Dark Light Book Two

by Rob Shepherd

  The look on Michael’s face told Troy everything; he did suspect the meat guy of having something to do with it. What if the meat was really…no, he couldn’t stand to think of that. He would never eat meat again.

  “Do you think that maybe what we saw the other night could have been her?” Michael asked. Troy stood in shock. He did not know what to say to such a thing. It was scary enough imagining it let along having to hear it actually said in front of him.

  “I dunno, Mikey. Maybe we should just leave this one alone.” Troy shook his head in disbelief. He did not want to believe that there was a monster just down the street from his best friend.

  Michael walked briskly over to his bedroom window and peeked out.

  “What if he’s scouting my house? What if he was scouting us?”

  That had been the last straw for Troy. The whole deal was far too creepy and his thoughts were already creating things that most adults would think unimaginable for a child his age.

  “Don’t say that! I don’t want to become somebody’s dinner!”

  Michael proceeded to chew his thumbnail, which was only something he did whenever he had a plan coming to him.

  “I want you to stay the night here again tonight. We need to watch his house one more time.”

  “I’m not sure if I can…” Troy was scared and it showed. The poor chubby kid would end up having a heart attack if he wasn’t careful.

  Michael walked over to his friend and put an arm around his shoulder, trying to encourage Troy to do what needed to be done.

  “You can do this. We can do this.”

  And with that said, Troy phoned his mother and requested that he spend another night with Michael because they were wanting to camp in the backyard. His mother agreed. The rest of the day was spent in Michael’s room. They tried playing video games but only found that they were more worried about what would happen next. Whose house would the man strike? What they didn’t know is that their Saturday night was going to get much worse.

  Midnight Madness…

  The evening had crept up on them before they could blink it seemed. Neal had decided he was going to grill a couple of the steaks for dinner to try them out. The boys backed out of dinner, afraid they would really be eating what was left of the missing Fenton girl. Instead, they spent more time in Michael’s room, eying the house through the telescope. To keep things light the boys talked about something that many boys their age usually start to venture into as they were pushing fifteen…girls.

  “So if you like Amanda, then why don’t you talk to her?” Troy asked. Michael shrugged. He really liked Amanda, but maybe he was just afraid of rejection.

  “I dunno. I get too nervous I guess.”

  “You know, I heard she’s supposed to be at a sleep over with Liz and Katrina and Liz lives a couple blocks over. Maybe you should write her a love note and leave it on the doorstep.” Troy laughed.

  Michael turned his attention away from the telescope and onto Troy.

  “I’m not writing her a stupid love note. That’s just dumb.” He glanced at the clock next to his bed. 8:15.

  The telescope showed nothing new and the boys were getting tired. They didn’t know if they could keep staying awake. The anxiety was exhausting. Michael’s fifteenth birthday was just around the corner, so they chose to talk about that instead of giving up for the night.

  “So what are you doing for your birthday?” Troy asked. He knew that whatever Michael was doing that he would automatically be there.

  “Probably going skating…I had asked mom for new blades and I think she’s gonna cave.”

  “That’d be cool. I can’t skate very well but it’s still awesome. Maybe you could slow skate with Amanda…” Troy teased, making kissy faces at Michael.

  “Shut up,” Michael said. He peered back into the telescope and finally caught a glimpse of something interesting. The creepy guy had finally returned to his house, backing the van into the alley. He got out and opened the rear doors, blocking Michael’s view.

  “See anything yet?” Troy asked. Michael motioned for him to come to him. Troy left the bed and moved over to Michael, who moved aside and let Troy look.

  “Okay, so he’s finally home. Wait, he’s unloading something,” Troy said anxiously. Michael shoved him away from the telescope.

  “Let me see.” Michael peered into the telescope once more and saw that the man was carrying something from the van to the side door. Whatever it was had been wrapped in a sheet and tied in the middle with some rope; perhaps it was a big slab of meet waiting to be dissected? He may have considered it just that if something hadn’t fallen from beneath the sheet. It looked almost like a bracelet.

  “We’re going over there,” Michael stated firmly. Troy glared at him in disbelief. There was no way he was going to go back over there and risk being caught and eaten, or chopped and sold to be eaten.

  “Yeah, I don’t think that’s a good idea…”

  Michael glared at Troy and that was all it took. The two boys dressed in dark shirts and jeans. Michael cracked his bedroom door to listen for his parents. They were still watching television downstairs and they usually didn’t check on him often so it was easy to sneak outside. He had done it multiple times to go play hide and seek with Troy.

  “Okay, let’s go.”

  The boys climbed out of Michael’s window and down the lattice. Troy complained about the many sticker bushes digging into his palms and Michael ignored every cry. As soon as their feet hit the grass they were off. Michael had to know what it was that had fallen from under that sheet.

  They crossed the street in the dim light of the lamps, which were always covered in bugs eager to swamp the light. They proceeded along the sidewalk quietly and hid alongside any parked cars to avoid being seen by anyone who might be driving through the area. As soon as they reached the alley they stopped next to the front driver’s side of the van. The doors were still open. Michael gestured for Troy to follow him as he slid alongside the van and further into the alley. Troy was hesitant at first but soon followed after. He did not want to be left behind.

  Michael reached the open rear door of the van and stopped. There were footsteps moving around near the door. Crunching rock and grass told them that whoever it was happened to be very close. Michael slowly turned to Troy and with his index finger motioned for him to be quiet. Michael gestured for Troy to back up a bit and then he slowly ducked down to look beneath the van. The worn boots were standing next to the steps. They moved in their direction. Troy was on the verge of panic but Michael grabbed him and forced him under the van along with himself. It was a tight fit for Troy but they made it just before the boots arrived near the rear of the van.

  The man, Roy or whomever he happened to be, stopped in front of the open rear doors. He grabbed the left door with one blistered hand and slammed it shut, then did the same with the right. He paid no mind to the children hiding beneath his van. Instead he turned and walked back to the steps and then continued inside. Michael watched as the screen door closed. When he turned to the rear of the van, he saw it…the bracelet. It looked familiar to him, like he had seen it before. He reached out slowly and snatched the bracelet into his hand and dragged it back under the van to examine.

  “Is that what I think it is? Is that really someone’s bracelet?” Troy asked. Michael nodded. Why did it look so familiar to him?

  “Wait a minute…it can’t be.” Michael declared. He was now experiencing fear and anxiety rushing throughout his whole body.

  “What?” Troy asked.

  “Amanda has a bracelet just like this one,” Michael turned over the heart charm in the middle and sure enough, Amanda’s name was etched into the middle of the silver heart.

  The two boys stared at each other in fear, not sure of what to do next. Should they risk telling their parents or should they do the unthinkable and try saving the girl of Michael’s dreams? They were only fourteen…

  “I’m going in.” Michael was ready. He
didn’t need any other motive; the bracelet was enough. He crawled out from under the van and moved swiftly to the steps. Troy squeezed out from under the van and followed his friend.

  The steps to the enclosed porch were creaky and would surely give them away but they somehow managed to climb the steps and ease through the screen door without setting off any suspicions. Michael peered into the window of the solid door leading into the kitchen and saw that it was clear but very dim in lighting. There was another door open inside the kitchen, possibly to a cellar.

  “Let’s go,” Michael whispered. He slowly turned the knob on the door and listened as it made a tiny clicking sound. The door swung open quietly, much quieter than the screen door had been.

  The boys entered the kitchen and Michael shut the door just enough to touch the frame but not fully close. The house smelled of rot and some kind of decay. The counters look grimy, as if years of dirt had been allowed to continuously build and harden, creating a thick black layer. Michael spotted what looked like a freezer against the far wall of the kitchen, toward what they assumed to be a cellar door. Michael gestured to Troy, who was staying a few paces behind as if to dart for the door at the first sign of trouble. Troy moved up closer to Michael and watched as his friend reached for the freezer door.

  Michael’s hands were shaking, his heart beating rapidly. He placed the tips of his fingers under the lid of the freezer and lifted. The cold blew into their faces and when the fog cleared, they saw something that would scar their memory for life. Inside the freezer was random parts…arms, legs, a few feet; all wrapped in plastic and tightly packed within the ice. Michael struggled to close the freezer. He tried to lower the lid slowly so as to not make any noise. Troy turned to the side and vomited onto the dirty kitchen floor.

  “Oh my God, Mikey, we have to get outta here!” Troy whispered huskily. Michael turned back to Troy and shook his head vehemently.

  “No, he has Amanda! I’m not leaving her here!” Michael gently lowered the lid to the freezer the rest of the way down, hearing the suction as it pressed against the seal.

  Troy shook his head in disbelief. He did not want to stay in that house any longer and he wanted to just dart out of that kitchen and run for help. Why Michael wouldn’t just follow him, he never knew. Instead the boys proceeded toward the dark cellar door. It was left wide open so there was no worry of having to hear it creak if they opened it. Troy didn’t like the looks of it. Why would the door be left wide open? They edged closer.

  “C’mon,” Michael urged. Troy moved up with him. They stood at the opening of the cellar, listening.

  There were rustling sounds downstairs in the dark, heavy footsteps and the sound of a carver, like the ones used to carve a turkey on Thanksgiving. That was how Troy felt, as if he were about to become the turkey. There was no light available so they could not see anything in front of them, just the first few steps. Michael took a step forward and listened once more. He could hear faint crying, possibly from Amanda.

  “Dude, I am not going in there. I don’t have a good feeling about this, we need to get…”

  Before Troy could finish blistered hands flew out of the dark, grabbing Michael.

  “RUN TROY! RUN!” Michael screamed. Troy tried to grab Michael’s hand to pull him out of the darkness. The blistered hands grabbed hold of Michael’s left shoulder and pulled. A cracking sound could be heard. His shoulder had been pulled out of socket.

  Michael’s hand slipped through Troy’s fingers and then he was pulled down into the darkness. Troy fell backward onto his bottom. He could hear Michael tumble down the stairs and then heavier footsteps came rushing up. Troy scurried to his feet and fled back through the kitchen and out the side door.

  He burst through the screen door, pulling part of it off its hinges. Once his feet hit the gravel he was off, around the van and back on the sidewalk, running into the night.

  Michael felt the pain in his shoulder as he tried to hold onto Troy’s hand. The blistered hands had a much harder grip and continued to pull. His hand slipped through Troy’s fingers and Troy fell backward. Michael was thrown down the stairs, tumbling down every step before hitting the concrete floor at the bottom. He hoped Troy escaped. His head ached from hitting the concrete and his shoulder was causing him great agony.

  Whoever it was that had pulled him down the stairs had taken off after Troy as he fell down to the concrete. Michael was on his back, trying to get to his feet. The room down below was dimly lit. He glanced all around to see where Amanda might be and there she was, sitting in a chair facing the far wall.

  “Amanda…Amanda…are you okay?” he whispered. She did not answer. Please don’t be dead. Michael thought.

  Michael managed to pull himself into a sitting position, favoring his injured shoulder. His legs were shaky from the fall and from whatever might be coming next. He gradually rose to his feet and limped his way over to Amanda’s chair. Her long hair hung over the back.

  “Amanda?” He asked. Slowly she turned around.

  “Hello, Michael. I’m so glad you came.” A sweet smile was spread across her lips; the same smile that she would occasionally give to him in school.

  “Don’t worry, I’m gonna get us out of here, just hold on,” he assured her. Amanda just looked at Michael, her face showing no concern.

  “Oh, I’m not worried, Michael. In fact, I’m perfectly fine.” Her smile widened. The heavy footsteps had returned, this time coming down the stairs.

  Please, God, please tell me Troy got away. Michael thought to himself. The boots belonging to the footsteps appeared halfway down the stairs; the boots were Roy’s.

  “He still down here girl?” Roy called out. Michael was confused. Why would he ask Amanda if he was still there?

  Amanda sat in the chair, kicking her legs back and forth like an innocent schoolgirl.

  “Yes he is, Daddy,” her sweet voice called. Michael turned to her. It couldn’t be…

  Amanda turned to him and smiled that sweet smile once more. Her eyes seemed different, her face, everything. This was not the same girl from homeroom that he was used to seeing every day.

  “Wait…what…” Michael started to back away from Amanda’s chair. Roy stopped at the bottom of the steps, watching.

  “Oh, you silly boy! I bet you thought you had it all figured out, too,” she said, rising from her seat, her nightgown hanging to her knees. Roy smiled behind Michael.

  “What’s going on? What is this?” Michael asked, starting to panic. He had backed up so far that he had backed into Roy, who didn’t so much as budge an inch. Amanda approached him.

  “It’s such a shame, ya know? You’re a total cutie but you just couldn’t leave this alone.” Amanda pulled a piece of rope out from behind her back. “I’m not that fifteen year old girl that you have or had a crush on, Michael, no…I’m twenty-two. Roy is my father. We have been in business for quite some time now. It would be a shame to have someone like you ruin everything.”

  Michael was in shock. There was no point in trying to run. All he could do was hope Troy would come to the rescue. The odds were set against him. His body began to shake as Roy grabbed his arms, pulling them back behind him.

  “Don’t fight it. It’s much easier if you don’t. We will make it quick since you put forth such great effort.” Amanda handed the rope to Roy and grabbed a burlap sack from a nearby stool.

  “HELP! Somebody please!” Michael screamed. Amanda turned to the table to her left and grabbed an old ball gag as well.

  “Hush now, we are running behind schedule.”

  The gag was inserted into Michael’s mouth, the sack placed over his terrified face. Then everything went dark…

  All the way home…

  Troy had managed to escape the house and get his pudgy body to move full steam. He did not look behind him as he ran toward the light at the end of the alley. He was so terrified that he didn’t even have time to cry out.

  Keep moving, he told himself. What had happened
to Michael was horrific and he didn’t know if he would ever see his friend again.

  He ran all the way to the street lamp, not a car in sight. Everything was silent. Michael’s house was just up ahead. What was he going to tell his parents? Was there anything he could tell them? Surely no one would believe the story of the meat salesman. There was only one thing that he thought of to do. Troy crossed the street quietly and crossed the front yard. He climbed back up the lattice and crept back into Michael’s bedroom where he gathered his things into his bag and opened the bedroom door.

  Troy slowly walked downstairs and saw Jeanne and Neal on the couch, sitting very still, facing the television.

  “Jeanne, I think I’m going to go home. I’m not feeling so well,” Troy said nervously. He was trying to keep his cool, to sound ill, not scared.

  There was no movement on the couch, no response. Troy started to grow weary. He stepped into the living room, inches from the back of the couch.

  “Jeanne? Neal?” Still no answer; Troy reached out and touched their shoulders. Neal’s body fell over onto Jeanne’s, his head hitting her right shoulder. His eyes were missing.

  “Nooooo!” Troy screamed. He turned to rush out the front door and was met by Roy with his white uniform and bloodstained apron. Roy smiled and grabbed him by the shoulder. Troy opened his mouth to scream but just as he did Roy shoved an apple into his mouth and taped over it.

  “Looks like we will be having a large order of pork soon,” Roy said with his gruff voice. Troy tried to scream but all that could be heard were muffled cries. A burlap sack was placed over his head and then he was removed from the home and taken off into the night.

  The next morning, as soon as the sun was up, Roy was back on his routes. He didn’t mind delivering on Sunday’s but only if it was early. He could catch people before they left for church and offer them specials for their afternoon lunches or future gatherings. After loading the van he was off. He had a special house for this particular order.

  He pulled the van into the driveway and walked up the sidewalk, whistling a happy tune. He rang the bell on the door. Troy’s mother answered the door, dressed in her Sunday’s best.