Shadow Heights

by E. N. Goeking

  “Since grade school. We all grew up together.” I turned around to face him.

  “Who was the nerd in the bunch?” He took a drink of his beer and thought about it with squinted eyes.

  “I’d have to go with Eric. He was way into bugs and boy scouts.” He began to laugh.

  “I can see that. I would say that Ryan was the class clown,” he nodded in agreement, “and Jaden was the quiet one but I can’t guess which one you would be.”

  “I’ve always been the jock,” he said back with a sneer.

  “Ah, I wouldn’t have thought that about you.”

  “Because of my boyish looks, right?”

  “Um,” I struggled for the right response.

  “You can say it.”

  “Yes. That is probably why.” He seemed irritated by my judgment and recoiled fast.

  “Let me see if I can pick you out,” he said with apparent smugness, I hoped I hadn't offended him. He looked intently at me while squaring away his judgment. “Well, you said you liked punk and you wear an awful lot of black like Jaden. I’d have to go with the angry outcast.”

  I started to laugh because he had me perfectly. That was exactly the person I was in high school but I liked to think I had grown up a little since senior year.

  “Was I right?” he asked. I nodded and he looked happy to have sized me up properly. “Jaden was the same way. He was always lashing out and not so much the quiet one as you pegged him to be. He’s calmed down a lot since we were younger and seems to be happier now, especially since you moved into town.”

  I was about to say something when I heard footsteps on the front porch and soon after Jaden appeared in the doorway. Ryan came running inside shivering, brushing past Jaden as he stepped inside. He stayed in the corner and rubbed his arms for warmth.

  “It’s getting real cold out there. Global warming my ass.” Jaden chuckled and the sound of it made me smile.

  “All right,” Jaden said in a more serious tone. “I’ve got the targets set up so let’s go shoot.” They each grabbed their guns from the table and hurried outside. Jaden handed me his beer so he could grab a few boxes of ammo.

  I followed them outside and the wind was blowing fiercely. I could feel my hair go completely sideways as I walked through the field to where they all stood.

  He had three big wooden posts sticking out of the ground at about 50 yards out from us and cardboard targets were nailed to the top of them. I watched as they prepared their guns for shooting. I stood in the cool wind a few feet back as they got ready to fire.

  Jaden cocked his gun and lifted his arms up until it was in line with the target. I held my hands up to my ears to shield them from the impending sound. He pulled the trigger and the gun exploded. The shot rang out and seemed to echo for miles. He quickly shot the rest of his clip and I continued to cover my ears, jumping in my skin with every bullet that fired.

  Then the other two started. I felt like I was in a civil war reenactment. They really exaggerate the power of guns in movies. If you were to shoot a gun inside somewhere, you’d probably go deaf at least for a few hours if not for the rest of your life.

  When they finished, he walked down and pulled the targets off the posts and brought his over to show me. All of his shots were dead in the center and there was a massive hole from their impact. That was impressive, especially with the strong wind blowing things around.

  “You’re really good,” I praised and he looked pleased with my response. He placed his hand on my waist, warming my cool skin.

  Logan and Ryan's targeting wasn’t nearly as good as Jaden’s but they still had skill. Logan walked to the posts and hung up more targets while Jaden took my hand and led me to the shooting line. He snapped the full clip into the gun and placed it in my hand. He helped me line up the gun as he did in the kitchen but this time he got out of my way. I was hoping he'd help me, comfort me in this new adventure but instead, he stood to my left and watched.

  I took a deep breath and tried to steady my arms in front of me. I looked over at him once more and he was encouraging me to begin. Feeling the pressure from all of their attention, I pulled on the trigger and the bullet shot out faster than I expected. An orange burst shot out the front and the force pushed my arms back into me. At the same moment, the shell flew out of the gun and bounced off my shoulder in a trail of smoke. My ears rang out and every sound was muffled.

  “Keep going,” Jaden encouraged but I was shaken. My trembling hands could barely hold it up any longer but afraid of embarrassing myself, I pulled it together.

  I lined up the gun again and shot. This time, I continued to shoot after I steadied myself and eventually the force barely affected me. When it was empty, I rest my arms at my sides but found myself unable to be still. I had a huge surge of adrenaline running through me and it was a powerful feeling like I could run a marathon.

  Jaden took the gun from my hand and he shot it one more time to make sure no bullets were still inside. He tucked the gun into the back of his pants and took off to retrieve the target. Ryan walked up from behind and handed me my beer.

  “It’s a rush, huh?” he said.

  “Definitely.” I was still shaking as Jaden came back with my target. I was surprised to see that I did better than I thought. Two of my shots were in the center and Jaden looked rather impressed with my first time performance.

  “Pretty good for a first timer and definitely better than Chad,” Logan chimed in. They all laughed and seemed to be in agreement with him.

  “Thanks.” I took a drink of my beer and lit a cigarette. They all shot one more time together while I stood back to observe. I kept waiting for the cannon to explode behind me as my brain shook with the noise. I felt a change in the clouds as the light from above began to dim. Jaden ran up to me and stole the lit cigarette from my hand while my eyes were focused higher toward the sky.

  “Hey,” I protested. He smiled and continued to hold it. A big flash of light filled the sky above us and we all jumped.

  “Whoa!” Ryan yelled loudly, ducking down to the ground like we were under attack from a foreign enemy. Thunder erupted in the sky and fell to the earth around us, rumbling the dirt at our feet. They grabbed their things and we ran inside to beat the rain. Their testosterone must have been pumping from the gun battle because they all began talking about food and how hungry they were.

  Ryan offered to pick up a pizza. They all agreed and the boys left us to ourselves.

  Jaden stared out the window and watched them leave, downing his bottle of beer. When they were out of sight, he turned his gaze to me, his eyes piercing through my very core and I didn’t know whether to be scared or turned on as he made his way toward me.

  Chapter Eleven

  Instead of forcing me into a seductive hold like my imagination was leading me to believe or as I secretly hoped, he took my hand within his and caressed me with gentleness. He must've sensed that I was nervous because his eyes shifted and the brightness of his blues made me calm, stalling the passion I was having a hard time containing.

  “You did want to see a movie earlier. I’ve got some here if you still want to,” he suggested.

  “Okay.” I followed him into his bedroom. He had a stack of about ten DVDs sitting on a shelf. There were some action movies and a couple horror movies, definitely guy movies.

  “Sorry, I’ve got a better selection back at the house.”

  “It’s okay,” I said while examining the titles, feeling ever nervous as he watched me. I picked one of the horror movies since it was a classic. I preferred something independent over the action-packed big budget films.

  “Good choice,” he said after seeing my selection. He took my face in his hand and my heart began spewing tingles as his eyes filled me with trepidation. I let the moment take me over, closing my eyes and relied on my senses to feel his lips rub against my skin. Stop teasing me.

  Their warmth moved to my cheek and then traveled down my neck but he did it in such a subtle way,
that I barely felt it. The anticipation made my mouth salivate and I swallowed hard. I begged for a release of my tension and he could read my emotions like a book.

  His lips proved to be a sweet liberation as they collided with mine. I could taste and smell him at once, sending me higher than before. I felt the strength of his arms as they held me tightly. He moved his mouth to my neck and began kissing me with tantalizing force. I moaned at his intensity and he returned his mouth to my lips, feeling tenderness developing on my neck. I was inside of his mouth and he was inside of mine while our lips pulsed together to our own private rhythm. A growl escaped from his chest and I escaped his clutches so I could laugh.

  He stared back at me in puzzlement, slightly agitated that I had spoiled the moment.

  I continued laughing and he dove his face into my neck, biting me softly with a dog’s growl. I moaned in delight while he attacked.

  “Sorry,” he said. “You bring out the beast in me.” He pulled at my shirt collar, gliding his lips across my collar bone to my shoulder.

  I grabbed his hand and pulled him back into the living room, massaging away the tenderness in my neck. He went to dim the lights when a car's headlamps flashed in the window. He opened the front door and peered out.

  “It’s Eric,” he said and went outside to greet him while I popped in the movie. “It’s about time.” Jaden’s voice carried through the open window. I hit play on the movie anyway and sipped on my beer. Chad walked inside a minute later with a lit cigarette in his mouth and a bottle of tequila in his hand.

  He noticed me right away. “Hey, it’s the punk rocker.” I looked up to acknowledge him. “You’re lookin’ good tonight.” His eyes looked me over and I tried to hide how uncomfortable I was to be his object of affection. “How are you this fine evening?”

  “Pretty good and yourself?” I gulped a few chugs of my beer, hoping it would help.

  “It’s Friday, what could go wrong? Do you like tequila?” He walked in to the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge.

  “I don’t love it but I’ll drink it.”

  “Well I brought a top-shelf bottle so it’s the best there is.” He plopped down next to me on the couch and opened his can. He took a loud slurp and exhaled proudly after he swallowed.

  “What are you watching?” He pointed at the screen.

  “Friday the 13th, the original.”

  “Oh, this is the best one. It’s with Jason’s mother. What’s her name?” He searched his brain for a few seconds and I answered for him.

  “Mrs. Voorhees.”

  He snapped his fingers, “That’s right.”

  I peeked at him from the corner of my eye. He was wearing a blue button-up shirt and jeans. His spiky haircut was gelled again and I noticed his left ear was pierced with a silver loop.

  He edged closer and our arms rubbed against each other. I glanced down and wondered why he was sitting so close when there was another cushion at the opposite end of the couch.

  By this time, Eric and Jaden walked in carrying two cardboard boxes and within seconds, Jaden's eyes were upon me. Needless to say, he looked none too pleased with the balls Chad was displaying. His face tensed up and he twisted his neck side to side to release its stiffness.

  Even though Eric was in the middle of a conversation with him, Jaden ignored him by dropping his box on the floor, making us all jump in our skin.

  He made his way over to me while Chad looked on at the television, composed without a drop of fear though it could easily be read in his body language.

  Jaden smushed himself between us but there was barely enough room for him to fit. He was practically sitting on my lap but I didn’t mind. It gave me a private moment to enjoy his scent, which always helped ease my anxiety. It was like my own personal aromatherapy blend.

  “Is there something you’re trying to prove man?” He was defensive, ready for a rumble at any second if Chad chose to test him.

  “No. There’s no problem here. Right, Mina?” They both leaned forward to look at me.

  My eyes grew wider. “Everything’s fine. We’re just watching the movie.”

  Chad slid over to the other cushion, surrendering his advances, but I could tell by the expression he gave—he enjoyed testing the waters with his friend. It was some twisted game to him and whatever his agenda was, I didn’t want to be put in the middle. I was not going to be the rope in a game of tug-o-war.

  Jaden put his left arm around my shoulder and propped his feet up on the table. His boots were covered in a light film of dirt from the dampened grass outside. Eric finally joined us in the living room, hurrying over with a stack of beers in his hand. He gave one to each of us and sat down in the leather recliner, stretching out with his full body.

  We sat around watching the movie, commenting on how horrible the 70's were and joking about the daisy duke shorts all the guys were wearing. We could've gone on for hours but fortunately, Ryan and Logan returned shortly thereafter carrying two large pizzas.

  As soon as they hit the table, the guys scarfed them down like savages, leaving barely a scrape of cheese on the cardboard. I didn’t think it was possible but guys could be very loud when they ate, like an animal tearing into a wildebeest—however gruesome it might be.

  I finished the last guzzle of my beer and got up. I grabbed one slice, picking off the meat that lay under the melted cheeses, and stood in the kitchen while I ate. It was still bright enough outside and I watched the trees blow in tempo with the wind. There was a growing light mist in the air and a darker storm front moving in from the north.

  I was reminded of my dream while I stared at the leaves dancing in the air. They had been so vivid that I could’ve sworn they were real but why were these memories coming into my dreams. What good did they do me?

  The hairs on the back of my neck stood on edge and I peered behind my shoulder at Jaden. He laughed along with his friends, the deepness of his standing out above the rest, and I wondered if I should mention it to him. After all, he would be the only one that could possibly have any answers. I scarfed my last bite and strolled back into the living room.

  Since no one else was eager to get up, I put all that was left into one box and slid it in the fridge. I cleaned up all of their plates and wiped off the table, trying to help out so Jaden wouldn’t have to. While I worked, he watched my every move with an attentive eye and seemed disgruntled to see me doing the work while all of his friends were being lazy bums.

  Before the storm came in, they wanted to shoot one last time and we shared a joint outside on the front porch, blocking each other from the wind. It was chilly out but it felt good after the tequila. While they all piled out on to the field, I chose to stay on the porch and watch them from afar.

  I sat in a wooden rocking chair and lit a cigarette while I watched them, trembling with each shot fired. Eric was really good, almost better than Jaden but Chad was about as good of a shot as I was like Logan commented earlier. I smiled privately to myself at his failure. Ever since I met him, he was always flirting or making a wise comment. He was a complete narcissist and I knew plenty of guys like him in my lifetime. He was the type of guy that every girl needs to date and remember to avoid for the rest of their lives. Of course, most girls don’t learn and purposefully seek these guys out hoping that they’ll be the ones to tame them. They never are.

  Jaden shot off a few rounds and then joined me on the porch, sliding a chair over to be closer to me. Eric was getting in Ryan's face, yelling about something but I couldn’t make out their words. Jaden chuckled as he watched them.

  “Can I ask you something?” I looked over with anxious eyes while he smoked a few drags from my cigarette.

  “Sure.”

  “Now this might sound kind of out there but I feel like you're the only person I can ask.” His brows narrowed, ever curious. “Did you ever notice anything strange when you lived in my house?”

  “Like what?”

  “Ever since we moved in, I’ve been hearing
noises coming from the attic and I swear someone is moving around up there. But how is that possible unless some homeless person is living in there.” I couldn't tell if he was paying attention as he stared off toward the horizon so I spoke a little louder. “Besides, the attic door is locked and there’s no way for anyone to get in.”

  “There’s probably nothing up there. They cleared everything out of the house when we moved. I wouldn’t worry about it. If anything, it's rats.” I cringed at that thought. Gross. He took a drink of his beer and watched his friends horse around in the yard like children.

  “So you didn’t notice anything strange?”

  He shrugged his broad shoulders. “Have your parents been behaving differently lately?” I thought about his rather random question and shook my head—wondering privately what that had to do with anything. “You’re fine then. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

  I could sense that he knew more than he was letting on but as tempted as I was to grill him on the subject, I didn’t feel that it was the right time to persist. Eric headed over to us and grabbed his beer off the railing.

  “What are you guys talking about?” he asked while lighting a cigarette. Jaden and I spoke at the same time but he stopped to let me continue.

  “My house, we were talking about my house.”

  “What part of town do you live in?” Eric seemed genuinely interested.

  “In the old district.” He nodded back while taking a guzzle of his beer.

  “Oh yeah? There are some decent houses back there. Do you live on Jefferson or Lincoln?”

  “Neither. I live on Bashua Court.” As soon as I said this, his eyes lit up with fear.

  “In my old house,” Jaden finished for me. Eric nearly choked on his beer and started coughing up the liquid that went down the wrong way.

  After he recovered, he came at me with questions. “You live at Laenzar manor?”

  “Yeah. Why?” I was confused at this point and a little scared by his reaction.