Maniacs

by Lee Wise

  Cathy came over to me. “Kids! I told Nate, enough with the frogs!” She noticed my face. “What’s the matter?”

  “Well, your husband thinks that I’m paranoid and will soon become a maniac!” I complained.

  “What? Robert said that?”

  “Yes! To John.”

  “Wow! Well, I don’t think you’re paranoid. You and I will just have to do spy work like we did when we were younger.”

  “Ooh, like with those cute senior twins who lived down the road from us when we were freshman?” I said.

  “And you would insist on walking by their house a couple times a day in the summer!”

  “To get stuff at the store! It wasn’t that often.”

  Cathy laughed. “It was! I…” We heard gunshots at the end of the driveway. John and Ben came running out of the house.

  “Hurry kids!” Mrs. Ford had all the kids running towards the house. Cathy and I joined them.

  We got inside. “Mary!” Mrs. Ford yelled.

  “She’s not here!” I looked around.

  “She went to the bathroom!” Mrs. Ford cried.

  “Get the kids upstairs.” I looked the kids over and she was the only one missing. Cathy and I grabbed our guns and ran for the outhouse. She wasn’t in there.

  “Oh no!” I cried.

  Jill came running out of the house towards us. She had been taking a nap. “Where is she? Where is my baby?”

  John came back up the driveway and towards us. “It was just one maniac by themselves. We…” He saw our faces.

  “Mary’s missing.” I said.

  John’s face went white. “We were saying that it was strange how the maniac was alone. It seems that they all hang out in bigger groups now. We thought maybe it was a diversion and…” Cathy grabbed John’s arm to silence him.

  “Go get Mike, and some others. We need to find her.” Cathy demanded.

  John nodded and ran back down the driveway.

  “We’ll find her.” I assured Jill. “She probably is hiding somewhere. Why didn’t he use his walkie-talkie?” Jill was bawling. I glanced at Cathy. She had a panicked expression on her face which I’m sure reflected mine.

  A bunch of people came up the driveway with Mike in the lead. “Why wasn’t anyone watching her?” He cried and ran over to hug Jill.

  “Okay,” Ben said walking over. “Let’s talk this out. Where was Mary last seen?”

  “Mrs. Ford said that she really had to go to the bathroom.” I said.

  “So, someone saw her come over here?” Ben asked.

  “I… I’m not sure.” I said. “So, then where was she last seen and by whom?” Gary asked. I looked at Cathy. We had been too enwrapped in our conversation.

  “Okay. Cathy go upstairs, have Piper and Jenny watch the kids and have Mrs. Ford come out here. Meanwhile, we need some volunteers to check the house quickly to make sure she’s not hiding in there.” Ben said.

  “I’ll check.” Jill said.

  “No offense to you Jill, but we need someone with a calm mind to search in there. What I’d like you and Mike to do is think of her favorite spots to go.” Ben said.

  “I’ll look inside.” Ryan said.

  Robert looked at Ryan and said, “I’ll join you.”

  “Good. Both of you go.” Ben said.

  “The kids were in the garden before when she said she had to go to the bathroom.” I said.

  “Good. You go check that out. Who can join her?” Ben asked.

  Before John got a chance to volunteer, Allison said that she would. Allison and I walked quickly towards the garden. “So, you heard me last night.” She said. I looked at her shocked and, I’m not going to lie, a little scared. She was tougher than I was.

  Allison smiled. “I guess I should explain.” She sighed. “I think Angela knows, but I’m not sure. It was kind of a hushed thing.” She sighed again. “Look, I just don’t… I…”

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “So, before all of this, Luke was into, well into some things. My parents don’t even know this. They are the old-fashioned type, you know. Marry someone and stay with that person forever and have kids with that person. They wouldn’t have accepted Luke’s behavior. So, he kept it quiet. Ryan and I were aware of it, but we didn’t talk about it.”

  “Okay.”

  “Anyways, Luke was sort of swinging with Jason and Amanda. We’re not really sure if Grace was his or Jason’s. After Amanda got pregnant, they stopped seeing each other.”

  “Wow!” I said.

  She nodded. “Can we just keep the secret between us?”

  “Definitely.” Of course I still planned on telling John, Cathy and Robert. Not to mention, was this

  a true story? Luke didn’t seem like he could be a swinger.

  We looked around the garden area, but there was no sign of Mary, so we went back to the others. Jill was becoming frantic. “Okay,” Ben said. “Here comes Robert and Ryan.”

  They walked over. “She is not inside and Mrs. Ford said that she wanted to stay with the kids and have a talk with Nate to see if he remembered anything.” Jill began sobbing.

  “Let’s all take grids and look for her.” Ben said.

  “Jacob, Angela and Ethan are guarding the end of the driveway. Has anyone seen Luke and Jason?”

  No one had. “Ryan, did you see Mary when you came out of the outhouse?” I asked. She had been over there around the time he would’ve been in it.

  “I didn’t.” He replied. “I’ve had an upset stomach today so I went in there quickly, but when I came out, no one was around. Wait…”

  “What?” Ben said.

  Ryan’s eyes went wide. He ran in the direction of the outhouse. We followed. “I heard something in the woods. It was a little rustling.” He pointed at a hair bow that was close to the woods. “I guess I assumed that the kids were playing hide and seek.”

  “There’s footprints.” Mike said, pointing at the ground. He started following them.

  “Wait!” Ben said. “Robert, Gary and Cathy, can you stay here and guard the house?” They agreed. The rest of us followed Mike.

  A little ways in the woods, we could hear some shouting. We got to an opening where Luke and Jason were yelling at each other.

  “Where is she you son of a bitch?” Mike shouted, running over and shaking Jason.

  “What? Who?” Jason said trying to pull Mike off. Jill was bawling. Luke was looking at us baffled.

  “Ben, everyone!” Mrs. Ford said over the walkie-talkie. “Go on Nate, tell them.”

  “I teased Mary and she ran off in the direction of the treehouse. I’m sorry.” Nate confessed.

  “Why was Mary’s bow near the bathroom?” I asked.

  “Cathy, Robert, can you check the tree house?” Ben asked.

  “We’re already heading there.” Robert replied.

  “What’s going on?” Luke asked.

  “We should ask you two that.” John said.

  “Wait, you think we did something to Mary? Are you serious?” Luke sighed. “Really, Ryan? You think I would hurt a kid?”

  “You two have been very secretive.” Ben said. “Why don’t you spill the beans.”

  “Now is not the time for that!” Jill said. “Where is my little girl?”

  We heard gunshots from the direction of the house. We all took off running out of the woods. We got near the house and we could hear a girl screaming from the area of the treehouse.

  “Ladies, stay here!” Ben said and the guys took off in the direction of the treehouse. Jill, of course, didn’t listen and ran with them.

  “What is going on up there?” Allison yelled into the walkie-talkie.

  “Everything is okay.” Cathy replied. “Robert killed the maniac that was trying to get to Mary in the treehouse. According to Mary, someone was in the bathroom and Nate started teasing her. They got into a scrap and Nate pulled her bow out. He also said a few mean things. She got mad and ran to the treehouse.”

 
“Wow! A lot happens when you’re at the end of the driveway!” Angela laughed.

  “Angela, Robert is going to trade places with you. We need you up here.” Ben said.

  “Is everything okay?” Angela asked.

  “Yeah, we just need to have a quick meeting.” Ben said.

  The guys, Cathy and Jill came out of the woods with Mary who was crying. Jill was hugging her. “Never ever go off in the woods by yourself like that. Ever!”

  “I’m sorry mama. Nate was being a meanie.”

  “Don’t worry.” Mike said. “We will talk to him. Now, go ahead and use the bathroom quickly and then go inside.”

  “Okay daddy.” Mary ran to the bathroom.

  Mike sighed. “Well, I just aged about 20 years.”

  “We need to talk to the kids about going off by themselves. They need to stay near adults and an adult should always know where they are.” Cathy said.

  “I agree.” Ben said. “We will have a meeting with them after this one.”

  Mary came out of the bathroom as Angela approached us. “I’m sorry that I ran off.” Mary said as she hugged her parents. “I thought the treehouse would be safe.”

  “It’s okay honey. We were really worried about you. I love you so much. Go inside and I’ll be in soon.” Jill said.

  “Is Nate going to be punished?” Mary asked.

  “We’ll deal with him in a little bit.” Mike responded to his daughter. He gave her a hug and kiss. “I love you honey so much. Go inside okay?”

  “Okay daddy.” She said and ran inside.

  “So, there was another maniac by itself?” Angela asked after Mary was inside.

  “Yes.” Cathy responded.

  “That’s strange. Before they seemed to be all working together, now there’s a bunch of stray ones.” Angela said.

  “That’s true. That is strange. We’ll talk about this in a second. But first, Jason and Luke, what is going on?” Ben asked.

  Angela looked surprised. “Okay. Am I missing something?”

  “We found them in the woods arguing.” Mike said.

  “Yeah, Mike almost beat me up.” Jason joked.

  “What were you arguing over?” Angela asked.

  “Nothing that concerns anybody else.” Luke said.

  “Luke! Just tell them. I am so sick of secrets!” Allison said.

  Luke looked down. “I have nothing to say Allison. It’s not really any of your business either.”

  “I don’t see what the big deal is!” Jason said. “It was a while back, Luke and I had something going on. Why are you making it a big deal?” Jason asked Luke.

  “We didn’t have anything going on!” Luke responded.

  “Come on Luke!” Ryan said.

  “I’m not gay!” Luke shouted. He looked up and saw that Bill had walked up to the group. “Dad?”

  “Luke, your mother and I aren’t stupid. We know what was going on. But you two need to grow up. What’s in the past is in the past. If you’re a couple, whatever! If not, who cares! We have bigger issues right now! A little girl was just in the woods, by herself, scared. We need a perspective on the important stuff and to drop all this petty bullshit!” Bill started coughing.

  “I agree.” Rose said. “I also think that you should be laying down.”

  “I’m sick of laying down!” Bill grumbled.

  “Nurse’s orders.” Rose said.

  “I need to…” Bill began.

  “You need to lay down dad. I agree that this is all petty. There shouldn’t be any secrets, but you should not be getting all wound up.” Allison said.

  “I love you kids. Nothing you do will ever bother me.” He looked at Luke. “I just have one question. Who is Josh?”

  “Josh?” Luke asked while hugging his dad.

  “Josh. I heard Jenny and Piper whispering about someone named Josh.”

  “I don’t know that name.” Luke said.

  Allison was laughing. “Now that’s one thing that stays secret.”

  “Wait, you know who Josh is?”

  Allison smiled. “That’s Piper and my secret.”

  “We said no secrets!” Luke said. “Wait, did she have a boyfriend before this? Allison!”

  Allison pretended to lock her lips. We all laughed.

  “Okay!” Ben said. “I think this meeting is over!”

  “Are you friggen serious?” Jason said. “You people are insane. You accuse me of kidnapping a girl, then you accuse me of being gay, I was married before this with a baby!”

  “Give it a rest man!” Ryan said. “Everyone has drama. It’s in the past. “

  “Everything’s in the past, huh?” Jason asked. “Like you being an alcoholic!”

  “I was. I’m not anymore.” Ryan said.

  “What about your slutty wife? Did her niece take after that whore too?” Jason asked.

  Ryan went to punch Jason, but Ben grabbed his arm “Easy son, he’s not worth it.”

  “Yeah he is.” Luke punched him. “Leave my sister alone!” Allison was crying and then she ran off.

  “You all like this, huh?” Ryan shouted. “What a great show!”

  “Ryan Xavier Johnson, that is enough.” Naomi shouted coming over to our group. “Your wife just ran off without a weapon. Go make sure she’s okay.” Ryan took off to find her.

  “As for you!” Naomi said pointing at Jason. “There was no trouble until you got here. You can calm yourself down and not make rude comments about my daughter and granddaughter or you can get the hell out of here!”

  Jason laughed. “What gives you the right to kick me out of here old lady? This isn’t your place.”

  “You’re wrong.” Angela said. “This is everyone’s home, except for yours. Get your shit and leave.”

  “You bitch! You were with my sister. You choose all of these dysfunctional assholes over me?” Jason challenged.

  “Your sister and I haven’t been together in a while and you are not your sister. Get off my property!”

  Jason spit on Angela. Ben grabbed Jason’s arm and twisted it behind his back and pulled him back. “Listen to me.” Ben growled in Jason’s ear. “You will be escorted inside to get your stuff. You will then be escorted down the driveway. You will leave on foot the same way you got here with only what you brought. If we see you around here again, you will be shot like the maniacs. Let’s go.” Ben pushed Jason in the direction of the house.

  Luke shook his head. “I’m sorry everyone.”

  Naomi hugged her son. “You have nothing to apologize for. He brought this on himself.” Naomi looked at all of us. “I think we should have a meeting with the kids now… and probably some of the adults,” She glanced in the direction of Allison who was walking to the house with Ryan, “about going off on their own.”

  “I agree.” I said.

  “Yes. We also need to figure out why we are seeing maniacs alone now.” Angela sighed.

  We went inside and had a meeting with the kids while a few of the men escorted Jason away from the house. Mary apologized for running off while Nate apologized about making Mary run off. Mike lectured Nate and Cathy gave Mary back her bow.

  The group went downstairs. Allison and Luke apologized, but we told them that they had nothing to worry about. Cathy explained that we had had plenty of family arguments in front of the public and looked at Robert. Robert shook his head, “I don’t think anyone wants to hear that story!”

  “Oh, I definitely do!” Angela said and Allison agreed with her.

  Robert sighed. “Okay. The first date I had with Cathy, I was so nervous that I had a few drinks from my dad’s liquor cabinet. I showed up so drunk. Cathy’s dad made me leave and forbade Cathy to see me.”

  “But of course I still did!” Cathy interrupted.

  “And dad found out!” I said.

  “Because someone told him.” Cathy growled.

  “Hey, you weren’t home in time for curfew. I was worried!” I laughed.

  “Goody two shoes!” Cathy r
etorted.

  “Yeah. My dad showed up at the movies where I was with Robert. We were in the parking lot walking to the car and he just started yelling. I was so humiliated.”

  “Needless to say, her father hated me and I don’t think his feelings ever changed.”

  “He liked you eventually!” Cathy stated.

  John and Robert laughed. “I don’t think so!” John said.

  “Anyways, I was a wild guy when I was young. But it’s all in the past now.” Robert said.

  “Supper’s ready.” Jeremy said coming out of the kitchen.

  “Thank you so much for making supper.” Cathy said.

  “I love cooking!” Jeremy said. “I haven’t been able to for a while.”

  We went into the kitchen and the delicious smell wafted through the air. We wolfed down supper and I helped clean up after. Ben came into the kitchen. “Aleisha, do you mind taking second shift tonight with Cathy by the front door?” I said I didn’t mind. An hour passed by and I tucked the girls in for bed.

  CHAPTER 13

  I went downstairs to get a drink of water before going to lay down when all hell broke loose outside. I could hear gunshots and shouting over the walkie-talkie. “All adults are needed outside now!” Ben was shouting.

  Naomi came running downstairs. “All adults? Does that mean me?”

  “No.” I said. “Can you and Bill watch the kids? Can you also get Allison and have her…”

  “I’m here.” Allison said coming downstairs. “Mom, go upstairs with dad and protect the kids. We’ve got this.”

  “Be careful!” Naomi said and hurried back up the stairs. Allison and I ran outside to join the others. “Holy shit!” Allison said as I followed her outside. Our people were all in front of the house shooting their guns, but there were so many of them!

  Jenny, Piper and Caleb came out with guns. “What are you doing out here?” Cathy shouted while shooting her gun.

  “You need our help. And we know how to use guns also mom.” Jenny stood beside her mom and started shooting them

  “Why are they just standing still?” Caleb asked.

  “They look like they’re waiting for something.” Ben said. “Hold your fire. But keep your guns ready.”

  “It’s like they’re waiting for the order to attack!” Gary shouted.