rs #1: Bats in the Attic
By
M.D. Stephens
Copyright 2012 by M.D. Stephens
For Shuntel and the boys
1
They drove a lonely stretch of highway with the radio lightly playing in the background. The day was slipping away and dawn was approaching fast. The setting sun baked the dry desert land and the air had strange rippling effect as they drew near their destination. Bobby was getting restless and annoying his sister.
“Dad, will you tell Bobby to stop. He keeps pulling at my shirt.” Alley begged.
“Honey, can you handle that?” Her father said.
Cheryl Starks turned in her seat and handed her boy a juice box. She hoped it would be enough to keep him busy until they got there. Then she looked to her daughter and winked.
“Thanks.” Alley said.
Alley looked out her window at the dry desert land and wasn’t quite sure if she was going to like this new home. They seemed to be traveling in the middle of nowhere. How was she going to make friends if nobody was around? And where was she going to go to school? She was in her early teens now and had just started getting into boys. Now her dad was moving her away from all the action and friends to some country place. She had argued over it before they packed and left their home in Chicago, but her efforts to change her dad’s mind failed.
“Bird’s.” Bobby said pointing his tiny finger to the sky.
Alley snapped out of her thoughts and looked to where her brother was pointing. She seen the flock of…Bats?
“I don’t think those are birds, Bobby.” Alley said.
“Nope.” Steve said from the driver’s seat. “Those would be bats.”
“Gross.” Alley scrunched her face in disgust.
“I agree.” Her mother said. “I hope we don’t see too many of them.”
“Ah…They’re harmless.” Dad changed the subject. “Look kids, there’s the sign. Hope, Arizona…25 miles. We’re almost there.”
“I’d rather turn around and go back home.” Alley complained.
“This is home now.” Her dad said, “Better get used to it.”
Alley wanted to press the subject further. “I don’t understand why you’re dragging us here. Do want to ruin my life?”
“Oh honey. You have plenty of life ahead of you. You might like it here.”
“No I won’t. I don’t understand why we had to move all of the sudden? I liked the city.”
Alley’s dad began to tell her the details of why he decided to move to the secluded town of Hope, Arizona.
2
Steve Starks began to tell his kids the reason for their departure. He explained that his career had begun to fall apart. He was an up and coming football star. He had been drafted in the NFL and made the cut as a second string quarterback for the Chicago Bears. After a minor injury to the starter, he got his chance to play in the big time. Unfortunately, he didn’t do so well.
He found himself being put on his butt rather than completing passes, and when he did get a pass off, it was usually to the other team. His coach informed him that he needed to move around and create successful plays, or else. He went out the next game and did okay for the first half. Then at the start of the third quarter, he got sacked by a big linebacker, lost the ball, and tweaked his throwing wrist. The coach took him out of the game.
In the following weeks, the Bears lost their spot in the playoffs and the headlines in the newspapers began to cut him down, and the fans wanted him off the team. Eventually the coaches listened and moved him to the third string position.
Before leaving the locker room after the last game of the season, his coach called him into the office and said there was a good chance he might be traded or released. He was told he didn’t have the leadership qualities they were looking for. So with the off-season approaching, Steve walked out of the stadium with no intentions of going back.
He did earn a good chunk of money, and would have been happy to stay in the city, but everywhere he went, he was recognized and ridiculed for his game. It became too much, and he decided it was time to move.
He looked at houses online and found what he was looking for in Hope, Arizona. It was located in a nice quiet town with a population of only five hundred. The place was dirt cheap, and the house was actually located outside of town. He could finally have peace and quiet, and not have to worry about his children being bullied because their dad was a laughing stock in a stupid football game. He knew the place needed to be fixed up, but it would give him something to do in his spare time. It was worth a shot and if it didn’t work out, they had the money to try some place else.
He finished his explanation and checked the rearview to see if the U-haul truck was still on their tail. Alley seemed content for the moment, and he was happy for that. Maybe she would understand now and give the place a chance. He could only hope so.
3
They pulled into town and drove down Main Street. The streets and sidewalks were vacant. The light of day was beginning to fade, but it was way too early for everyone to be inside. As they kept driving past stores and houses, they realized the place resembled a ghost town. Some windows were broken out and covered with plywood. The ones that were still intact were covered with bars or wire mesh screens. They finally came upon a gas station that was lit up. Steve decided to turn in and meet their first Hope resident.
The Starks family exited their Ford Explorer and took a moment to stretch their stiff limbs. The air held a foul musty smell. They figured it had to be coming from a dumpster that sat to the right of the gas station.
When they walked inside, the clerk hobbled out of a backroom and gave them a toothless smile.
“Howdy folks. Ya’ll just passing through?”
When Alley saw the man’s long greasy hair and scraggly beard, she hid behind her father. She did not like the looks of him one bit, especially the eyes. They were pure white with no retinas; just a beady little pupil.
Her father began to approach the counter. “No, actually we’re new residents. We bought the farm place a little bit outside of town.”
The clerk became very quiet. He seemed to not want to make eye contact with them.
“You mean the old Stevens place?”
“Um, I’m not sure about that? I found it online and bought it from Lure reality.” Steve said.
“Yep, I’d say that’s the one. It’s the only place outside of Hope really. Wow, it’s been a long time since someone lived out there. Ya’ll plan on fixing her up?”
“I guess so. We’re really just looking forward to the peace and quiet.” Steve grabbed a couple of sodas and set them on the counter. “Is it really that bad?”
“I wouldn’t know mister. I stay away from there.” The clerk rang up their purchases.
Steve thought the guy’s comment a little strange, but so was the guy, so he just ushered his family toward the door. “See ya around.”
The clerk waited until the door closed. He took a seat on a stool and opened a newspaper. He said to himself, “Not for long.”
4
A couple of miles out of town they came upon a quaint little place sitting by its lonesome in the vast desert. From the road, it looked exactly like it had in the photos online. A few scattered hills popped up in the background; otherwise there was nothing but desert and cacti.
They pulled up and parked. Steve had planned on a surprise, but what they came upon was a disaster. Little sand devils blew around the front of a shabby two story house with broken shudders swinging in the breeze, complete with a front porch in the process of crumbling, and windows that had sp
ider web shaped cracks.
“What is this?” His wife, Cheryl, had asked. “We have money. Why would you buy this dump?”
Steve had no explanation but was still trying to be optimistic. “C’mon, it’s not that bad.”
They exited their vehicle and waited for the U-haul truck to back up to the door. They left most of their possessions at their old house in Illinois and only brought limited essentials. Although Steve had planned on peace and quiet for the rest of his days, he hung on to the old house in case they ever wanted to move back to the city, or if he wanted to retry his career.
After a bit of a struggle, Steve got the front door open and led his family inside. A pungent smell stung their nostrils. Cheryl wrinkled her nose and the kids covered their faces with their shirts.
“It smells like something died in here.” Cheryl edged toward the open door for some fresh air.
Steve ran to the windows and jerked them open to let the breeze in. With darkness approaching, he was glad he had previously arranged for the electric to be turned on. He scanned the room for a switch and flipped it on. The lights flickered to life and brightened an open living area. Off to the left was a small
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