by Ford, Mia
“I understand,” I said. “It’s just so hard to move when you feel paralyzed. At times I feel like I can hardly catch my breath.”
Tears welled up in my eyes just then and I felt pain in my chest as if my heart were actually being ripped apart. God, I was in so much pain. When would it stop?
“Stop that,” my mother said. “There is no reason for it. Crying and wallowing in your misery is the biggest waste of time. Right now you need to be happy.”
I looked up at my mother as if she were crazy.
“What the hell do you mean?” I asked.
My mother smiled.
“I mean, when there is something bad going on in your life it’s so easy to react and focus on the negative, but there is a positive outcome to everything. And when we latch onto that positive aspect we grow, we learn, and we become much stronger. That is how the human race has thrived so well.”
I shook my head.
“Wow, how did my mother become the next Aristotle?” I asked with a smile.
My mother laughed and shook her head at me.
“You’ve always been such a smart mouth,” she grinned.
“I know,” I said. “I think I learned it from you.”
“Probably.”
I stood up and placed the ice cream back in the freezer.
“I guess I’ll go to the dance after all,” I said, the sound of defeat hanging in my voice. This was the last thing in the world I wanted to do, but something my mother said clicked with me and I realized it was the best thing for me to do. I needed to give myself permission to forget, for at least one night. It was time to let go and just have a good time with my friends.
I just had to forget that Daniel ever existed.
Chapter Two
Paul
I finished my last set of dumbbell curls, forcing myself to hold that last rep for as long as I could before dropping the weight on the mat on the floor. The burning in my muscles felt good as I paced back and forth shaking my arms out, easing the tension from the muscles.
I grabbed the bottle of water on my coffee table and took a big, deep gulp. It had been a long week, and I was ready to blow off some steam. Getting a good workout in was the best way to unwind after a long day of work and now that I was feeling good and confident I was looking good, I was ready to party.
My name is Paul Henry. I was twenty-eight years old and ready for a fresh start when I moved to Shepherd’s Mills that fall. I’d only been in town for two weeks, but it was long enough to get a feel for the place. Right away my suspicions were confirmed—this place loved Halloween.
I’d always been a huge horror film and novel buff. As a matter of fact I was working on my first horror novel which I hoped to get published. But first I was willing to put the work into making it the best book I possibly could. And it was going to be a long road to get where I wanted to go, but I was confident that I could do it. I just had to put in the work and have the patience. That was all.
I sat my weights aside and rolled up the mat. I’d thought about joining an actual gym a few times, and fitness had always been a priority in my life, but I preferred the solitude of working out at home. Really all you needed was a good set of dumbbells and you could get a great full body workout in the privacy of your own home. I’d been using the same dumbbells for about three years. Fitness didn’t have to be expensive or time consuming.
I strolled into the bathroom, started up the shower to let it get hot, and then removed my clothes. I took the moment to admire my physique. I’m not really a vain guy, but I do take pride in my appearance and I love being fit. I’ve always been pretty athletic and I like to stay in top physical form.
I smiled at my muscular six foot two inch frame. At a hundred and eighty-five pounds I’m muscular without being too bulky, which is pretty much the look I’d always gone for. I probably would have been in even better shape if I didn’t drink so much beer and scarf down so many pizzas.
I stepped into the hot shower and let the heat wash over me. The healing of my sore muscles was about to begin. There were few things in the world more satisfying to me than a very hot shower after working up a good sweat. After a day of work at the factory and then my workout, I had put in some sweaty work.
The end of my first week at a new job was pretty satisfying. I hated the work, but it was a steady job and it seemed to be one of the better paying ones in the area that didn’t require some specialized training or degree. So, for now it was fine. I enjoyed physical work. If I sat too long I started to get really jittery. Even when I was writing I usually had to stand up and do something active after an hour or so. Taking those regular breaks was important.
“It’s tough being the new kid,” I said to myself with a chuckle as I thought about the events of Monday, my first day on the job.
I’d started the job optimistically and went in trying to do good work and make a good impression. I knew nobody in town and that was one of the reasons I chose it. I’d always been pretty outgoing and found it easy to make friends.
Halfway through my first day I realized that I was becoming the butt of some jokes, or “hazing rituals” as the other guys liked to think of it. I’m not the kind of guy who takes disrespect of any sort lying down. I despise bullies and anyone who puts someone else down for no reason. It is the easiest way to seriously piss me off and I’ve been known to have a bad temper from time to time.
Marco, one of the guys in my assembly line decided he wanted to mess with me. I was eating lunch in the cafeteria when Marco comes over surrounded by a few of his buddies. I could already tell that this was not going to be a friendly visit.
“Well, how are you enjoying your first day in our wonderful facility?” Marco asked sarcastically.
I smiled and replied, “Just fine.”
I took a bite of my sandwich and sat it down on the napkin I had laid out.
“Great!” Marco laughed. “Now, that looks like a delicious sandwich. What do we have here? Tuna?”
“Um, yeah,” I said giving him a sarcastic look. Where the hell was he going with this? I had an idea, but I let him have his fun. But I was getting annoyed very quickly.
“Well, it seems you’ve forgotten an ingredient,” Marco said.
He quickly grabbed my sandwich removed the top slice of bread and hocked a nasty loogie into it. Then he replaced the bread and sat it down.
The other guys were laughing hysterically now. Marco stood there with his hands on his hips displaying his machismo and perceived dominance.
Without a moment’s hesitation, I grabbed Marco’s shirt collar and jerked it hard bringing his head along with it very close to my face where I promptly head butted him square between the eyes.
Marco stumbled backwards, an odd, sickening groan escaping his mouth that was equal parts pain and confusion.
But I didn’t stop there.
I was out of my chair in a flash. I quickly grabbed both his legs behind the knee and jerked upwards taking him off his feet. He landed on the hard linoleum floor flat on his back knocking the wind out of him. The back of his head bounced off the floor a couple of times with a few sickening thuds.
I punched Marco twice in the jaw with some heavy right hands. He was almost passing out at this point, but I decided that one last thing needed to be accomplished.
Grabbing my sandwich off the table I aimed and jammed it into Marco’s mouth.
“Come on, eat it!” I said.
Marco tried to resist, spitting and choking on the tuna, but I was not giving up quite yet. This had become rather entertaining for me.
Just then I saw motion out of the corner of my eye. One of the other guys named Jim decided that he had to come to the aid of their fearless leader. Bad idea.
Jim came at me from the side, right hand cocked ready to unleash a haymaker to the side of my head. I stood up easily blocking his right with my left and now I was in perfect position. I stepped into it and brought a hard, right cross slamming into Jim’s eye.
&n
bsp; He went down instantly.
I stood there for a few moments looking at the other guys, just daring them to make a move.
“Come on. Step right up,” I said. “Who wants to be the next contestant?”
The other guys stood there not saying anything, just looking at each other before a few of them began to back up. They did not want any of what their friends just had.
“What the hell is going on?”
The bellowing voice coming down the hall belonged to Rob Andrews, our boss and the man who hired me.
I calmly explained to him what had happened. I didn’t care, even though I knew I was probably going to be fired. Rob ordered me to his office where surprisingly he offered me a drink and started laughing about what had transpired.
“Marco’s always giving the new guys shit,” he said. “I’m glad someone finally stood up to him. The stupid weasel. I would have fired him a long time ago if his dad didn’t own this place.”
“So, his dad will be firing me, then?” I asked.
Rob laughed. “No. Marco would never tell his dad he lost a fight. He’d be too humiliated to tell anyone. It will blow over, but you might be on the lookout for some retaliation from Marco.”
I smiled. Bring it on. The truth is, I have never really feared anyone. Anytime I found myself scared of something, or starting to be scared by someone, I just convinced myself that the fear was useless. Anger was always a much more useful emotion.
Stepping out of the shower, I grabbed my towel and began to dry off. It felt good to get the day’s work off my body and to step out for a fun filled evening.
After my fight with Marco several of the other guys had decided to befriend me, which wasn’t the first time something like that happened in my life. Guys like that were lackeys. They always needed someone to follow. I’d beaten their leader, so I was now leader by default. Except I wasn’t. I’ve never been much of a leader or had any desire to lead anyone. I’ve always enjoyed just marching to my own drum.
But the guys had told me a bit more about the town and especially the sweet Halloween Party that was going on tonight. Apparently, it was the big thing for the town every single year. It made sense, seeing how much of the town’s culture revolved around spooky history and paranormal folklore.
I knew I was going to love it there.
After drying off and combing my hair, I moved into my bedroom and grabbed my costume from the closet. It wasn’t much of a costume, but it would suit me. I’d decided to go as gangster Al Capone. Really all I needed was the one actual suit I had, which I’d worn maybe once, bought special for my grandfather’s funeral two years before.
Added to this I’d picked up a hat and a cane. It was cheesy, but I thought I looked pretty dapper when I was finished getting dressed.
Now, I just had to add the finishing touch, a fake scar I’d bought at the costume store for two dollars.
And now, I was Al Capone.
I chuckled to myself standing there in my gangster suit. I did a few poses trying to look tough like he was.
With that I put on my dress shoes and headed out.
As I drove to the party I couldn’t help wondering how the events of the evening would transpire.
And who I might meet.
I was searching for a fresh start, and that search included a special lady in my life.
I had no idea how special that lady would be.
Chapter Three
Debbie
“Chug it up!”
I joined in on the chant as my friend Greg Bowden chugged the beer trying to drink it faster than our other friend Mark Ryan. Greg had a talent that he could practically swallow an entire beer in one gulp. Mark never had a chance as Greg slammed the empty beer bottle on the table and held up his hands in victory while Mark was struggling to get past the halfway point in his own beer.
I stood up and cheered with my best friend Lara and our friend Tracy who was Greg’s girlfriend. We’d all known each other since at least junior high. And after college I’d come back to town to find the old gang was still the old gang. I’d fit right back in as if I’d never left. Some might consider it sad, but I saw it as a comfort. I was with my best friends who knew me better than anyone. At this point we were like a big extended family. And right now having a strong family in my corner was the best thing for me.
The party was fantastic. It always was, but this year it seemed like the Halloween committee had really outdone themselves. The decorations were better, they had an actual live band this year instead of a DJ, and the crowd was even bigger so the promotional team must have really been hitting it hard this year.
I had to admit I was having fun and I was glad I came. After I was there a while having a blast with my friends and not thinking about ‘what’s his name?’, I was having the time of my life. I was only about two drinks in, but I was feeling just a hint of a buzz working its way in and my whole demeanor was much more relaxed than before. This was a great idea, a great distraction.
But the pain was still there every now and then when I thought about it.
“Wow, that was intense!” Greg yelled before giving his girlfriend a big kiss.
“How many beers have you had tonight?” Tracy asked him.
“I don’t know; I lost count,” Greg joked.
Lara and I glanced at each other and laughed. Lara looked fantastic. She’d gone as a French maid and had the outfit down to the stitch. And she looked hot. My friend Lara was usually more on the reserved and shy side, at least about the way she dressed. Most people would have mistaken her for a librarian and not the freelance photographer she actually was. She had a gift with a camera; somehow she could shoot something in such a way that it made the image really come to life. I admired her artistic talents. And she was a strong business woman because she was always working and her reputation in the area was very strong.
I’d often thought about opening up my own accounting firm, but I wasn’t sure I wanted the hassle of being in charge of everything. As the boss I wouldn’t be doing any real accounting; I’d just be telling everyone else what to do. It sounded like a headache and honestly I loved crunching numbers. I loved balancing spreadsheets. I loved what I did.
Accounting was one of the few things that had kept me sane since I was dumped.
Dumped. Wow, I was still using that word. But what else could one really call it? I’d been dumped.
But I was starting to be ok with it.
“Do you want a drink?” Lara asked.
“Sure,” I replied.
Lara left to get it before I could tell her no alcohol. Oh, well, I’d just drink it very slowly. I wasn’t trying to get sloshed to forget my troubles. That had never really been my thing.
Pigging out on ice cream in front of the TV and getting fat, now that sounded like something I could get into.
“So, you having a good time tonight, Debbie?” Mark asked slumping down in the seat beside me. He appeared genuinely defeated over the beer chugging contest.
He still had some beer trickling down his chin. I laughed and wiped it off before answering him.
“Yeah, I’m having a great time,” I replied.
“Are you planning on doing any dancing tonight? I mean, that outfit is killing. You look amazing and I’ve seen like ten dudes totally checking you out already.”
I grinned with a touch of sarcasm attached to it in the way of an eye roll.
“Then why haven’t any of these mystery men asked me to dance?”
Mark shrugged. “I dunno. Maybe they are shy.”
“This is a party. It’s Halloween. Nobody is who they usually are tonight. Plus there is alcohol flowing. What in the hell do they have to be shy about?”
Mark evaluated my points with a thoughtful expression and a few seconds of silence.
“You got me,” Mark said. “But it happens. Why not take the initiative and ask one of them to dance. Dudes love that.”
I groaned. “No. I’m old fashioned. I am not going to as
k a guy to dance.”
Really I didn’t have any issues with asking a guy to dance. I just didn’t really feel like dancing with anybody. This was a romance free evening for me. I was out of the house. I was having fun. I was hanging with my friends. But my heart was still damaged and any signs of romance or romantic interest (even a dance) might have been enough to trigger the bad feelings I had been holding at bay all evening. It wasn’t worth the risk. No sir, I was just going to hang out for the time being.
Lara returned with our drinks. She’d gotten us both some punch, which of course had been spiked. I tasted the alcohol immediately; I was disappointed, but I went with it.
“What are you guys talking about?” Lara asked.
“I was just asking Debbie why she doesn’t just go ask some dude to dance,” Mark said with a smile.
Jerk. He knew that Lara would totally get into this. I shot him a ‘not cool’ look. He smiled.
“That is an idea,” Lara said. “Why don’t you?”
“I don’t want to,” I replied hoping to end it. “That’s it.”
“I think it would be the best thing for you to start getting back out there,” Lara continued.
Ugh. This was going to be annoying. I was tired of having this conversation with her.
“Look, I don’t really want to get into it,” I replied. “I’m here to have a good time with you guys, not to find the next guy. I’m fine being alone for a while. I actually think it will be good for me.”
“Wrong!” Lara said. “If you let this drive you away from the world then you might as well have stayed home.”
