doorway.

  “Screw them Rick!” Ray shoved Shelly backwards and grabbed Ricky by the shaking, shoulders and stared into his
wide eyes.

  “I’ve had enough of the namby-pamby shit. There’s been enough talk. Brown has had his day and now it’s time for you to speak for all of those silently tortured kids, just like you.” Blackness came pouring out of Ray’s gritted teeth and the long, swirling tentacles of anger and hate slithered out and enveloped all within the classroom.

  A loud, high-pitched wailing scream filled all their ears and brought them to their knees and the stench of rotting flesh and brimstone filled the room. The windows crystallized and were covered with ice, as the temperature tanked to the low teens.

  “Attention all staff…We are missing one student for the state exam.” The blown speaker in Mrs. Dixon’s room blared. “Richard Spelling needs to report to the gymnasium immediately. “All staff is to find him and escort him there safely.” The voice over the PA was as cold and vacant, as the room Ricky found himself in.

  “Don’t do it Ricky, it’s not right!” Shelly and Dylan both begged, coughing from the black mist that filled the room. Their tears were now as ebony as the swirling whips that teased the white ceiling tiles high, above their spasming bodies.

  Ricky’s head exploded into a million, shimmering shards of memories and dreams, of wishful thinking and excruciating flashes of agony and awareness. A swirling hurricane of pain and darkness engulfed him. His frail body dropped to the ground in its wake. He cried out for his mother and it was met with a sledgehammer of ebony, which swallowed him whole. He wept black tears and his blood felt like it would boil out of his pale skin.

  The hallway was empty. The midday sun created ghostly shapes in the darkness as Ricky exited Mrs. Dixon’s classroom. No one followed him out. No one was left inside.

  The room stood silent and empty… the empty halls of the Arcadia Fall’s Elementary School echoed with gun fire.

  The encompassing maple trees shed their leaves as a sacrifice to the lives lost inside the screaming school.

  Excitable Boy

  Excitable Boy

  Mama, I hate this place. It smells like rotting fish and mold. I don’t mind the dark too much. It makes me feel safe- just like when you used to wrap me in the scratchy orange blanket and rock me back and forth really fast. The sun hurts my eyes so I don’t go out much when it’s high up in the sky. I like the nighttime. It’s comfy and makes me happy- just like that blanket you gave me Mama. I still have it with me. I never put it down-’cept now I made it into a hood to keep my head warm and safe from all the flies and other nasty bugs that live in this movie place with me. I also wear it in case I do have to go outside during the sunny time. It doesn’t help that good, but its okay; I think of the cool, dark basement and it make those times go fast.

  Nobody can find me down there. No sir.

  What’s that Mama? Oh, the puppet? Yeah, I know you told me to throw it away but, besides you, it’s my only friend. And I like his little brown cowboy boots and neckerchief. I don’t know who Howdy Doody is, that’s what you call him, right Mama? I like how he dances, with this little arms and legs bouncing all around. But he is really nice and talks to me when you’re away and I’m alone. He’s funny and he gives me some really nifty ideas. Ooops, he told me not to tell ya Mama, I’m sorry. A boy has to have some secrets don’t he?

  “I’m sorry Mama, no more secrets, I promise. Yeah, pinky swear.”

  Dang it! There they go again! I just want to be left alone. Why do they keep bothering me Mama? I just want to be left alone!

  My arms and legs hurt. I’ve been cramped up in this cobweb-filled movie picture room and I really need to stretch my legs. But if I go out, they will be there, screaming and crying and I will have make them be quiet. Their sounds hurt my head. It feels like two big rocks squishing my brains together. It hurts and makes me cry and that makes me mad. When I get mad, I just…just feel all whooshy. I want to punch and kick anything to make the noises go away. I never want to hurt nobody. It hurts my heart to make them leak. I cry and ask them to stop. But they never listen Mama.

  I used to come to this movie place when I was a kid. Used to eat popcorn by the buckets and guzzle soda pop by the gallons. It was the only place in the whole wide world wheres I felt to home. It musta been the dark. Yeah, I like the dark. Did I tell you that already? Sorry, Mama said I talk too much and say the same thing a bazillion times. Sorry.

  Yeah, they called it the Clerk, or Clark, I dunno. I don’t remember too good no how. But it was my favorite place when I was a kid. Well, heck now too I suppose. Can’t recall how old I am. I’m guessing twenty maybe; don’t really care neither. Guess it don’t matter. Do you remember Mama, when you used make me big white cakes with sparkling big white number candles on ‘em? I loved it when you would buy those trick ones, where they never go out. I used to laugh until my sides hurt and you would wipe my tears away.

  Shush! You… you hear that? Yeah, those high school kids are back! Let’s go down to the storage room, we should be okay there.

  I have learned how to get from one place to another in this part of town but still only like to stay here in the movie place. Mama taught me good. Right Mama?

  I can’t stand the loud noises those kids make. Can you hear it? Sounds like that evil loud rock and roll music. I hate that stuff. Oh, sorry Mama, I didn’t mean to curse. It’s just that they all those mean and rowdy kids come here to drink their beer, do the nasty sex stuff or chase stupid ghost. Why can’t they leave us alone? Daytime is okay, it’s quiet and I can sleep, but now it’s nighttime again and they’ll never leave me alone. No Mama, I don’t want you to go anywhere! I need you.

  Watch your step Mama, the floor is slipper here. Oh, it’s just another one of my puppets, her name is Ginger. Don’t worry, she won’t bother you. It’s where she leaked when she wouldn’t stop yelling at me and calling me mean names. But she’s sleeping black now. She hasn’t made a noise in a long time. She' starting to stink really bad so follow me to the back room.

  Whoa, look out Mama! I forgot about her. It is slippery in this hallway. Patti’s been napping here longer than Christi has, the nasty flies don’t seem to bother her any. She looks so peaceful. I think she needed a long nap. Come on, follow me, Yeah, Howdy don’t like her much either, but he just keeps telling me I’ll get used to it, so I listen.

  I know...I know Mama. I don’t know why you hate him so much. He’s my bestest friend and he keeps my brain even-steven. And I know he tells me to do some mean things sometimes, but it’s usually when you are sleeping and I don’t wanna bother you, so since he’s my bestest buddy, he knows best. Right? Oh, don‘t look at me like that Mama, you know it makes me cry when you look so sad. Oh darn it, those kids are back; let’s head down that hallway to your left. They don’t know about that one. There, we can be alone.

  What’s up those stairs right there? Oh, that’s the kiddy section. Yup, that’s where the little ones go to watch all those really funny cartoons. Ya know, Scooby Doo and ThunderCats. Them’s my favorites Mama. I know you remember. But don’t worry about up there Mama, nothin’ to see. Come on let’s keep going. Watch your tootsies.

  I didn’t like being alone in the beginning. The darkness scared me. I don’t like the creepy crawly things that share the black spots that I do. I still haven’t gotten used to them. The spiders are the worst. I know they don’t mean to be scary, but I think about them and I feel them crawling all over me and it makes me shiver and feel all ooggie.

  I know, I know! Sssh.

  I hear him too. He’s calling for Sherri…I don’t know her. Maybe she’s lost….Maybe I could help her find her way home.

  She won’t hurt me Mama! Why do you always say that the girls will hurt me or make me cry? I never have a chance because you think they all are dirty girls, tramps and whores who just want to show me their fishy parts?

  Oh, shush, someone is coming!

  I can hear her breathing. She sounds like she’s been running. I think she’s crying. She keeps calling out for God to help her. Mama, she needs me. There might be someone out there
hurting her.

  You stay here just in case. I’ll be right back. I promise.

  Yes Mama, of course, pinky swear.

  I know Mr. Howdy, I know, but I feel bad, but being away from Mama for a while, makes me happy. I love her more than Capt. Crunch and my Rubix Cube, but she squeezes me to tight. I need to get away. And besides, I think that Alexis-Baby needs my help. I know the way through the dark movie place good. I will just follow her crying. I hear other kids too, but I speed up, hoping to find Alexis-Baby before they do! I don’t want anything bad happen to her. She has said really, super nice things about me. She thinks I’m handsome. Mama don’t think I am. Nope, she says I look like Daddy. I ain’t ever seen him so I don’t know. But, Alexis-Baby has beautiful white skin. Like when the snow comes down from the sky. It looks clean and fresh and makes my pants grow when I think of her. Mama says when my pants grow that I’m making God mad. I feel bad but it happens all the time. Especially when I make the girls sleep black. I know it must be wrong, but my willy grows and I want to do bad things. The bad thoughts fill my head all up and it hurts so much and won’t go away until I do what they tell me.

  Oh, you understand, don’t you Mr. Howdy! It makes me smile and feel better knowing that you do. We won’t tell Mama okay. Yeah, high five!

  But we need to find Alexis-Baby-Baby. She needs me. She and her jerk head boy friend have been coming here for a few weeks now, with their mean friends. I guess they must be from the school place down the road. I wanted to go to school but Mama says they teach Satan’s word there and that they’re all sinners and someday, God’s gonna come down and turn them all to salt. I dunno what she means, but Mama is always right. We gotta a college a few miles out of town too, but I ain’t never been that far out. It don’t make no matter, because heck, the whole basement is full of them college kids chasing ghosts and bad things. I don’t know why they keep coming in here. There ain’t nothin’ but me and Mama here, well us and the all the sleeping black people. But they don’t know about them and I just wish they would just leave us all alone.