The House of Wood

by Anthony Price

  “Do you mean that house made of wood outside town?”

  “That’s the one. It's an amazing building, with a bucket load of potential. I've been given the job of renovating it while my dad’s out of town. It's hard work.”

  “Since when has drinking beer and getting high been classed as hard work?” Tim butted in through a mouthful of cheese.

  “That place gives me the creeps. I've heard the strangest things go on out there. People going missing, ghost sightings, that sort of stuff.”

  “Ooo, I heard those stories too,” Chelsea added. “It’s such a sorry sight sitting out there all alone. I think somebody should bulldoze it and build a mall.”

  “No way,” Justin snapped. It was as if he had been personally wronged by her remarks. “There’s no way anybody could do that to such a beautiful building. You wait until we've finished fixing it up. You’ll soon change your mind then. It's going to look awesome.”

  At that point he could have swept me off my feet and ran away with me. He was so full of passion for his project. It didn't matter how dilapidated, or dead the building looked; I believed every word he said.

  I looked over at him. He was smiling at me. I smiled back, trying to hide my embarrassed cheeks.

  “Do you have any brothers, or sisters?” He asked with genuine interest.

  It was as if we were having a date on our own; Chelsea and Tim were far too busy with each other to worry about what was going on around them. “No, there's only me.”

  “I wish I could say the same. I've got an older brother that's a pain in the ass, but I barely see him these days. He's away at college. I've no idea what he's studying.”

  I sounded like Chelsea, as I let out a tiny girlish giggle. Jesus, I'd have laughed if he told me my hair was on fire.

  “Maybe next time we could do this without the gruesome twosome?”

  My heart almost leapt out of my mouth. I didn't know what to say. The palms of my hands were soaking. Was he asking me out? My brain just couldn't grasp the concept that this amazing guy wanted to see me again. I stared at him, dumbfounded.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I-I-I‘d love to,” I blurted out. He must’ve thought I was an idiot. “See you again, I mean.”

  It was his turn to laugh. “Awesome.”

  We hung around at the diner for at least another hour or so, laughing and joking, swapping stories about how we had grown up in the same sleepy little town. As it turns out, Tim had only met Justin a few weeks beforehand at a car rally in Stockton. He really was a complete stranger. The thing is, it didn't matter. Not to me anyway. By the time we had finished eating and they had driven me home, it felt like I'd known him my whole life. He was so open and honest about everything. It wasn't until my head hit the pillow and I’d drifted off into peaceful slumber that I realised something in me had changed. I had fallen in love.

  Chapter Ten

  Two weeks had passed since we had all gone to the cinema as a group. They were probably the most amazing two weeks of my life. Officials had gone on record to declare it as one of the hottest summers in history. More importantly, I had seen Justin near enough every day since that first meeting. What had started out as a chance introduction by a friend had blossomed into a budding relationship. Of course, I only saw him in the evenings; he spent most of the day working up at the house. To me, looking at it from a distance, it didn't seem any different; still the same forlorn structure that locals tended to stay clear of. Justin insisted they were making steady progress though.

  Chelsea came strolling into my bedroom, her wet hair wrapped in a towel. She often stayed over when my parents were away on vacation. It was a good job too. The rest of her was totally nude.

  “Will you please put some clothes on, girl,” I said, hurling a fluffy yellow pillow at her.

  “I like to walk around as the good Lord intended,” she replied, throwing the pillow back at me. “Not making you jealous, am I?”

  “With your chicken legs, no chance.”

  “Bitch,” she replied lovingly.

  “You really should put some clothes on though. You never know when Nathan might pop through the window.”

  “That guy is so annoying. Why do you still let him climb through your window?”

  I didn't bother to give her an answer. It wasn’t weird to me; it was something we had always done since we were children. I think it's nice how old friends do things that no one else seems to understand. It's what friendship is all about.

  Chelsea got dressed. The entire time she kept checking the clock. I realised she was waiting for a call from Tim. She had informed me earlier in the day that he and Justin had gone off to a rally together. I hadn’t told her that I already knew because I'd been seeing Justin without her knowledge. She would have gone schizo if I had. She was always one for knowing everybody else's business. My keeping a secret from her would have been seen as a personal vendetta.

  She sat down on the bed next to me, crossing her legs. She picked up a pillow and began hugging it, as if it was Tim.

  “What do you think the boys are up to?” she asked, lying back on the bed.

  “I don't know. Looking at cars, drinking and doing whatever else guys do on those rallies.”

  “Do you think Tim loves me?”

  “How am I supposed to know?” I replied, taken aback by the question. “What makes you ask?” It was totally unlike her to care whether a guy had feelings for her, or not.

  “No reason,” she said with a sigh.

  We lay there for some time looking up at the ceiling. Back then my room was covered with posters of my favourite pop stars, or my favourite movies. I suppose you could say it was a typical teenager's bedroom; a haphazard concoction of trinkets and piles of clothes scattered everywhere. It was my own little cave of wonders.

  Chelsea rolled over on to her side facing me. “So,” she said, that familiar sly look in her eyes. “What do you think of Justin?”

  My breath caught in my throat. Did she know? Maybe Justin had told Tim and then he passed the information on? “He seems okay.”

  “Just okay? He's absolutely gorgeous. Girl, if I didn't have my man already, I'd be jumping his bones like there's no tomorrow.”

  “Thanks for the image, Chels.”

  “I’ll have to get you two together again. One meeting clearly isn’t enough.”

  Justin had kept his promise and said nothing. I don’t know why I was so intent on keeping it hidden from the world. It was my secret, no one else’s. I coveted my time with him. I didn't even know what it was we had between us. I’d tell her eventually. I guess I just didn't want to jinx anything before it’d been given a chance to begin.

  A loud bang at the window announced Nathan's arrival. His spiky gelled hair appeared over the top of the windowsill, followed by his beaming suntanned face. “Howdy folks.”

  “Hey Nate,” I called back over, noticing a flicker of disappointment wash over him as he saw Chelsea next to me. It was gone as quick as it appeared.

  His long legs stretched in to the room, as he climbed through the window. His foot stuck. He hopped around and tugged at it, trying to free himself. After one almighty pull it came loose, causing him to trip. He lay face down, sprawled out across my pink shaggy rug. We all laughed.

  Time seemed to fly past in my bedroom, as the three of us chatted away the evening. I remember we consumed a lot of pizza, as we laughed and joked together that Friday night. We were happy. Things were as they should be; three teenage friends hanging out, having fun. None of us could’ve known the terror that was waiting, lurking out there in the dark night. In all honesty, I think it was the last time I felt normal; not sullied by memories and night terrors. It was the last time I felt anything.

  The Hello Kitty clock on my bedside table blinked 23:00. Chelsea was by now running out of finger nails to bite.

  “For God’s sake,” I said to her. “He’ll phone at some point.”

  “You can catch diseases from doing that
,” Nathan added.

  “Shut up, Nate,” she spat, leaping off of the bed. He went back to surfing through the T.V. channels. “What if something’s happened? An accident? Those two are always drinking beer. Anything could’ve happened to them.”

  My heart sunk to the pit of my stomach. The thought that they might be in trouble had never occurred to me. I took a deep breath to clear my head of the sudden fear welling up inside. “They’re no doubt just out having fun and Tim’s forgotten to call. You know what he’s like. I’m sure it’s nothing.”

  “Why don’t you call them?” Nathan said, this time not looking away from the T.V.

  Chelsea snatched at her cell phone and began dialling, her fingers working the buttons like a woman possessed. She placed it to her ear. A few seconds passed. I sat on the edge of the bed, crossing my fingers behind my back. A few more seconds passed.

  “Why isn't he picking up?” Chelsea asked. She had begun to pace around the room like a caged animal.

  “Give him a chance, he might be driving.”

  “It’s okay for you, Rach. It’s not your boyfriend.”

  “I -“

  Her face was a sudden fury. “For Christ's sake, Tim, where the hell have you been? I've been worried sick.”

  My heart finally had a chance to stop beating at one hundred kilometres a minute. I let out a sigh of relief under my breath and went to sit on the floor next to Nathan. He had been watching some police chase show on T.V., oblivious to the unfolding drama.

  “Sup, Chica?” he asked, as I crossed my legs.

  “Nothing much. Chelsea got hold of Tim.”

  “Shame.”

  “Hey,” I said, giving him a playful slap around the back of the head. “Don’t be mean. I thought you liked Tim?”

  “I can't stand him. He’s a complete and utter douche bag. Guys like that are always bad news and I don't suppose that friend of his is any better. You're better off staying away from them.”

  “They’re harmless, especially Tim. He’s too dumb to be anything else.”

  “And Justin?”

  It was a good question, but there was something in the tone of his voice that caught me off guard. Of course Justin was okay. I'd spent the last two weeks with him. I knew him better than anyone. I was about to give him the full details on how Justin was in fact a nice guy.

  “Hey Rach,” Chelsea called over. “Justin and Tim have had a brilliant idea. Why don't the four of us spend a night at the house they've been working on?”

  “When?”

  “Next weekend.”

  “I’m not so sure, Chelsea. We leave for Fort Kent on the Monday and I want to make sure I'm all ready for that.”

  “I know, but it'll be our last weekend together as a group,” she said, giving me her sad puppy dog eyes. “You've got to come, Rachel. It can be our last hurrah.”

  “I don't know.”

  “Pleaseeeee.”

  “I’m with Rachel on this one. I don't think you should be goin’ to the house and stayin’ overnight,” Nathan added, switching off the T.V. “Do you know how many strange things go on up there? Pa says people go astray all the time. He's got a bucket load of missin’ case files, all connected to that house.”

  “Butt out, Nathan. Who said you were invited?” Chelsea glared at him. If looks could kill, he'd have dropped down dead like a duck on a hunting trip.

  “I’m only saying -“

  “Well don't!” She turned her attention back to me. “Are you comin’, or not?”

  I looked from one to the other, not really knowing which way to answer. Nathan's eyes implored me not to say yes. Chelsea's said the opposite. All I could think about was Justin. A whole night together before I left for college.

  “I guess it'll be okay.”

  “Woohoo. I guarantee you won't regret it.”

  Chelsea turned her attention back to the cell phone to tell the boys that we would be joining them the following weekend. Her face had lit up when I said yes. She was so excited. I knew I was in for a restless night, but something at the back of my mind was telling me that it wouldn't just be Chelsea keeping me awake.

  “I can't believe you're going to go up there with those cretins,” Nathan said, walking back towards the window. “Didn’t you listen to a word I said? It's seriously dangerous out there. Something is wrong with that place. I mean, really wrong with that place. Please tell me you'll change your mind?”

  I'd forgotten he was there. “I’m sorry, Nate, I've already said I’d go. And of course I listen to you. Apart from Chelsea, you're my best friend.”

  “Then don't go.”

  There was something in his eyes that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I didn't know whether it was concern from a friend, or abject terror. It unnerved me a little. But I wasn't one for breaking plans with friends.

  “I’m sorry Nathan, I want to go.” A thought struck me. “Why don't you come with us? I'd love it if you did and I'm sure the others won't mind. What d’ya think? It’ll be the last chance I get to spend any time with you before I leave for college.”

  He looked angry. “Screw it. If you won't listen to me, then to hell with the lot of you.” He took one last look at me before descending down the ladder. He gave me a look I did recognise. Pain. “Have a nice life.” And with that he was gone.

  I wanted to go after him, to tell him everything was going to be okay. That he was being ridiculous. But I didn't. I just sat there, watching him slowly fade away out of the window.

  Chelsea came bounding up behind me. “Won’t it be so awesome, just the four of us up at the house?”

  “I guess so,” I replied, hearing the words, but not listening to what she was saying.

  “You’ve got to be excited? I know the house isn’t much, but you can have fun anywhere if you’re with the right crowd. Don't you think so, Rach?”

  “Hmm, sure.”

  “And of course I'll fix you up with Justin. That goes without saying.”

  “Great. Thanks.”

  “Oh my God, what’s wrong with you?”

  Her face looked as though I’d slapped her.

  “It’s nothing, just something Nathan said. I'm not so sure it's a good idea to be up at that house without anybody knowing where we are. What if something happened to one of the boys? I can't drive and neither can you.”

  She looked at me, as if I was mad. “That’s what cell phones were invented for, dummy.” Her face softened, as she took me by the shoulders. “Forget about Nathan. He's just cranky because he knows his Pa will kill him if he found out. He doesn't want to be stuck down here, so he's trying to scare you into not going. You trust me, right?”

  “Of course I do.”

  “Then stop worrying. Nothing is going to happen out there all the time the guys are with us. It's going to be a whole weekend of pure, unadulterated fun. It’ll all work out perfectly.”

  Chapter Eleven

  “It sounds like your friends meant a lot to you,” David said, before taking the last bite of his starter.”

  “They did.”

  Rachel’s mind was whirling with all the memories that had come flowing back to her, as if out of nowhere. Sights, smells, sounds, all things she thought she had long buried, deep within the darkest corners of her mind. The entire time, she hadn’t stopped playing with her napkin. David had listened intently, not interrupting, or commenting.

  He looked at her, his face gentle and encouraging. “Tell me about your time at the house.”

  Rachel’s fingers worked furiously on the napkin beneath the table. “I don’t know if I can.” She looked down. “Anyway, there’s nothing to tell.”

  “Okay.”

  They sat there for several moments, a black void opening up between them. The tall waitress came over with a colleague to remove the empty plates. The restaurant still wasn’t too busy, but the atmosphere seemed charged with anticipation.

  The waitress informed them the main course would be out shortly and asked if they would
like more drinks. David declined. Rachel ordered an Archers and Lemonade. She hoped Becky’s night was less stressful.

  Outside, the storm had begun to pick up again.

  ***

  Nathan stood in the howling wind, his back leaning against the side of Logan’s bar. The vibrant orange glow of a cigarette flickered in and out of life like an awakening demon, as it sat shaking in his right hand. He raised it to his lips and took a drag, the buzz from the nicotine filling his senses. He exhaled the acrid smoke in to the damp night air. It had stopped raining. Thank God for small mercies, he thought. There wasn’t much else to thank Him for these days.

  The argument with David earlier in the evening had left a sour taste in his mouth. Who did that jumped up prick think he was? Nathan thought. If he hurts a hair on her head, I swear to God I’ll kill him.

  A steady stream of patrons flocked in and out of the bar, as Nathan flicked away the last dregs of his cigarette. The rain hadn't seemed to put off the hardcore drinkers of Willows Peak. Several of them nodded their heads towards him in recognition. Their faces said it all. He may be a deputy sheriff. But he was one of them.

  The tip tapping of hurried heels drew his attention down the street. The woman was dashing towards him with an apologetic look on her face.

  “I’m so sorry I’m late,” Becky said, trying to catch her breath. “We had a bit of an emergency back at the bed-and-breakfast.”

  “Really? What kind of an emergency?”

  “Rachel had one of her panic attacks in the hallway. She -“

  “Oh my God, is she okay?” Nathan asked. He looked frightened.

  “Okay, calm down, she’s fine. She’s gone on her date with Doctor Cochrane.”

  “What were you thinking?” Nathan was practically screaming now. “How could you let her go out after a panic attack?”

  “Now you just wait one damn second. I tried to explain to her that I didn't think it was a good idea, but Rachel’s a grown woman and I have no right telling her what she can and can't do. And neither do you.” Becky turned to walk away. “Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.”