by Jay Bower
“Al,” Patrick called, “I need to get something out of the car. I’ll meet you out back.”
Al poked out from his bedroom. “Sure thing. Be right there.”
Patrick kissed Meagan on the forehead and walked out the front door. Stopping on the small porch, he took a deep breath. The spring air soothed him, much like a drink after a rough day on the streets. He stepped down off the porch and walked to the car. Opening the trunk, he tore open his bag and pulled out a Glock 22, a .40 caliber gun like the one he used on the job. Traveling without it never occurred to him unless he was flying. Whatever hid among the trees was enough to scare his son to hysterics, and he would be prepared.
Patrick stopped himself, wondering if Noah’s daydream had caused him to overreact. Laughing at himself for getting caught up in his son’s vision, he felt foolish and almost put the gun away. But something in Noah’s eyes convinced him real danger lurked out there.
He looked over the gun, then tucked it in the back of his jeans and pulled his shirt over it, hoping to keep it hidden. Al might not take too kindly to him having a gun, and he didn’t need any more drama today.
Patrick walked around the house, scanning the tree line for movement. Nothing seemed unusual. Al was out back waiting for him.
“You get your gun?” Al asked.
Patrick hesitated and replied, “Yes, sir, I did. I hope you’re okay with that, but I didn’t want to be caught off guard.”
“Okay with it? You’re in the boonies, son. It’s fine, just as long as you know how to use it.” He chuckled as he led them off to the tree line separating his property from his neighbors.
Patrick scowled. Being in law enforcement for years, he figured he knew more about sidearms than Al. Living in a rural town didn’t automatically give Al a step up on Patrick.
“Did Noah say what it was that scared him?” Al asked.
Patrick shook his head. “No, not really. All he said was that it wasn’t an animal. He thinks it’s something that could hurt me. He was freaked out by it. A child’s imagination, I guess.”
“If that’s what ya think, why’d you get your gun?” Al asked.
“A child’s imagination doesn’t mean you can’t be prepared just in case. I’ve had my share of problems when I thought I was safe,” Patrick said rubbing the wound in his chest again. It had healed, but the scar tissue was a constant reminder of ill preparation.
“So, how ya doing, Patrick?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Well, with what happened a few months back. Me and June were worried about you. I think your job is dangerous…too dangerous at times for my girl.”
“Was. Was dangerous, Al. I’m sure things will be different here. At least, I hope so. Seriously, it can’t be worse than where I was. It just can’t.”
“I guess so, but you gotta watch yourself. I’d hate to see Meagan lose you. I know Noah would be crushed. That boy loves you, and he needs his daddy around.” Al turned away, avoiding Patrick’s eyes.
Patrick fell silent. Al was right, of course. Noah did need his dad. He wanted to be so much more for Noah than what he had been so far. Staying close to the boy was the right course to take; being close enough for him to run to Patrick instead of Meagan when things got bad. More than anything, he wanted the relationship he had with his father. He hoped this move would bring them closer than they’d ever been. He loved his son; he just couldn’t relate to him at times. Because of his job, Patrick had been gone for far too long from Noah. The streets of East St. Louis were no place to be when his wonderful wife and bright, loving son were waiting for him at home. In time, he’d be more available for Meagan and Noah. In time, he would be the husband and father they needed.
Al’s raspy voice cut him off. “So, what do you think it was that scared Noah?”
“Huh? Oh, I’m not sure. The boy has a really active imagination. He had an imaginary friend he called Billy a while back. He swore he was real. Noah threw fits, saying he was real, and how wrong I was for not believing him. He threw himself on the floor, slamming his fists down and kicking his feet, crying until Meagan made me get Billy an Easter basket. He grew out of it, but I know how imaginative he can be. I’m guessing he made it all up.”
“Made it up? Why would he do that?” Al asked. He stopped walking and turned to Patrick, his face twisting as he tried to understand what Patrick meant.
“Well, not made up on purpose. I think he thinks it’s real, but it’s most likely something he imagined, kinda like Billy. Once he gets those thoughts in his head, he thinks they’re real. Kinda strange, if you ask me. I blame Meagan’s side of the family.” He smiled, waiting for Al to catch on.
Al squinted and smiled and said, “Yeah, I guess he does. He gets a lot from her side of the family.” Patrick winced as Al slapped him hard on the arm. They continued toward the trees.
They walked quietly and alert. There was no sound. Patrick decided they should split up, and he took one side while Al went to the other. After searching the trees for anything unusual, they met up about thirty minutes later. Neither one of them found anything.
“Guess you were right,” Al said to Patrick. “He must’ve made it up. One heck of an imagination if it’s gonna make him cry and act out like that, though. I do hope he’s all right. I hate seeing the poor fella all tore up like that. Come on, let’s get back to the house. If I know anything, June has probably stuffed him full of cookies or pie. Nothing takes the edge off like one of her goodies.”
As they stepped into the house, Patrick heard laughter. It was Noah. He sat at the dining room table with a plate of cookies and a half empty glass of milk. June sat next to him with Meagan across the table, her face in her hands. “No, no, no. Mom, don’t say things like that! It wasn’t true, Noah. Grandma is just messing with you.”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” June said. She patted Noah on the head and bent down closer to him, “it was all true,” she whispered. Noah giggled again and took a large bite of a cookie.
Meagan uncovered her face and saw Patrick and her father watching them.
“Well, what kinds of stories are you telling now?” Al asked June.
“Oh, nothing, dear. Nothing that isn’t true. Do you remember when Meagan tried to hand feed jellybeans to some squirrels? One jumped on her and she ran around the yard, squealing and shaking her head, trying to get it off.”
“Mom! That’s not true! It was chasing me and trying to bite me!”
“Sure, dear, whatever you say.” June smiled and stood, clearing the now-empty plate and glass.
“Did you guys find anything?” Meagan asked.
“Yeah, Dad, did you find those things?” Noah chimed in. Whatever it was he thought he saw, Patrick sensed his trepidation. It was like he was questioning a battered woman who was afraid to tell him the truth out of fear of her boyfriend or husband. It was an uncomfortable feeling for Patrick. This wasn’t a stranger in East St. Louis. It was his son.
“No, we didn’t find anything. I’m not sure what you thought you saw, but we didn’t find a thing. What exactly did you see, again? Do you think you can tell me anything else?” Patrick said as he pulled up a chair. Al sat down as well. All eyes were on Noah.
“What I saw…it was scary, Dad. I saw…” He hesitated, then continued, “I saw creatures, Dad. I saw these skull things floating all around me. And their scary voices.”
June huffed. “Sorry, dear. Go on,” she said. Patrick thought he saw Al shoot June a glare, but it was fleeting.
“It’s okay, Grandma. They wore black flowing robes with fire. There were a lot of them. They surrounded me,” he said as he gestured around with his hands. “They talked to me, Dad.”
“Talked to you?” Patrick looked to Meagan. “What did they say, son?”
“They said, ‘Boy, you belong to us now,’ and they all said it. At first, they took turns, but then they said it all at together. Don’t let them get me, please!” His hands shook, and tears threatened to burst from
his eyes again.
“Noah, calm down,” he said in his negotiator voice, the one he used when trying to talk someone into putting down their gun. “It’s all right now, son. I won’t let anything get you. I promise.”
Noah thought for a moment, his trembling fading. He turned to June. “Grandma, what’s for dinner?” he asked, and just like that, he let go of the fear and worry he’d displayed moments before. It amazed Patrick how quickly kids could turn their emotions on and off.
For the rest of the evening, talk consisted of questions about jobs and life and the newest town gossip. Not once did the episode with Noah come up again. Patrick thought a lot about it to himself, though.
He ran the events over and over in his head, and none of it made sense. He recognized Noah’s fear, though whether it was self-induced or something else, he couldn’t decide. How did his shirt get singed like it did? The look Al gave June when Noah talked about his experience kept coming back to him. He thought he saw something that said a whole lot more. He might have made it up in his head, much like what he thought Noah did with the creatures, but he couldn’t be sure. So far, the promise of a new life fell far short of his expectations.
CHAPTER SIX
PATRICK AND MEAGAN went on a whirlwind tour of homes over the weekend with Noah in tow. He complained and whined, but he also helped to choose their new home. They looked at more than a dozen homes over that Saturday and Sunday. Late Sunday afternoon, they found exactly what they were looking for. The red brick house sat on a two-acre lot just north of town. The backyard ended at the edge of a forest. There were neighbors close by, though “close” meant at least half a mile away on either side. The front yard extended to a quiet two-lane highway. In front were two pine trees with a large maple right in the middle. The curb appeal of the place grabbed Meagan’s attention right away. Patrick liked the easy access to the highway and the feeling of not being right on top of their neighbors like they’d been in St. Louis. Noah liked the spacious yard, and when they went inside, he squealed when he saw the downstairs family room, a split-level room off the kitchen. It had a cozy brick fireplace and plenty of room for a couch, recliner, television, and the Xbox—if he could convince his parents to set it up there. His room had plenty of space and a window that overlooked the large backyard and well-kept red barn. The asking price seemed right, and they put in a bid the next day. The seller, an aging widow who needed to downsize quickly, accepted the offer straight up. Within no time, they moved in.
As they settled into their new home, they began to relax in the slower-paced atmosphere that Brownsville afforded. For Meagan, it felt just right. Patrick and Noah, so used to the noise and constant busyness of the city, took a little longer to enjoy their surroundings.
Meagan felt at peace, getting back to her roots. One afternoon in early June about a week after they moved in, she sat in a chair on the back patio. She put down her book and took a sip of cool iced tea. The weather had been unusually warm and humid, but she still enjoyed being outside. She’d often dreamt of a life like this when they lived in the city, and she wouldn’t let a little heat and humidity squash her joy. She leaned back, the sun warming her face. It felt wonderful. Just her, the sun, a good book, and a glass of tea. She couldn’t think of anything better at that moment. It reminded her of growing up there, of long summers spent outside, running through the woods and investigating nature.
She and her friends traipsed through the woods searching for signs of Bigfoot. They thought they were the greatest adventurers of all time. They mapped out areas of the woods, seeking patterns or places where they might spot the famed creature, though what they’d do if they ever found him, they didn’t know. After spending hours on the hunt, they’d all go back to her house, hot and sweaty, and her mom would have a full pitcher of freshly-brewed sun tea ready for them with a dish of lemon slices, which Meagan always plopped in her glass. The taste of that tea, after mucking around in the woods all day in sticky humidity and heat, refreshed like nothing else. She could almost see those trails they walked so long ago as she sipped on her tea now. It felt amazing to be back home in Brownsville.
Still, she had concerns about Noah. They decided he’d go to a regular school instead of staying at home with Meagan. She and Patrick enjoyed the thought of Noah being around other kids and hoped it would help socialize him. With his new position in the police department, Patrick would be home more, but she also thought it would be in Noah’s best interest to make friends in their new town.
The three of them toured the school before it let out for summer, and Noah met several of his soon-to-be teachers. He showed a lot of interest in the school. One little boy, “Eric,” he introduced himself to Noah, helped ease Noah’s tension by running off with him and showing him the playground. They played together until Eric had to go back to class.
Not long after, Meagan took Noah to one of the playgrounds in town and Eric saw him there. They took off while Eric’s mom introduced herself to Meagan. They talked about the boys and exchanged phone numbers in hopes of setting up future playdates. Even with all that going good, she still worried about Noah. Something about his behavior seemed out of sorts, but she did have an idea why.
She picked up her book to continue reading, and Noah bounded around the corner of the house. “Mom! Mom! We’re home!” he shouted as he ran up to her. Luckily, she’d set her drink down on the table. He leapt right into her arms and gave her a giant bear hug. She squeezed him hard, and he tried to squeeze harder, a game they’d played for years. Eventually she wouldn’t be able to do it anymore, and she cherished every moment.
“My! Are you happy to be home, or what?” she asked.
“Mom, we had a blast! Eric and I found a cave. We got some flashlights and went all the way in. We weren’t scared at all, and it was the coolest thing! We found some pictures inside, too!”
“Umm, pictures?” she asked. Sweat glistened on his forehead as he spoke.
“They looked like that place called Stonehenge. It was so cool!” he replied.
“Yeah, they found an old break in the rocks in the back of the property. Honestly, I forgot all about that place until they came across it today,” Sara, Eric’s mom, said as she walked up behind Noah. Eric stood at her side, his face full of the same excitement and wonder she saw in Noah’s.
“Hi Sara. Thanks for bringing Noah home. I could’ve gotten him. You didn’t have to come all the way out here,” Meagan said.
“Oh, it’s no bother. He’s a great kid, and I’m glad Eric finally has someone to play with. The two of them keep each other occupied all day long. I hardly know they’re there at all,” Sara replied.
Meagan looked at Noah. He smiled and jumped down. “Come on, Eric, let’s go look for a cave back here!” he said, and they ran off toward the woods.
“Stay where I can see you!” Meagan called after them. Sara smiled as she watched the boys go. “Please, have a seat Sara. You aren’t in a hurry, are you?”
“No, not at all. Just enjoying the day today,” Sara said as she sat in a weather-beaten wooden chair.
“Would you like a glass of tea?” Meagan asked, “I’ve got some sun tea ready.”
“Sure, that’d be great.” Sara sat her purse on the ground next to her chair and leaned back with her eyes closed, enjoying the sun.
Meagan stood. “Oh, do you want some lemon?” she asked as she opened the screen door to step inside.
“No, I’m not a lemon person.”
A few moments later, Meagan returned with a tall glass filled with ice and the light auburn tea. Sara thanked her and took a sip. “Thank you again,” she said. “This hits the spot.”
The two of them sat quietly for a moment, enjoying their drinks, and watching the boys play along the edge of the property, running this way and that.
Every now and then, they’d hear, “Eric, come here look at this!” or, “Noah, check this out!” They were far enough away to hear when the boys got excited, but not close enough to hear
everything.
“Sara, I want to thank you for having Noah over today. He just loves playing with Eric and it sure is nice to have some me time,” Meagan said.
“No problem at all. Like I said, he’s a great kid. The more we can keep these two together, the better. Eric doesn’t have too many friends and seeing him like this sure does me good. For a while, I thought he couldn’t get along with anyone, but it seems he warmed right up to Noah.”
“I know what you mean. Back in St. Louis, Noah didn’t have too many friends. I kinda blame myself because I homeschooled him, but then again, our neighborhood didn’t have too many kids in it. He’s shy and I didn’t push him. I think being back home will do him good.”
“Oh, he’s from here?” Sara asked.
“No, sorry. I am, though. I grew up here,” Meagan replied.
“You did? I didn’t know that. Did you graduate from here, too?” Sara asked.
“Class of ’96. How about you? Did you grow up here?” she asked.
“Yeah, I sure did. Class of ’94 myself. What was your maiden name?”
“Boone,” Meagan replied, “my parents are Al and June Boone.”
“Hmm,” Sara replied. She looked at Meagan with one eyebrow slightly cocked. “I can’t say I remember you, sorry. I’ve heard of your parents, though. When did you leave?”
“It’s no problem. Like Noah, I tended to keep to myself. I moved after I graduated. I thought the big city held the answers to all my questions. I thought I needed to go to the city to get a better life.” She let out a soft laugh and her eyes brightened. “I did find Patrick, though, so I guess it did work…to an extent. I tried going to college in St. Louis, but after a semester, I found I didn’t have the right mindset for it, so I dropped out. I worked at a diner, and that’s where I met Patrick. He used to come in with his friends after partying all night. He eventually asked me out and I took a chance. Best thing I ever did, too. Right from the beginning, we had a great connection. We had it tough for the first few years of our marriage as he finished school. He hoped to get on as a local officer in St. Louis, but an opportunity came up in St. Clair County. After a long debate about it, we decided he should go for it. We already had Noah by then and needed to be a bit more financially secure. It’s not been easy, but it worked out for the best, because now we’re here.”
