by David Sharp
Kelly shifted her bag of chips and snacks. “It’s a lot different out here than I imagined.”
“I like it. This is an adventure.” Jason felt his spirits lift by saying what he felt. He had dreamed of escape for so long that even the reality could not deter his fantasy image of it.
“Things are never as they seem,” Adam said cryptically.
The gravel crunched under their feet as they walked, each alone in their own thoughts. The alley was long and narrow. The backs of houses abutted it along with wooden and occasional chain-link fences. There was barely room for a car to make it, yet there were hidden driveways along the path. The houses looked well secured with iron bars, extra locks, and deadbolts. The creeping sensation of being watched permeated the thick humid air.
“You and Tanya are going home as soon as possible,” Adam stated flatly.
Kelly kicked her foot into the rocks scattering a bunch to clang off a chain-link fence. “Yes, I guess I will stay with Tanya.”
“Good,” Adam said and was relieved.
“What about Jason?” Kelly stared cold eyed. “Is he going to stay with you?”
Jason opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water.
“Jason is… Jason is going back too.”
“I can’t.” Jason searched for more words finding none to argue his case.
“Look, I will come see you.”
“You say that now.”
“I will. I promise.”
Jason did not want to have that conversation in front of Kelly and switched gears figuring he could talk later. “Fine, can we at least do something while we are out here?”
Kelly smiled a knowing smile. “Like what?”
“I saw a flier for Institutionalized. They are playing Visions tomorrow night.”
“No, no way, Jason.” Adam’s eyes darted back and forth with his thoughts.
“Oh come on,” Jason pleaded.
“Tanya needs a night to rest, but she would be up to it. I know I am.” Kelly prodded.
“No, it’s a bad idea. I have to ditch… I mean drop John’s car off.”
“Come on, just one more night. Tonight we’ll do nothing, but tomorrow we need to go out with a bang.” Jason wanted to also have more time to convince Adam to let him stay with him.
“We’ll be good.” Kelly batted her eyelashes.
“Dammit, alright another night after this one… dammit….” Adam lowered his voice and said, “It’ll be okay, I guess.”
“Yeah,” Kelly said and smiled.
“Thanks, Adam.” Jason stole a kiss onto Adam’s cheek.
Adam was about to say something when another voice beat him to it.
“Awe, what have we here?” Liev stood directly in front of them blocking the alleyway from twenty feet ahead.
Adam was taken aback and muttered, “Um, nothing, Liev.”
Jason was frozen in his tracks. He saw that Kelly was inching to the side of the alley near a gate in the fence. And he saw Liev in his tight jeans and swagger and hated himself for feeling a little turned on again.
Fully in control, Liev casually demanded, “Get over here. I need to talk to you.”
Adam obeyed without a look back. Liev swiftly grabbed Adam by the back of the neck bringing his ear close to his mouth and spoke where only Adam could hear. The conversation seemed tense. The muscles in Liev’s arm bulged as he held Adam tight.
Why don’t I do something? All I do is watch.
Jason could easily imagine Liev making Adam do anything (obey) he wanted. He had never seen them together and in that moment it made sense. He felt he should have seen Adam as weak. Instead, he was even more fascinated by his complexity. Jason knew he was weak himself though. And he found that Kelly was fairly useless too. The only reason she had not run was him. I am holding us both back. Jason reached for Kelly and his arm froze. Liev was looking right at him as he quietly spoke. They were talking about them. Jason’s heart beat faster, a dull ache in his chest. If only I had the knife. Flesh is weak, but steel is strong. The thought was ridiculous, but had a certain sense to it.
Liev unarmed Adam. “Do you understand?”
Adam rubbed the back of his neck his eyes darting from Liev to Jason and Kelly. “I do. Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.”
“Good. Because, you know what happens if you don’t.”
Adam sighed. “I know.”
Liev, satisfied with the answer, eyed Jason and mouthed the words, “Your ass is mine.”
Jason shuddered as he watched the punk walk off into the distance. After a pause, he started walking again himself, following Adam who had Kelly in tow. All kept quiet until Liev was out of sight.
Kelly broke the silence. “What did he say to you?”
“Nothing,” Adam said and walked on.
Jason’s thoughts were swirling. “Is everything all right?”
“All of it is just fucking dandy. I told y’all to go home,” Adam angrily said.
“Should we go?” Kelly looked alarmed.
“It’s too late for that, might as well stick around for the show tomorrow.” Adam was tense like a wire.
Jason grabbed Adam’s shoulder and was rebuked. “Hey, easy…. Is it cool?”
Adam reluctantly made eye contact, his hazel eyes searing intensely. “I guess. Look, I have to handle some things tonight. Y’all can crash in the car.”
“We can go now,” Kelly nervously said.
“No, Tanya needs to rest and…. Don’t worry it’ll be fine,” Adam said flatly.
“Are you sure? We can drop them off.” Jason pushed the idea.
“I’m sure.” Adam tried on a smile that did not fit.
They walked in silence again.
The ode to Dolphins and Sharks came back to Jason. He figured that Liev and his gang were sharks for sure, while Kelly and Tanya were definitely dolphins. Sometimes sharks ate dolphins. The idea disturbed his thoughts.
Was Adam a dolphin or a shark? Can I trust him? And what am I? I don’t want to be weak. Maybe dolphins can change and eat the sharks, but if that is true then I wouldn’t be a dolphin anymore.
Just for the Hell of It
X
The high reeds blocked his way as Jason navigated the treacherous grounds beside the still lake. Kelly was swimming alone in the black water looking content to tread in place. Tanya was near the shore wading in only up to her shins. They seemed so far away from his vantage point, so Jason ran on. The reeds became thicker and cut him, their sharp green edges slicing deep. He pushed forward and ran on. Jason felt the dread in his gut knowing what they did not; that a thing was lurking beneath the surface of the still black water.
Kelly screamed and vanished in a whirl of bubbles. Jason yelled out and ran harder in panic. Tanya looked at him puzzled, then to the place where Kelly disappeared. She opened her mouth to speak and a tentacle launched out of the water wrapping around her leg tightly. The tip reached higher reminding Jason of the vacuum hose from her story. He rushed through the last bunch of reeds just in time to see Tanya taken away into the dark waters.
The sky grew darker. The water churned and a leviathan rose from its depths. The beast’s head was shaped like a malformed octopus and its body surrounded by more than eight lashing tentacles. Jason dug into his pockets and found Adam’s knife. Courage came with the sharp steel, but for only a moment. Jason looked up and realized there was no hope in stopping the beast. Its dead eyes had found him. The tentacles rose assuredly as they reached out to take him. Jason hacked at one with the knife and the blade got stuck in the thick rubbery flesh. With effort, he pulled it free. Black goo dripped off the blade. Panic draped him, so he stabbed and stabbed, but the leviathan wrapped tighter. Jason screamed as it pulled him to its gaping maw while sinking into the black water.
X
Jason woke with a start. He did not know where he was at first. It was dark and took a moment for his eyes to adjust.
I am in the car, safe in the car.
Sw
eating, he turned and saw both Kelly and Tanya asleep in the backseat. Outside the car was unclear. The light was muted. A chill crept over him as he realized a dense fog had rolled in while he was sleeping. Another strange dream was haunting him. It has to be my subconscious. The rocks thrown at him in the water, Kelly falling from the moon, and Tanya taken by a beast of endless tentacles; all of it somehow had to do with them running away. The moral he guessed was there was no escaping one’s problems.
The fog was thick. Jason could not make out anything in the night except the faint glow of street lights, somewhere out there. A shadow moved beyond the windshield. Jason sat up straight, straining his ears for any sound. He heard a pitter-patter of running feet followed by a cat call. Nervously, he looked at the ignition. It was as empty of keys as the driver’s seat was of Adam.
“Damn,” he voiced his thought out loud.
Adam was still gone.
Running errands, whatever that was. Probably something sorted for Liev. Jason had little doubt about that aspect. He licked his dry lips. Another animal sound, a braying, startled him. Jason turned to the backseat again and his friends were oblivious in slumber. Heart beating fast, he rolled down the window. The damp air stuck to his skin as the fog wafted into the car. The braying came again from somewhere closer. Jason wished he had the knife. He needed some protection to make him feel strong.
“Hey, Jason, over here,” a voice called him from the mist.
Jason froze. His hand shaking, he reached for the handle, rolled the window back up, and even locked the door. Another shadow moved by and hit the side of the car with a thud. Frantically, Jason leaned over the driver’s side and locked the other door. At that moment, the handle clicked.
Someone is trying to open it from outside.
Jason’s whole mouth went dry. Unaware, Kelly and Tanya slept through the commotion. He hesitated in waking them. Behind him the lock on the door slowly slid back up to the unlocked position. Jason could not see anyone out the windows through the fog. He watched in dread, waiting for someone to try to open the driver’s door. He felt the damp air again and realized to his horror that the fog was around him, the damp, humid cloud stuck to his flesh. Jason turned around. The fog closed in on his face.
“Come on, Jason. Get out of the car.”
Jason paused trying to find his tongue. The voice was familiar. He rose from his seat and stepped onto the damp concrete. Carefully, he closed the door, leaving the girls inside.
In a half whisper, Jason called out, “I’m coming.”
“Good, I’m right here by the tree.”
Jason squinted. It took another three steps to make out the outline of the oak tree. Jason moved closer.
In a fear tinged voice, he said, “Show yourself.”
The shadow stepped out from behind the tree revealing only the shape of a man, the features hidden in darkness. “Unbutton your pants,” the shadow ordered.
“Adam, is that you?”
“Go ahead. Do it.”
Jason fumbled with his pants and obeyed the command.
“Good, now show me.”
Jason smiled thinking of Adam and how he had changed him. I’ll show you if you show me. In his happy thoughts he gladly exposed himself. His jeans caught around his ankles, he could not walk any farther.
“Now get on your knees.”
“What if they see, Adam?”
“I said get on your knees.”
Jason sunk to his knees, the moist grass staining them. He felt uncomfortable, yet excited in the dirty and strange moment and asked, “Now what?”
The shadow sauntered closer. “Now you can lick my boots.”
Jason realized it was not Adam in the fog. It was Liev, in his overly tight jeans, muscle shirt, and tear drop tattoo. “No,” Jason managed to say, but could not rise since his pants were down.
Liev shoved a boot on Jason’s shoulder beside his mouth. “Go ahead and lick it, queer.”
A knife clicked open in Liev’s other hand. Jason swallowed and stuck out his tongue. He could taste the dirty leather and tried not to gag and…
…he woke hyperventilating inside the ’68 Mustang. The dream so real he could still taste the leather. Adam was asleep in the driver’s seat and the girls in the back. Of the fading images, only the after effect disturbed him the most. The tightness of his jeans were proof of his excitement, whether his mind would accept it or not. Self-consciously, Jason crossed his legs and turned to the side facing the passenger window. Outside, the park was damp and dark. There was no obvious sign of fog, but he could not be sure. Jason reached up, locked the door, and closed his eyes again.
X
The next day after a cramped breakfast in the car, Jason, Adam, Kelly and a limping Tanya walked down a grungy part of the Montrose, along lower Westheimer Street, checking out resale shops through the windows.
“Is all of our stuff going to be okay in the car?” Jason was still feeling the strange effects of his dream within a dream.
“It’s fine where we left it. Anyways, the tags are out and I’d rather only drive it at night like that,” Adam said.
“If you say so,” Jason said sullenly. He did not want to go back to suburbia. He pictured his skateboard on the floorboard and wished he would have brought it.
Tanya kept her pain to herself and said brightly, “Thanks for taking me to that place, Adam.”
“It’s cool.” Adam gave her a sideways look then briefly glanced at Jason.
“I really feel good,” Kelly said seemingly refreshed.
Jason thought it was from her new plan with Tanya, but she always did seem to bounce back. He breathed out heavily and said, “I told you it was cool out here.”
“I feel great too, except for my sore kitty,” Tanya quipped.
“I am not even going to say it.” Jason shook his head, not feeling like playing the insult game.
Regardless, Tanya gave him a dirty look.
“You did the right thing,” Kelly said more to reassure herself than him.
“I know. I wish I was in my bed right now though.” Tanya straightened her limp and said, “So, when are you taking John’s car back?”
Kelly piped in, “Yeah, have you talked to him?”
“No, not yet…” Adam shook his head. “…soon.” He put his arm around Jason’s shoulders as they walked. “You know, while I still have the car I should take all of y’all home.”
“You said we could hang out one more night.”
“You should really go, Jason.”
“Come on, just another night, for the concert,” Jason said trying not to sound desperate. He needed more time to talk to Adam alone. “We can go after the show.”
Adam decided to deal with it. “Fine, what is your cell?”
Jason was shocked. He had purposefully left it at home so no one could find him or try to call. “I don’t have it on me.”
“No way, you have to be kidding.” Adam squeezed Jason’s arm tighter. “You were really serious about not coming back.”
“I had planned it that way.” Jason wanted to kiss him and had to look away.
Kelly shook her head silently to Tanya indicating the usual. She never gave out her number to anyone.
Tanya reached into her bag, rustling some papers and change, to pull out her outdated flip phone. “Don’t judge me.” She dared anyone to. “Here, I have mine.” She held up the sci-fi looking device.
Adam disengaged from Jason and reached into his pocket to pull out a newer phone. “Put your number in this one,” he ordered in a tone strikingly similar to Liev’s.
Jason thought of the fog again and wondered what he really knew about Adam.
“Fine, the things I do for you, Jason.” Tanya roughly typed.
Kelly silently shook her head again.
“Cool. So, you will take us out?” Jason tested the waters for a reaction.
“Looks like it,” Adam said icily.
Jason tilted his head. “Are you sure?”
/> Briefly, there was a soft flash in Adam’s hazel eyes as he said, “As long as you are.”
Kelly changed moods and said, “The club will be fun, much better than another night in the car.”
“Here.” Tanya handed back the phone to Adam. “More fun than this, Kelly?”
“If we go clubbing, it will be something to remember, something that is good.” Kelly left a part unspoken then continued softly, “Afterwards, I am going to stay with you.”
“Okay sister, then it looks like you are going to be babysitting me for a change.”
“As if,” Kelly said then cocked her head to focus on Jason. “How much is it going to be to get in?”
“I don’t think the flyer said.” Jason felt a pang of guilt at dragging them to a show he wanted to see more than they did.
Adam scanned the streets like a hawk and said, “Visions is pretty cheap to get into and they let anybody in. It’ll be maybe five or ten bucks to see a local band like Institutionalized.”
“That’s not bad.” Jason felt relieved it was not more expensive. “I have always wanted to go there.”
“We know.” Tanya put her hands on her hips the way she did when she wanted to say something catty.
Kelly exclaimed in random excitement, “Dancing!”
Jason gave her a queer look. Again, he wondered what went through her twisted mind. He chuckled at her quirky dance moves then looked to see if Adam was too. Instead, he found Adam searching the streets with his eyes. The smile slid off Jason’s face.
“Maybe slow dancing for me,” Tanya said, shaking her hips slightly as she laughed.
Adam reached swiftly into his front jeans pocket, grabbed a small plastic baggy, and slipped it into Jason’s front pocket. Hesitating before he pulled away, he swallowed and said, “Here are some tabs for later.”
“Whoa, how much is that?” Jason reached down, but Adam blocked his hand.
“Just hang on to it for me and only take one apiece tonight, okay.”
“Alright, I can do that.” Jason smiled enjoying the touch and the warmth. He could not control his impulse, so he kissed Adam square on the lips.
Adam kissed back and pulled Jason closer to bite his neck. In the moment he whispered into Jason’s ear. “Don’t take yours, save it for later, with me.”
