Tethered

by Vaughn Ashby

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  2014 Shane: At Least 137

  Pratt pressed the phone hard against his ear. The Taurus looked nice sitting there but much like other cars built in the early 80s, it was noisy as shit. “Yes, Anna I need you to go get your cell phone. The one daddy gave you for emergencies.” He paused as she went to go get the phone. “She’s getting it," he told Shane and Smith, both of whom were in the front seat. Pratt, having lost the shotgun call, was relegated to the back seat.

  Shane played with the radio dials, “I haven't seen shit like this in forever, reminds me of the car my parents had when I was little.”

  “Yeah, no shit,” Smith said adjusting the rearview mirror to look at Pratt. “This is that car; I stole it back about 20 years ago.”

  “Really?” Pratt said from the back.

  “No fucker,” Shane said sounding more annoyed at Pratt's slowness then usual. “He's fucking with you.”

  “Oh well I figured...hey Anna, yes ok. One sec.” Pratt leaned forward his head resting between Shane and Smith. “Would you classify this as an emergency? Because her dad only…” He figured out the answer by the look on Shane's face. “Yep it's fine, it’s an emergency,” he said sliding back into his seat. “Ok, now, great ok, where does it say he is?” There was a long pause as Anna fiddled with her phone, while holding Gemma's phone on her ear. “Great thanks, Anna, love you too. Smell you later too.” Pratt hung up his phone and smile at Smith threw the rearview mirror. “He's at the Gunn Corner.”

  “Where?” Smith asked. “Is that local term?”

  “It's where highway 33 and 43 meet,” Shane answered for him. “We fucking passed it on our way here. They call it Gunn corner because there used to be a town there called Gunn, now there’s just a gas station.”

  “Oh, that's a lame backstory for a name. So how did you figure all this out again? These new phones confuse me,” Smith asked doing his best old man impersonation. “I’m way older than I look.”

  “What are you like 40?” Pratt asked. Smith pointed his finger up to the roof, “50?” Again Smith repeated the gesture. “60?”

  “This will take forever, I know I'm at least 137, but I don't remember before that. Could be longer for all I know.”

  “Oh, you look great for 137.”

  “Thanks man, so that phone thing you did?”

  “Right, so you can set up all your products to find each other as long as they are on the same account. It's for if you are a forgetful fuck like me, and lose your shit all the time. Anyways, Jason gave Anna a phone in case of emergencies. He also was a good daddy and turned on the track My Phone app for both him and her. So if she got lost he could find her.”

  “I understood like 5 of those words,” Smith said as he turned the car on to highway 33 south heading toward Gunn Corner.

  “It’s basically a fancy way to find your keys, except Jason is the keys," Shane clarified.

  “Oh, why didn't you just say that?”

  “I thought I did," Pratt said sounding confused himself.

  Shane felt his phone vibrate, it was probably Bill again or someone from the real world. Someone trying to get him to come back to the real world. He ignored it, leaned back and closed his eyes for the first time in days. While he never actually fell asleep, just shutting his eyes was enough. His brain couldn’t stop thinking about Kristen. He had to listen to Pratt and Smith jabber about random crap. At one point the car stopped, and Pratt hopped out. He was only gone for a second and Shane almost opened his eyes, but then he could hear Pratt coming back. He was arguing with someone. Once back in the car, Shane recognized the voice. It was that damned severed head. The head was upset that Pratt had left him in the car with no windows down. Whatever, Shane tried to enjoy the rest of the car ride while tuning the three of them out.

  Twenty or so minutes later the car slowed down again, Shane could feel the car turn off the main road, and come to a stop. He sat up and was confused by what he saw. “This isn't the Gunn corner, the Gunn corner is a shitty gas station with some grass and trees. Where are we?”

  “This is it,” Pratt said from the back seat. “This is the Gunn corner.”

  “I think I know the Gunn corner; I've driven past it about a thousand times.”

  “Me too, this is it." Pratt held up his phone. “Google maps agrees.”

  Shane opened the passenger door and climbed out. His back was a little sore from the car ride, or maybe it was the stress, but he made it out and rubbed his eyes. In front of him sat a huge subdivision. Hundreds of completed, pristine, modern houses. No sight of anyone, anywhere. No cars, no dogs barking, no sounds at all, nothing. Just houses.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  2014 Jason: Made Eye Contact

  The knife felt so cold in Jason’s chest, he exhaled hard, blood flew from his lips. Jessica kissed his cheek and ran her hands through his hair. She slowly pulled the knife out. He mouthed the words no, over and over as she pulled it out. He wished he was thinking of something deeper, but his only thought was of the lady who had taught him first aid back before he started on the force. She always said to leave penetrating objects in. He could hear her voice over, and over telling him to leave it in, but it hurt so much and he wanted it out. Once free Jessica wiped it on her bare stomach, then tossed it aside. She smiled at him and kissed him again.

  Jason coughed and turned to his side, blood pouring from his mouth. She must have hit either his heart or lungs or both or something. The blood was dark red, he couldn’t remember if that was a good thing or bad. Maybe it didn’t matter at all, but when you are seeing your own blood it all matters.

  Jessica got to her feet and walked over to the generator. She smiled and kissed the old man plugged into it.

  “Jason this is Moe, Moe this is Jason,” both men locked eyes, both pleading for help from the other. “You, my dear Jason are going to help Moe here. You see this place is fucked. He’s actually controlling the house.” She raised her hands to gestured toward the ceiling. “I know it’s strange, but follow me here.” She walked back over to Jason and knelt down beside him. Placing a hand under his arm, she dragged him over towards Moe and the generator.

  “Why me?” Jason said through more coughs and blood.

  “I did my research, you are a good man, your wife left you, and took your kid from you. Now you only have work and you want more. I’m going to give that to you. You get to be something bigger than yourself.”

  She propped Jason up next to the generator, it made his breathing easier. She pranced back over to where she had thrown the knife, Jason couldn’t help notice how naked she still was ,and how excited she was. She picked up the knife and returned to him.

  “You see there are three factions working here,” holding the knife close to her she kissed him again, and sat right in front of him. “There are those people, you know, like Jenny that talked to you. Her and the others job is to keep the house here.” She tapped Moe on the leg, “Moe is running the house. Literally, his life powers it.” She snapped the cable running from Moe to the generator.

  Jason and Moe again made eye contact.

  “The house keeps the woman here, I used to be the woman, now you are going to help me get my job back.”

  She held the knife in front of her, then drove the blade into her chest. She screamed in pain and excitement. Jason watched as the blood burst from the wound and ran down her chest. She braced herself up with her arm and wiped her forehead. “Ok, the woman keeps the people here. One big happy circle all tethered together.”

  “I…” Jason coughed again. “I have a daughter.”

  “I know,” Jessica was talking slower now, the pain in her chest was growing. It wouldn’t take long. “But she’s not your responsibility. She’s with your wife.”

  Jason eyed the stairs, they seemed light years away in his condition. He’d be lucky if he ever left this room again. He looked around for anything that could help him. Other then the two pits of dead bodies, Moe and his ge
nerator, him and Jessica there wasn’t much. Next to the stairs, there was a book shelf. It looked emptied.

  “She doesn’t live with her mom,” Jason said forcing the sound out of his mouth. “Her mom left us, she’s mine.”

  Jessica looked confused, “The paperwork said…” She collapsed to the floor, her breathing slowing. She looked up at the ceiling. This was it. She was going to finally fix this. Her vision darkened and she could hear Jason saying something, it didn’t matter now. She’d fucked up another family, but hopefully, she’d be able to fix one too. With no fight at all, she died.

  Jason watched as her breathing stopped, he turned to look at Moe who was hunched over, he looked either asleep or dead, he wasn’t sure which. He turned back to Jessica, she stood in front of him, smiling.

  “I’m me again, I wish I had some cool power to show you, but it takes time to build back up. I should warn you, I’m probably going to turn into a bitch, its kind of a prerequisite.” She ran her hands along his face, then down to his chest. She licked his wound, “So, you are almost ready to die.”

  He tried to move, nothing happened. His own blood pooled around him, he’d lost way too much and he knew when he was fucked.

  “Let’s have some fun,” Jessica said digging into his pocket. She pulled his phone out, “Let’s get you some friends for eternity.” She unlocked it, and went to the phone app. “I checked into your friends too, they’ll do, but you should know your friend Shane checked out my ass.”

  She found Shane’s number, then pressed call, then speakerphone.

  Jason tried to yell, nothing came out. He tried to make any sound again, nothing came out.

  “I’ll do the talking for us, don't you worry, sugar.” The phone rang three times then Shane picked up.

  “Hey, Ass F…” Jason could hear Shane’s voice; it was amazing to finally hear his friends again. It felt it had been days even if it had only been a couple hours.

  Jessica straightened her neck and got into character “I…” Jason's eyes went huge, she sounded just like him.

  “You driving through a mountain, or got you head up some guy’s ass?” Shane chuckled to himself, Jason didn't think it was funny but Jessica smiled and gave him a thumbs up.

  She spoke again “…Jessica…”, her ability to mimic phone issues was amazing.

  “Seriously dude I can't hear you.”

  Jessica put her hand over the phone, “one last thing should get them here fast.” She leaned in and kissed his fore head. Then she took her hand off the phone, “...help…”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  1982 Moe: Her Lips Were Warm

  I remember seeing the look of unfiltered fear in Nicole’s eyes as she watched the woman drive that thing into my chest. I'd never seen that look before in a child. I should have wanted to run to her, I should have wanted to tell her everything is going to be ok. Even if I thought it wasn’t. But I didn't.

  With the woman kissing me, I could feel the cable working it's way deeper into me. I could feel it everywhere, or maybe it could feel me everywhere.

  Her lips were warm, comforting, it felt like it was just the two of us in our own little world. Slowly, I could feel more, I felt the cable as if it were apart of me. Then the generator, its rumble was my rumble, it pumped my life, and me it's. I felt the room and the bodies, I knew all their names, where they were born and how they died. I could feel the house, it was me, I knew why it looked like that cabin I’d been to with my father hunting, because it was that cabin. I could feel the people, the spirits who forced the house to conjure, I knew which body belonged to which spirit. I knew why they were trapped here. I could feel the grass, the trees, the man. The man in the generator had been Smith.

  I could feel it all, I knew what the house knew. I was linked to her, this woman, Jessica.

  Then there was a tug on my arm. It was Nicole, I knew without removing my lips from Jessica’s, even with my eyes closed. She pulled harder. Her face wet with tears. I didn't want to leave or at least I think I didn't want to leave. The cable was feeding ideas into me, changing me. I don't think I was me anymore.

  I swatted Nicole away, hard. She stumbled back losing her footing on the soft dirt floor.

  I remember laughing, not at Nicole, but at what I’d become. I was more then I used to be. I was part of whatever this was. I loved it, I think.

  Nicole gathered herself, and got back to her feet. I could feel her eyes on me and Jessica. They burned with anger and fear. I could almost see her emotions. Like colors slipping out of her, I read her like a book.

  My lips left Jessica’s and I looked at Nicole. My head slowly drifting sideways as I looked at her. I could see her, everything that was happening to her now. I could predict logical outcomes of what she might do. I knew her inside and out, except I didn’t know her at all.

  I didn’t know she was my daughter, she was half of me. She was my favorite, something I won’t admit to the other kids, but she was.

  Jessica started kissing my neck and Nicole turned and ran. I didn’t care, neither did Jessica. Where was she going to run? She couldn’t leave unless one of us wanted her to.

  I could hear her feet going up the stairs and into the large open room, I could also feel it. I breathed and the house breathed. She grabbed something from a cabinet and her footsteps turned back towards the stairs.

  I knew she was coming back, whatever she had couldn’t hurt me.

  She came running down the steps at full stride, holding something. I couldn’t see what it was, but I did a quick inventory of everything, and knew it was some kind of spray. She pulled the pin as she moved passed the two pits, then she pulled the trigger and ran into her own cloud of spray.

  I watched as she coughed, and cried, she threw the spray against the wall. Still determined, she charged towards us. Jessica now kissing my chest around the cable.

  Nicole was my daughter after all, like me she was stubborn.

  She ran towards me, and I pushed her back much harder. This time she went sliding back, again losing her footing but she went tipping down into one of the pits. I could hear her scream as she fell and even more when she landed. I knew she was hurt; I didn't need the house to tell me. I knew from her cry, but I didn't care, damn it why didn't I care.

  I never saw her again with my eyes, the house could see her so I could but she never came out. For days she cried and for days I did nothing. I could feel her down there. Her heart slowing. I could feel her terror, her sadness, her wanting of me to save her. She wanted her daddy, me, to help her. I didn't, I watched through the house.

  What kind of a person was I? Was I still a person? What was I?

  CHAPTER FORTY

  2014 Shane: Which House Is It?

  Smith drove the car slowly down the street, everything was so still. “So which house is it?”

  Pratt looked at his phone, “I don’t know, Anna didn’t really say.” He held his phone above his head in the international gesture for I can’t get a signal so I’ll try a foot above my head. “I don’t have a signal.”

  Smith stopped the car in the middle of an intersection, “How are we going to find out which one it is?”

  Shane looked at all the houses around them, they looked so much the same it was ridiculous. Same basic layout, large garage in the front, two stories, light siding, dark trim, one tree out front. Your standard suburb subdivision. “Fuck it, let’s just go try some.”

  “What like go door to door like Girl Guides or Mormons?” Pratt said still looking at his phone. “I guess I don’t have any other ideas, so let’s go.”

  “Better than driving around,” Smith said getting out of the car. Shane followed his lead, then Pratt, he carried his bag with the head in it.

  The three of them stood under a traffic light, which had been red when they arrived. “So should we all go to the same house? Or split up horror movie style and all die?”

  “Let’s try the horror movie split up,” Shane said as he looked from house to hou
se.

  “Shotgun not dying,” Pratt yelled, Smith humored him with a sound of frustration, like he was guaranteed to die now or something.

  “Let’s just each take a house on a corner, we’ll all still be able to see each other that way.”

  “Fine by me,” Smith said as he started towards his house. The other two took his queue and started walking. Smith got to his door first and knocked. Shane and Pratt again followed his lead. The area was silent, the knocks echoed down the blocks. No answer from any house, so they signaled to each other to try the knobs. All three doors opened.

  Shane peeked in first, he saw nothing. He called for Jason, there was no reply. He stepped inside, his pulse was racing. This was a bad idea, he could feel himself yelling at himself to get out and run. He promised only one more step. He inched forward.

  The door slammed behind him and he jumped. Shane ran for it and tried the knob, it didn’t move. He turned again, pressing his back against the door, only to be amazed by what he saw in the room with him. Smith and Pratt stared at him, each of them with their own backs to a different door.

  “Yay, none of us died,” Smith said happily. Then he died. A toilet pierced through the roof and crushed him. His head and upper body took most of the impact. He exploded into black slime all over the wall. Pratt looked down at his clothes, the same goo covered them.

  Pratt and Shane both ducked, and moved towards Smith. Both actively looking for more flying toilets.

  “What the fuck was that?” Pratt said, his voice was shaky.

  Another toilet smashed through the roof, the kitchen table exploded.

  “I have no fucking idea,” Shane replied, he was out of whatever makes your voice shaky, his body was basically out of everything. “But I think we may have found the right house.”

  Two more toilets hit the living room, the first turned the chair next to them into a cloud of fabric. The second hit dead center in the room and went right through to the basement.

  “So Smith is dead,” they both looked over at him. “Sucks, he seemed like a cool guy.”