by Bryan Mosier
Giving her the usual confused look and a cursory nod, Bryan offers“Okay, I got an idea. Everyone give me some room.” Stepping back from the door, Bryan rushes at the door, slamming his shoulder hard into the thick wooden surface. Bouncing back, landing hard on the floor of the porch, Bryan groans in pain, holding his shoulder moaning“Always works in the movies.”
“Or” starts Melody,“we could just…” she says as she pulls a bobby pin from her hair and inserts it into the door lock. With her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth, wiggling and twisting the bobby pin left and right, she continues“…and booyahgrandma” as the lock of the door clicks as it releases. Looking at Melody, Darla is once again amazed at her little sister’s skill. “Where…” she starts but then comes“the internet” as the rest of the group answers in unison.
Stepping forward, Alex pushes the door inward a few inches until it hits against an unseen obstacle. “C’mon guys, help me push” he says as Justin and Bryan join him. Pushing hard against the door they can feel the object barring their path start to move as it slides on the polished hardwood floor of the home. “Okay, I think that’s enough” says Alex as he starts squeezing himself through the narrow opening. As the others follow suit, Alex turns on his flashlight, letting the beam of light play over the surfaces of the room. Looking around the room, amazed that such opulence and wealth could exist in such a small town, Alex finds himself feeling a little jealous seeing the room filled with luxurious furniture and expensive electronics. “Wow” says Bryan, looking at a huge flat screen television mounted on the wall,“that thing is huge. BetchaHalo looks pretty freaking awesome on that bad boy.”
“I bet it would…” says Larry,“…if there was any electricity that is”
Letting her fingers run along the soft leather of the couch, Darla can’t help but compare it to the modest home that she grew up in. “This…this is really nice” she says, feeling a familiar sense of insecurity creeping into the back of her mind.
“C’mon y’all. D’s room is upstairs. Let’s go” says Suzie-Steve as she turns to head up the long spiral staircase at the back of the room.
Walking up the stairs the group notices the air gettingthicker as the warmer air trapped inside the house rises, leaving the cooler air to fill the lower level. “Whew, it’s like a frickinsauna up here” says Larry, the sweat already dripping from both of his chins. Reaching the top of the stairs, Suzie-Steve points down a long hallway indicating“Last room on the left”.
“You guys should maybe wait here. Let us make sure the coast is clear” says Alex, motioning for Suzie-Steve to follow.
Walking slowly through the darkness, letting the light of the flashlight pan back and forth Alex and Suzie-Steve creep slowly down the hallway. Looking in to the other rooms as they make their way down the corridor to make sure no zombies might have infiltrated the house and could be lurking in the shadows to attack at any moment. Feeling comfortable with their assessment of the house, Alex waves for the group to follow as he and Suzie-Steve arrive at Donna’s bedroom door. “You think she’s still in there?” asks Alex, looking to Suzie-Steve for a response. “I don’t know. I mean, where else would she be?” she replies. Looking at the door, Alex notices a faint glow trickling from underneath. Turning the knob and slowly pushing the door open, its thick wooden frame creaking on the heavy brass hinges, Alex slowly pokes his head inside.
Looking around, the room is illuminated by several candles scattered around the opulent space. The room itself is fairly spacious and, with the exception of some posters tacked on the walls, is decorated in much the same -lavish style as the rest of the house. Following Alex and Suzie-Steve, Bryan shines his flashlight over the room letting the beam linger over the assortment of posters decorating the wall. A mix of movie posters and images of famous celebrities Bryanfinds the choice of subjects to be somewhat eclectic. “Let’s see, there’s Juno…damn that Ellen Page is smoking hot. Ooh, ooh, Silence of the Lambs with Jodi Foster…now that was a creepy ass movie. Oh, now that’s a sweet poster for Arrested Development with Portia de Rossi andis that…. Melissa Ethridge?” he asks, pointing to one of the posters,“Kindadated but I guess it works.” Against the wall a large four post bed, its covers tossed in a pile off to one side. Walking into the room, Alex feels his foot catch on something soft on the floor. Looking down he sees the floor of the room is littered with clothing. “Yep, you can tell a teenager lives here” he says as he kicks a pair of white cotton panties off to one side with the toe of his shoe. Finding the room empty, Alex turns to Suzie-Steve“You think we’re too late?” he says, the expression on his face one of sadness and disappointment. “Nah, she’s gottabe here somewhere” declares Suzie-Steve. “D…you in here baby girl?” yells Suzie-Steveto the empty room. For seemingly an eternity the room hangs in silence, the only sound that of Larry’s still heavy breathing from climbing the single flight of stairs. Suddenly, a quiet voice comes out of the darkness. “Suzie? Is….is that you?”
“You know it baby girl. Where you atD?” replies Suzie-Steve, her question answered as the two large louvered doors of a walk in closet slowly creak open.
As the tall, slender figure steps out into the room, Alex, Bryan and Justin take a collective breath. Standing before them, the object of their fantasies since they began their quest, is the vision of feminine beauty. Wanting to lock every detail of this moment in their minds forever, the boys slowly gaze over her perfect form. Standing barefoot, her painted toes buried deep in the thick carpet of the room, they trace with their eyes her long, perfectly tanned legs, the sweat moistened skin glistening in the candle light. Continuing their visual examination their eyes trace the graceful line of her hips, barely covered by the thin fabric of her lacey pink under ware. Following the curve of her hips as they narrow at her tiny waist to her abdomen, muscular and toned from years of tumbling and gymnastics as part of the rigorous training regimen required to be a champion caliber cheerleader, glistening beads of sweat trickle down and collect at her naval, dripping from a delicate gold piercing dangling from her belly button, an image of two hearts interlocked with crosses projecting from the bottom of each. Moving upward their eyes pause on their journey as they fall on the ample, perfectly shaped orbs of her bosom. Barely contained by the thin elastic fabric of a sweat drenched miniature white tank top, her breast peek out from the bottom of the tiny shirt. Moving on up to her neck, sweat pooling in the valley of her collar bone before spilling like tiny, magical waterfalls down to her cleavage. Finally, looking into her face, the same beautiful face from the yearbook that launched this quest, the boys stare into her large brown eyes, flecks of amber flickering in the dim light of the candles. Her long brown hair, wet with sweat, hangs loosely, framing her face and dangling lazily in her eyes. Her perfectly shaped, voluptuous lips, pink and moist sparkle in the dim light. Feeling a wave of emotion, partially fueled from the adrenaline of the night’s events and partially the result of teenage hormones running rampant in their veins, the boys gaze upon Donna, one collective thought forming within their individual brains.
With a single syllable escaping his lips, Bryan sets their single thought into words, allowing Justin and Alex to complete the sentiment.
“Hel…”
“Lo…”
“Nurse!”
Transfixed the boys hold their breath as her lips slowly part and from them an angelic voice seemingly fills the room with light. “Suzie? What are you doing here? Who are these people?”
“We came to save you?” answers Suzie-Steve. “This here, this is Al, and that’s big B and big Justin back there and this here’s little B. They said they talked to you.”
“They talked to me? You mean…” starts Donna looking at the boys huddled behind Suzie-Steve,“…you’re the guys on the radio. You’re the ones that said you were gonna help?”
Stepping forward Alex, his genetic nerd predisposition for awkwardness in front of a pretty girl trying to take hold and devour any confidence he might have,�
��Um, uh…yeah….that…that was us. We, talked before and then again, um, uh later and we um… we actually went to school with you…I mean you probably don’t remember us but we had a couple classes togetherandyousatinthefrontseatinBiologyandIsatinthe….” starts Alex but as the communication between his mind and mouth falters his thoughts and words jumble into an incoherent stream of phonetic mish mash.
“Alex? I remember you. We did have class together. You always did seem nice and you…you all came here to help me…why?” asks Donna, unable to register that anyone could be capable of such a selfless gesture.
Jumping into the conversation, Brandon offers,“Because that’s what heroes do.”
Smiling, Donna walks over to Brandon and puts her hand on his shoulder. Looking past the boys, Donna sees that they aren’t the only ones coming to her rescue. “And who do you have with you?” she asks, gesturing to Larry and the girls gathered at her door.
“Oh, these are my girls” answers Suzie-Steve as he walks over to the group waving them into the room. “You know this big fat ass” chuckles Suzie-Steve as she nudges Larry off to one side. “This here is Darla and Carla. This blond bombshell over there is Helga, she talks a lot but don’t make a lick of sense. And this…thishere is my girl, mad Melody” says Suzie-Steve, rounding out her introductions.
“You girls…you helped them…you helped me? You’ve never met me. You don’t know anything about me? Why would you do that?”
“Like Brandon said” answers Melody,“it’s what we do”.
Looking back down at Brandon, tears welling up in her eyes, Donna says“Heroes? Yes, I think that is exactly what you are, my heroes.” Walking over toAlex, tears streaming down her cheeks, Donna wraps her arms around his neck, squeezing him tight. “How...” she sobs,“How can I ever thank you?”
Feeling the softness of her breasts pressing against his chest, Alex is surprised at the feelings running through his brain. This, the moment he has been waiting for since he first heard her voice on that radio is exactly how he had played it over in his mind a thousand times, but now something had changed. Looking over her shoulder, Alex meets Darla’s gaze and immediately a mixture of shame and embarrassment washes over him. With this beautiful young woman, her nearly naked body pressed against his, Alex looks at Darla, his eyes pleading forgiveness for the awkwardness of the moment. Smiling, Darla shakes her head in an unspokengesture meant to ease Alex’s mind. Suddenly, the sounds of footsteps rushing down the hall are immediately followed by a female voice yelling,“Donna? Donna are you okay?”
“Anna?” asks Donna, hearing the familiar voice coming from the hallway.
Suddenly, rushing into the room comes a tall blond girl who, upon seeing her runs straight to where Donna is standing. Looking at this new girl, the boys find themselves examining yet another example of nubile feminine beauty. With a well-toned body rivaling Donna’s this new girl, dressed in nothing but sneakers, maroon and white short shorts that show off her muscular, tanned legs and a gray sports bra housing a pair of breasts that, if natural, can only be the work of an all-mighty creator thus eliminating any doubts the boys have about an afterlife. Turning to the new arrival, Donna’s eyes well up with a fresh batch of tears. “Anna, I thought…I thought you were…” she starts but her emotions steal her voice leaving her to simply wrap her arms around Anna’s neck. With her face buried in Anna’s neck, Donna continues, searching for an explanation,“Where have you been? When you didn’t come back, I didn’t know what I was going to do.” “When I left, I got stuck outside with all those…those things running around. I managed to get to the pool house and hid in there until…until these guys came.”
Leaving the two girls embraced in their emotional reunion, Alex walks over to Darla. “Um, I didn’t…I mean she hugged me…and I…never…” he stammers, trying to explain himself, finally managing“She means nothing to me.”
“I don’t think we have to worry about her trying to steal you away” says Darla, trying to hold in a chuckle. Seeing the confusion on his face, Darla nudges Alex, gesturing for him to turn around.
Turning Alex is greeted with a sight that, up to this point he only believed existed in short video clips found on the internet late at night when everyone else was sleeping. There, embracing one another, Donna and Anna, their lips locked in a passionate kiss, their hands gently caressing one another as sweat and saliva are exchanged in a tongue filled frenzy of emotion. Feeling his mind reeling, Alex looks over to Bryan and Justin, his eyes begging for an explanation. As if sharing one mind, the boys look at the erotic spectacle taking place before them and, in unison, express what they arefeeling the only way they know how,“Boingy, boingy boingy!”
Watching the boys reaction to the scene taking place, Darla leans in and whispers to Carla,“Wait for it.” Finally, as the oxygen returns to their brains, a wave of realization sweeps over them all.
“When you said yourgirlfriend left…. you meant your GIRLFRIEND!” says Alex.
“And the yearbook quote...Virginia Woolf…I am such an idiot!” declares Justin as he smacks the palm of his hand against his forehead.
“And that’s why you weren’t in the locker room with the other…” continues Bryan,“and why you and Suzie-Steve…and the posters…” finally fully understanding the situation,” you’re a…”
“Lesbian?” finishes Donna. “You didn’t know?” she asks, giving Suzie-Steve a questioning look.
“Hey baby girl it was clear they didn’t know and that ain’t my secret to tell” she admits, throwing up her hands in innocence.
“I thought everyone at school knew” continues Donna, looking at Anna, taking her hand in her own,“I mean I’ve been dating the captain of the varsity softball team for two years now.”
“Hey, sorry to interrupt but do you all hear that?” asks Carla.
“Yeah, it kindasounds like…an engine?” says Alex, walking over to the boarded up window, cocking his ear to hear better.
“A really big engine” adds Justin.
“A diesel, v-eight six point five liter by the sound of it, probably pushing around one-hundred eighty horse power, maybe one-ninety. Sounds like someone’s in a hurry, they have that engine revved up pretty high, gotta be topping twenty-five hundred r.p.m.’s. My guess a Humvee or the like” suggests Melody with a nod of agreement from Brandon.
Looking at the two youngsters, Donna and Anna have the same expression of awe as the others. “How do youknow…” starts Donna, her question interrupted in a chorus of voices as everyone in the assembled group offers the only logical answer.“The internet”.
“We better go see who this is?” says Alex, waving Bryan over to his side. “C’mon, let’sgo downstairs and check this out.”
“Hell no” comes the surprised response.
“What? Why not?”
His voice raising a few octaves, Bryan explains“For all we know whoever that is out there, they could be really bad people. They could be murderers or rapist, or more likely a band of marauding cannibals come to eat our sorry asses.”
“Cannibals? Really? Haven’t we already covered this?” says Alex, “but you’re right, they may not be good people.”
Looking over at the rest of the group, Alex points to Justin and Suzie-Steve,“You stay up here with the girls. We’ll go downstairs and check this out” he says, looking at Bryan, his expression not offering any more room for negotiation. “I’m coming with you” says Brandon as he runs over to his brother’s side.
“No, no you’re not” saysAlex, his voice taking on a softer tone. You need to stay here and protect the girls, okay? Right now they need you and…and let’s be honest, you’re the best person to do that. Don’t worry, we’ll be alright.” With that Alex and Bryan move out into the hall, making their way back down the spiral staircase. “Okay, so this is just recon. We don’t engage if we don’t have to” says Alex as he creeps to one side of the front door.
Peeking their heads through the narrow opening, they both look out
into the darkness. There, parked in the oval driveway sits a large military vehicle, its metal surface camouflaged with varying shades and tones of tan paint. As the driver’s side door swings open, the boys watch as a very large man steps out of the vehicle. Reaching into the vehicle to retrieve what looks to be a large caliber machine gun before slamming the door shut, he steps out into light of the vehicles headlights. Scanning the scene, blood and gore still covering every visible surface, the man holds up one arm, his elbow forming a perfect right angle, his fist clenched tight. Holding for a moment, he opens his fist, his palm becoming flat, fingers tight. Arm still locked into position, with a razor sharp precision he points forward to the house. Receiving the go signal, the passenger side door of the vehicle abruptlyswings open. “Shit!” whispers Bryan, there coming this way. They have guns, what are we gonna do?”
“C’mon, let’s get upstairs” says Alex, grabbing Bryan by the shoulder, dragging him to his feet to lead him back up the spiral staircase. Hurrying up the stairsthe boys dash down the hallway and leap into Donna’s room, shutting the door behind them. “They’re coming” says Alex. “And they’re packing heat!” says Bryan in loud, panic filled whisper.
“Oh crap, what do we do?” asks Donna, fear showing on her face as the joy of her reunion with Anna fades.
“Everybody get in the closet” commands Alex.
“Not a problem for Justin, he’s been in there for years” quips Bryan, trying to lighten the moment with some ill time humor. Looking at Anna and Donna, their furrowed brows showing their disapproval he adds,“Sorry, force of habit.”
“Everybody in the closet, now” commands Alex once more. “We’ll stay out here” he says pointing to Bryan and Justin.“There’s only two of them so maybe we can take them if we get the jump on them” he offers, his tone lacking the confidence he would have hoped for.