The Field

by Ian Dawson

  There were two IV needles inside of him, one in each arm. He carefully moved his right arm, and then his left, trying his best not to yank on the plastic tubes connected to the large needles penetrating into his flesh.

  He looked to his left toward the door just as his mom came into the room. They made eye contact.

  “Daniel,” she said as she stepped quickly to his bedside and took hold of his left hand. She gave him a careful hug.

  “Hey, mom,” he said. His voice was rough, scratchy. He coughed, which made his whole body tense. He could tell from the sudden burst of soreness all over his body that the painkillers were wearing off.

  Shelly smiled at him, tears in her eyes. She kissed his hand.

  “Where’s Kyle? Colby?” he said as he sat up on his elbows. His mom handed him a clear plastic cup of water. He took a sip, then guzzled the rest down quickly. So good.

  “They’re down the hall,” she said as she took the cup and refilled it. “Kyle’s got some cracked ribs and a sprained wrist. And the little boy…” she trailed off, shaking her head.

  “Why isn’t Kyle in here with me?” Daniel asked.

  Daniel’s mom smiled at him. “The police wanted to talk to you and Kyle separately about what happened.” She paused. “Daniel,” she said in a near whisper. “What happened out there?”

  Daniel looked at her, not sure what to say. It was all so recent, so vivid, but at the same time felt as if it had happened a lifetime ago. He took a breath and opened his mouth to speak, but instead of words he broke down into sobs; his eyes gushing tears. His mom sat on the edge of the bed and held him tight as he cried.

  Daniel was unsure where all the emotion was coming from. Was he relieved the night was over? Was this all of his fear and terror finally eclipsing the adrenaline rush he had been feeling all night long? He wasn’t sure, but no matter what the reason was, it felt good.

  Daniel rolled back onto his pillow. His eyes wet, his vision blurred. His mom handed him a tissue and he carefully wiped his eyes.

  “Can I get you anything?” his mom asked as she rubbed his shoulder.

  “I’m okay,” he said not sure if he was reassuring his mom or himself. He blew a breath out, then smiled toward her. He felt better, like a weight had been lifted from his chest. “I’m gonna be okay.”

  Down the hall, Kyle was watching TV with the volume low. His mom and dad were in the room, both of them at a loss for words over the horrors their son had told them had taken place earlier that night.

  Kyle’s ribs were killing him and he couldn’t take another hit on the painkillers for another ten minutes. He had taken a brief look at himself in the mirror when he went to go to the bathroom. He had lifted up his hospital gown and saw the black, blue, green, and purple bruise where he had been struck by the brick booby trap. He didn’t look for long, though. It hurt too much to lift his arms.

  “You lied to us,” Kyle’s mom said.

  “I had to lie,” Kyle said as he muted the TV. “Look, I’m sorry, but I had to find Daniel myself.”

  “You could have told us,” his dad said. “This was too big a situation for you to handle on your own.”

  “I know that now, but I did handle it. Daniel’s alive. Colby Emerson is alive. And the bad guys are either dead or on their way to jail.” He rested his head back on the inclined bed. “Besides, I didn’t know what was going on until it was too late to turn back.”

  Kyle’s dad moved to the foot of the bed and leaned forward looking at his son. He just stared at him. Kyle had no idea what was going through either of his parents’ minds, but he did know that he needed to say something to break the silence.

  “I thought Daniel was at Megan’s, not being held prisoner in the field. Look, I’m sorry that I lied, I’m sorry this whole thing got out of control. But Daniel is my best friend and when I…” Oh, no. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Kyle took a deep breath. He could feel his eyes begin to sting with the threat of tears. He looked away from his dad toward the window of his hospital room. “Can we do this later? I’m kinda tired.”

  “Sure,” his mom said. “We’ll go check on Colby and Daniel.”

  “But we’re going to have a very long talk about this whole situation when you get home,” his dad said.

  I wonder how long I can stay here? Kyle thought. “Yes, sir,” he said.

  He heard their footsteps as they left the room. As the echoes from their shoes hitting the tile floor became fainter, Kyle’s eyes spilled over with tears. He hated crying. Hated it. But despite his attempts to fight it back, he had to let it out.

  And it felt great.

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT

  Daniel was amazed at how fast the story spread from front-page news in the Redding Record Searchlight, to national stories on all the cable news networks. It seemed like everyone wanted to interview he and Kyle, but all Daniel wanted to do was recover from his injuries and get back to being out of the spotlight.

  Still, he did like the fact that all the girls he had exchanged phone numbers with at the end of the school year were now calling him. It was the one part of this whole ordeal he actually did enjoy.

  Daniel had been relieved to hear that James had pled guilty to charges of kidnapping, torture, and arson. It was unfortunate that Austin would never be held accountable for his crimes, but Daniel had no problem with the fact that Austin had been permanently stopped from hurting anyone ever again.

  Daniel and Kyle kept the promise they had made to Colby at the construction site, and every Wednesday afternoon they took the young kid out for ice cream. And given the situation that brought the three together, Daniel understood why they were always driven to the ice cream shop and back by a parent, even if they had to deal with April on the days Daniel’s mom drove them.

  Three months after the incident, Daniel was ready to get back on his feet and start running again. He had a nasty-looking scar across the bottom of his foot and it felt like something was constantly in his shoe. Still, he was ready to get back in shape and ready for freshman cross-country.

  As his foot recovered, Daniel had started lifting weights and Kyle had too once his ribs were fully healed. Daniel wanted to make sure he stayed in some sort of shape during his recovery. He didn’t want to get out at practice the first day and pass out.

  One Saturday afternoon, Daniel and Kyle met on the sidewalk outside Daniel’s house ready to go for a run. It was a typical hot, humid August day in Redding, and Daniel was ready to face the challenge of the heat head-on.

  “Ready?” Kyle said.

  “Yep,” Daniel said. “Man, it’s hot out here.” He pulled off his shirt and tossed it on his lawn. It felt good, much cooler than being weighed down by a sweaty shirt.

  “Now do you see what you’ve been missing all this time?” Kyle said.

  “Yes. But that’s all I’m taking off for this run,” Daniel said.

  “That was one time and it was a joke,” Kyle said with a laugh. “Besides, I’m pretty sure Megan enjoyed it.” Kyle took off running down the sidewalk toward Saturn Skyway.

  Daniel hurried after him. “Good thing her dad wasn’t around!” Daniel called after him.

  Daniel felt awkward running at first, thanks to the scar, but after a few minutes he got used to it. He and Kyle turned the corner and made their way to the end of the block and across Capricorn Way. Directly in front of them was one of many openings that led to the field where they had spent the past couple summers.

  The two ran to the edge of the field and stopped. They looked out at the vast landscape of trees, hills, ravines, and weeds. A place they once called their summer hideout no longer felt safe. No longer felt like theirs anymore.

  “You know what?” Daniel said, a little winded. “I think we should stay on the sidewalk.”

  “What about shin splints?” Kyle asked.

  “Brother,” he
said, slapping Kyle on his bare back, “after what we went through this past summer, shin splints are the least of my worries. Let’s go.” Daniel took off down the sidewalk lining Capricorn Way, happy to have a row of houses blocking his view of the field.

  The heat from the sun radiated off the concrete and the asphalt. Daniel was nowhere near as fast as he once was, thanks to his injured foot, but he knew he’d get back to his normal pace in time.

  Kyle caught up with him. “Thought I’d be nice and give you a head start,” he said.

  “Thanks,” Daniel said. “I was thinking. Maybe we should find a new place to hang out during the summer.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah,” Daniel said as he continued to run. “Now that we’re in high school, the field just seems a little childish to me.”

  “Well,” Kyle said keeping pace with Daniel, “I guess we have done about all we can do out there.”

  “I agree,” Daniel said. “To new adventures?”

  “To new adventures,” Kyle said.

  THE END

  The Field: A Tale of Two Friendships

  While The Field is filled with plenty of action and adventure, at its heart the story is about two different types of friendships: one unconditional and one toxic. Daniel and Kyle have an unconditional friendship; while Austin and James have a toxic friendship.

  Whether we are kids or adults, we want to be in positive, happy, and uplifting relationships with people who like us for who we are, encourage us to be our best, and accept us no matter what. These types of friendships are often hard to find, but when we do it’s best not to take them for granted.

  Treasure the friendships that make you feel good, that make you feel like you belong, and that make you become a better person.

  Who in your life fits the role of a best friend like Kyle or Daniel? What is it about that friendship or relationship that makes it special? Do you help each other out? Joke around with each other and make one another laugh? Maybe like Daniel and Kyle you go on adventures together and learn more about one another through new experiences. These are all great things!

  On the other side of the spectrum, the relationship between Austin and James is anything but positive, happy, or uplifting. In fact, it’s quite the opposite; a “friendship” filled with verbal and physical abuse. This Cycle of Abuse can happen in friendships or in relationships and is very bad. And while the relationship shown in the novel is an extreme case, toxic friendships on a smaller scale can be just as dangerous.

  If you have a friend that talks down to you, makes you feel bad about yourself, insults your other friends or your family, or wants to control your life or who you hang out with, these are all signs of a toxic friendship.

  If they are verbally or physically abusive toward you, it’s important to tell your parent, guardian, or other trusted adult what is happening. No one should stay in a friendship that makes them feel bad about themselves.

  If you’re a parent or guardian, observe the types of friendships your kid has. Are they positive and uplifting, or are they toxic and abusive even on a small scale? Talk to your kids about their friends and make sure that the people they have in their lives at school, on social media, and elsewhere are building them up and not tearing them down.

  I hope that everyone has lots of Kyles and Daniels in their lives that are there for them and make them feel good. There’s nothing better than friends that make you excited and happy to be around them!

  Resources

  If you suspect a friend or family member has been abducted, don’t act on your own. Contact your local authorities or The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at http://www.missingkids.com or call 1-800-843-5678.

  If you are in a toxic friendship or relationship and need to talk to someone, contact Crisis Text Line at 741741 in the U.S. or contact your local authorities. You can find out more information about Crisis Text Line at their website, www.crisistextline.org. There is help available.

  About the Author

  Ian Dawson is a playwright, screenwriter, and now novelist based in Southern California. He has a BA in Dramatic Art from UC Davis and a Masters in Screenwriting from Cal State Northridge.

  The Field is his first novel.

  Email Ian at thefield2018@gmail.com