Dark Mountains

by Amanda Meredith

  “I didn’t want to cheat on you, Libs.” He tried explaining in a petulant tone. “But you wouldn’t put out and I’ve got needs.” The resounding crack of Libby’s fist connecting with his face echoed across the football field. I could hear the jock crying all the way to the locker room. We’d walked off the field as the other players laughed, already joking that their star player had gotten the shit kicked out of him by a girl.

  So now, I was riding shotgun to Libby as she tore through the rain-slick hills. She was just venting her anger on the male race in general, which made me flinch. I could hear Libby cursing to herself over the snapping branches and torrents of water hitting the windshield.

  “I’m going to do a huge story on teenage sex and popularity…” she mumbled, referring to the internship she was doing at the local news station. “And I’ll make sure to point out that men think with their…well not with their heads!” She shouted.

  She finally slowed down as we reached a more heavily wooded area. The muddy trail curved around like a snake so she shifted into second and settled into a safer speed. Libby had bought the rusted truck at an auction with her hard-earned money from the paper route. It should’ve been destined for the junk pile but Libby wanted something to call her own so I tirelessly helped her get it into running shape.

  “Why is it that you’re the only guy in this damn place that treats me good?” She asked, clenching the steering wheel. “I know you’re my best friend and all but God, why can’t everyone else be like you?” I stared out the windshield, my mind screaming at me to tell her it was because I liked her and because I wanted us to be more than friends. I wanted to tell her that she deserved better than some hillbilly jock with a brain the size of a pea. That she deserved me. But my teenage self-esteem was smaller than the fuse of her temper.

  “Huh?” She asked, elbowing me in the ribs.

  “I dunno,” I answered, rubbing my side. “Maybe it’s ‘cuz you do everything better than them and they’re jealous.” I thought it would be better off being a smart-ass if I couldn’t be brave. When she snorted at me I added, “I only treat you better because I can still do everything better than you.” I gave her my best cocky, sonofabitch look and flexed my arms.

  “Hah!” She laughed, pushing the truck faster up the slippery hill. “Yeah, well, I can sure as hell drive better!” She answered, flipping her hair back over her shoulder.

  Not a second after Libby had shut her sassy mouth, the truck suddenly left the woods, flew over a water-filled ditch, swung onto the highway and narrowly missed the Harlan County Sheriff’s cruiser. Libby cursed as she downshifted and came to a sliding stop in the middle of the road.

  The sheriff opened his door with a look of pure mad on his face. He ambled right over to Libby’s window, slowly took the cigarette he’d been smoking out of his mouth and smiled. I swear my jaw hit the floorboard. Libby reacted the same way.

  “Out joy riding?” He asked, an eyebrow raised. Libby recovered first, stuttering excuses and apologies but the sheriff just held up his hand until she quieted. “Don’t say another word, Elizabeth Michaels,” he said sternly, flicking his cigarette to the ground.

  “I got a complaint about you a little while ago,” he told her, his drawl thick as he spoke. “Seems to be that quite a few people witnessed you physically assaulting one of the football players at the school.”

  “Sheriff, I…” I tried interrupting but he held up his hand again, cutting me off.

  “No trying to stick up for her this time, Cole,” he told me, looking back at Libby. “I questioned the alleged victim, who happens to be sporting a broken nose and two black eyes, and he told me you punched him in the nose.” Libby said nothing but I saw her jaw clench as if she was biting her tongue. “When I asked him what kind of motive a sixteen-year-old girl could have to attack a good-sized boy like him…he just shrugged and said it was personal.” He looked at Libby, waiting to see if she’d say anything. When she stayed silent, he continued. “So I asked the victim if he was punched in the nose because his girlfriend found out he’d been cheating on her but he pleaded the fifth. So I asked him if he was holding an icepack on his groin because the other girl found out that he had a girlfriend. He pleaded the fifth on that too.” I snorted out a laugh and tried to cover it with a cough. Libby went ahead and laughed, making the Sheriff raise an eyebrow. “Since the victim wouldn’t answer any of my questions I had no choice as to not file any charges.” Libby let out a relieved sigh at the news. The Sheriff leaned against the door, a wicked smile on his face.

  “But trail riding without the proper equipment, now that’s a ticketable offense.” The Sheriff continued to smile as Libby sucked in a shocked breath. “First of all, your headlights aren’t working which is illegal regardless of where you’re driving. Second, trail riders are required to have a working C.B. in case of an emergency.” He pointed at the jumble of wires lying where the radio should have been. “Third,” he added before Libby could make any excuses. “If you’re close to the road, you need to slow your ass down. You could’ve hit me, Libby, or anybody else for that matter. And to top it all off, neither one of you are wearing your seatbelts.” I grabbed for my belt the minute the words were out and he just shook his head at me.

  “Now I could write more than a few tickets for you today and the fines would add up to quite a bit,” Both me and Libby started to protest but he held up his hand for a third time. “But I’ve decided to let you off with a warning since I did the same exact thing when I was your age.” He rubbed his jaw as we both let out a collective sigh. “Except,” he added, eyeing me. “I was the one driving and the girl was riding shotgun.” I blushed, completely un-manned.

  “You two had better be careful from now on,” he lectured, chuckling at my red face. “No sense in getting hurt for having some fun when it’s muddy. And we wouldn’t want your parents finding out either.” Libby cringed. “Now get on home before you get into some real trouble.” Libby buckled her seatbelt and reached down to shift into gear.

  “One more thing, Libby,” the Sheriff added, coming back to her window. “You sure throw one hell of a punch.” He tipped his hat and went back to his cruiser. Libby blushed at the unexpected complement and slowly pulled away, making sure to use her turn signal.

  I watched the Sheriff from the side mirror as he got back into his car. He always caught us when we were doing something wrong but we never seemed to get into any trouble. Libby drove carefully and when we couldn’t see the Sheriff’s cruiser anymore, I looked back at Libby with a cocky grin on my face.

  “Better driver than me, my ass.” I taunted. We laughed the rest of the way home.

  Chapter 5

  Later that summer, we were helping her Pa bale hay for extra cash. It was a hot, sticky task that we didn’t enjoy but we kept our mouths shut and worked until sunset. Libby would catch the hay as it fell from the baler and I would stack it behind us. I could tell Libby was getting tired, we’d been working almost eight hours, and I knew she wasn’t about to ask her Pa for a break. I tapped her shoulder and told her to take a water break. She nodded, wiping the sweat off her forehead and reached for the jug. When she came back instead of handing her the bales to stack, I hauled them past her and stacked them myself. She gave me a hard stare and started to argue.

  “Don’t worry, Lib. We’re almost done,” I told her. She finally leaned against the stack of bales, letting out an exhausted sigh. I worked like that for another hour, making Libby sit back down when she tried to start stacking again. As we got to the end of the field and the tractor slowed, I reached for the last bale of hay, glad to be done.

  I heard the ghostly rattle before I saw the snake. I froze, the hay bale in mid-toss, every nerve in my body screaming in fear. From the corner of my eye, I saw Libby jump up with a scream.

  “Pa!” She yelled for her father while stepping towards me.

  “Don’t,” I shouted, my muscles quivering from the weight of the hay I was holding up. “Stay still, L
ibby.”

  The Copperhead was the biggest I’d ever seen, lying coiled in the spot where the hay bale I was holding had been. Its head was up, poised to strike. I felt the wagon stop and heard Libby’s pa climbing down. I didn’t take my eyes off the deadly snake that was staring me down. I knew that the venom from a snake that size would kill me before we could even make it to the hospital in Middlesboro.

  I stood as still as I could; sweat making itchy paths down my back. Jackson climbed onto the wagon next to the baler, eyeing the snake, then me. He moved slowly, taking in the scene. Libby was trembling as she watched the snake and me. She looked at her Pa, hoping he would help me.

  Libby’s pa just stood there, staring at me. Another stream of filthy tobacco flew from his mouth. I saw his face, almost smiling, and I knew that he didn’t care if the snake bit me or not.

  Libby must’ve realized that at the same moment as me because I could hear her starting to whimper. I looked down at the snake and then back up at Libby’s pa. Then I looked at Libby and heard her pleading with me to hold on. My arms were burning and I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold the bale up much longer. If I moved, the snake would strike, sinking its deadly fangs into my skin.

  “Please, Pa,” she whimpered, her eyes begging him. “Help him, please.” He spit again but didn’t answer. Libby looked back at me and I knew instantly what she was going to do.

  “Libby, don’t,” I begged, my voice full of fear. Eyes locked with mine, she took a step forward. The snaked hissed, its head moving with Libby’s movement. Jackson stared at Libby and then back at me as Libby took another step forward.

  “You’ve got to jump fast, Cole,” Libby whispered as the snake shifted its gaze from her to me. “It won’t be distracted for long.”

  “Libby, no,” I begged again. My arms were shaking now. Fear welled up in my throat as Libby took another step.

  “Stop!” Jackson shouted, making Libby jump back. “Move again and I’ll tan your hide so hard you won’t sit for a week.” Libby’s face paled but she didn’t move. Jackson climbed onto the wagon without fear. The snake was still watching me as my arms shook.

  He reached out just as my arms gave out and the hay bale dropped. The snake lunged towards me, fangs out. Jackson grabbed its head just before it bit into my leg. I fell backwards, landing hard on my ass. I shoved myself further back until I was up against the stack of hay. Libby rushed over to me, her hands going to my shoulders.

  Jackson still held the snake, its jaw snapping. He stepped towards us as he caressed the snake’s head. He knelt down, snake in hand, until he was eye level. The snake’s gleaming fangs were inches from my face. I felt the bile rising in my throat as little black dots flashed in my eyes.

  “You afraid of snakes, boy?” His voice was cold and empty. “Hmm?” He looked at me, his eyes dark and calculating.

  “Yes’sir,” I whispered my voice barely audible.

  “You’d better be,” his voice was menacing as he ran a finger down the top of the snake’s scaly head. “Keep your hands off her.” The threat in his warning was unmistakable as his eyes moved to Libby’s hands, still clenching my shoulders.

  Jackson stood up slowly and stepped off the wagon. He laid the snake on the ground and it slithered away, silent and docile. He turned back to us, spitting into the dirt.

  “Get off, both of ya,” he growled, jerking his head. “Go home.”

  Willing my muscles to move, I scrambled up, stumbling to the edge and jumping down. Libby followed me as I ran to the edge of the tree line. Her pa climbed back onto the tractor and drove it slowly out of the field.

  “Cole?” Libby put a hand on my shoulder but I shrugged her off as I walked towards the trees. When she started to follow, I turned quickly and yelled.

  “Stay!” I saw her shrink back, quickly dragging her eyes to the ground. I wanted to apologize but my need for keeping her away was stronger. I half-ran to the nearest tree, bent over and promptly threw up everything I had eaten that day.

  When my stomach was empty, I gagged, heaving until the last of my strength left my body. I stumbled back and collapsed in the tall grass. I felt Libby’s hand grip my shoulder and turn me towards her. Her face was pale but her eyes were strong as she forced me to look at her. I stared at her, seeing the fear leave her eyes, replaced by sorrow. Not uttering a word, she wrapped her arms around me. My exhausted body gave up as I leaned into her. She laid my head on her chest and I did something I swore I’d never do in front of her. I cried.

  Chapter 6

  “I enlisted today,” I whispered, watching Libby’s face for her reaction. It paled but she said nothing. “I’ll finish school and leave for basic a few weeks after graduation.” She continued to sit silently, staring vacantly out the window. “I know you didn’t want me to sign up, Libby but I have to.”

  “You don’t have to do anything, Cole,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

  “I want to Libby,” I told her, reaching over to grip her hand. “If what I do over there prevents another attack over here…” I trailed off, remembering in vivid detail the images I’d seen from 9-11.

  ***

  Libby and I had been in English that morning and when one of the student deans had rushed into our class and whispered to our teacher, who had rushed to turn on the TV. As the image on the screen came into focus, we could see a tall skyscraper spewing smoke and fire from a hole near the top of the building. As we watched the live footage, a second plane came out of nowhere and slammed into building beside it.

  Libby began to cry as the reporter tried to explain what we were seeing. I heard her say that the buildings would have been nearly fully occupied just after the start of a regular business day. I watched in shock as the camera changed angles on one of the towers, zooming in on objects falling from near the top.

  “There seems to be debris falling from the North Tower.” The reporter’s voice was saying as the camera continued to zoom in. “My God,” we could hear the horror in her voice and the rest of us watching realized what the objects were. “Those are people jumping.”

  Libby stopped watching after that, burying her head in my shoulder and crying. As stunned as I was by what I was watching, I couldn’t turn away. I watched only minutes later as the screen flashed to images of the Pentagon, flames roaring from a gaping hole in one of its sides. I watched in a daze as the screen alternated from pictures of New York and Virginia.

  When the first tower collapsed, I felt a tear slide down my face. The entire school day was spent watching the footage in every class. We listened to the reports that it hadn’t been an accident, that terrorists had been responsible. We watched as President Bush vowed to find those responsible. I had already decided that I would join that fight.

  ***

  “You’re going all the way to California, Cole,” she murmured, still staring out the window. “I won’t see you for months.”

  “I know, Libby,” I answered, reaching over and squeezing her arm. “I’ll be able to call every weekend.” She snorted, making me smile. “I can get a good job after I’m done serving.”

  “You can get a good job here,” she muttered.

  “Working at the coal mine?” I retorted, my anger rising. “Other than washing dishes at the diner, that’s about all there is.” Libby sighed, still not looking at me. “I watched my dad come home; covered in black, coughing up coal dust his entire life. Seeing how Momma worried about him getting killed every day. I don’t want that kind of life, Libby.” She still didn’t turn. “Besides, you got the only good job opening in this two-bit town.” She looked at me then, a crooked grin starting on her face.

  “I didn’t get the job… yet,” she pretended to pout, still smiling.

  “You got the internship… your foot’s in the door.” I smiled, knowing how happy she’d been. She’d worked for months on an audition story for the local news station’s full-time intern opening. Her piece on pressure for teenagers to have sex had beat out five other local hop
efuls. She’d start right after school got out in another month. I’d be leaving for basic at the same time and hoped she’d be distracted by her new job not to worry too much.

  ***

  It was the week before Christmas and the drama club was putting on their end of the year play. Libby had gotten the lead role and couldn’t hide her excitement. Both of her parents had even come for opening night and were sitting next to mine in the front row. I could tell that Jackson wasn’t enjoying being there. Every few minutes he’d take a sip of whiskey from the flask sitting in his shirt pocket. But when the curtain pulled back, I forgot all about Jackson as Libby stepped onto the stage.

  The entire audience sat in stunned silence as Libby mesmerized us. We could feel every tear, every hope and every ray of happiness as she poured her soul into the role of Cinderella. I glanced down the row at Jackson, who seemed to be oblivious to the fact that his daughter was a very talented actor. Sitting three seats down, I could smell the stench of whiskey and I shivered. A sober Jackson was never a good thing… a drunk Jackson made me nervous.

  The last scene unfolded as the prince finally found the mysterious owner of the missing slipper. As the two characters reached towards each other for the play-ending kiss, the entire audience erupted in loud applause. I glanced over to her parents and saw Carol Ann busily wiping tears from her eyes. But Jackson was glaring at Libby with murder in his eyes. I knew how Jackson felt about anyone getting physically close to his daughter… I’d seen that same look a few years before when he had assumed too much with me. But he hadn’t seen what I had when Libby was on stage. To the audience, the kiss had been the most romantic they’d ever seen, but they had missed seeing Libby turn her face just before the boy’s lips touched hers so all he kissed was her cheek.