“Larry!” he hollered when he realized this had to be it. His voice echoed back to him from the storefronts.
The radio hanging from his belt crackled, and he heard Larry’s voice. “I’m coming, Gabe. What’s going on in there?”
He felt a little silly that he hadn’t thought to use his radio. He detached it and hit the button. “I think I saw it! That ghost thing you were telling me about.”
Larry whooped into the radio. “You saw him? Is he moving around?”
“Yeah, it was moving, all right!”
“He’s something, isn’t he?” A moment later, he heard Larry running into the mall as fast as his old legs could carry him. “Where’s he at?” he called out from across the plaza.
“I think it’s gone.” Gabe was surprised to find he was actually disappointed.
“Yeah, that fella doesn’t hang out here for very long. I’m just glad you got a chance to see him.”
Gabe was almost dazed by the experience. He kept looking around hoping he would catch another glimpse of the creature before the night was over.
“You’re not going to run out on me now, are you?” Larry asked as he placed his hand on Gabe’s shoulder and gave him a shake.
A smile stretched across Gabe’s face. This time, he was the one with twinkling eyes. “What, are you kidding? That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. I want to be here next month to check this out again.”
“Ha! I knew it! As soon as I saw you, I knew you could handle it. Glad to have you aboard, kid.”
When Gabe came home that evening, he burst through the bedroom door so fast, the horseshoe spun around the doorknob and fell to the floor. “Val, wake up!” he shouted as he turned on the light. “Guess what I saw at work.”
Valerie rolled over and blinked as she tried to adjust her eyes to the light. She wasn’t sure whether to be angry or concerned. “What?”
“Remember what I said a while back about the mall being haunted?” he asked as he undressed and threw his uniform into a pile on the floor. It only took Valerie a moment to recall it, but that was longer than Gabe could wait. “You remember, right? That story Larry was telling me. The one where I thought he was pulling my leg.”
“Yeah, what about it?”
“It’s true! I saw it myself.”
Mookie stood up from where she was sleeping at the foot of the bed and jumped off. She approached his uniform carefully and sniffed it. The fur on her back stood up, and she ran out of the room. Valerie looked after her curiously, but Gabe hardly noticed. He was too busy telling the story of what had happened that night under the full moon.
“That’s just weird,” Valerie said when he was finished. “It was probably that stray cat again. That’s why Mookie’s mad at you right now.”
“I told you, it wasn’t a cat. I don’t know what it was, but it definitely was not a cat. I’m going to wait until next month to see if it happens again.”
“Ugh! Next month. I don’t even want to think about it. I just want this job to be over.” She rolled over on her side and bunched the covers under her chin.
“It won’t be over until we get those bills paid off. That’s going to take longer than a month, I’m afraid.” He turned out the light and got into bed beside her. He tried to sleep, but after so much excitement, his brain refused to shut down. He lay there for hours before sleep finally took over.
~*~
It had been a month since Gabe had seen the mysterious creature running through the Desert Fashion Hub. This time, he didn’t forget about the full moon but had the date circled on his calendar in bold, black marker. He arrived at work with a new-found enthusiasm that Larry noticed as soon as he saw him crossing the parking lot. “Looking forward to our visitor, I see,” he shouted from the entrance.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Gabe shouted back.
The two men entered the mall together, but Gabe stopped as soon as they reached the plaza. Larry stood beside him and gave him a moment to soak it all in. “Doesn’t even look like the same place, does it?”
“What happened?”
“Looks like the tree trimmers came in yesterday. I don’t think they’ve done this since the place opened ten years ago. At least, they haven’t as long as I’ve been here. God knows, the trees could use a trim, but the place sure looks bare.”
Gabe walked down one of the concrete paths and stood on the back of a turtle etched in the middle while he gazed at what was left of the trees. Their main limbs were shortened and bare. The smaller limbs were reduced to nubs. They no longer created a canopy over the plaza but were little more than large, twisted sticks rising up out of the planters. “This looks horrible,” he said.
“Yeah, it’s not too pretty right now. But they’ll grow back,” Larry assured him.
“But what about our ghost?”
“What about him?”
“With the trees all bare like this, he won’t have anywhere to hide. Do you think he’ll come out?”
Larry looked around. “I don’t see why not. We still got the bushes and flowers for him.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Gabe continued to the patio and looked up at the sky through the opening. He had an unhindered view of the stars, and the edge of the moon was just beginning to creep into the picture. The light shined through at an angle and landed on the patio floor just to one side of the Kokopelli. It created a perfect octagonal spotlight unbroken by the tree limbs that usually hovered over the top.
“So, do you want to take the plaza or the parking lot?” Larry asked him.
“Maybe you should take the plaza. You missed this last month.”
“All right, then. I’ll let you know if I see anything.”
Gabe returned to the parking lot and wandered around the outside of the mall for as long as he could before curiosity brought him back to the plaza. He had only been gone half an hour. He stopped at the soda machine under the pretense that he wanted a drink while keeping an eye out for Larry. He showed up within a minute, shining his flashlight on Gabe as he approached.
“Anything going on yet?” Gabe asked him.
“No, not yet. The moon’s still got a ways to go before it’s shining overhead. It’ll probably be eleven, twelve o’clock before that happens.”
“Make sure you call me as soon as he comes.”
Gabe took his can of soda to the parking lot to finish it then spent the next hour and a half fighting the urge to go back. He finally gave in and returned around mid-shift. Larry was expecting him and met him at the entrance.
“I was hoping you’d get here pretty quick,” Larry said.
“Why?”
“The energy’s starting to build up under the patio.”
“I thought you said it wouldn’t happen until later.”
“It won’t. The moon’s still not right. It needs to shine straight on that Indian guy. But something’s going on under that patio.”
Gabe went to the patio to see for himself. The moonlight covered the entire Kokopelli, but it wasn’t centered. The edge of it barely cleared his arched back. But just as Larry had said, the energy was already building up. He had to stand very still and concentrate to feel it, but it was definitely there.
“It’s a little strange,” Larry said as he joined Gabe under the patio. “I don’t usually feel it this early, and it doesn’t usually creep up this slow. It all happens kind of quick-like.”
Gabe looked up. “The trees. They’re not blocking the moonlight.”
“Nope, not tonight.”
“Maybe that’s why there’s more energy.”
“Could be.”
The men stood there for a while and tried to read the energy as it passed through them. It was like listening to music playing in the far distance. They could detect there was a melody, but it was too weak to follow.
“Do you think I should go back to the parking lot?” Gabe asked after a minute or so.
Larry sighed and gave it some thought. “Why don’t you make another round or two, you
know, just to make sure nothing’s going on? Then come back so we can both stay here and wait for this thing. I’m telling you, there’s something different about this night, and I don’t want either one of us missing it.”
Gabe hurried out to the parking lot and made another quick round, but unless something had jumped out at him, he wouldn’t have noticed it. His mind was on getting back to the plaza. When he returned, he found Larry sitting on a bench right above an etched deer on the path. “Did I miss anything?” he asked as he sat down next to him.
“Not yet,” Larry said.
The men sat quietly waiting for something to happen. They heard a few crickets chirping, and once in a while, one would leap through the bushes and startle them. When they realized it wasn’t their ghost, they both laughed nervously then waited again for the real show.
“Do you feel that?” Larry asked after a while.
“What?” Gabe concentrated on the space around him to see what Larry was talking about. “Yeah, there it is. Just like under the patio.”
“Right. But it’s all the way out here.”
As they concentrated on the energy in the air, the miniscule melody began to take shape. They could feel it under their skin, then it coursed through their pulse. There was no sound, but the feeling lifted their spirits as though it was coming from a live band. The music was alive and living through them. The men began to laugh at each other as the melody made them want to get up and dance, but neither of them was brave enough to be the first.
When the melody had become so strong they were no longer certain whether they were feeling it or hearing it, something moved under the patio. Gabe and Larry jumped up immediately and backed away to the outer edge of the plaza. This time, they could see the creature.
The Kokopelli stood under a moon beam spotlight, a large elderly-looking Native American man with a hunched back, dark, wild hair and eyes to match. He noticed the men, then he looked right into Gabe. A mischievous smile spread across his face just before he placed his long, slender flute to his lips and began to play. The tune was audible this time, loud and playful. And he leapt and danced to it with the energy and agility of a young child.
Slowly, the animals that were etched into the surface of the concrete paths began to rise from the ground and take on more color and shape. There was a bear, snake, deer, and turtle, each of them about the same size as the Kokopelli. They took a moment to shake their heads and stretch their limbs. Then they began to dance wildly under the moonlight to the Kokopelli’s tune. The bear stood up on his hind legs and pranced, the snake slithered in frenzied patterns, the deer leapt into the air and the turtle spun in circles.
Larry and Gabe knew they had every reason to be scared, but neither man could convince himself to run. They were entranced by the spectacle that was playing out before them and couldn’t imagine leaving before it was finished. Even when the Kokopelli jumped out from under the patio and began to dance toward them, all they could feel was excitement. Before they knew it, the he was dancing right in front of them and reaching out for Gabe’s hand.
Gabe didn’t hesitate to take it even though his practical mind was screaming that this was insane. He followed the Kokopelli back to the center of the plaza where he released his hand and the animals gathered around to dance with him. Gabe partnered with the bear first, who picked him up and twirled him. Then he and the deer took turns leaping over the snake as it serpentined across the ground. Finally, they all skipped circles around the turtle until they were dizzy and fell to the ground.
Gabe laughed hysterically like he hadn’t done in years, and when he was finally able to sit up and catch his breath again, he realized the creatures were gone. The only sounds left in the plaza were his heavy breathing and Larry whooping and hollering as he ran to him.
“Did you see that? Did you see that!” he shouted and shook Gabe’s shoulders.
“Are you kidding? Didn’t you see me over here dancing with them? Why didn’t you come with me?”
“Oh no,” he said grinning widely. “That was for you, kid. Didn’t you see the way that Indian was looking at you? That was your dance.”
Gabe stood up and wiped the dirt from his pants. “Nah, why would it be just my dance? You were here, too.”
“Yeah, but I’m here every month, and he’s never done anything like that for me. He wanted you.”
They talked about it for the rest of their shift, but that still wasn’t enough for Gabe. When he came home that evening, he ran into the bedroom and practically jumped on the bed next to Valerie. “Val, you’ll never guess what happened!”
Valerie and Mookie both jumped up at the sudden jolt. Mookie gave Gabe’s pant leg one sniff, then she arched her back and ran out of the room hissing.
“What the…?” Valerie looked from Gabe to the cat, confused. “What’s wrong with you?” she snapped at him.
“Nothing’s wrong. It was the best night of my life!”
“You mean that ghost?”
“Yeah, the ghost.”
“You are absolutely nuts, do you know that?”
“Wait until I tell you about it.” Gabe stood up from the bed and began reenacting the whole scene in the middle of their bedroom. Valerie’s expression changed throughout the story from anger, to interest, to bewilderment. She had never known her husband to act this way before. When he was finished, he returned to the bed breathing heavily from all his excitement.
“That sounds…interesting,” was all she could think to say.
“Interesting?”
She nodded her head.
“Oh, come on, Valerie! It was more than interesting. It was incredible!” He wrapped his arms around her and began kissing her neck playfully, knowing full well how ticklish she was there.
Valerie laughed and squealed while making a half-hearted effort to push him away. Before long, the two of them were rolling in the sheets together and didn’t fall to sleep until nearly sunrise.
~*~
Two months later, Larry patrolled the Desert Fashion Hub alone. He had just lost another partner to the ghost in the plaza, who he now understood to be the Kokopelli. The creature’s monthly appearance had become a full-blown gala ever since the trees were trimmed and allowed the full moon to shine unobstructed onto his image. Larry had witnessed the dance with three different partners since that first night, but Gabe was the only one who had ever been invited to join in. The other two just watched from the edge of the plaza until it was over then headed right for the main office where they applied for reassignment. Larry wasn’t sure, but he thought he had seen a wet spot on the last guy’s trousers.
Gabe wasn’t the least bit afraid. He was the first and only partner to appreciate the mall for what it was. It was his wife who made him leave. Gabe said she was worried that what had happened that night was somehow dangerous. Larry suspected she might have thought he was going crazy. The last he heard, Gabe had been reassigned to an office complex across town.
As Larry circled the inside of the mall, he heard footsteps echoing from one of the entrances. He wasn’t expecting anyone, so his pulse raced as he shined his flashlight in that direction. “Who’s there?” he shouted. But before the visitor could answer, Larry had already recognized his face. “Gabe!”
“Hey, Larry! How’s it going?”
The men shook hands and Larry gave Gabe a slap on the back. “It’s going good. I didn’t expect to see you here again.”
“Well, I took the night off just so I could come by and give you some news.”
“What’s that?”
“Valerie and I are expecting a baby. And, well…” Gabe felt a little silly even suggesting it, “we think it might have happened right after that night with the Kokopelli. ”
“Is that right? See, I told you that dance was for you. Didn’t I tell you?”
Gabe laughed. If anyone would take him seriously, it would be Larry. “Yeah, I guess you were right.”
“I know I am. Here, let me buy you a drink. How
about a root beer?”
“Sure. Sounds good.”
The men drank root beer and spent the rest of the evening talking about their night with the Kokopelli. Just before Larry’s shift was over, Gabe reached into his pocket and took out the horseshoe that had been hanging on his bedroom door. “I don’t think I’m going to need this anymore,” he said and tossed it into a nearby planter. As soon as it hit the dirt, the wind picked up slightly and carried a faint melody through the air. It was the song of the Kokopelli.
Copyright 2010 by Lachlan David
Lachlan David is a native of California who currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona. He has been writing for his personal entertainment for many years and is excited to take on the challenge of writing for publication. He blogs at Hypercube Fiction.
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TARZAN AT THE EARTH’S CORPS
by Walt Staples
“One normally sees what one expects.”
—H.P. Lovecraft
There was a pop and the small blue-green cloud of smoke wafting up from the coffee maker told Gunnery Sergeant Sid Graywacke it was going to be one of those days. The empty Irish Breakfast Tea container exhibited his daughter Ann’s touch. The full case of empty Dr. Pepper bottles showed there would be no joy in that direction.
He tip-toed out the door so as not to wake Maggie, his wife of twenty-something years. If he was a bear without his morning caffeine, she tended to be more of a tiger—all 40 kilos of her. He wasn’t overly surprised at the idea. Her Moro tribesmen ancestors were noted for being rather “frisky” on occasion. He climbed onto his bike and began pedaling. For the umpteenth time, he fantasized about an electric job, but the battalion medical officer, Commander Obsidian, was on the warpath over his weight.
Maybe someone at the office would foul up and he’d get to work off his sour mood. Probably not, he decided. Quantico’s Base Security Detachment was a pretty squared away bunch. On the whole, he admitted, he liked it that way.
As he pedaled, he brought up the day’s schedule on the bike’s display. He scanned down it and said a Marine word. A congressional junket was to be in Area 14 at 13:00. So much for his cup of coffee at the office. He’d have to dump the bike and head out there to make sure nothing hazardous to politicians was in the area.
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