Skulls

by Tim Marquitz

  Jacob could smell dinner cooking. The greasy scent seeped into his room uninvited. His stomach turned over, but he ignored it. If he felt better later, he’d scrounge for something after they left. He had no doubt he’d regret joining them.

  He listened to their inane babble as they ate, only a little surprised to not hear his name come up. Dishes clattered and muffled words continued to fill the air, mouthfuls of food not keeping them from talking over one another.

  After what seemed an eternity, they finished eating and abandoned the table. He heard his father grab his keys and go to the door, shouting at his wife to hurry up. Ann yelled her response from their bedroom as his dad went outside and started his truck. Finally, several engine revs and a bunch of horn honks later, Ann left the trailer. Her signature skunk spray of perfume invaded the rest of the house.

  Jacob waited until the truck pulled away before reaching over to turn on his CD player. He hit the forward button until the darkened rhythm of Metallica’s “Fade to Black” purred into his ears. He lay back, waiting for his stepmother’s perfume to clear, letting the music occupy his mind. While it usually soothed all, it was only partially successful tonight. Once more, the images of the skulls floated to the surface.

  He could see Terrance’s pain as the axe cleaved his toes from his foot. He could feel his torment as the blade wiggled in the open wound of his thigh. Blood flowed inside Jacob’s mind.

  While Terrance was most likely on his way to being a career criminal, what he’d done, however stupid and careless, hadn’t been deserving of such horrific punishment. Like with Katie though, it wasn’t about what was fair. It was simply about murder and the opportunity to get away with it. The killer had come out on top in both cases.

  Katie and Terrance had been alone and somewhere they shouldn’t have been. Each had paid for their mistakes with their lives. Through some tainted miracle, he couldn’t begin to understand, Jacob had watched them both die in the memories of their skulls.

  Cold shivers shook Jacob. Once more his heart sputtered. The images of murder were a carousel of morbid memories, its wheel stuck in perpetual motion. He wanted off the ride. But at the same time, its lure compelled him to go around one more time. The barker’s pitch was too compelling to say no.

  The horribly too appropriate song “Creeping Death” started up. Jacob shut the player off and made his way into the living room. There was the usual mess, but once again, there was no list of chores. He smiled, luck having finally rolled his way. He focused on spending time with Cass and set to cleaning up the house. He didn’t want anything to stand in the way of his going to the party.

  As he went about his work, his vision dulled to gray every so often. The sudden flickers drained the world of color. Spectral portraits of Katie and Terrance kept appearing, their torment splashed across his mind. He had to stop what he was doing several times when he realized he nearly cut off his finger as he washed the dishes. Caught up in the throes of one of the episodes, he noticed drops of blood colored the soapy water. That only triggered more of the morbid visions.

  He hurriedly finished his work, then hopped into the shower. He stepped under the nearly scalding water and clenched his teeth to keep from screaming. Searing heat washed over his wounds and made him dance under the water’s fall. His back stung under the steaming flow. Though his injuries were minor, he had so many cuts and scrapes it was as if they were one big open sore.

  He relived the torment once more as the soap stirred his agony. Finally, the water began to cool. His wounds had grown numb, the pain battered away by the constant spray.

  Out of the shower, he left a wet trail of footprints on the way to his room. He looked out his window and saw the sun had crept behind the mountains. Not wanting to disappoint Cass, he finished dressing in a rush and bolted out the door to Chris’s house.

  The party waited.

  * * * *

  A little after eight p.m., the party was already in full swing. Jacob heard the music blasting down the sparsely populated block of Paradise Canyon. It echoed through the trees. He unconsciously nodded his head to its rhythm, his drying hair bouncing in time.

  Though the warm shower had managed to soothe his mind some, the images still crept in. Less frequent than they had been, he noticed he froze up a little when they hit. He hadn’t noticed it earlier, but the music gave him a frame of reference. He was losing seconds each time the wave of memories hit.

  He hoped that would pass once he had people around to distract him. He went up to the small house and let himself in, the door already cracked open a little. He was greeted with several raucous shouts by people he didn’t really know, an early game of Quarters in progress. Jacob waved, smiled and drifted toward the kitchen, the hub of every house party.

  Not even over the threshold, Cass crashed into him. She gave him a welcoming hug. His injuries cried out in complaint, but he tried not to show it. Cass seemed to catch on anyway. He stiffened and pulled back as she stared at the array of red stripes that painted his face.

  “What the hell happened to you?”

  He heard the conversations in the kitchen die off. Chris, Dee, and Glenn looked over, waiting for his answer.

  He laughed it off. “I kind of took a tumble down the hill.”

  Cass’s eyes narrowed as she looked him over. Obvious suspicion crept over her face. “You okay?”

  “Yeah, mostly. It’s like having a hundred paper cuts, but it’s nothing major, really.”

  She glared at him a moment longer. The worried look on her face drifted into disbelief and he knew she thought his father had done it.

  “I’m serious, I’m okay.” Her continued stare rattled him. The final straw was when her hands slipped to her hips. He knew he had to tell her something. “I went up on the mountain this afternoon to get away from the house for a bit.” He shook his head and pushed his hair out of his face. “I wasn’t really paying attention apparently, because before I knew it, I had wandered onto Old Man Jenks’s land.”

  Cass growled at him, her glare visibly hot.

  “Damn, dude,” he heard Glenn say from behind Cass.

  “Yeah.” He laughed, though it sounded sickly. “It gets even better. I ran into the old man himself.”

  Cass slapped his arm. He winced and took a step back.

  “Easy. I got away and he doesn’t know who I am or where I live. As far as he knows, I’m just one more long-haired, good-for-nothing kid that’s stumbled across his land. There’s probably been hundreds of us over the years.”

  “Yeah, and a whole bunch have never been heard from again, remember? You could have been killed,” Cass said. Some of the anger bled away to be replaced by concern. She ran her hand gently over his striped face.

  “No shit. He was hanging out chopping wood, a damn axe in his hand.” Jacob laughed.

  “Wow, that’s crazy,” Dee told him. Her eyes were wide as if she were hanging on every word. She glanced from Jacob to Chris and back again and shook her head.

  “Holy shit. What did you do?” Glenn asked, his voice animated. It was the first time Glenn had shown any real interest in anything Jacob had to say.

  “I ran like a little bitch,” Jacob admitted as he pulled Cass into his arms. He cast a sideways glance at Chris. “The look in his eyes was evil. He came after me and I flew down the hill like I had wings.” He gestured to his face. “Too bad I didn’t stick the landing.”

  His friends laughed, but Cass stayed quiet. She pulled away to retrieve her drink. “You want a beer?”

  Jacob thought about it for a second and decided drinking probably wasn’t a good idea. He told her yes anyway, just to keep from being hounded by the guys for not having one.

  She cracked the bottle open and passed it to him. A shimmer of unhappiness still shaded her features. She came back to his side and lifted his arm back over her
shoulder.

  “You are lucky to be alive, brother,” Glenn told him, raising his beer for a toast. “Here’s to escaping the Ruidoso Slasher. May your head never get chopped from your body.”

  Flickers of Katie flashed across his eyes as he raised his bottle. His chest tightened as he took a chug of his beer. He felt the tension in Cass’s shoulders and decided it was time to change the subject. She was going to give him enough hell later.

  “Where’s Dennis?” Jacob asked, just realizing he wasn’t there.

  “Who knows, dude,” Chris answered. “His dad is probably locked up again. You know how his mom gets every time that happens. He’ll show up once shit at home cools off.”

  “Poor dude,” Dee offered, taking a drink from her beer.

  Chris nodded, following her example. “I’m gonna go change the CD. This Marilyn Manson crap is giving me a headache.” He winked and rolled his eyes toward Dee as he headed for the living room.

  “Hey. You said you liked it,” Dee argued as she chased him down.

  Glenn grabbed another beer and followed after the couple. “They’re gonna need a referee.” He left them with a self-satisfied smile on his lips.

  Once he was gone, Cass turned on Jacob. “Are you insane?”

  Jacob bit his tongue and wondered if seeing visions of dead people could be classified as insane, or just crazy. “I didn’t mean to go onto his property. I just wasn’t paying attention, Cass.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, Jake, but there’s definitely something you’re not telling me.” She took a sip of her drink and set it aside. She let him drink some of his before she took it away and set it beside hers. Grabbing his hands, she stood before him. “It’s like you’re not all here lately.”

  Katie’s face flashed before his eyes and he blinked her away. “I think maybe I’m getting sick, or something. Maybe I’m just delirious from malnutrition. You need to feed me more often.” He cracked a smile, but it fell from his lips when he looked at her stoic face.

  “I’m serious, Jake. Stop playing around.” She huffed. “I know you don’t eat anywhere near enough, but don’t give me that shit. I also know you’re stressed out. If I had to live with your parents, I’d be bat-shit crazy, so I get that, but you don’t seem like you.”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you, Cass. I’m sorry.” He pulled her to him, lifting her chin. “I’m really sorry.” He bent down and kissed her, his hand on the small of her back.

  She resisted a moment, then gave in. Jacob sighed when he felt her relax. She felt good against him and he hugged her tighter. A handful of her hair in his hand, he pulled it to the side and slid his lips to her neck. She moaned quiet and tensed, but surrendered a moment later when he nipped at her earlobe.

  Her hands ran over his back, but he barely felt them. Caught up in the closeness of Cass, all he knew was her. He nestled his face into her neck and ran his tongue gently over her throat. She arched her back and sank her fingers into his shoulders.

  Jacob felt flush as Cass breathed warm against his ear. He let his hand drift down and he pulled her hard against him.

  The music suddenly blared as the kitchen door was thrown open. Glenn burst into the room, his eyes wide.

  “Shit, man. Sheriff Tate’s here.” He ran to the back door and slipped outside without looking back.

  The music cut out just seconds after and Jacob heard a rumbling voice calmly relaying orders in the preternatural silence of the house.

  “Oh great, just what I need.”

  Cass, her face glowing pink, just laughed. “Don’t worry.” She poured her drink down the sink and encouraged Jacob to do the same. “He’s cool as long as you don’t have any drugs on you.” She raised her eyebrows.

  Jacob shook his head as he poured his beer out.

  The bottles empty, they set them quietly in the trash can and moved back to the counter just as the sheriff came into the room.

  “Evening, folks.” A wall of a man, Sheriff Arnold Tate had to almost turn sideways to squeeze through the door. His badge stood out, prominent against his barrel chest. His biceps were like cantaloupes, testing the limits of his uniform’s short sleeves.

  Cass smiled and Jacob waved to him, stiff-armed like a puppet.

  A grin broke out on the sheriff’s tanned face. Easy laugh lines rippled along his cheeks. His dark eyes glittered under his cowboy hat. If it weren’t for the tufts of gray peeking out from under the brim, he could have passed for thirty.

  “Had a couple of complaints about the music,” he said. “Gonna have to shut it down tonight.” He looked to Cass, then to Jacob. “Who’s your friend, Cassandra?”

  She pushed Jacob forward a little. He stuck out his hand. “Jacob Rile, sir.”

  The sheriff took his hand and gave a firm shake. His hand enveloped Jacob’s. “It’s nice to meet you, Jacob. No need to ‘sir’ me. I grew up around here. We aren’t that formal in the mountains.”

  Jacob nodded and reclaimed his hand. He stepped back to Cass.

  “Your parents know you’re out, Cassandra?”

  She grinned and shook her head.

  “Thought not. While I ain’t here to judge, you know they’d be upset if they knew you were here.” He went and shut the back door, locking it. “Y’all come on out front while I make sure everyone’s skedaddled, then I’ll give you a ride home, Cassandra.”

  Both Jacob and Cass sighed. Shoulders slumped, they followed the sheriff into the living room. Chris was there chasing the remaining partygoers from the house. His face was creased with annoyance, but he slapped on a bright smile for the officer. His shadow, Dee, was nowhere to be seen. Tate grinned at Chris as the last guest slipped out the door. “Just keep it down a little next time and I won’t get a call.”

  Chris groaned and nodded. He gave a sorry look to Cass and Jacob.

  The sheriff motioned for the two to go on ahead and strolled outside after, closing the front door behind them. He went to his squad car and opened the driver’s side door, clicking the lock for the back. He waved Cass and Jacob inside.

  “Sorry about the back seat, but it’s policy. Can’t have y’all up front.”

  “No problem,” Cass told him and hopped into the back. She pulled Jacob along behind her. He dropped onto the seat beside her and the sheriff closed the door. The metallic click of the lock was loud in the enclosed space. The plastic shield that separated the front and back seats echoed the sound back at them.

  Tate tossed his hat onto the passenger seat and got into the car. It shifted under his weight and Jacob propped his arm against the window to keep from thumping against the door. Cass let herself slide into him, bumping him with her hip. He glanced at her surreptitiously and she smiled back.

  “Where do you live, Jacob?” the sheriff asked, sliding a small window in the divider open so he could be heard.

  “Just down the street a bit, on River Trail, closer to the Sudderth side. Paradise Park.”

  Tate gave a sorry grin and nodded. Of course he’d know about the trailer park. Nestled as far away from the nice houses of Country Club Road as the mountains allowed, Paradise Park was anything but a paradise.

  Every third trailer was abandoned, windows kicked out, doors missing. Graffiti covered the outside walls in flaking layers, some so much you couldn’t tell what the original color was. The gangs marked their territory with defiance, often selling their drugs openly on the street.

  The people that lived there kept their eyes open. If it wasn’t the gangs causing problems, it was the squatters that packed into the abandoned trailers. Anything not locked down tight that had even the slightest value at a pawn shop, went missing.

  Even with his trailer at the far end of the park, furthest from the worst of it, Jacob was wary of what went on there. His neighbors
peered out from behind their curtains every time they heard a noise outside. You couldn’t walk down the street without being watched. It was so bad his friends had taken to calling the place, Paranoid Park.

  The sheriff pulled away from Chris’s house and Cass grabbed Jacob’s hand. She smiled and shrugged. Jacob nodded, knowing their night together was over.

  The rest of the ride was quiet, only the occasional squawk of the police band radio breaking the silence. A few uncomfortable minutes later, they pulled up around the corner from Jacob’s house.

  “I’m gonna let you out here so no one sees the cops dropping you off.” He met Jacob’s eyes in the rear view mirror. “I’ve had the pleasure of running into your dad over at the Chrome Horse a couple of times…” He shrugged and let the rest of his sentence go. He hit the door locks. “Go straight home, Jacob.”

  “I will,” Jacob answered, popping the door open. He leaned over and gave Cass a quick hug and tentative kiss goodbye. He felt the sheriff’s eyes on him in the mirror.

  He gave Cass a wan smile as he pulled away. “So much for hanging out,” he whispered to her. She nodded.

  Jacob hopped out of the car with a quiet huff and shut the door. The sheriff leaned out of his open window. “I’ll get her home safe. Don’t you worry none.” He smiled big and pulled off.

  Cass waved from the back seat as Jacob watched the squad car drive away. When it was out of sight, he headed for home. The party was a bust and he was back way earlier than he had expected. He hoped he could at least get some sleep.

  He slipped inside the trailer and locked the door behind him. The house was silent except for the hum of the refrigerator. He went to his room as his head began to swim. Images of Terrance crept forward. Jacob cringed as they invaded his mind, Terrance’s tortured screams echoing inside his skull.

  He kicked off his shoes and fell into bed, rolling over to turn on the CD player. The initial blast of music cleared his mind and he scrambled to turn it down. The volume at a more reasonable level, Jacob focused on the music. He sang along, pulling the blankets up over his head. Vague flickers of Terrance and Katie danced at the very edges of his conscious mind.