by Shawn Jolley
Eden grabbed the box from the shelf. It wasn't heavy, but it was large enough that it would be uncomfortable to hold and open it at the same time. He placed it on the ground and pulled off the lid. His heart almost skipped a beat. The box was empty except for one item: a black vase with a lid. Eden recognized it as a burial urn.
"Hey, I found something," said Sammy from the next aisle over. Eden looked through the gaps in the shelving. Sammy had pulled a black bed sheet from off one of the shelves to reveal a large bin without a lid. "There are pictures in here. Hey! Some of these are of me."
Eden stepped out of his aisle and into Sammy's. Sammy held one of the pictures. It had Dustin's image on it. Another one revealed a close up of Eden sitting in class. Eden sifted through the photos. Some of the faces he recognized, but most he didn’t. “I don’t know what this is all about. Let's take a few of these as proof," said Sammy.
Eden absentmindedly nodded his head. He walked back to the aisle with Dustin's box. Sammy followed him, saying, "What is it?" When he saw the box and urn, he groaned and said, "I'm sorry." Eden wouldn't believe it. He picked up the urn and pulled at the lid, but it wouldn't budge. "What are you doing?" asked Sammy.
"Help me," said Eden, holding the bottom half out toward Sammy. The cashier carefully grabbed the bottom and pulled. Eden fell backward, still holding the lid in his hand. When he looked back at Sammy, he saw an empty urn and nothing else. He didn't know how he should feel, but part of him felt reassured. He stood up and tossed the lid back into the box. "He's still alive somewhere." Sammy nodded but didn't say anything.
Pictures in hand, they walked back into the main part of the cabin. Sammy closed the garage door the best he could. On their way into the living room, Eden smelled a familiar cologne. He stopped and turned, seeing a partially opened door which led into a small bathroom. He pushed it open and saw the blue cologne bottle sitting on the edge of the sink. The same cologne that his dad always wore.
"What are you doing? Let's get out of here before someone comes back."
Eden didn't move. "What if it’s him?"
Sammy shifted uncomfortably. "What? All I know is we need to leave." He opened the front door and looked outside. "The dog is still unconscious. Come on."
Eden was paralyzed where he stood. Had his dad really been in the cabin or was it simply a coincidence? It had to mean nothing; he had seen his dad handcuffed and led away to prison. But, the whole situation—everything since moving to Fracture—only started after his father's arrest. If his dad wasn't in prison, if he was in Fracture, why hadn't he told Eden? Maybe it was undercover work. Maybe—
Eden was snapped out of his daydream by Sammy shutting the front door and grabbing him by the shoulders. "Get a grip. Somebody is here!" He pushed him, keeping hold of his arm until they both managed to stumble out of the back door. Eden closed it just as the front one opened. He heard two people enter.
"I’ve never been so glad to get back here." Eden thought he recognized the high-pitched female voice, but he wasn't positive because it was muffled through the wall.
The low voice of the sheriff responded, "Felicia's screwed them all."
Felicia? Eden couldn't believe it. He motioned for Sammy to give him a boost so he could look through the window. His first glance shot a shiver shot down his spine. Ms. Kozi was standing by the front door looking at the sheriff on the couch. "She's on the run again. Don't you think so?" she asked.
"No. I don't think she has him with her. He was walking to the gas station this morning." Eden gulped and lowered his head slightly.
Ms. Kozi moved farther into the cabin. "I hope you're right." She laughed and added, "I liked how you made that car explode." The sheriff sniffed and ran his hand through his hair.
"Yeah, it was fun. We can't have Sammy getting in the way if we can help it."
Ms. Kozi sat down on the couch. "I wonder where he's at now."
The sheriff got off the couch and said, "Something doesn't look right." He walked over to the bathroom door and bent down; he unfolded the rug and stood back up. "Try not to ruin the place when you walk in."
"I didn't do it. What makes you so sure it wasn't you?"
"It wasn't." He walked into the kitchen and opened up the fridge.
"You shouldn't be drinking right now. He said he would be back soon," said Ms. Kozi.
The sheriff grabbed a gold can from the top shelf. "He says a lot of things. He could be back soon, but I bet he doesn't come back today at all. He's too busy chasing his wife around."
Ms. Kozi's head turned. "Don't call her that."
The sheriff sat back down, ignoring her. "When he does come around let's just tell him his kid was hiding in the car when it blew up. Maybe he'll shut up finally."
"Watch yourself. You're already sounding drunk." He took a sip and stretched his legs straight out in front of himself.
Sammy slowly lowered Eden back down; his arms were shaking from holding him up. From the expression on the cashier's face, it looked like he had heard every word of the conversation as well. He rubbed his hands together, then motioned for Eden to follow him back into the woods.
Eden was torn. He didn't know what to do. Part of him wanted to stay where he was, and part of him wanted to run away from Fracture forever. He couldn't just leave without saying something to his mom, though. She had some explaining to do, after all. And then, there was Dustin… Sammy grabbed his arm, and Eden backed into the aluminum siding.
From behind them, the sheriff began mumbling; he must have tried to get off the couch because there was a crashing noise followed by a torrent of swearing. Sammy yanked Eden away from the cabin, and they ran full speed into the woods.
"What's wrong with the dog?" the sheriff yelled.
Eden looked back. Ms. Kozi was sprinting toward them. Sammy lost his footing on a tree root, Eden crashed into him, and they both hit the ground. A moment after that, Eden was pinned to the ground. "Stop!" shouted Ms. Kozi. Eden was aware of another person holding down Sammy, but he couldn't see if it was the sheriff or not.
"Let's take them back," said Melvin.
"Dad," Eden gasped. "It's you?"
The sheriff stumbled into Eden's field of vision; he still had a can of beer in his hand. "What's going on?" he asked.
"Shut up. Get back to the cabin." Melvin, Eden's dad, talked quickly; his voice was loud.
Ms. Kozi carefully raised Eden from off the ground so that he could stand. He looked at his dad; his dad didn't look back. Eden was too shocked to say anything.
The sheriff used the trees to steady himself as they slowly made their way back to the cabin. Eden thought he had already had a few drinks earlier in the day. When they got back to the clearing just before the cabin, Eden saw his mom. The moon was rising over the mountains, and she was sitting cross-legged in the dirt.
Eden broke free from Ms. Kozi and ran toward his mom, but she put her hand up, palm flat and outward. He stopped and was grabbed from behind by his dad. The smell of alcohol hung on his breath. Eden struggled for a moment but stopped when his arm was twisted. Melvin pushed him through the back door into the cabin.
13
Eden was sitting on the concrete floor of a small, cold room in the basement of the cabin with his knees tucked to his chest and his arms wrapped around his legs. A dim, naked lightbulb hung from a green wire just outside the wooden door. Some light managed to stream in through the glass window cut into the top.
Footsteps approached from farther down the hallway. A few seconds passed, then someone stopped just outside. The shadowy reflection of long frizzy hair hung on the pane of glass. The lock turned. Eden didn't feel like talking to anyone.
The door opened with a squeak to reveal his mom. She was standing perfectly still, looking at him. "Eden," she said. "I'm so sorry." She stepped into the room and sat down on the floor next to the door. Her eyes never left his. He noticed a black smudge of some type on her right cheek. She didn't look well. He almost didn't care.
"Y
ou have something on your face," he said with a sigh, hugging his legs tighter. "Why are you here anyway?" He watched her rub her chin with the edge of her sleeve.
"Your dad wants to see you. He thought it would be a good idea if I were the one to come and get you." She glanced back out into the hallway momentarily. Her eyelid twitched. Eden was in no place to barter or ask questions, but he was also fed up with secrets.
"I know that you like to lie to me, but can you tell me the truth this time? What's going on?" he asked. He tried his best to keep his voice even and calm. No reason existed; or, at least no real reason that he knew of, to yell at his mom. "How are you involved in all of this, and why is dad back in town, and what is he doing?"
More questions sat on the tip of his tongue, but he was afraid to keep talking, otherwise he might start to cry despite his best efforts.
"You don't understand," said his mom. "It wasn't meant to turn out this way. Things are happening faster than I thought they would." She shifted her legs and leaned forward. "You have to understand, I didn't know who he was when we met. All this time. The rumors—I know you know there were some—they're all true. He's killed, and he'll keep doing it unless we do what he says." Her bottom lip was visibly trembling. "So, he wants to see you. We should go."
"What are you talking about," asked Eden. He shook his head rapidly. "If what you're saying is true, we need to stop doing what he says. We should escape." His mom shook her head and used the wall to steady herself as she stood up.
"Oh, sweetie, it's too late for that." She repressed a sob. "I wouldn't have done it, but I love your dad. I've always loved him, and that's been my curse. We've got to do it. There's really no choice." Her eyes turned from the hallway to Eden. "He wants to see you. We really better be going." She stepped into the open doorway.
"I thought you loved me too," said Eden. He stood up and walked toward her. Her back was still to him, and her hand slid down the wooden frame.
It took a moment, but she finally said, "Of course, I love you." Eden knew what she meant. He pushed past her and looked for a way out. He saw a staircase at the far end of the hallway. He started running but was jerked back from behind.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," said the sheriff. His large hand was wrapped around Eden's right arm. Eden turned, prying himself from the sheriff's grip, his fist raised, but he stopped. They weren't alone in the hallway. Dustin, Anna, both Veres girls, and Principal Bolt were chained together at the opposite end. All of them were bound, gagged, and lying on the floor. They were all alive and looking at Eden, the sheriff, and Felicia.
"Dustin,” said Eden. The sheriff picked him up and threw him over his shoulder. "Dustin, what's going on?" Dustin couldn't respond, but his eyes said more than words could. He was pale and bruised, or maybe it was the shadows. "What's going on?" repeated Eden, more to himself than anyone else.
"Your friends are fine, for now, so shut up," said the sheriff. "In fact, they've been well fed and cared for while being here." He laughed and carried Eden up the stairs. Felicia followed, staring at the ground as she did so. The sheriff opened the door once they got to the top and placed Eden on a small brown rug. They were standing in the living room of the cabin.
"You see what happens when you're too nosy?" Eden looked across the living room into the kitchen. Ms. Kozi was staring at him, a smug look on her face. She was holding a long knife in one hand and a skinned carrot in the other. "Happy to see me? You know, you were always my favorite student." She placed the carrot on the countertop and chopped off the end.
"I never liked you, and you can go to Hell," said Eden.
Ms. Kozi dropped her knife and laughed. She smiled her wide smile and rolled up her sleeves. The bruises and cuts were sickening. "I'm already there," she said.
Someone coughed and Eden turned to see Sammy sitting on the couch; the cashier was wearing handcuffs and he was staring at the empty chair across from him. "Sammy? How're you?" asked Eden.
A voice from somewhere inside the kitchen said, "Don't answer that." It was unmistakably Eden's dad. Melvin walked into the living room; he held a silver pistol in his hand. Ms. Kozi began chopping the carrot again as Eden's dad made his way across the room.
"What in the world is going on?" asked Eden. He was getting sick of hearing himself ask the same question over and over again.
"Just sit down on the couch," said Melvin; he sat down on the vacant chair. Eden sat down next to Sammy knowing that he couldn't do anything else. "Do you like Fracture?" asked his dad. The question seemed strange, but it was easy enough to answer.
"Actually, I hate it," said Eden. "But, something tells me you already knew that." He was staring intently at his dad, trying to read his face. His features were immobile; his eyes appeared dry, red, and cracked. He was staring just as intently back at Eden.
"You're right. I know you hate it." The pistol rested on his knee and wobbled from side to side pointing this way and that. "We can go back to how things were before, if you'd like," he said. A red flash, almost too quick to see, crossed both his eyes.
Eden couldn't believe his ears. "How is that possible? We can never go back to how things were." He shook his head. "Why would I even want to go back to how things were now that I know you and mom are crazy?"
Melvin half smiled, seeming to ignore the insult. "We can always go back to how things were," he said, shaking his pistol. "I've done it before."
Eden eyed the weapon and said, meeting his dad's eyes, "When did you become a psychopath? Were you always this way, and I was just too blind to see it, or is it new?"
Melvin sniffed, rolled his head from one side to the other, and said, "It all happened when you were born." He smiled. "Before that, I was normal, like you."
Eden stood up. "Go to Hell!" he yelled. His mom made a strange squeaking sound from next to the basement door. A thumping noise came from somewhere down below. The sheriff quietly returned to the basement staircase.
"You've got quite the mouth on you now. When did that start? No. Don't answer." Melvin crossed his legs and set his right elbow on the armrest. "Do you want to hear why you're here and why I'm here?" he asked.
"Yes," said Eden.
"Then sit back down," said Melvin. Eden slowly sat on the couch and waited for his dad to elaborate. Melvin placed his pistol on the side table next to his chair. A metallic clanging sound from the kitchen broke the relative silence that had fallen. Everyone jumped. Ms. Kozi momentarily came into view from behind the kitchen wall holding a pot before disappearing again. Melvin started to speak as though nothing had happened. It sounded rehearsed.
"When I was arrested back in July I was taken to the local jail. My coworkers weren't surprised to see me; they knew I'd end up on the other side of the bars eventually. Funny thing is, some of them should have been there with me. Anyway, I was placed in a cell with another prisoner. We waited in silence for most of the night while the officers avoided doing anything else with us.
"Of course, that's when I escaped and made my way to Fracture. Don't look surprised. I had help from the inside. Like I said, some of those officers were lucky to not be in my situation. So, when I came here, and yes, I knew this is where your mom would take you, I fixed up the old cabin, this old cabin, where I grew up."
Melvin flashed a smile and placed his hands together on his lap. When Eden didn't say anything, he continued with his story.
"I wanted to see you, but I needed to get your mom to come around first. She wasn't happy with me after all. I can't say that I blame her; she had her reasons. What she forgot, though, is what a charming man I am. But, now I'm rambling." He leaned forward. "I met your mother on the day she brought you here. We had a late-night picnic in your front yard, just like old times. She saw then that she had rushed into her decision to leave me."
"If that's true, why didn't you come see me?" asked Eden.
Melvin smiled again. "You haven't been listening. I wanted to see you, but I couldn't see you. Your mom agreed that she would
try to work things out with me, but we knew it would be best if you didn't know. We'd already put you through enough. I never said sorry for hitting you before I was arrested. I'm sorry."
"If you're sorry, why have you been kidnapping my friends and avoiding me?" Eden felt like crying but he was resolute that he wouldn't, not in front of his dad. None of this made any sense to him.
"I've been protecting you. You may not see it, but you will, given enough time. I saved you from associating with… lesser people. Not that I blame you. You didn't know the trash that exists in these mountains."
"Protecting me?" scoffed Eden. "What about the woman in the field? You're the one who I saw that night. Were you protecting me then too?" he asked. Sammy coughed again and cleared his throat but stopped when Melvin looked at him. The room was filling with the smells of dinner. Some type of meat, Eden thought.
"I waited until you saw. Your mom sent you out on purpose. She knew it was best if you saw what had happened. You're friend Dustin however, was not supposed to see. I had to get the sheriff involved, or rather, I had to take care of the sheriff and have him replaced." said Melvin, glancing toward the basement door. The sheriff had not returned.
Melvin looked back at Eden. "The woman you mentioned was a nobody. Some young thing unfit to be your teacher. I don't even know her name. She was new in the city, being held in my cell next to mine overnight so she could sleep off a nasty evening of partying.
"She must've been celebrating her new job prospects out here. Unluckily for her, she had seen me escape, and I had to take care of her. So, no, that wasn't to protect you, but, it was to show you how far I'd go to be near you. Besides, don't you like your new teacher?" He glanced toward the kitchen.
"You're sick," said Eden.
Melvin nodded. "You're not the first to notice. What you see as sickness now will change to admiration later. I promise you that."
"But why did you do it? Why are you doing this?" asked Eden.
"I already told you. I wanted to be near you. You're the reason I do anything."
"But that doesn't explain anything," said Eden. "You could've just come and lived in the house with us if you only wanted to be near me. If you needed to run away from the law."
