“Where’s Michael?” I asked.
“He’s supposed to page me when he’s five minutes from here.”
“And he hasn’t yet?” Blake asked.
Allie removed the hot pink beeper from her belt and looked at it, shaking her head.
“Well, he better fucking hurry. I don’t wanna wait around all day.” Blake was ready to get on the road, and was becoming antsy.
At the end of the hall, we walked around a corner and could see the exit at the end of yet another slender walkway.
We all jumped at the same time as a figure in a clown mask jumped out right in front of us from a doorway at our right.
The man removed his mask, and Michael’s signature smile appeared.
Allie started slapping him on the arm and he balled up.
“You stupid son of a bitch,” she yelled, not letting up on her assault.
“Whoa, hey, calm down, babe,” Michael said.
“Don’t ‘babe’ me, asshole.”
Michael grabbed Allie around the waist and picked her up off the ground. Her anger faded quickly as he lowered her down to his face and kissed her on the lips.
“You’re still an asshole,” she said.
He smiled at her, then shook hands with and hugged Rob and then Blake before he came over and hugged me, also planting a peck on my cheek.
We continued down the hall until we reached a door at the end of it, which Blake opened for all of us as we walked outside, back into the muggy, swamp air.
***
We reached Blake’s Ford Bronco, which was parked just around the block from the mall in a pay lot, and Allie and Michael set their bags in the rear compartment with the rest of ours, behind the last row of seats.
“Shotgun,” Rob called out.
I glared my eyes at him, but before I could say anything, Blake had already shut him down.
“Yeah, right,” Blake said.
Rob was confused. “What? I called it.”
Michael punched him on the arm, and Rob grimaced.
“Ride in the back with us there, stiffy,” Michael said to him.
I laughed and shook my head as Rob climbed into the truck from the passenger side, and Michael and Allie went around through the back seat door on the driver’s side.
When we were all inside the truck and buckled up, I looked over to Blake who already had a big smile plastered on his face. He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek, and whispered “I love you” into my ear. I smiled back, and rubbed his leg with my hand in response. He winked at me while simultaneously turning the key in the ignition and starting the truck.
“Them Bones” by Alice in Chains blared through the speakers, and Blake looked in the rearview mirror to our friends in the back seat.
“Who’s ready to go to Chicago?”
With everyone in the truck hollering with excitement, Blake took a sharp turn out of the pay lot and onto Canal Street, and we were finally headed for the interstate.
3
We arrived at my parents’ house in Madison, Mississippi some time between 4 and 5 o’clock. We would have gotten there sooner, but Rob had insisted we stop and sit down to eat somewhere, instead of grabbing some lunch from a drive-thru and eating in the car to save time.
My mom sat in a lawn chair inside of the garage, smoking a cigarette and working through a crossword puzzle. She spent most of her time here when she was at home, chain smoking and either doing some kind of word puzzle or reading the latest Danielle Steel novel. She looked up from her puzzle to see us pull up to the front of the driveway, smiling and waving as we pulled into view in front of the garage.
Mom stood up and opened the door next to her, yelling inside the house that we were here, presumably to my father.
I stepped out of the car and my mom was already passing hugs around to my friends. The tobacco smell was eternal on her, but stronger now that she’d just put down a cigarette moments before.
“Hey, sweetie,” she said to me, kissing me on the cheek.
“Hey, mom,” I said back.
At only five foot three, my mom was shorter than I was and, when she kissed me, she practically had to stand on her toes to reach my face.
“Well, look who it is.” The strong voice came from my father, walking out of the kitchen and into the garage.
Blake was the first to walk over and greet him, a smile ear to ear on his face. They stood there and talked for a few minutes before my dad finally came over to see me.
“Hey, bear,” he said, calling me the same name he’d called me since I was a baby. I still enjoyed it, especially when I hadn’t heard it in a while. And since I’d gone to college, I didn’t hear it on a daily basis like I’d gotten used to. He leaned down and gave me a kiss. He still had a full head of hair, but his belly was finally starting to spill over his waistline, though he’d stayed in really good shape for most his life.
“Blake, are you going to see your parents while you’re in town?” my mom asked.
Blake gave a somewhat blank stare before finally cracking an obvious fake smile.
“Um, I think I might try to go see them on the way back.”
Blake’s family lived in Flowood, which was only a fifteen minute drive from my parents’ house. The truth is, Blake didn’t have a great relationship with his folks. It was primarily his father’s fault. He still had a lot of love for his mother, but things had gotten so bad with his old man that it was hardly worth going over to the house to see her. He’d offer to meet her somewhere for dinner, but she’d insist on inviting his father, creating an awkward situation. Unfortunately, the whole ordeal had even built an unwanted barrier between Blake and his mom. I think his bitterness toward his own father had partly led to his solid relationship with mine, which was fine by me.
My dad butted in to break up the awkwardness.
“Burgers should be just about done. Let’s head inside.”
We each grabbed our bags and followed my parents into the house.
***
The house backed up to a large collection of trees, which began about thirty yards from the back of my parents’ two-story house. It was a beautiful backyard to spend summer evenings in, lounging around while trying to keep the mosquitoes away.
We sat in lawn chairs, eating lightly charred hamburgers while the hypnotic sounds of E.L.O. played from my parents’ entertainment center just inside the back door in the living room. My dad was a huge fan of 70’s rock, and always insisted on playing the music louder than it really needed to be. I sat with my mom, Allie, and Rob, while my father stood out in the middle of the yard, sharing beers with Blake and Michael.
“Now, who’s this band you’re going to see, Rebecca?”
“The Smashing Pumpkins,” Rob muttered out before I could answer.
“Are they one of those Satanist bands? You don’t need to listen to that stuff, Rebecca.”
“Yeah,” Rob said, again answering for me. “I’m gonna sacrifice a goat in the middle of the club during the encore.”
Allie and I laughed while my mom shook her head.
“How are you doing in school, Allie?”
“Great,” Allie responded to my mother. “Ready to graduate.”
“Well, just enjoy it while you’re there. You only go to college once.”
Allie smiled and took a sip of her Diet Coke through a straw.
“When are you guys getting to Chicago?” my mom asked.
“Hopefully tomorrow,” I replied.
“We’ll see,” Rob said.
I looked at him and cocked my head to the side. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve been trying to talk Blake into making a stop.”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “A stop? No. Why? Where?”
He cleared his throat and mumbled, “Crossroads.”
“I haven’t been there in years, but it’s a fun little stop,” my mom added.
“Where?” Allie asked.
“You don’t know about The Crossroads? It’
s where Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil,” Rob said.
“Who’s Robert Johnson?” Allie asked.
Rob ignored her. “We have to go there. It’s one of the most important places in the history of music, and I’ve always wanted to go see it. We’re going to be passing right by there anyway.”
I stood up and started to walk inside.
“Where are you going?” Rob asked.
“I’m gonna go inside and grab something to drink.”
***
Inside the kitchen, I grabbed the pitcher of water that my mom had flavored with fresh slices of lemon. Parched from the humidity outside, I drank half the glass I poured in one large gulp, then filled my cup back to the top.
The house hadn’t changed a bit. My mom loved to collect little roosters, which she’d proudly displayed in various places in the kitchen. I looked around and saw the same tiny statues sitting in the exact spots that they had sat in for years.
Moving into the hallway while sipping my lemon water, I looked at all the old pictures on the wall. Most of them were from when I was very young. There were a couple of school portraits, ranging from first to fourth grade, as well as many shots of us on family vacations. One picture in particular brought a big smile to my face. My dad was a big Civil War buff, and on one of our road trips, we’d stopped at a Civil War site somewhere along the Mississippi River; in Louisiana, if I recalled correctly. We’d gathered around this authentic canon used in some famous battle, me and my younger sister, Ashley, in the front, and my parents standing proudly and happily behind us, with a large bridge and the beautiful Mississippi in the background.
Now, I smiled looking at the photo, not only wishing my sister was here instead of visiting a friend in Florida, but also remembering much simpler times in our lives.
Hot breath hit the nape of my neck just as fingers poked into my ribs on either side, and I jumped.
“Gotcha,” Blake said.
I turned around and slapped him. “Asshole.”
He wrapped his arms around my waist and began to sway back and forth, kissing me on the neck.
“Did you tell Rob we could stop in the Delta and go to the Crossroads?” I asked.
He continued to kiss me on the neck. “I didn’t give him an answer.”
I turned around, and Blake put his hands out to the side, confused.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing. It’s just, I really wanna get to Chicago.”
Blake put his hands on his hips and looked up to the ceiling before looking back down at me.
“I know it wouldn’t be a long stop, but I was just hoping to get there tomorrow. And you’ve been more adamant than anyone about making good time.”
“Babe,” Blake began, “it won’t take long if we stop there. The guy has been bugging me for the last month about it. I still feel like I owe him for getting these Pumpkins tickets. We’ll take the exit, stop so he can get a few pictures, and be right back on our way.”
I sighed and crossed my arms over my chest.
“Come on, it’ll be fine. The dude already has to put up with being the fifth wheel, traveling with two couples.”
I laughed. “That’s his problem.”
Blake smiled and kissed me on the cheek.
“Come on, let’s go spend some more time with your parents.”
***
We awoke the next morning early enough for my mom’s pancake breakfast, which I’d never tell her just weren’t quite as good as Blake’s. In a hurry to leave, Rob finished first, and he had loaded his bag in the car before I’d even gotten through half of the short stack on my plate. Blake had finally agreed to make the stop Rob wanted to make, and had told him that morning, and Rob was now acting like a child about to go to Disney World. Why did he want to go see the stupid Crossroads so badly, anyway?
About half an hour later, we were standing outside of the Bronco while my parents took turns hugging each of my friends.
My mother came to me before my father did.
“I love you, Becky,” she said, wrapping her thin, boney arms around me.
“Love you, too, mom,” I replied.
Daddy came to me next, kissing me on the cheek before giving me a hug. Then he looked over at Blake and shook his hand.
“Take care of my girl, Cunningham.”
Blake laughed. “Yes, sir. You know I will. I wouldn’t let anything happen to her.” He winked at me when he said this.
We loaded into the Bronco, waving at my parents as we reached the end of the driveway.
Soon we were on I-55, heading north toward the Mississippi Delta.
4
“I can’t believe you made me go this way,” Blake said to Rob.
Rob sat in the backseat, rustling an unfolded Mississippi state map.
“Where the hell are we?” Michael asked.
Rob had talked Blake into taking a scenic route on their way to the Crossroads. The Mississippi Delta is full of empty highways, and Rob had insisted on making the trip as genuine as possible. He wanted to pass corn and soy fields all the way there in order to get the full experience of seeing such an important piece of both Southern and music history.
“I’m gonna stop and ask for directions,” Blake said.
Rob shook his head. “No, I can figure this out.”
“Shut up,” Allie added, and Rob’s face reddened.
Blake pulled into a gas station that sat alone, surrounded only by cotton fields and the cloud of dead air that rose just above the flatlands. It had been miles since we’d seen any signs of civilization, and we’d all become worried that we may be lost for a while.
An older man sat on the front porch of the gas station, smoking a cigarette and keeping his eyes focused on us as the Bronco pulled up near him. He used the same hand that held the cigarette to scratch his salty, worn beard. The dark navy blue mechanic’s shirt he wore looked old and tired, and the man left the top three buttons undone, revealing a patch of hair on his chest that matched the color of his beard.
I squinted my eyes and saw the faded red letters on his patch: Don. Then I looked up to see him staring through me. He lifted himself from the rocking chair, which creaked like the wooden floors of an abandoned home, and walked to the truck.
Rob rolled down the window in the back seat and waved at the man.
“How are you doing?” Rob asked.
The man breathed heavily, but didn’t bother to acknowledge Rob had even spoken to him. With no response, Blake decided to try speaking with the man.
“We were hoping that you could help us with some directions.”
Don moved closer to my window. I almost rolled it up, but didn’t want to offend him. My breathing quickened as he moved closer. Something about him was off; I could feel it. He put his hands on the edge of the window and looked inside of the truck, scanning each of our faces. The smell of cigarettes on his breath competed with the musky odor coming off his body that told me he rarely showered. His eyes stopped on Blake.
“What are y’all doin’ out here?”
Rob smiled.
“We’re looking for…”
Don cut him off.
“Was I talking to you, shithead?”
I looked over to Blake. The feeling inside me about the man blossomed. Something about the mood in the air just wasn’t right. Behind me, I heard Rob rustling the map again. I looked in the rearview mirror and saw that he had put it up in front of his face, blocking himself from the strange man outside.
The man looked back at Blake and raised his eyebrows, awaiting an answer.
“We, uh, uh...” Blake caught himself before he kept stuttering. “We were, uh, hoping you could tell us where the Crossroads are.”
The man chewed on the inside of his lower lip as he stared past me at Blake. Then he laughed, spraying me with his tobacco-covered spittle. I wiped my face in disgust.
“You kids don’t wanna go to no Crossroads. Some bad fuckin’ shit gone on there.”
; I looked over to Blake and said, “Let’s just go.”
Don looked down at me, still chewing his lip. I watched the old pervert lick his lip before he put his hand on my arm closest to the window. Blake looked as if he might jump out of the driver’s seat, reach over me, and strangle the man.
“Get your hands off her,” Blake said.
Don took three steps back from the car, putting his arms up with his palms out. He smiled, shrugged, and looked at Blake again.
“Easy, partner,” Don said. He scanned the faces of the three in the backseat, stopping on Rob’s face to give him a wink. Then he looked back to Blake and me. “I’ll be happy to tell you where them Crossroads are.”
“That would be great!” Rob said, thinking the man’s demeanor may have changed.
Again, Don gave Rob a sour look.
I’ll never know why he didn’t care for Rob. Maybe he thought that he was queer and had a thing for old, disgusting, backwoods men. Or perhaps he could just sense Rob’s annoying sense of humor.
Don pointed north, the same way that we’d been heading before we’d stopped for directions.
“You’re real close. You’ll go about another fifteen miles down there and you’ll see a road. There won’t be no sign, but you’ll see a big ole bail of hay and an empty pole that’s supposed to have a sign on top. Got it?”
Blake nodded.
“Okay. Then, you’ll drive another five miles and...BOOM!”
He laughed as Rob jumped, hitting his head on the roof of the car. Then Don smiled at me, flashing his toothless grin through cold eyes.
“Then, you’re there.”
Michael forced a fake smile and gave Don a hesitant wave.
“Wow. Thank you so much. You were a great help.”
Don waved his index finger in the air at Blake.
“Hey, just one minute,” he said. “Before you leave, why don’t you let me fill your tank up? It’s on me. I’ll check on your fluids, too.”
Blake shook his head. “Wow. That’s really kind of you. But I couldn’t accept that.”
The Witness: A Slasher Horror Novel Page 2
