by J. M. Pierce
“What’s the matter, Chance? Sucks to have your personal space invaded, huh?” replied Eric with a sinister and sarcastic tone.
Confused with the question, Test replied. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“You’ve already forgotten? Alyssa and I were sharing a moment, and you invaded that space…my space.” Eric’s tone changed and became low and tense.
Test could feel the heat in his palms growing, and the threat of his secret being revealed became real in his mind. Quickly he shoved them into his pockets, and as he did, Eric thrust him over the side of the bed with one effortless push. Test landed square on his back, and immediately felt every last ounce of air leave his lungs. Rob stood over him, looking down with a tobacco stained grin and fists clenched.
“Well, I’d hoped that Enrique was just going to fire your ass, but I guess we’ll have to take matters into our own hands.”
Gasping for breath, Test watched helplessly as Eric jumped to the ground and knelt beside him.
“You shouldn’t have swung at me, Chance. Starting a fight with me and Rob wasn’t very smart.”
Test tried to speak, but his wind wouldn’t return.
“Oh, I know what you’re going to say,” Eric continued. “You didn’t do anything.” Eric stood and laid a hand on Jordan’s back as he sat motionless in the bed of the truck. “Ol’ Jordan here saw the whole thing. Ain’t that right, Jordan?” he asked now pounding Jordan’s back with an open palm.
Just as Test had begun to catch his breath, he was struck just below the ribs by Rob’s boot, leaving him again gasping desperately for air.
“Stand him up,” commanded Eric calmly.
His eyes filled with tears as the pain surged through him, rendering him helpless as Rob gripped him under his arms and hoisted him to his feet. Eric grabbed Test’s right elbow and led him into the woods several feet off the road. Test’s air was now returning and with it returned a small amount of awareness. With a thud, Test’s back was shoved into a tree, the back of his head bouncing off of the bark causing the existing cut to open. Blood began to stream liberally down the back of his neck.
“Look at me you little shit.”
Test could hear Eric’s voice, but couldn’t bring his head level. With a quick jerk, Eric grabbed Test’s chin and lifted his head.
With potent rage in his eyes, Eric spoke softly. “I said look at me!”
Test locked eyes with the man in front of him. Limp from lack of oxygen, he could do nothing but stand.
“I’m going to tell you how it’s going to be,” said Eric with his face so close to Test’s that they were sharing breath. “You don’t work for this company anymore. You are going to disappear. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Test stared coldly into Eric’s eyes, his anger and rage beginning to overtake his exhaustion. With veins beginning to bulge in his neck, he nodded his head.
“Very good, Johnston; you’re smarter than I gave you credit for.”
Eric turned his back to Test. Rob stood behind Jordan who was still frozen in his seat, and while Test couldn’t see Eric’s face, he watched Rob dawn a big smile at whatever Eric had done. As Eric turned back to him, Test watched Rob climb back into the truck and start the engine.
“I’m glad we had this talk, Chance. I think we both understand each other a little better now; don’t you?” asked Eric with a weak smile.
Test didn’t respond, instead he stood straight, arched his back, and rolled his shoulders.
“Well, it’s time for us to go. Have a nice walk back to town.” Slapping Test on the chest forcefully, Eric leaned into him and whispered. “Oh, and don’t worry about Alyssa. I promise I’ll take real good care of her.” He then turned and walked back to the truck.
The fire inside Test was raging. The act of Eric even speaking Alyssa’s name sent his anger into overdrive. As the truck pulled away from him, he walked to the middle of the road and could see Jordan watching him as the truck disappeared around a curve. It was then that he noticed the pulses begin to fly down his arms.
With a snarl, Test burst into the air so violently that the dirt exploded beneath him. Once over the tree tops he followed the cut of the road until he could see the dirt trail left by the truck. Leaning forward, he let go of multiple pulses until he was ahead of the pickup by one hundred yards.
He landed in the middle of the road, perched on one knee, and then stood slowly. Peering through his hair as he leaned forward in anticipation, he watched as the truck came into view. He stepped to the side of the road and waited anxiously for the oncoming vehicle.
Once the truck had come to within fifty feet, Test held his palms up at his side and gripped the truck, bringing it to an abrupt and complete stop. A cloud of dust engulfed the vehicle from behind, creating a visually impenetrable wall between it and Test. As he watched intently, Test could hear the opening of one door, and then another. The dust began to settle, bringing Rob and Eric’s silhouettes into view. Test stood silently, waiting to be noticed. He didn’t have to wait long, for as soon as Rob saw him he began to walk clumsily in his direction.
“What…the…hell?” he uttered with one hand on his bleeding forehead.
Instantly Test sprung off the road and began to run through the maze of trees. When he was twenty or so feet in, he ducked behind some brush and turned to watch as Rob and Eric peered into the forest from the edge of the road. From the corner of his eye, he saw Jordan jump from the bed of the truck and immediately sit on the ground with his back leaned against the drivers rear wheel.
“I saw him,” spoke Rob with a confused and painful expression.
“Who?” asked Eric.
Rob continued to peer into the trees without a response.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” yelled Eric.
Rob turned and grabbed Eric’s shirt, harshly bring him face to face. “Don’t ever yell at me like that again you piece of shit. Do you understand me?” he demanded with locked jaws.
Test cautiously took a step to the side and inadvertently snapped a fallen twig under his feet. His heart skipped as he watched Rob turn sharply and step into the woods.
“Who the fuck’s in there?” yelled Rob. “Answer me you son of a bitch!”
Eric stepped next to Rob and gazed into the maze.
“What the hell is goin’ on?” Eric muttered.
With a heaving chest and blazing ego, Rob replied, “Don’t know…but I’m gonna find out.”
Purposefully, the two of them began to walk deeper into the tree line. With a great amount of composure, Test turned and began to run. From behind him, he could hear Eric’s voice.
“Hey, you!”
Test didn’t stop, but instead accelerated his pace to put some distance between himself and them. Behind him, he could here snapping branches and heavy footsteps colliding with the forest floor. Ahead of him rested a fallen tree that leaned against its neighbor, leaving a six foot by three foot triangle to duck through. Once on the other side, he turned to locate his stalkers. Seeing them thirty feet away and closing fast, he began to run once more. After a twenty yard sprint, he slid to the earth and looked back in time to see Rob and Eric, with Eric in the lead, approaching the triangle. He raised his right hand, now glowing fiercely in the fading light, and threw a burst at the leaning tree. Both the leaning tree and its crutch exploded violently and were thrust toward both Eric and Rob. Test could hear two distinct screams for a brief moment, and then the forest was filled with silence.
He lay on the ground motionless, scanning the horizon for movement. His chest was bursting with adrenaline fueled breath. He could see nothing. Nothing until his eyes caught a shadow moving through the trees beyond the rubble. Test squinted as he struggled to make out the form. It appeared to be walking towards him. He steadily rose to his feet, remaining low in an effort to remain unseen.
“Chance?”
Test heard the figure call his name in a timid voice. He didn’t respond.
&
nbsp; “Chance, is that you?”
As the dark shadow of a figure reached the debris, Test realized that it was Jordan. He watched as Jordan stopped and looked to the ground.
“Oh my God,” said Jordan, the words filled with horror.
Test stood tall.
“What?” asked Test, fearful of the reply.
Scared, Jordan flinched backwards with his arms covering his face defensively.
“It’s okay. It’s just me, Chance.”
Slowly, Jordan lowered his arms and gazed over the debris. His face was locked as if chiseled from stone, and his blank stare sent a chill down Test’s spine. Slowly Test made his way towards him. As he stepped onto a large section of tree trunk, he looked down into the debris. Rob lay ten feet away, unconscious and with numerous lacerations decorating his exposed skin.
“Oh, shit,” whispered Test, the magnitude of what he’d done not yet fully absorbed.
He jumped off of the trunk and jogged several steps to where Rob lay. As Test looked down upon him, Rob’s eyes stared up lifeless. His mouth was agape and the dip of tobacco still rested in his bottom lip. Test knelt down beside him and gripped his arm, shaking him gently. There was no response. Then Test noticed a large bloodied piece of wooden shrapnel that was underneath Rob’s back. He leaned over top of Rob and was instantly overcome with emotion. The wood was not resting under Rob’s back; instead it had been driven through his side like a nail.
Horrified, Test stood and backed away. Jordan walked around him and reached down to feel for Rob’s pulse. After a short moment, Jordan lifted his head and gazed forward. He slowly turned to Test, his glasses resting crooked on his nose and tears streaming down his cheeks.
“He’s dead,” said Jordan, his voice quaking and lips quivering with fear.
A rush of heat overtook Test’s body. His head became light, and he watched Jordan’s face fade into a black tunnel.
Wild with panic, Jordan jumped to Test’s side, grabbing at his waist in an effort to keep him from falling. Able to do nothing more than slow his descent to the ground, Jordan let himself fall with Test’s limp body. After falling on top of him, he quickly jumped off of Test’s back and rolled him over, shaking him frantically.
“Wake up, Chance! Please wake up!”
Test slowly became aware of his shoulders being pushed and pulled. Startled, he opened his eyes and drew in a savage breath as he sat up. Next to him knelt Jordan sobbing uncontrollably, the frame of his glasses bent awkwardly. He was trembling violently, and with every tremor, his glasses slid farther down his nose.
Test turned to see Rob’s lifeless body resting on the ground behind him. Before he could react, he heard moaning come from underneath a pile of brush.
“Eric?” Test called loudly.
The moaning continued. Test stood, leaving Jordan to remain in a state of shock, and moved swiftly towards the sound. Before him rested the top portion of a tree that measured nearly ten feet long and was covered with dense foliage that blanketed the ground. He stepped onto the lesser branches, their thin diameters snapping one by one beneath his weight. As he grasped the trunk, he noticed movement from beneath.
“Eric?” Test yelled as he frantically parted the branches.
All that he was able to see was Eric’s torso and legs. His right leg was snapped just under the knee and bent up to where his heel was nearly touching his hip. The bones jutted from his flesh, sickeningly comparable to the shattered shards of wood around them.
Again, Test grabbed the trunk and attempted to lift the tree, but could only lift it inches before his limit was reached. The movement of the branch caused Eric to let out a scream beneath him. Slowly, Test let the tree settle back to its original spot, being careful not to cause anymore harm to the man below. He looked back over his shoulder to Jordan; his eyes remaining fixed on Rob’s lifeless body. He had now begun to rock his upper body back and forth, muttering inaudibly to himself. Test knew what he had to do.
Carefully he stepped away from the pile of brush that held Eric captive. With one last glance to Jordan, he made the decision to risk being seen. Letting the fire within him ignite, he stood with a wide stance and held his arms hang tensely at his side. In the dim light, the glow from his hands pulsed as the intensity within him increased. Just as he was about to lift the tree, his arms jerked tightly to his sides and he was thrown to the ground. Dazed, he climbed to his knees and looked all around him. Jordan still sat in a trance and remained fixated on Rob. Behind Jordan, Test’s eyes caught movement within a cluster of trees only several feet away. He could make out the faint outline of a shadowy figure. With the forest now nearly dark, he strained to see more clearly, unsure if his eyes were playing tricks on him. He rose to his feet and took a couple of steps towards the shadow. It didn’t move.
Suddenly, in the distance, he could hear the sound of a diesel engine and tires on the dirt. He looked back towards the road, and through the trees, he could see headlights coming. Quickly, he turned back to the shadow, but it was gone.
The vehicle came to an abrupt stop behind the truck that Rob had left in the middle of the road. With the sound of opening doors, Test heard a frantic voice.
“Chance! Chance!”
It was Alyssa. He could see bodies moving in front of the vehicles headlights.
“Chance, where are you?” yelled Alyssa.
Struggling with speech, he forced himself to yell. “We’re here!”
With his reply, he could hear heavy footsteps running through the brush and in seconds saw Enrique’s frame come rambling toward him.
“What the hell happened? Are you all okay?” he asked feverishly.
From behind him, Alyssa flew into Test and held him tightly.
“Thank God you’re okay.”
Test stood stiffly in Alyssa’s embrace and stared blankly at Enrique. He pulled away from Alyssa and looked to Rob’s body. Enrique followed his gaze and exploded towards the man on the ground.
“He’s dead,” said Test in a defeated voice.
Alyssa quickly turned to see her uncle kneeling next to the body, feeling for a pulse.
Taking a step towards Enrique, Test pointed to the pile of brush that held Eric captive.
“Eric is trapped under this tree and his leg’s in bad shape.”
From Test’s side, James burst onto the scene with a flashlight and began to dig through the brush to locate Eric. Enrique quickly joined him.
“We need the saw from the truck.”
Test heard James speak the words, but he felt as though he were in another world.
“Chance! Get the damned saw!” yelled James.
Snapping to, Test glanced at Alyssa and then ran for the truck. The forest was now encased in darkness and he frantically searched for the latch on the toolbox. In one quick motion, he released the latch and flung the lid up, grabbing at the saw and running back into the forest before the lid could fall. As he approached the group, Enrique stood waiting with an open hand, grabbing at the saw. As if possessed, he ripped through the wood in a matter of minutes exposing Eric’s mangled form. James leaned over top of him and felt for a pulse.
“He’s alive, but unconscious.”
Test stood helplessly beside Alyssa. He suddenly became aware that she was staring at him. He turned to look at her, expecting her to look away, but she held his eyes tightly in hers.
“Okay, we’ve got to get them both to the truck,” said Enrique as he took off his belt and began to fashion a tourniquet on Eric’s leg.
Test looked away from Alyssa and replied. “Shouldn’t we call the police or the paramedics?”
“We’re too far out. It would take them too long to get here. He’s lost a lot of blood. There’s just no time to wait,’ answered Enrique. He then noticed Jordan sitting motionless on the ground.
“Jordan?”
There was no answer. Enrique walked to his side and put a hand on his shoulder.
“Jordan…you okay?’
Again there w
as no answer.
Enrique looked to his niece. “Alyssa, can you get Jordan to the truck. Chance, James, and I will take care of Eric and Rob.”
Alyssa nodded her head and walked to Jordan’s side.
“Come on Jordan. Everything’s going to be alright.” She gently lifted under his arms and like a puppet Jordan stood. She put her arms around him and guided him towards the trucks.
Enrique turned to James. “You and Chance take care of Eric. I’ll get Rob,” he said with sadness.
With great care and effort, James and Chance lifted Eric’s unconscious body and carried him to the truck, resting him carefully in the bed. Not far behind followed Enrique with Rob’s body draped over his large shoulders. Rob’s arms swung limply with the rhythm of Enrique’s gait. James and Test both reached to help lay the body gently in the back of the other truck.
“James, you drive Eric to the hospital. Chance, you stay in the back and hold him still. Alyssa, Jordan, and I will follow you.” Enrique spoke with a mixture of fervor and sorrow. “James, it’s important that you hurry, but be careful. There’s been enough tragedy tonight. I don’t want to lose anyone else.”
James nodded, his face locked tensely in a mournfully painted display. He looked to Test and then turned to get into the truck.
Test watched as Alyssa got Jordan situated in Enrique’s truck. He then felt a strong hand on his shoulder.
“You’d better get going, Chance. Eric needs help,” spoke Enrique thoughtfully.