Danny slipped into the basement, grabbing a bat and a few baseballs. He once noticed how the best thoughts came to a distracted mind, and batting practice seemed like the perfect choice. Popping into the backyard, Danny dropped the baseballs in the grass – all except one. He tossed the ball in the air, and wham! He crushed it. The ball landed in the neighbor’s yard. Nailing three more line drives in similar fungo style, the pleased child dropped the bat to retrieve his hits when Stinger approached.
“Whatcha doin’?”
“Nothing. Just givin’ it the ole pepper...”
“Wanna play ball?”
“No thanks…” Once again, Danny found himself staring into those black tinted sunglasses
“Aw, let me toss ya one. Let’s see what you can do.”
Danny turned his back to the brute. “I’m doing just fine, thank you very much.”
“Are you sore at me?” Stinger picked up a ball and tossed it between his hands. “Lynn was testing ya, and ya passed, kid.”
“I bet…” Danny’s throw was off this time – too far outside. He reached for it, swung out, and missed.
“Aw...you are still sore at me, ain’t cha?”
No reply. He pretended the ball was Stinger’s head. Danny swung too soon with all the strength he could muster and twisted halfway around. The slugger righted himself and searched the sky for the homer. The defiant ball lay in the grass, mocking the boy.
“Here…” Stinger yanked the bat from the hands of the unsuspecting boy. “Let me show ya how it’s done, son.”
“Hey, my bat—” Stinger shoved Danny to the ground and snatched a few balls.
“Give it back, Stinger! …Give it back!” Danny groveled, flat on his back.
“Wanna play ball?” The crack of the bat and the shattering of glass answered Stinger’s question. Then, Stinger took a swing at Danny. The defenseless one rolled over and cradled his head. The wake stirred Danny’s hair. “Oh, we’ll play ball all right! I’ll shove the bat smack up your behind!”
Danny lay on the ground, scared to death. Must the Snakes ruin everything? A wild daisy tickled his cheek. Tears streamed down his face, gracing the pedals of the flower. Danny found himself kissing Debbie under the shelter of the willow tree.
A barrage of shattering glass, then Stinger slammed the bat near Danny’s head. The petrified child did not move. He felt Stinger’s thudding footsteps fade away. Trusting it was safe, he poked his head up to take a gander. Stinger was nowhere to be found. The sullen boy took to his feet and gaped at the house, horrified. The windows resembled a sick jack o’lantern carving.
“Geez!” Danny kicked a baseball in disgust. “My parents are gonna kill me!”
* * *
“Whatever possessed you to break those windows?” Danny’s father’s eyes bulged with rage. His son merely stared at the floor. “Answer me!”
The frightened child remained tight-lipped. Tears stained his cheeks. “It was an accident,” Danny whispered.
“This was an accident?” His father pointed to the windows. “I could understand one window, but five?”
“I-I-I didn’t do it!”
“Ok…who did?”
Keep quiet. Silence is your friend.
Mr. Ormont shook his son. “Who did this?”
He’ll never understand...
“Damn it, Danny, don’t lie to me!”
“I’m not lying, Dad!”
“For the last time, who broke the windows!?!”
The child shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Leave me alone!”
“Leave you alone?” Mr. Ormont laughed. “Who’s going to pay to fix this?”
“Take the money out of my allowance.”
“That would take forever and a day to pay off.”
“I don’t care. Just don’t ask, ok?”
His father’s hurt expression cut into Danny’s soul like the shards of glass themselves.
“Don’t you think I have a right to know?”
“NO!!!”
Smack! “That’s for your smart mouth!”
Tears flowed freely now. The sting unearthed a sea of mixed emotions. Danny soothed his cheek, emitting a deep-throated growl.
“What did you say to me?”
“Nothing!”
“Go to your room! ...And, take your pants down.”
“But, Dad, I—”
“You heard me. Maybe the strap will make you talk.”
“No, Dad…please!”
“Upstairs! Now!”
Danny stomped upstairs and slammed the bedroom door. He paced his room, frantically searching in vain for some elusive solution. At last, the weary boy plunked down upon his bed. He lowered his pants and awaited his punishment.
His father arrived promptly. “Now, you’re gonna count out loud for me,” the man instructed, removing his belt.
Crack!
“One…”
Crack! The leather strap was thin and brutal.
“Two…” Danny shut his eyes and bit his tongue, suppressing the pain.
Crack!
“Thr-ee!”
“Now, who broke those windows?”
“I don’t know.”
Crack!
“Stop lying to me!”
“Four!” Danny gasped. “Dad, please…”
Crack!
“Five!” Danny’s backside screamed in pain.
“Had enough?”
The boy nodded, gasping for air.
“Spit it out…” his father ordered. “Who did it?”
Danny quaked with fear. He tried to speak but could not catch his breath. Mr. Ormont rested a hand on Danny’s shoulder and stared straight into his son’s eyes.
“Who, Danny, who?”
“It was…” Danny shivered. “A boy…up the street.”
“What’s his name?”
“I don’t really know. Everyone calls him Stinger.” The child buried his pillow, releasing the next wave of tears.
The man rubbed his son’s back in remorse. “Why wouldn’t you tell me?”
“Because…”
“Because why, Danny? Shouldn’t this boy be punished?”
“He’ll hurt me, Dad... He’s gonna hurt me real bad.”
“Relax. Stinger and I are gonna have a little man-to-man chat.”
“Forget it, will ya? Just forget it.”
“I can’t let it go. Seems Stinger’s been causing many accidents.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Remember when the cows broke loose?”
“Who wouldn’t?”
“Neighbors say it was no accident,” his father confessed. “Said it was Stinger.”
Danny’s jaw plummeted. “Really?”
“So, I can’t let this slide, or he’ll just strike again.”
“But, Dad…” The frightened boy latched onto his father’s arm. “I’ll pay for it, I swear!”
“What…the windows?” his father shrugged, leaving the room. “Nonsense!”
Danny lay on his bed and brooded. His thoughts were broken by the muffled drone of his father’s deep voice emanating from downstairs. Danny stole to the top of the stairs.
“How did Dad get their number?”
“…About your son, Stinger, is it?”
“Either way,” Danny confessed to the walls. “I’ll be paying for it.”
* * *
“Danny, where are you?” Patti whistled. “It’s time for our walk!” The boy’s nightmare returned for an encore performance.
“Sergeant Zany’s Show Dogs,” Danny read the sign on the wall. He glanced around the room until his eyes circled back to the same sign. To his horror, the sign read “No U-Turn!”
Patti approached the receptionist. “What’ll this good doggie do?” the bearded lady inquired, handing the ring leader her whip.
“Oh, he’ll jump through hoops for me!” Patti preened her leotard. The prima donna stood before a full-length mirror, lost in self-admiration
. She fixed her hair, cocked her top hat, and sauntered back stage like a supermodel.
Patti, wait… “Woof! Woof, woof!” There must be some mistake!
“Not again!” Mr. Ormont buried his head under his pillow.
“Hang on, Denny! Sakes preserve us, will it ever end?”
“We can’t go on like this, Aggie... The vet bills are killing us!”
“I’m coming, Denny!” Mrs. Ormont slipped into her housecoat and raced to find Danny hiding under the covers, crouched on all fours.
“It’s show time,” the clown snickered from the dressing room.
Patti yanked on Danny’s leash; the boy’s head popped out from under the blankets. Patti jerked the leash again, but the stubborn beast resisted. She dragged her pet by the collar into the wings, but Danny escaped her grasp. The debutante caught her star performer pacing back stage, searching for an exit.
Patti, I’m trapped! “Yip! Ymm, ymm, ymm…” I’m trapped, Patti… Danny slithered off the bed, howling in agony. Mum threw pillows around him. The delirious child thrashed about the floor, gnashing his teeth.
“Muzzle him!”
The bearded lady flashed a sweet smile. “Oh, I don’t think—”
“Do it anyway! I wouldn’t want him to squeal.”
“Tell ya what…” The bearded lady handed Patti the muzzle. “Why don’t you do it?”
Danny sniffed a snootful off Patti’s hand, enticed by a heavenly cocktail of leather and locker room sweat. She placed the Setter in a choke hold, rendering him immobile. The protégé forced the muzzle over the dog’s snout. The snare was unforgiving. Mum clamped Danny’s mouth shut to quiet her son. Patti led Danny toward the grooming table; Mum guided him to bed.
“I am right beside you, boy,” Patti shook his forepaw.
“I be a-right beside yea, Denny,” Mum held his hand.
The strong man lifted Danny onto the grooming table and disappeared back stage. The sergeant zipped the belts taut, securing the clumsy pup. Nylon straps, thick and rough, scraped his posterior. “Do it just like we practiced!” the sergeant ordered.
Mayday! Mayday! We’re going down, boys…
“Ladies and gentlemen…” The ring leader took center stage, cracking her whip. Applause filled the theatre. Patti bowed gracefully. “Here’s an act that’s gone to the dogs!” A young man with black, feathery hair took her hand. She greeted her assistant with open arms. “Don’t blow this for me,” Patti bossed through clenched teeth.
“No one would be the wiser,” the clown replied.
The dog struggled to lift his head. Peering down the muzzle, he gazed at his master with a mournful eye.
“No one, of course,” Patti laughed, stroking the animal’s limp body. “…Except Danny!”
“Relax, I know what I’m doing!” A flip of his wrist and trimmers appeared, glistening in the spotlight.
Patti gave the clown a peck on the cheek for luck. “That’s why I like you best.”
The buffoon delighted in feasting the sheers upon the dog’s ruddy fur; Mum ran her fingers through Danny’s hair. The strong man fumed back stage, aiming a giant fan front and center. A blizzard of fur swirled into a fury of feathers.
“You feather-headed clown!” Patti snapped. “What have you done?”
CHAPTER XV
Cat’s Cradle
When Danny awoke for school Monday morning, he peered out his bedroom window and gazed towards Stinger’s house. “Whatever punishment he got,” Danny thought. “I bet mine was worse.”
Curiously, the stretch of road before Stinger’s house glistened in the sun as if coated with ice. Danny thought nothing about it and headed for breakfast. Kissing his mother goodbye, he grabbed his backpack and slipped out the door. He was pensive about what Stinger’s reaction might be. Still, he was safe for now. Snakes like Stinger were already in school for the day.
Danny followed the sidewalk up the street only to observe the same inexplicable, frosted appearance. Drawing near, he froze in his tracks. The message was clear. The street was littered with vulgar graffiti, slurring his good name.
“Danny’s a bleeping bleep!” one ugly message read. “Ormont’s a dead man,” warned another showing the skull and crossbones. “Dead men tell no tales,” appeared beside a stick figure with a knife in its back. The threatening messages gave Danny chills.
Angered, he jettisoned his belongings to the ground and scampered home. School would have to wait so long as that atrocity existed for the world to see. Danny snuck under the dogwood trees that shaded the driveway and stole around back. He unlocked the basement door but it would not budge. The boy rammed the portal with his shoulder. The door flung open, and Danny sailed across the basement. He crashed into a stack of boxes. By some miracle, his mother did not hear the calamity.
Frantic, he rooted through the rubbish for a bucket and sponge. He clambered over the clutter, tripped, and staggered backwards – planting one foot in a plastic bucket. The impact created a hairline crack across the bottom. “It’ll have to do,” Danny frowned.
Grabbing a sponge, he locked the back door behind him. The wretch filled up at the spigot; the wounded bucket wept on his shoe. Sloshing along, Danny returned to the crime scene. The chump chucked the water onto the roadway, obliterated one blemish with the sponge, then dashed home to fetch more water. The painstaking process of erasing the abomination was insurmountable. It cost the child most of the morning and all his energy to operate this one-man bucket brigade. When the last image had swirled down the sewer, the boy eyed his watch and sighed. He gathered his belongings and hustled to school.
Morning Recess:
“Where have you been?” Andy cried in surprise.
“Long story,” Danny stated. “I’ll tell ya later. Right now, I gotta sneak to my locker.”
“You’re supposed to check in at the office.”
“I know, but I can’t. Not now.”
“You’re in luck. See those double doors?”
Danny looked where Andy was pointing. Every classroom had a single door to the outside, so the twin doors were prominent. “Yes, I see them. The doors with the little windows.”
“Roger. Those doors lead directly to the locker nook.”
“Great! …But, what if they’re locked?”
“Then, turn around and go right back home.”
“Huh?”
“If you’re gonna cut school, why be punished for half a day?”
Danny had not considered his little escapade as cutting school – at least, it was not premeditated. It was for a noble cause, but would any Grump believe him? At the risk of getting busted, he could only manage one disaster at a time.
“Better hurry, Mouse. There isn’t much time.”
“Wish me luck…”
“Fear the Fish!”
The timid boy walked on eggshells toward the double doors, praying one would be unlocked. Danny gripped the first door handle and squeezed. The lever did not yield.
“One down,” Danny thought, sweating bullets. “And, one to go.” The anxious boy tried the second door which put up the same stubborn resistance. “Oh, no! Wait a minute…” The fearful waif noticed the second door was not secured. The portal had failed to latch. “Thank goodness!”
Cautiously, Danny opened the door without a sound. Stepping into the alcove, two familiar voices whispered amongst the lockers.
“Look Mark,” a girl’s voice bossed. “I need a good grade on tomorrow’s test – no matter what, understand?”
“Aw Patti, give me a little feel,” Mark begged.
Patti? Danny tiptoed to his target, straining to catch every word. What’s she doing here?
“Not until you promise to do me this favor,” the girl teased.
“C’mon, Patti…you promised.”
“If I fail that test tomorrow, Mother will kill me.”
“Don’t worry about a thing. Just pay up!”
“Here’s a little advance.” Patti’s lips smacked Mark’s cheek. �
��That’s a down payment.”
Danny’s heart sank like a stone. Geez, Patti! Danny crouched beside his locker. What the heck is this?
“I can’t wait for the rest!” Mark pawed the girl’s chest. Smack!!! “Hey!” Mark rubbed his cheek. “Whatcha do that for?”
Good girl, Patti! Danny stifled his laugher.
“Listen up and listen good, featherhead,” Patti demanded. “You’re working for me, clown!”
…Featherhead? …Clown? Danny’s eyes popped from their sockets.
“Yes, Patti…”
“Don’t blow this for me!”
“Hey, I know what I’m doing! Sheesh…”
Patti pinched her companion’s cheek. “That’s why I like you best.”
Mayday! Mayday! We’re going down, boys! Danny bit his fist, muzzling his big mouth. He wanted to scream; he wanted to die. Her words came like strafing fire, tearing his heart to shreds. “Ok, ok. First, I must open my locker.” Danny muttered. “Just lift the latch. Gently, now, gently…”
Tormented by sinister banter, Danny wished the troublesome twosome would leave. “If they hear me, I’m dead! Good God, don’t let them catch me!” he muttered. “…And, if I can’t open my locker, I’m dead!” The boy panicked, mouthing his thoughts. “Heck, I can’t tell a teacher because I shouldn’t even be here!” Oh, Patti… I’m trapped, I’m trapped!
The fight-or-flight instinct urged him to run, but there was no place to go. His blood froze. Danny recognized that, indeed, HE is that trapped dog – frantically searching for the exit. “Holy hiccups… My nightmare is coming true! …Is this what those doggone dreams meant? What else might it mean, and what about those cave dreams?” The enigma gnawed his brain; anxiety gnashed his guts. “Lift the latch,” he berated himself. “Just lift the blasted latch!”
Giddy laughter masked the squeal from his locker door. “Each dream must be a small piece of a much greater puzzle.” His thoughts were broken by a rumbling stampede. “Huh, recess must be over.” The boy remained huddled beside his locker afraid of being discovered. It seemed like an eternity before Patti and Mark finally exited the locker area. Once their voices faded down the hall, Danny breathed a welcomed sigh of relief.
“That’s my cue.” Clambering to his feet, Danny felt a presence. Someone was standing behind him. He slowly cocked his neck to find himself staring into a pair of fiery eyes.
“Daniel!” Mrs. Fishbine stomped her foot. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Who? M-m-me?” The boy was riddled with guilt. “Nothing. I was just…”
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