Fracture After Dark

by Shawn Jolley

  Sammy interrupted. "I like you guys, but I don't want to be part of your games," Sammy said. "Now, if you didn't catch it, your drinks are free, so you can go."

  "Yeah, okay," said Dustin. He screwed off the lid to his bottle and started walking toward the door. Eden grabbed his drink and followed him past the candy bars and chip bags. He glanced over his shoulder at the counter and thought Sammy looked strange and old.

  When they were outside, Dustin said, "Sorry. You were right."

  "No. I'm sorry. I thought Sammy would have at least listened, but you were right. Now that we've told someone, I feel better." It was true, too. Eden knew that he was right about nobody being willing to listen.

  Dustin shrugged his shoulders and started walking back toward the town center. He looked a little relieved even though things hadn't turned out the way he had hoped. When they were halfway home, he said, "Too many things are changing around here. I mean, obviously the thing in the field, but more than that. Have you noticed how few kids are outside?"

  "The weather's getting colder. That's normal." Eden hoped it was, at least.

  "I don't know. You're new to Fracture. People like the outdoors around here. Everyone is always at least on their front porch or walking around the town center. It's barely September, for crying out loud."

  Eden couldn't think of anything to say, and he didn't want to scare himself into seeing something that wasn't there. He didn’t see why Dustin had to be so paranoid. The only thing strange that had happened since the incident in the field was Sammy being so quick to dismiss them.

  But, that wasn't entirely unpredictable. Nobody would believe two teenage boys with nothing better to do than make up stories. At least Sammy had remembered them and even given them free stuff.

  The drinks were empty when they got to the dirt road next to the blue house. Eden tossed his can in a trash can near the barbed wire fence and thought about the coming winter. He wondered how cold it would get, and if he would get used to it. Maybe they would get lucky and there would be another month of summer sun. Dustin turned onto Ardburn Avenue and Eden realized that they were passing his house.

  "Hey, you know this big tree?" Dustin asked, pointing to a large oak tree between the dirt road and the blue house.

  "Yeah, of course," said Eden. He didn’t know how he wouldn’t know the big tree he had passed every day since moving to town. The tree must have been over one hundred years old.

  "Wouldn’t a treehouse go great up there?"

  Eden looked at the top of the tree with a new perspective, and he had to agree that it would be perfect. Four thick branches grew from the trunk in a square like it was waiting for someone to plop a small house in the middle. Eden hadn’t thought about it before, but if he could convince his mom to find some wood and nails, they could build a treehouse.

  "Think about it. I’d better get home before Heather throws a fit."

  He watched Dustin walk past the tree and down the dirt road to his trailer. Eden turned around and walked into the house. The smell of lamb stew wafted through the air. He tried going to his room without being noticed, but his mom came into the living room and caught him.

  "Wash up, it’s almost ready." She spun on her heel and headed back to the kitchen.

  After washing his hands, Eden went to the table and sat down; a big bowl of smell-bad stew was sitting in front of him. He tried not to breathe while taking large bites when she wasn’t looking. Ten grueling minutes passed while his mom talked about applying at the school. Apparently, there was a rumor going around that they needed a new assistant. Eden finished his last bite just as the doorbell rang.

  His first thought was of the sheriff, but he dismissed the idea. Anyone investigating the woman's body would have come over before now. Then again… his mom was already up and going to the front door. Eden got up quietly and peered around the corner to see who it was.

  She opened the door to reveal the sheriff standing tall and intimidating, swaying a little from side to side. She looked back toward the kitchen and Eden ducked inside. He couldn’t hear what the sheriff was saying, but after a few seconds, his mom said, "I’ll think about it," and she closed the door.

  Eden went back to the table and sat down, pretending to be eating as she walked back into the kitchen. "Who was it?" he asked, hoping she hadn't heard his voice shake.

  She took her seat before answering. "Tourist visiting from the city. He was asking for directions to the old movie house in the middle of town." Eden nodded his head, then excused himself and walked to his room.

  She had lied. But why?

  4

  "He really came over, and your mom didn't say anything? Why would he do that? I just can't believe it." Dustin half smiled, giddy with himself, as he repeated the same words for the hundredth time. He seemed to be enjoying the puzzling actions of the sheriff. Eden rolled his eyes. He couldn't make heads or tails of the situation any more than Dustin could.

  They were sitting at the base of the oak tree on the side of the blue house. The sun shone brightly, but it was not as hot as it had been the week before. Sammy had just dropped off a large pile of wood. Most of the pieces were long and rectangular.

  Apparently having scrap wood was quite the burden in Fracture, and when people heard (more than likely from Sammy) that two teenagers wanted to build a treehouse, they didn't bother asking why, they simply dropped their particle board and two-by-fours into Sammy's truck early in the morning with a note that read "For the kids". Eden wondered if his mom had noticed the big pile yet.

  "I mean, he really came over? Rang the doorbell and everything. But, just the once. As far as we know, that is. Haven't seen him since. It's so strange. I mean—"

  "Yeah, I know what you mean," said Eden, annoyed. He regretted saying anything the moment the words escaped his mouth, but he knew he had spoken the truth. He wanted more than anything for Dustin to talk about something—anything—other than the field, dead bodies, weird theories, or who the sheriff chose to visit at dinner time. As far as Eden was concerned, they wouldn't figure anything out by hashing it out over and over again.

  "Alright, I'll drop it. You don't have to tell me twice. But, don't you think it's weird he hasn't been back? Aren't you worried, even a little bit?" Eden threw a piece of wood at him. "Okay, okay, I won't ask again, alright?" Dustin held his hands in front of his head. They both laughed and the slight tension between them broke.

  The truth was, Eden found everything in Fracture weird yet mundane. He thought about the sheriff's strange behavior as much as Dustin talked about it, but he was trying to not let it get to him. School was the same; home was the same. Nothing ever really changed in the small town. The only difference was in the chilly air and changing leaves. One day was hot, the next wasn't. That's just how things were.

  The woods were now green, orange, yellow, and red. Some leaves had fallen, while others hung on for all they were worth. Summer was at an end, and Eden wasn’t happy.

  The changing seasons just reminded him of how everything had changed for him back in July. And, the thought of walking to school in the snow caused him to shiver. Odd, he thought, how simply thinking about weather can make you feel hot or cold. But today, there wasn’t snow on the ground, and on top of that, it was Saturday. The whole day was ahead of him.

  Dustin was true to his word, and he didn't say anything about the sheriff while they worked on the treehouse. Eden and Dustin found plenty of old nails in the boards which were still in good shape, so they used hammers to pry them loose.

  They sorted the wood into piles, according to size and shape, and chose three large rectangular boards for the base. Dustin was better at planning things out than Eden, so he had them place two-by-fours underneath the floor for support. It wouldn't be the Taj Mahal, but it would be fairly safe.

  Eden saw his mom watching them from the porch. She stood there for a while before returning inside. A half hour later, she called them down to eat lunch. This was after they had managed to finis
h building a makeshift ladder up the tree trunk as well as their patchy-but-solid floor. The work was easier than Eden had expected, but he hadn't had a lot of expectations going into the project.

  When Eden and Dustin reached the kitchen, the smell of food greeted them. Luckily his mom hadn’t made anything inedible, and for fifteen minutes they ate tuna sandwiches and potato chips. Eden was even surprised by a pair of Twix candy bars next to their plates. He wondered why his mom was in such a good mood, but his thoughts were soon interrupted.

  "Ah we sil goat da moo eh thee ter?" asked Dustin through a mouthful of sandwich. It took Eden a moment to realize what he had said.

  "Oh yeah. The movie." Eden thought for a moment, slowly chewing his own food. He pushed a bite of sandwich into his cheek with his tongue. "What time is it at again?" He chewed quickly and started eating more chips.

  Dustin took a drink of milk and swallowed his sandwich before answering. It was obvious that he was enjoying his lunch. "The old horror flick starts at six. We'll have to be on time because there aren't any previews. I think there's another one starting around the same time. Probably a romance, so, that's out. Are you going to eat your pickle?" He pointed and looked at Eden's plate with a longing expression.

  "What? No. Have it. I don't like pickles anyway. I guess the horror one sounds good. Not that the romance one would sound good either way. We can probably finish one of the walls, don't you think?" Dustin took the pickle off Eden's plate and nodded his head. Eden put their dishes in the sink, opened the back door, and waited for Dustin.

  After Dustin finished eating, they went back to working on the treehouse. Eden thought the sun had moved too quickly through the sky, but they both worked fast and managed to finish two walls. They put their hammers and nails against the tree trunk and gave each other a high five.

  They still had plenty of time before the movie, but they knew the sun would be setting soon and since there was nothing else to do, they decided to leave early. Dustin put on his blue fuzzy sweater. Five minutes later, Eden said goodbye to his mom and they started walking toward the movie theater. The twilight made the walk comfortable: not too hot and not too cold.

  The gas station was only slightly out of the way, so they decided to stop and pick up some cheap treats. Eden's mom had paid him for raking leaves on Thursday, so they both had plenty of candy before they left. They also figured it was a good way to repay Sammy for bringing them their treehouse wood.

  "Hey, how're my two favorite customers? How's the treehouse coming? Is the wood working out okay?" He seemed genuinely interested.

  "Yeah, it's great. We've got two walls done," said Eden, while picking out some candy.

  Sammy whistled and rang up their assorted candy as they placed it on the countertop. He smiled and took a dollar off their purchase once they were done piling it on, telling them it was for working so hard. He pulled out a grocery sack, stacked the candy inside, and held it up. "Have a good night," he said. "And, don't let Mr. Galland see you sneaking that into the movie." He turned and walked into the gas station's back room.

  Eden followed Dustin outside once all of his candy was safely tucked away, except for a piece of gum, which he tossed into his mouth. The sun was barely above the horizon at this point.

  He was expecting Dustin to say something about Sammy being too nice for how he blew them off the other day as they walked across the parking lot, but before he had the chance, they ran into Ms. Kozi who was filling up her car.

  They slowed down as they crossed the parking lot, then sped up once they reached the sidewalk, but she noticed them and waved.

  "Oh, look who it is! I hope you're enjoying your weekend. Don't get into any trouble, okay?" They smiled awkwardly and walked away without responding.

  When they got on the other side of the street, Dustin asked, "Do you think it’s weird when teachers are outside of school? Maybe it's just me, but I don't like it much."

  Eden had never thought about it. He never thought about strange things like that. "I guess it's a little weird. But I don’t expect them to live in the classroom. I'd think that would be weirder?" He imagined Ms. Kozi, already in pink pajamas, pulling a bed out from under her desk in their classroom, and smiled.

  "But, wouldn’t that be nice?" Eden nodded, and they both laughed.

  When they got to the theater, Eden expected to see someone sitting in the ticket window. He hadn't been to the theater before, but there was a certain set of expectations he had about places before visiting them. The booth was empty. Before Eden could mention this odd fact to Dustin, he noticed a sign.

  The wooden frame was hanging above a roll of blue carnival tickets next to a small box, wooden, like the sign, which told them to leave their money in the box, take a ticket, and thanked them. There wasn't much money in the box: two tens, a twenty, and a couple of ones.

  Eden pulled out some money for a ticket and Dustin did the same. They ripped off their stubs and made sure their candy was safely out of sight before entering the building.

  The lobby and the smell of popcorn hit them. A lightbulb flickered up above. An old man who must have been Mr. Galland stood at a cash register next to a popcorn machine. He was wearing a dull green uniform, complete with a hat that Eden thought a bellhop might wear. The old man looked grumpy, or maybe he was just sad.

  Eden thought about buying a bag of popcorn, but Dustin pushed him toward the theater door. Eden looked down at the black and red carpet to avoid staring at Mr. Galland. The lobby door opened and the old man's attention drifted from them to someone new. Eden glanced back and thought he recognized the Veres twins, but he couldn't be sure because Dustin quickly ushered him into the theater.

  The smell of popcorn died away and was replaced by a stale smell that couldn't be anything other than old and confined seat fabric. Eden thought maybe he would find a similar smell in a yarn-filled closet or attic. The room wasn’t big, but it did look surprisingly nice and clean. The seats were even cushiony. They sat on the front row next to the exit, which put them about ten feet from the screen.

  The two of them spent several minutes pulling candy from their pockets and dividing it according to which ones they liked best. Neither of them noticed, but the theater was extremely quiet. Eden kept the majority of the sour candy, and Dustin took most of everything else. An unusual lack of chocolate existed between them. Eden sat back and tried to push his stuck armrest down, but it wouldn't budge. Dustin tried, but he couldn't get it to move either.

  The overhead lights dimmed and Eden looked around. Even in the dark, he could see that the room was empty. Why had nobody else shown up yet? Was this how it usually was? "Why are we the only ones here?" he asked. Dustin looked over his shoulder to see for himself and shrugged, then leaned over to whisper, but Eden interrupted him. "I just said we are the only ones here, why are you whispering?" He smiled, but he didn't think Dustin noticed.

  "Oh, right. I just think it's cool." Dustin sat back and they watched an old-school black and white circular dial count down from ten before the movie began. Sound crackled out of the overhead speakers, and the rest of the theater lights turned off.

  Eden was kind of disappointed that the projector only took up half the screen space, but he guessed in a town as small as Fracture, he couldn’t expect much. It was almost endearing to him when he thought about it later.

  The movie was older like Dustin had said, but still in color. Eden didn't know why he was glad that it wasn't in black and white, but for some reason he found it relieving. The picture was still irritatingly grainy, which matched the sound quality. They were forced to sit through an intro segment with credits, but no action, and Eden started to wonder if the whole movie would be boring and annoying.

  From how Dustin had been carrying on about it, the whole thing should have been amazing. Eden didn’t have to worry too much about being entertained though because it turned out that Dustin scared easily. It was a horror movie, after all. Every time a hand shot across the screen, Dustin ju
mped, and Eden laughed. His sides split from laughing so hard until Dustin jumped and hit him in the face with his flailing hand.

  After checking to see if his nose was broken, and punching Dustin in the arm for good measure, he started laughing again. Were people supposed to laugh during a horror movie? Probably not. He was glad nobody else was in the theater to see him.

  Then, there was a knocking noise, and Eden wasn't sure if it was part of the movie. It sounded too real against the static speaker sound effects. He looked behind him, but there was nobody; at least, nobody that he could see in the darkness. He was almost sure; there was nothing. Why would anyone come into a movie that was half over anyway?

  Eden looked to his left, but all he could see was an empty row of seats leading to the main theater entrance. The projector light helped a little. Dustin nudged him with his elbow and pointed to the emergency exit in the front corner. "I think that handle just moved. No, really, watch."

  The door was metal, but it was also old. Eden didn’t see the handle move, but he thought the door itself had flexed in the middle. It stayed still so that he couldn't be sure that it had moved at all. Maybe it was just a trick of the projector light. He looked at Dustin who was looking between the handle and the movie.

  A bright day-lit scene came on the screen. Another hand shot from off screen all the same, and they both jumped. Eden shook his head and turned his attention back to the emergency exit. The green light above the door flickered, but not enough that you'd have noticed it without looking directly at it. The door flexed and this time, Eden was sure of it. But, why? He got up and walked under the exit sign. Dustin followed.

  Eden jumped when he heard a scream, but he realized it had come from the movie. He felt the cold metal of the door and tried to see if it was moving anymore, but it didn't feel like it. He looked back at Dustin who shrugged his shoulders and turned back to the empty theater. Someone screamed in the movie again, and Eden jumped. Dustin turned back around and Eden thought he would laugh, but his eyes were wide.