The Damned Summer (The Ruin Trilogy)

by Weaver, Scott

  She shook her head, taking a sip. “Who will be with you tonight?”

  “Johnny,” he said, lighting up a cigarette. “He finally got his Mustang back on the road. He’s pickin’ me up around six.”

  “He’s weak,” she replied, sitting her cup back down.

  “Yeah, but he knows how to have a good time. Besides, he’s the only one with a cool car. Drew gets off work at six thirty, so we’ll swing by and pick him up at the diner.”

  “Now Drew is a good friend,” she said, pulling out a cigarette. “You keep him close.”

  “Will do.”

  “It’s safe to say you’ll be partying tonight.”

  “Hardcore,” he replied, tapping ashes into the ashtray.

  “If that dumbass Johnny is too wasted to drive, you don’t get in the car with him.”

  The screen door creaked open as Johnny walked in.

  “Speakin’ of the devil, Mrs. S,” he said with a wide grin.

  “Indeed,” she replied, lighting her cigarette.

  “You’re early,” Jake said, looking at the clock on the wall.

  “Yeah, I’m just full of surprises, huh?” Johnny replied, grabbing Jake’s smoke from his mouth and taking a drag. “The sooner I arrive, the sooner the party can begin.”

  “You got the party favors?” Jake asked.

  Johnny pulled a bag of marijuana from his back pocket. “Got a quarter for the jukebox, baby. You got the booze?”

  “On the other side of the fridge,” Jake said.

  Johnny stepped over and grabbed the near full bottle of whiskey. “Sweet,” he said, opening it and taking a big swig. The label on the bottle read: Charlie's Sippin' Bourbon.

  “Already filled my flask,” Jake said, tapping something metal close to his right ankle. “So we’re set.”

  Johnny let out a sigh as the whiskey flowed down his throat. “I love you guys.”

  “If you get too shit-faced, you give Jake the keys, got it?” she said, looking Johnny hard in the eyes.

  “No problem, Mrs. S,” Johnny said with his shit-eating grin. “By the way, how are you doing?”

  “I’ve got cancer, how the hell do you think I’m doing?”

  “Yeah, that’s a real bitch,” the young punk replied, taking a deep drag of her son’s cigarette. “You’re fighting it like a champ though.”

  “Go wait out in that piece of shit Ford,” she said. “Jake will be out in a minute.”

  “Whatever you say, ma’am,” Johnny replied as he grabbed the bottle of whiskey and opened up the freezer and grabbed a pack of cigarettes. “Instead of gas money?” he said, holding up the smokes.

  She shook her head and Johnny was on his way out.

  She looked her son in the eye. “Tonight will be the beginning.”

  “Of?” he asked after a moment.

  “Of the rest of your life.”

  They looked at one another for a moment. “Okay, thanks,” he said, getting up and making his way to the door.

  “Don’t take this lightly,” she said to his back. “The decisions you make tonight will shape your future as well as the future of others.”

  He let out a sigh, turning and facing her. “I’m so sick of this obscure bullshit, mom. Can’t you just spell it out for me?”

  “I can only tell you what I know,” she said, looking away as she took a drag of her smoke.

  “That doesn’t give me much to run on, ma.”

  She looked back at him. “Just try to do what feels right.”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “All right,” he said as he walked out the door. “I’ll just get shit-faced and have a good time then.”

  “I hope so,” she whispered, watching her cigarette smoke snake upwards to the nicotine stained ceiling.

  Jake slammed the car door shut as Johnny started up the old mustang. It coughed to life like an old man with emphysema.

  “Damn, man,” Jake said as the car jerked forward. “I thought you got this thing fixed.”

  “I ain’t made of money, man,” he replied. “It’s movin’ ain’t it?”

  “For the moment,” Jake said as he looked back at the blue smoke coughing out of the exhaust.

  “Kiss my ass,” Johnny replied, flooring it, causing the car to fishtail slightly as road dust flew into the air, temporarily covering the smoke from the tailpipe.

  Jake chuckled as he pulled out his one-hitter pipe. “Gimme the weed, man.”

  Johnny pulled the baggie out of his back pocket and handed it over. “I get the first hit.”

  “Bullshit,” Jake replied as he stuck his small pipe into the bag, smashing marijuana into it. “You get the pinche after you finish the cigarette you stole from me.” He put the one hitter in his mouth and tried to light it with his butane lighter. “Slow down, man. I can’t get no flame.”

  Johnny slowed the Mustang down, flicking his spent cigarette out the window. “Roll your window up, dumb shit.”

  Jake rolled the window with one hand and lit the pipe with the other. “That’s what I’m talking about,” he said after a long inhale.

  “Any left?” Johnny asked.

  “Yeah,” Jake said, handing it over and lighting it for Johnny once he got it in his mouth.

  “Bullshit,” Johnny said after a moment of inhaling. “That bitch is cashed. Reload.”

  Jake obliged his friend with a quick reload and then relit the pipe. “What’s the plan?”

  Johnny looked at Jake with a smirk as pot smoke rolled out of his mouth. “You know the drill. Go to the carnival; get shit-faced; find some pussy and get laid.”

  “It’s too early to go, the carnival doesn't open until five,” Jake replied, putting his pipe away. “Besides, we’ve got to pick Drew up at six thirty.”

  “What the hell are we taking that fat-ass with us for? He’ll just slow us down with the women and want some of our weed and booze.”

  “For starters,” Jake said, uncapping the whiskey. “He’s got a case of beer in a cooler in the trunk of his car for after we leave the carnival.”

  “Beer chasers with the whiskey,” Johnny said with a smile.

  “Exactly,” Jake replied, tipping the bottle at his friend and then taking a drink. “Besides, that mouth of yours will most likely get us in a fight tonight. Drew is pretty tough so he’ll be good to have around.”

  “Yeah, I guess the boy has his uses. You better just hope the girls have an ugly friend for his dumpy ass.”

  Jake looked at the clock radio. “We’ve got about an hour before we can pick up Drew, so lets just cruise the country route while we catch a buzz.”

  “Bout time you had a good idea,” Johnny replied, grabbing the whiskey bottle and taking a drink.

  Forty-five minutes later they pulled into the parking lot of Joe's Cup with glossy eyes and big appetites.

  “Chubby better be able to score us some burgers,” Johnny said as he pulled around back. “I’m hungry as hell.

  “He said he was going to try.”

  “There is no try,” Johnny said in his best Yoda voice. “Only do.”

  They giggled like lunatics as Johnny parked the car next to the dumpster. Jenny had just finished unloading a trash can into the bin.

  “Damn Jenny,” Johnny said, looking her up and down. “Only you can make that waitress outfit look that hot.”

  “Eat shit, jerk,” Jenny replied without even looking at him as she pulled the trash can back towards the diner.

  Johnny replied by making obscene noises with his tongue, causing Jake to giggle even more.

  “Drew!” Jenny said as she opened the back door. “Your shit-head friends are back here waiting for you.” She slammed the door close.

  Jake stopped laughing. “You’re the one that's been such an asshole to her,” He said, looking at Johnny. “I didn’t do shit!”

  “Guilt by association,” Johnny replied with a smile.

  “Great,” Jake said, getting out of the car and sitting on the hood. “Why do I hang out with you a
gain?”

  Johnny sat down beside him and lit up a cigarette. “Cause you wouldn’t ever get any pussy with Drew as your wing-man.”

  Jake replied with a shrug as he lit his own smoke.

  Loud rock music pumped out of the car speakers as they waited for their friend to get off work.

  Fifteen minutes later Drew came out the back door with a white paper sack in his hand. “Throw this in your car,” he said urgently, tossing the sack at them.

  Johnny caught the bag and backhanded it into the Mustang, just as Joe, the diner's owner, came out after Drew.

  “Turn that shit down,” the short, bald middle-aged man said as he pointed at the Mustang.

  “Yes sir,” Johnny replied as he marched to the car like he was in a parade and turned the music off. “Wouldn’t want to disturb the paying customers,” he said, looking at the empty parking lot.

  Joe gave Johnny a nasty look and then went back inside.

  “Do you mind not getting me fired?” Drew asked as he opened his car door and threw his work clothes in the front seat.

  “I’d be doing you a favor man. That guy is a fucking Nazi, and his niece is a---”

  Drew spun back on Johnny, his fist half cocked.

  Johnny threw his hands up, "and is way too nice to be related to his ass, she deserves a better uncle."

  Drew relaxed. "That sounds about right."

  “You still got the hots for her?” Johnny asked with a laugh.

  “Hell no,” Drew replied. “She’s cool, that’s all.”

  “I could give you some tips on what she likes, you know,” Johnny said with a smile. “Might help you score.”

  “I’ve heard enough of this shit,” Jake said as he pulled out his flask of whiskey. “The two of you take a drink and make peace.” There had still been tension between Drew and Johnny ever since the fight at the pond last month, and Jake was sick of it.

  Drew took the flask and looked at Johnny. “I’m going to have a good time tonight, regardless of how much you run your mouth.” He took a deep drink.

  “That’s the spirit,” Johnny replied as he grabbed the flask from Drew’s mouth. “Now grab your cooler and put it in my trunk,” he said, drinking the whiskey and opening the trunk of the mustang.

  Drew moved the cooler full of beer to Johnny’s trunk and then opened it up, grabbing three cans. “Road beers,” he said as he handed them out.

  “You’re a good man, Charlie Brown,” Johnny said, kissing Drew on the cheek.

  “Get away from me,” Drew replied with a push, but there was a half grin on his face.

  Jake smiled and shook his head as they piled into the Mustang. Maybe this would be a good night after all, he thought. He was dead wrong.

  Sarah sat in front of the mirror, putting the finishing touches on her makeup. Her face seemed so puffy, no matter what she did. She wondered if anyone else noticed.

  There was a brief knock on the bathroom door. “You about ready, honey?” Her father asked from the other side.

  “One second dad,” she replied as she finished.

  His footsteps receded down the hall as she looked at herself in the mirror and forced herself not to cry. “Just another summer at the carnival,” she said to herself.

  The doorbell rang, letting her know her friends had arrived. Forcing a smile on her face, she walked out of the safe cocoon of her bathroom.

  “Jenny and Kara are here, honey,” her mom called from the bottom of the stairs.

  “I know, mom,” she replied in a condescending tone as she descended down the steps. “I have ears.”

  “And quite the mouth,” her father added as he came up beside his wife.

  “Sorry,” she said, looking at her father, not her mother. “Hey!” she said with a smile when she saw her two friends.

  “You’re ready, right?” Jenny said, seeming quite prepared to start tapping her foot impatiently.

  “Just got to grab my shoes. I’ll be home by midnight.” She called from behind her shoulder as the girls made their way to the door.

  “Me and your mom are going up later,” her father answered. “We’ll probably see you there.”

  Sarah quickly spun around. “Dad!”

  “Hmm,” Her father replied. “I guess you should have given your dad a kiss good-bye.” He closed the door to leave her smoldering on the porch.

  He turned to see his wife looking at him with a cocked head. “Are we really going to the carnival tonight?”

  “I wanted to go before I knew her plans,” he replied.

  “Sure you did. When was the last time we went?”

  “Years,” he said as he swept her into his arms. “Which is exactly why we should go. It will be like being kids again.”

  “Oh, so then you won’t be looking around constantly, trying to find our daughter.”

  He smiled at her. “The watchful eye of a father never closes, my dear.”

  Chapter 15 Nightfall

  “Figures,” Sarah grumbled, stomping across the porch.

  “He’s probably just saying that to piss you off,” Jenny said as they made their way to her car. “He gets off on that kind of shit.”

  “Shh!” Sarah replied, looking back at the house. “He might hear you.”

  Jenny and Kara looked at one another and laughed. “You’re right,” Kara said. “She is scared shitless of her dad.”

  “Both of you kiss my ass,” Sarah said as they climbed into Kara's parents' late model Chrysler, making their way to the carnival, where fate awaited with a dark smile.

  Frank sat on his front porch with his dog sitting on his lap, watching the sun go down.

  “First night of the carnival,” Frank said rubbing Lloyd’s ears.

  Lloyd panted in the early evening heat, watching the cars drive by.

  “I was thinking about going on a walk, it’s only a couple of blocks from here.”

  Lloyd took a deep breath and then exhaled, laying his head down on Frank’s lap.

  “What he wants us to stay out of starts tonight. You can feel it same as I.” He looked down at the small dog as he petted his head.

  “If we went, and actually made it back home, our peaceful nights would come to an end.”

  The small dog did a quick exhale through his nose.

  “I think it would anger him.”

  The canine let out a long, lazy yawn.

  “You are fearless, you know that?” He ruffled the dog’s head.

  He sneezed in reply, shaking his head vigorously.

  “So, does that mean we should go?”

  The dog jumped off his lap, onto the porch and made his way down the stairs. As his claws clicked on the pavement he turned and looked at his old friend.

  “All right then,” Frank said with a smile. “I’ll get your leash.”

  The old Mustang parked in the grass of the impromptu parking lot of the carnival, and the three teenagers climbed out.

  “That’s bullshit havin’ to pay that much for parking and it’s not even a real parking lot!” Johnny said as he slammed his door shut, finishing his beer.

  “We’re just lucky they didn’t call the cops when they saw the beer can between your legs,” Drew replied, climbing out from the back.

  “Shit,” Johnny said, lighting up a cigarette. “That skanky bitch was wet for me as soon as I set eyes on her. She woulda gave me a B.J. right there.”

  “Okay,” Jake said, closing the door of the car. “Somebody needs to slow down a little.”

  “Fuck that, man,” Johnny said with a grin. “I’m in the zone.”

  “Great,” Drew said. “I wonder how quickly we’ll end up in jail.”

  “Only way you’re gonna get lucky tonight, tubby.” Johnny said with a smile, making everybody, including Drew laugh.

  As they started to move off toward the carnival entrance, Drew noticed an old barn sitting a ways back from the car. The middle of the roof slumped in and the whole building tilted to one side. Drew guessed that a strong wind woul
d be all that was needed to knock the whole thing down, like a house of cards.

  There was a guy leaning up against the barn, looking Drew's way. A cigarette drooped from his lips and he wore a ball cap advertising farm equipment. The two stared at one another for a long moment, with the stranger finally giving Drew a brief nod of greeting. Drew didn't respond in kind, getting a bad vibe from the guy. He just turned and walked off with his friends.

  The demon kept watching Drew, paying serious attention to him for the first time. "Need to make sure chubby doesn't cross paths with Franky. They got just a little too much in common," it thought to itself.

  The sun disappeared as they entered the carnival grounds. Electric lights glowed and whirled in the dark sky as the rides twisted and swirled to poorly amplified music and adolescent screams.

  The young men strutted and laughed, taking in the scene, looking for new girls to meet. They stopped in front of the Rock-O-Plane ride for a smoke break. It was the best ride and also a good spot to see all the newly arriving girls from the adjacent parking lot. They were expecting new meat, but instead got a haunting from the past.

  Sarah, Jenny and Kara walked onto the carnival grounds and immediately their paths crossed.

  “All right!” Johnny said in an obnoxiously loud tone. “Now the party can start.”

  “Oh, Christ,” Jenny said as she rolled her eyes, walking right by Johnny.

  “Got a smoke?” Kara asked, stopping in front of Johnny.

  “I got whatever you need, baby,” He replied, pulling out a fresh cancer stick.

  “Shit,” Jenny whispered to herself as she turned around and started making small talk with Drew.

  Sarah and Jake stood in front of one another. They hadn't spoken since the pond, over a month ago.

  “Hey,” he said with a nod.

  “Hi,” she replied. “What’s up?”

  “Nada,” he said with the shake of his head. He held up his pack of cigarettes. “Want one?”

  “No thanks.”

  He nodded his head. “Not a good idea for an athlete.”

  She nodded back. “I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute.”

  He shrugged. “Sure.”