The Pit in the Woods: A Mercy Falls Mythos

by Nathaniel Reed

  15

  Thoughts in a jumble, his mind racing with fleeting images of fists, he chanced to open his eyes. They were standing above him, only standing. The hit had caused a great deal of pain, and he was pretty sure his nose was broken. Above him Jim, Richard, and Eddie were three blurs, not from the pain, but the loss of his glasses. He turned his head right and left looking for them.

  “What should we do with him?” one of them said.

  He had to find his glasses. Just had to. His survival depended on it.

  “Hey, what’re you looking for?” Eddie asked. He recognized the challenger’s voice. “Oh, I see…” The blur went off to the side, crouched down, picked something up off the ground.

  He waved the glasses in front of Myron’s face. Myron grabbed at them, but Eddie snatched them back at the last instant.

  “Not so fast. You didn’t say please.”

  16

  “Shit!” Max said. Both of them. He thought of taking one of them on, but he knew the other would interfere. Better to walk off, and go with the winning team than get his ass kicked by both John and Tony. Besides, they wouldn’t notice his departure. They were shaking hands, gloating in their minor victory.

  “Thanks Johnny. That’s the second time you’ve saved my life.”

  “No sweat man. Besides, I’d hardly call this time saving your life.”

  “Still Johnny, I owe you,” Tony said, “I owe you a lot.”

  Johnny’s face changed. “Save it Tony. I think Myron’s in trouble.”

  “Shit!” Tony said, “Jeremy too!”

  17

  Still Carl looked on. He wasn’t going to join in the senseless violence, yet he couldn’t leave. Despite his abhorrence of the Dragon’s tactics he was still fascinated. He had to know how things would turn out.

  What was that? He’d heard something but it wasn’t coming from the direction of the fight. It was behind him, off to his right, in the distance. It sounded like… voices.

  People? Could it be some more crazy kids wandering in?

  Then he saw. Off in the horizon.

  “Oh sh--!”

  18

  “Try to fight back now you dick! C’mon!”

  “Leave him alone!” Staci screamed.

  “Fuck you bitch!” Rick shouted back.

  Jeremy twisted under him.

  “Hasn’t anyone ever told you not to talk that way to ladies?” Tony said.

  Rick Morris barely looked up as Tony came up behind him and kicked him in the ribs. Morris went rigid as if he’d just received an electric shock, and rolled off of Jeremy. Still he managed to get up, holding on to his wounded side. Jeremy got up right after him. Although Rick was right behind him, he went around Jeremy to face his new attacker.

  19

  Jack Farris was up first. His face was scratched up from the collision with the ground. Blood trickled from minute cuts. His stomach didn’t feel half as bad as when he was first hit there. In fact, he felt pretty damn good considering. Of course, he had a high threshold for pain. Phil, however, didn’t look too hot. He walked over to him.

  “Yo Phil, you all right there sport?”

  “Yeah, just give me a sec,” he said, still clutching his groin.

  “Help you up?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Pretty rough for a while,” Jack said. Phil grabbed his meaty arm and hoisted himself up.

  “You’re tellin’ me? I was kicked in the fucking nuts!”

  “Damn punks! Always gotta go for the family jewels.”

  “Yeah, they’re my most prized possession.”

  Farris laughed, “They’re every man’s most prized possession.”

  20

  “So whatya wanna do with him Eddie?” Jim asked again.

  “Kill him,” Max said from behind them.

  All three looked back.

  “Here.” Max handed Eddie the knife.

  “Hey, wait a minute…” Eddie began.

  “Do it,” Max said.

  “I wouldn’t,” Johnny said, “Cause then I’d have to kill you.”

  “Well, well, if it isn’t fly boy again.”

  Johnny, Myron thought, Thank God. Oh man, what am I saying? It is four against one.

  Max looked at Johnny, then looked at Eddie. He pointed to the knife, then Johnny. “Him first.”

  21

  More or less recovered from the pain in his shin (miracle the bitch didn’t break bone) Jake Mussen got up and joined Rick, although he was now limping. Rick hardly took notice. He was so intent on Tony.

  Staci saw two others walking their way. “Tony…” Staci said worriedly. Jeremy came to her side.

  “Forget it Tony,” he said, “There’s too many.”

  Do we have a choice? Tony thought. Phil and Farris stepped up behind Rick and Jake. Rick looked back, taking notice he had company.

  “Glad you could join the club,” Jake said to his brother.

  “Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Phil replied. His smile faded when his foot hit something. He looked down to see. “Sam! Goddamn! What happened to you?”

  Sam looked up but didn’t bother trying to reply.

  “Forget him,” Rick said, “We got more important business right now.” He looked at Sam. “Sorry bud, no offense.”

  “Kixxxissasses!” Sam muttered.

  “We aim to please.”

  22

  “With pleasure,” Eddie said, “The traitor I have no problem

  killing.”

  Max smiled at Johnny. “Now you find out why we call Eddie here the Iceman.”

  Eddie ran at him with the knife.

  23

  He grabbed her by the arm. Before Jeremy could do anything to stop Farris, Jake hit him squarely on the jaw. Jeremy went down, and Jake was on top of him. Staci squealed in Farris’s grip.

  Rick leapt at Tony. This time he stood his ground, but then Phil stepped up and hit Tony in the side.

  Phil noticed a long shadow creeping up behind him. That’s when the baseball bat crashed over his head.

  24

  “Max, look out!”

  He turned and caught a glimpse of Carl where he stood, behind a copse of trees, a second before he was struck from behind, shoved by two hands to the ground. Eddie’s knife barely grazed Johnny’s side as he was caught in mid-leap, seized by his legs, and slammed to the ground, the knife sliding out of his hand.

  Now that’s what you call a dirt nap, Johnny thought.

  25

  Jack Farris lost his grip on Staci as someone’s foot slammed between his ass cheeks and struck his balls. Farris let out a strangled yelp as he released her, his face turning red. He was kicked again in the back as he attempted to turn around, feeling the long blunt tip of a shoe or boot dig into his flesh. He fell backward in an arch hitting his head on the ground. His vision went hazy as he was kicked repeatedly- in the side, the face, the head.

  “You piece of shit!” the girl screamed. Staci saw that it was a girl who saved her. Her hair was strawberry blonde. She was wearing a black leather jacket, blue jeans with holes at the knees, and heavy black boots. “You motherfucker! I’m gonna kill you!”

  Kick, kick, kick.

  She had a baseball bat in one hand. She clutched it now in both hands and swung it down into his stomach. It made a sound like beating a rug.

  Farris let out a loud, “Oommphh!”

  The girl kicked, then swung, kicked, then swung repeatedly. Farris was soon spitting out blood rather than words, or shrieks of pain.

  “That’s enough!!” Staci cried out, grabbing the arm with the bat. “Stop! He’s had enough!”

  Julia turned, her face livid. Staci was sure she was going to backhand her with the bat, but then she seemed to settle, slightly.

  “He deserves to die…”

  “No,” Staci said, “Not him, or anyone here. Leave him alone. He won’t be getting up for a while.”

  “You don’t know what he’s done.”

  “Maybe not
, but you need to calm down. Think things through, okay? You don’t want to go to jail for him.”

  Julia looked uncertain. She was still fuming.

  “I’m Staci,” she said as a peace offering, “Thank you for helping me.”

  That did seem to calm her down a bit more. She even managed a smile.

  “I’m Julia, Julia Stevens.”

  26

  Jeremy struggled under Jake. Jake raised his fist to hit him again, but at that instant someone grabbed his wrist and yanked Jake off of him. At a glance he saw brown hair, a little long in the back, a light blue denim jacket and equally light blue eyes. He didn’t immediately recognize Pete Whiteman as he was spun around, putting his fist into Jake’s stomach, and then his face.

  27

  White circles danced around his eyes as the bat struck his head and Phil stumbled around for a second, lethargic, before he folded in on himself and collapsed. There was a bloody mark on his scalp and hair where the wood had hit. Bill Koontz swiveled back toward Rick, who was charging at Tony; swung again and caught Rick Morris in the ribs. Morris went rigid and gasped as he fell. Tony stared uncomprehendingly.

  “Who the hell are you?”

  “Me? I’m William. You are Tony right?”

  “Yeah, thanks for…”

  “Saving your ass? Don’t mention it. It was worth it, kicking theirs.”

  28

  They rolled around in leaves, Max struggling to free himself. But Lou Jerreau, having caught him unawares, attacking from behind, had the upper hand. He struck Max several times but Max kept rolling with the punches. He only managed glancing blows. Despite Lou’s grip on him Max managed to pry himself loose. They both rose hurriedly to their feet, and Max made a move to attack, but Lou pulled out a knife and halted his progress. Max, for the moment, merely stood his ground.

  “You’re not going to use that Lou. I know you too well.”

  “Oh? You want to try me- Max?”

  29

  Eddie reached for the knife a couple of inches from his grasp, but Mike Lemon still held onto his legs, dragging him back across the dirt.

  “Let go of me Mike! What the hell are you doing?”

  “I’m stopping you from killing someone, whatya think I’m doing?”

  Johnny looked on, stunned. He dabbed a hand in the blood at his side. He walked to the knife Eddie was trying to grab and picked it up. Eddie looked up at him with hatred.

  “All right,” Johnny said, “You can let him go. He won’t be going anywhere.”

  Mike did so, and they both got up.

  “You know,” Mike said, “I should have left the Dragons a long time ago.”

  “Yeah,” Johnny agreed.

  Eddie went to hit Mike, disregarding the knife in Johnny’s hand. But Mike, seeing his intent, swung his leg under him in a sideways arch, tripping him. Eddie tried to get up again but Johnny grabbed him by the hair, mashing his face into the dirt, and put the knife to his neck.

  “Don’t try that again asshole!”

  Richard Beck and Jim Jensen, playing for the bad guys, stood off to the side in the shadows of a nearby tree watching this. They’d both had enough already, and didn’t attempt to intervene.

  30

  Julia Stevens joined Mike Lemon and John Winter. Pete Whiteman (who’d just beat up Jake) and Jeremy went to where Lou held Max at bay with his knife. Mary Crowley, looking odd and yet somehow right in a floral print dress and motorcycle jacket soon stepped out of the shadows to join them with bat in hand. She’d come prepared to use it, but when the time came she couldn’t. Unlike Julia she lacked the nerve, and could barely stand the sight of blood. In time that would change. If it weren’t for Julia (who she admired) befriending her she would have never joined the Dragons at all.

  William Koontz, Tony, and Staci went to join the others as well. Carl Napier decided to leave his little niche and joined Richard and Jim’s.

  “Well, well, well,” Tony said, “Looks like the tables have turned. But let me check. Let’s see- five men down on your side Max. We’ve got about nine or ten, I’d say, pretty much uninjured men.” He wasn’t counting Myron, who was currently sitting up and placing his glasses with one cracked lens back on his face.

  “And women,” Julia said.

  “And women,” Tony agreed.

  Max looked at the six former Dragons and said with loathing, “You’ll pay for this! You’ll pay for interfering!”

  “Get lost Max!” Johnny interjected. “And take your dirt bag friends with you.”

  “Fuck you Winter!”

  “Fuck me? No thanks. You’re not my type.”

  Tony laughed.

  “Get out of here Max!” Julia joined in. “Unless you’d like this bat upside your head.”

  Richard, Jim, and Carl walked over to Max. Eddie got up and joined them, now that John no longer had a knife to his neck.

  “I think we better,” Eddie whispered in Max’s ear. “We’ll get ’em next time chief.”

  “Yeah, next time,” Max cursed under his breath. “Fine, we’ll leave,” he said aloud, “For now. But we’ll be back. You can count on that.”

  They each pulled up a fallen comrade and proceeded to guide them through the intricacies of walking. Jim and Eddie had the hardest time with Sam and Farris, who were barely conscious and in agony.

  “Yeah, just get your sorry asses out of here!” Bill Koontz shouted after them.

  31

  “C’mon, we’ve gotta help Myron up,” Tony said. John and Jeremy helped him lift him up.

  “You all right there Myron?” Johnny asked.

  Blood ran out of his nose, and it looked twisted, but he answered. Sort of. “Ah-ah-tink so. Deh brokt my dose.”

  “Yeah, it sure sounds like it.”

  “Looks like your hurt too,” Pete told Johnny, indicating his torn shirt and bloody side.

  “Naw, just a scratch. Myron got it the worst.”

  “No,” said Mike Lemon, “They got it the worst.” He pointed at the tiny specks in the distance.

  “Can you walk?” Johnny asked Myron as they set him on his feet.

  “Yeh, just my dose. Fet fine.”

  “Jesus, you sound horrible,” Tony said, “We gotta get him to a hospital.”

  “So who are you guys?” Jeremy asked.

  Lou replied. “Ex Dragons. We saw the others walk in here from behind the fence while we were cruising around on our bikes. We knew they were up to something, so we figured we’d find out what. We lost them there for a while in the woods.

  “It’s all woods,” Bill Koontz said.

  “You know what I mean smartass. Back with all those trees.”

  “You’ve got a heck of a swing there,” Johnny told Bill.

  “Thanks.”

  As they talked they noticed the sun beginning to set.

  “I don’t know about you guys,” Staci said, “But I’m not really liking the idea of being stuck in here after dark.”

  Murmurs of assent. They walked back the way they’d come

  and made it out of the forest just before dark. The walk to the fence in the twilight wasn’t so scary, as it was all wide open fields. On the other side of the fence they exchanged numbers, and everyone went their own way. At least for tonight.

  32

  There was a knock at the door, barely audible over the music. Jeremy got up off the bed, lowered the stereo, and walked over to the door.

  “Hi,” Rebecca greeted him.

  “Hey Becky, what’s up?”

  “Nothing,” she said sadly.

  “Come in. Sit down.”

  She went to the bed and sat next to him.

  “Mom’s really mad at you for coming home late,” Rebecca commented.

  “I know. I’m lucky I wasn’t grounded.” He rubbed his aching jaw absently.

  “What did you tell her?” Rebecca asked.

  “The truth. I was with friends. We lost track of time.”

  Becky shook her head knowingly. She c
ould read him like a book, even at her age, and it didn’t help he was still rubbing his jaw.

  “What happened to you?” She went to touch his face and Jeremy pulled away.

  “Nothing.”

  “You were in a fight weren’t you?”

  It was no use lying.

  “Weren’t you?” she repeated.

  “Yeah,” Jeremy nodded, resigned. “Don’t tell Mom okay? She’d have a cow.” Jeremy would later remember that comment and chuckle when it became a popular catch phrase of a cartoon character named Bart Simpson, on a show that would become a permanent Sunday fixture for the next three decades.

  “I won’t.” She hesitated. “Jeremy?”

  “Yeah sis?”

  “You know that boy I told you about?”

  Jeremy smiled. “Yeah?”

  “Well, I did like you said. He was pulling my hair at lunch today and instead of getting mad I kissed him on the cheek.”

  “Yeah, so what did he do?”

  “He ran off. He didn’t say ill, or blush, or anything. He just ran. What does that mean?”

  Jeremy thought about it. “I don’t know. It’s still possible he likes you. He’s just embarrassed.”

  “Great,” Rebecca said. “Now I won’t know until after vacation’s over.” She bowed her head, frowning.

  Jeremy lifted her head and looked into her eyes. “Don’t look so sad, okay? There will be plenty of time for boys when you grow up. And vacation will be over before you know it.”

  Suddenly, the thought of that was much worse. “God, I hope not! I don’t want to go back that fast!”

  He laughed. “I figured.”

  “Hey!” she brightened up, “Tomorrow’s Christmas Eve!”

  “Yeah, I know. Has Dad taken out the Christmas tree yet?”

  “I think so. We’re going to decorate it tomorrow morning!” she exclaimed excitedly.