“You’ve fallen for him. That’s the real truth, isn’t it? I know you Amy Shaw, you’re testing him.”
“You could be right. I wish that I knew me. It’s just that sometimes, the way he acts, I feel like he’s from a different generation that I don’t understand. You know... old and over protective, bordering on being a control freak. Then other times, he’s so sweet and acts the same age as us that I don’t even notice the age difference and I could eat him.”
“What, like last night?” Louise said. They both snickered. “If it’s any consolation, Johno’s no different, apart from I hope not the fizzling bit, and we don’t have the age thingy. But then, what do you expect, all men are the same... different animals, just like my mom says. To me Johno’s adorable, though I wish he’d lose some weight.”
“Trying to change him already?”
They both laughed.
“Nah, he’s the man of my dreams, my cuddly Teddy bear, but it does limit options when we’re... you know. The only good thing is; I don’t have to worry about my weight when I’m out with Johno.”
Amy unlinked her arm and turned to face Louise.
“You liar! Like, when have you never been on a diet?”
“Yeah, but being honest. The diets don’t work on me do they?”
She was right, but too good a friend to tell her the truth outright.
“You look great. Nothing that striking chocolate cake from the menu would cure. Listen, talking about the man of your dreams, do you ever have recurring dreams?”
“Can’t say I do, why?”
“If I tell you, don’t mention it to the others, promise?”
“Promise. Cross my heart an’ all that.”
“I’ve been having these weird dreams just before I awake. Well, not exactly dreams, more like a vision. They started around six months ago. The first time it was like rows of vertical white lines. Since then, the lines seem to be cascading. Now they’ve slowed down. It happened again this morning when I fainted, only lately, they’ve slowed down so much I could see the lines were rows of two sorts of algebra like symbols. God knows what it means.”
Louise laughed,
“Blame Mr. Beckwith for that. Wasn’t it around six months ago we had that damned awful algebra test of his?”
“Oh that. I never thought. I guess that could be it. I know it stressed me out at the time.”
Gyp rose to all fours, sniffing the air. Amy looked over in the direction Gyp was staring. Johno walked through the tree line with an armful of logs. Gyp must have sensed he was there before he appeared. Amy was grateful for the chance to change the subject.
“Shall we go and help him?” Amy asked. “He seems to be struggling with the logs, and his rifle strap’s slipped off his shoulder.”
“Yeah, you shout for Ted to join us. I’m starving. I hope he’s caught plenty of fish to grill.”
“No, you shout for Ted. I’ll play it out with him a little while longer.”
They rose to their feet, then collapsed their chairs.
“Johno’s back, Ted. Bring the fish,” Louise called out, and they set of walking to the campfire.
“Cut it out you two,” Amy said, as they approached the campfire, “or you’ll have no lips left to suck on the fish bone.” Oliver and Tanya sat up, straightening their clothes.
“Jealous?” Tanya said. “Have you made up with Ted yet?”
“Not until he says sorry.”
“Why should I say sorry?” Ted asked. Amy’s body lurched; surprised that he’d caught them up so quickly.
He slipped the straps of his fishing basket and rifle from his shoulders, but they caught on his fishing rod.
“Someone grab the twelve-pack, it’s slipping,” Ted said
Oliver scrambled to his feet; apparently only too willing to oblige and secured the pack from under his arm.
“You know why, it’s just one simple word,” said Amy.
“Okay I’m sorry you acted like a soft ass, but you scared the crap outta me with all that screaming, and then acting like a baby wanting to go home to Dad.”
Amy ignored him. Johno arrived and dropped the logs.
“Thanks for the help, guys,” Johno said.
“Sorry, we meant to help, but we got distracted,” said Amy.
Amy unfolded her chair and sat. The sun wasn’t due to set for another hour around eight o’clock, but it had already sunk behind the mountains and it was getting dark.
“Yeah, I’m sorry too,” Louise said, and cuddled Johno. “See, Ted, it’s not difficult. Just say the ‘sorry’ word without all the crap you said after, and to mean it. Then after we’ve eaten, we can play your stupid game.”
“You don’t know what it is yet, so how do you know it’s stupid?” Ted said.
“Oh, yeah, sorry. Oops, there I go again, saying sorry,” Louise said.
“And I’m like, sorry, for saying you were jealous, Amy,” Tanya said.
“Ted threw his fishing rod on the pebbles. “This is pathetic. Okay, I’m sorry.”
Ted walked up to Amy, put his arm around her shoulder and softened his tone. “We’re good, right?”
“Say you’re pretty sorry,” said Amy, and turned her head away.
Ted whispered, “I’m pretty sorry.” He blew softly in her ear.
Amy turned her head and their lips came together in a lingering kiss, to the sound of applause from the gang.
The feasting over, the beer flowed to the sound of music from Louis’s portable CD player, until all the cans were empty. Ted reached out to his garbage bag, pulled out a bottle of vodka and some plastic cups. Ted handed the cups around the gang.
“No thanks,” said Amy, as he attempted to give her a cup. “I’ve seen what strong liquor can do.”
“Oh yeah, I forgot you live over the drunks’ tank. Still, you’ve only had one can. Come on, we all need to get into the mood for the game, and your dad’s not here to lock us up now is he?”
“Don’t worry, I won’t spoil your game.”
She wasn’t about to tell him that she had poured the contents of the can away when they weren’t looking.
“Okay, your choice,” he said, and filled each cup in turn that the others thrust in front of him.
“What’s the game?” Louise asked Ted, and slurred her words.
“A Halloween game.”
“In July?” Johno said, stumbling as he held out his cup for more vodka.
“Halloween’s for kids,” said Oliver.
“We’ll see,” Ted replied. “It’s just a bit of fun.” Ted reached into his garbage bag and pulled out some paper blindfolds, with elastic fasteners. “Here put these on, but first arrange the chairs in a circle. And no trying to peek.”
“Damn, Ted, it is a kids’ game,” Johno said.
“Just put the blindfold on, fat boy. You scared of the dark?”
“No, but I’ll punch your lights out ya old git if you call me that one more time.”
“Don’t rise to the bait,” said Louise. “It’s just drink talk. Here, let me help you put on your blindfold, my, sweet man.”
Amy put on her blindfold. She heard a click and the whirring of cogs driving the CD slide. Someone snickered and then another.
“Quiet,” Ted said. “First one to pull off their blind is the loser and they have to kiss the blarney stone.”
“What’s that?” Tanya asked.
“It’s an Irish ordeal thing. The next one that talks will get to find out first, besides the loser. I want you all to sit with your hands palm up on you knees.”
All went quiet, save for the eerie sounds coming from the speakers. She could hear the sound of waves crashing against cliffs, the wind howling.
Ted started to talk slowly in a low tone. “The young couple were lost at sea. The only survivors of a ship wrecked by the storm. The young man desperately fought the current trying to row to shore. The young girl with him lay on the soaked wooden boards, barely conscious. A wave broke over the bow.”
He continued. “The boat smashed against the rocks, carried by the waves. They were thrown from the boat, landing on a rock. The young man barely had a foothold, his fingers carrying his two-hundred-pound body. He was below his girlfriend’s body, hanging with her legs loosely from above. The next wave was sure to sweep them back out to sea. He clawed at the rock, ripping a fingernail from a finger.”
She felt something drop on her hand. When she touched it with her finger, it felt like a plastic fingernail. Ted’s fingers removed the nail and he must have passed it around to the others. Amy hoped someone would rip of their blindfold first and end the boring game. Perhaps the others had the same idea, because no one did as they went through a series of, wire wool for Witch’s hair, grapes for eyeballs, and something that felt like spaghetti for intestines. Ted’s voice was grating on her now, and with the last game he brought being an Ouija board, she thought his idea of fun was weird.
Ted’s monologue continued, to the sounds of an owl hooting. “The Witch took the young man’s dick in her hand, and in full view of his girlfriend, she wielded a large knife and...” Amy heard a scream in tandem with Ted’s voice raised, “cut it off.”
Amy pulled off her blindfold. Ted was smirking and stood next to Louise, holding a salami in one hand and her blindfold in the other.
“You lose,” Ted said, and danced a jig. “Time to kiss the blarney stone, Lou.”
“That’s not funny,” said Louise.
“Come here guys, we need to arrange the ordeal.” Ted snickered, and beckoned Oliver and Johno into a huddle.
“What made you scream?” asked Amy. She put her arm around Louise, who was clearly still upset.
“He did that on purpose, dropping it in my hand first. It must be the vodka. I was dreaming it was me in the dungeon with the Witch torturing Johno. I feel so stupid.”
Amy thought maybe she was right, and he’d steered her thinking in that direction when he said the young man weighed two hundred pounds. Amy gave her a squeeze.
“There’s a simple answer. Don’t drink, only in moderation, and especially not hard liquor,” Amy said, offering belated advice.
The boys returned.
“Put the blindfold on, Lou,” said Johno, “you’ll love this.” His cheeks puffed out and he covered his mouth with his hand as if stifling a laugh. Johno helped her to put on the blindfold, then dropped the cushion from his chair on the pebbles. “Kneel down.”
Johno guided her to kneel. Oliver stepped forward. Ted positioned himself behind Louise.
“What do I do?” Louise asked. There was nervousness in her voice.
“Just a moment,” Oliver said, and knelt before her, holding his hairy forearms together and facing Louise.
“Just lean forward and kiss the blarney stone,” said Johno.
Amy didn’t get it. Louise reached forward in blind faith, kissing the area between his arms.
Oliver rolled out of the way to reveal Johno doing a moony as Ted whipped off her blindfold.
“Oh no, that’s gross. How humiliating. Have I just kissed your butt cheeks?”
Louise scrambled to her feet, crying. The boys rolled about, belly laughing. Amy and Tanya rushed over to console Louise.
Amy heard Ted’s voice. “Damn, Johno, she fell for that, it’s a good thing you weren’t pulling up your zipper. Did you see the look on her face?”
They rolled about on the pebbles, laughing louder, and holding their stomachs.
“That’s disgusting,” said Amy, and turned to Louise. “Don’t worry, you only kissed his arms.”
Louise brushed Amy and Tanya to one side, then marched in the direction of the tents. Johno stood and hobbled after her, when his pants dropped to his ankles and he fell.
“Wait for me, it was only a joke,” he said, kicking off his sneakers, then his pants, leaving them behind and hobbling after her.
Amy strutted over to Ted. “That was a crap thing to do to my friend,” Amy said. “You can sleep in your pickup. Gyp ’ll keep me company tonight.”
Tanya grabbed Oliver’s hand, pulling him to his feet.
“Come on, that’s enough fun for one night. Bed, lover boy.”
They trundled away, leaning shoulder to shoulder on each other to stay upright, the worse for the drinking.
“You don’t mean that?” Ted said. He took a slug of vodka from the bottle, while swaying from side to side.
Amy could feel her cheeks flaming at the sight of Ted.
“Yes, I mean it. I may see the funny side tomorrow, but I’m not for sharing my bed with a drunk. Douse the fire.”
Amy picked up the Tilley lamp, and strolled off, picking up Johno’s pants and sneakers on the way to her tent. She placed the lamp on the dry silt, unzipped her tent and ducked inside. Gyp followed, then she zipped up the opening. Without undressing, she wiggled into her sleeping bag, and Gyp snuggled beside her. With her last vision of Ted, her mind drifted to her dad. She knew he was still drinking, even though the bottle of JD he’d hidden in the filing cabinet that she’d marked remained untouched. He was lying to her to her when he’d said he wasn’t drinking, she knew that. She knew the signs. Today was a bad day for him to be alone, and she wished she had spent the evening with him.
Amy heard a grumbling, as if in the distance and growing louder. She opened her eyes. All around her stirred from hazy, to gray scale focus. Gyp faced the illuminated side of the tent and growled. A shadow appeared on the fabric. At first, the shadow appeared as a dog on all fours, and then it stood as if a bear was rearing to its hind legs. Her throat croaked, Gyp barked, clawing at the tent fabric. It was no bear; the legs, arms, and body was too sinewy, human like, but with the head of a dog. Her throat cleared, and she let out a piecing scream. Her sleeping bag acted like a strait jacket, adding a sense of panic as she struggled out of it, then scrambled to the back of the tent. The tent around her appeared shrunk, now acting as a closed coffin. The zip opened and Oliver popped his head inside. Gyp pushed his way through the opening.
“Why the screams?”
Amy explained as best she could in a faltering tone, tears streaming down her cheeks. Oliver retracted his head, and she ducked through the opening.
“I didn’t see or hear anything. Are you sure it wasn’t a nightmare?” said Louise. “None of the others had seen anything either.”
Ted joined them. Amy narrowed her eyes.
“Where have you hidden the mask? It was you, wasn’t it, weirdo?”
“Why blame me? What’s happened? I was in my SUV when I heard a dog barking and a scream.”
Oliver explained to Ted, both casting doubtful looks in Amy’s direction. Ted walked behind the Tilley lamp and knelt down. He hooked his thumbs together and wiggled his fingers in front of the lamp. The shadow cast by his hands, covered the entire side of Amy’s tent, and appeared like an eagle in flight.
“It was probably a small raccoon and not some scary creature that you think chased you in the woods this morning,” Ted said, and then scoffed.
Amy could feel heat rising in her cheeks, when Louise stepped into the circle.
“Where’s Johno? He went for a leak before all the fuss, and I fell asleep again. Oh, God, no. He’s gone missing.”
Chapter 10
FRANK sat up in his pickup, and flicked the handle to raise his seat from recline. He turned the ignition key to illuminate the dash. The neon clock, hazy at first, displayed 5:30 a.m. as his vision focused. Another fifteen minutes and it would be daybreak, and Jim would relieve him from his watch. He opened the door, then climbed out onto the road in front of the vets. He’d lost thirty minutes, but he thought it was well-earned, considering he’d worked a double shift. Frank lazily raised his arms and
yawned, taking in a lungful of air. He expected nature’s finest to bring back some alertness. Instead, he coughed and spluttered. The smell and taste of toxic fumes hit his senses, carried by a slight northwesterly breeze. It was early for someone to be incinerating oily rags, but it had that kind of smell.
With a cursory glance, everything looked normal at the vet’s property. He turned to climb back into his vehicle for him to escape the smell. An explosion battered his eardrums, and had him diving to the asphalt. Shards of wooden roof tiles peppered him and his pickup. He scrambled to his feet and dove in to his vehicle. Frank rolled over to see flames roar from the garage roof section, together with a cloud of swirling black smoke blotting out the stars. Firing up the engine, he located too low a gear, and his pickup shuddered away from the property.
Coordination lost, he came to a halt, stuck in a ditch, with the engine stalled. He clambered out of the driver’s seat, searching his pockets for his cell phone. Finally, he located his phone in his shirt pocket, and fumbled to locate his contact list. He scrolled down to Ed Grimes number and pressed the call switch. Four times, it rang, each time picking up voicemail. The fifth time, it rang, and Ed answered.
“Yes,” he said, in a tone that didn’t sound best pleased.
“We’ve had an explosion, and the vet’s property is on fire. We need the crew out now.”
“Calm down, Frank. How bad is it?”
At the sound of breaking glass, and a whooshing sound, Frank ducked and looked over at the property.
“Oh, it’s bad, and spreading.”
“Okay, no heroics, keep back, I’ll contact the crew and get there ASAP.”
Frank didn’t need telling, he’d seen the weird ways of fires spreading during wildfires. He knew first-hand how quickly fires could devour a home from a single spark. All the same, his curiosity overcame his fear. He walked in a semicircle to view the scene, albeit at a safe distance. The small window to the garage was open, but he couldn’t be sure if it had blown out in the explosion. Frank saw a trickle of flames running uphill to one side of the property and toward Maria’s oil heating tank. Frank turned, then ran with all the speed he could muster, diving behind a tree for cover. At the sound of an almighty explosion, his surroundings temporarily turned to daylight. He heard something thud into the tree trunk. What seemed like five minutes passed, when he dared to peer around the tree trunk. A shard of metal pipe from the oil tank had speared the trunk. Frank took off his hat, then wiped his arm across his forehead, before returning his hat to his head.
The Killers Amongst Us: Chimera Dawn Chronicles Page 7
