Fridays are for fiction here at bkI, and we are leading off with a story by fellow unknown and old friend Christopher A. Helton.
Chris grew up in Bryan, TX and now resides in Houston, coaches high school soccer, and teaches social studies. He attended Texas A&M university and is married with a 4 year old son. He has been writing since the age of 11 and has written 2 feature length screenplays, 1 novel, and numerous short stories.
Now sit back, partake of you favorite recreational substance, and prepare to travel to the wrong place at the wrong time and become the monster you really are.
No Strings Attached
by Christopher A. HeltonThunder rumbled in the distance as the storm brewed on the darkening horizon. Gusts of wind blew dry leaves across the barren road. The smell of moisture in the air hung in his nostrils like cheap aftershave. The surrounding grasslands looked unnaturally green in the weakening sunlight. The city was still a good ten miles away. He would need to find shelter soon, but he’d never had much luck with hitchhiking.
Shoving his hands in the pockets of his faded blue jeans, JD quickened his pace. Gravel crunched under heavy boots while his dark hair blew in his face. All he could do was keep walking and try to find shelter once he got to the city.
Cars constantly sped by him and it got to the point where he didn’t even notice as they passed. He didn’t blame them, for he wouldn’t even pick himself up, looking the way he did, like a bum who slept on a park bench with more than a day’s worth of stubble darkening his face.
He used to care about his looks. There was a time, not so long ago when he cared about many things, but that part of him was now buried deep in a soul poisoned with cynicism and bitterness. He’d once thought that what he did could make a difference, but over time he was hit by the realization it didn’t matter what he did; he was merely a cog in a system where conformity is the rule. To go against the system is to go against human nature.
People have been programmed to accept this is a fact of life.
Society was becoming a cesspool of pop culture garbage ruled the likes of Microsoft, Coke, Disney, and by a well oiled political machine run by those whose only interest was staying in power. He used to have faith in the system, faith in his country. Faith in himself.
The road to becoming a cynic is long and bumpy, but once it’s run its course, there is no turning back. There is no such thing as a reformed cynic. Just ask Ambrose Bierce, old gringo himself.
JD had turned his back to everyone he cared for, opting for the life of a lonely drifter. Behind his hard looks and cold blue eyes were the remnants a conscience that was balled up in a far corner of his mind, making it easier to live with himself without being bothered with the shame and guilt of what he’d left behind. Every now and then it would come out of hibernation to painfully remind him of what he’d done, but it could be drowned out easily with enough tequila and cheap beer.
To say his life didn’t have direction would be an understatement. He was in uncharted seas without a compass. He was moving through life like a piece of driftwood in choppy waters, seemingly on the universal quest of searching for purpose in life. He once believed there was a reason for everything, that life really did have a purpose. Now all he saw were people being led through life like sheep, becoming increasingly passive, being told how to live their lives; that it was normal to work at some monotonous job for 30 years, get a shitty pension, and then die of either heart disease or cancer before you can enjoy it. That was never going to be his life. He would make damn sure of that.
But there was something else about him. Something he didn’t have control over. There was a darkness that lived under the surface of his soul that no one knew about. A darkness that even he had come to fear.
Lightning struck, much closer this time in a nearby cornfield. In a matter of seconds he smelled nature’s version of instant pop corn, burnt though it was it only reminded him of the hunger burning in his belly. The rain started soon after. Not the warm, gentle summer showers, but heavy, cold rain drops that felt as if he were being pelted by a BB gun. It didn’t take long for him to be soaked head to toe, with the rain showing no sign of letting up.
His pulled his denim jacket tighter, the coldness seeping into his bones. He didn’t even hear the approaching car slow down behind him until he turned to see a blue Chevy Impala pull up parallel to him.
His eyes narrowed instinctively before he realized this was a chance to get his weary body out of the rain. He approached the rust tinged car cautiously and peered into the passenger window, catching a glimpse of his rugged, wet reflection.
The window hummed down and he found himself staring into the rosy face of a blonde haired beauty with round blue eyes, smiling cheerfully. Standing in the rain, he found comfort in those eyes.
“Where ya headed?” she asked while smacking on bubble gum. Sitting there in her cutoff shorts and tight fitting tank top, she looked at the most, 18 years old.
The moment his eyes wandered down her perky breasts and smooth thighs he should have used his better judgment and walked away. But one of the advantages of not having an active conscience was being able to ignore the warning bells going off in his head.
He smiled politely back at her. “To the city. Actually, the first phone I come to will be just fine.”
A bolt of lightning struck nearby, the thunder cracking loudly less than a second later. Heavier rain drops began pelting the car.
Her eyes never left his. “You wanna ride?” Her accent was unmistakably East Texan. “It’s getting’ pretty nasty out there.”
JD looked up at the sky, the raindrops feeling like tiny needles striking his face. He said, “What the hell,” and wiped rain off his face before he opened the passenger door. He hesitated before sitting down.
“Don’t worry about the seat. It’ll dry up later.” She looked him over with prying eyes. “You a cowboy?”
He shook his head as he settled in the seat. The inside of the car smelled of cigarettes mixed with a strong perfume; something cheap like you could buy at a Wal-Mart. “No, I’m not a cowboy.”
She continued to study his face for a few minutes, making sure she’d made a wise decision in picking up a hitchhiker. “Well, I don’t know what it is, but there’s something mysterious about you.”
JD tried to avoid catching glances at the shorts that rode high on her legs and kept his eyes staring out the window as the rainfall increased.
She turned her head. “I’m Melissa Ray, but my friends call me Misty, in case you wuz wonderin’.”
He smiled politely as he humored her. “I’m JD and I don’t have any friends.”
“I’m sorry.”
He shrugged. “Don’t be. It’s my choice.”
“Don’t you ever get lonely, not having anyone to talk to?”
JD sighed. “Not really. Ninety percent of what people talk about it is bullshit anyway, so I’m not missing out on much.”
She doesn’t catch the hint. “What happened to your car?”
“I sold it.”
“Oh.” His answer caught her off guard. “So where you from, JD?”
“Here and there.”
She giggled and toyed with her golden locks as if thinking about something. “You sure are secretive, aren’t you? Come on, tell me a little about yourself.” Her tone was playful, as if they were longtime friends.
“You always ask this many questions when you pick up hitchhikers?”
Her eyes locked on his again. “You’re the first one I ever picked up.”
He turned towards her. “You can’t be serious.”
“Honest. I don’t know what came over me. I just saw you out here all alone and it just felt right.”
He grinned. “It just felt right, huh? Well, Misty, I’m grateful for your hospitality.”
“You seem to be real easy to talk to, you know that?” Her eyes again left the road to smile at him.
There was just something about those eyes that made her irresistible. Something mature and seductive. It had been awhile since a woman had looked at him with such intensity.
After several minutes of silence, she gave him a coy look. “So JD, you in a hurry?”
He shrugged, not knowing what she meant until she turned off the highway and continued for several miles on a farm road until they came to an empty church parking lot. She turned the car off and turned to him.Without saying a word her hand went to his thigh as she moved in to kiss him with those full ruby lips. As they kissed for several minutes his body urged him to go for it, but something deep inside him stirred his usually dormant conscience to awaken abruptly.
“I…” He was losing himself in the moment.She put a finger on him mouth. “Shhh….don’t say anything.”
As they continued to kiss he felt himself losing control while his hands moved over her the warm skin of her back. She smiled as her hands moved to unbutton his damp shirt. “We’ve got to get you out of these wet clothes.”
When he closed his eyes and swallowed hard, his conscience got a second wind and gave one last effort to stop the lust that was taking over his body.
Breathing heavily he asked, “How old are you, sweetheart?”
Blushing, she replied, “I’ll be 17 in two months.”
“Jesus!”
She sat back in the driver’s seat. Disappointed, like a puppy in a pet store. “You don’t like me?”
JD cursed himself under his breath. “That has nothing to do with it.”
“I won’t tell no one. I promise.” Sincerity in her voice.
He shook his head. “I’m sure you won’t.”
It was hard to stomach what he’d almost done. Had he actually fallen this low? What the hell was the matter with him?
He took a deep breath. “Look, I can’t do this.” His hand went to open the door.
She put a hand on top of his. Those eyes pleading with him. “Please don’t go.”
He stared back at her silently, trying his best to see her as a kid instead of a temptress. He now saw pain and scars behind her pretty face with too much make-up. Seeing this new side of her made him uncomfortable and he wasn’t sure how to deal with it.
“I…I just thought you liked me.”
“I’m sure there are plenty of boys your age interested in you.” His eyes moved to the window. The rain continued to fall heavily and showed no sign of letting up. His conscience urged him to step out of the car and suffer a cold rather than meddle in some strange girl’s life.
He sighed. “I better go.”
“Come on, let me make it up to you.” She noticed his apprehension and giggled. “Nothing like that, I promise.”
He blushed and released the door handle. “What do you have in mind?”
She started the car. “I could cook you a nice warm meal. Give your clothes a chance to dry, and let this storm blow over.”
He returned her smile. “That’d be great.”
The heavy downpour continued as she drove passed a country store with a single gas pump and through a rural neighborhood with the homes on half acre lots. Some were trailers, others had a house in front with a trailer in the back. Many had junk cars wasting away in dirt driveways sitting on cement blocks, waiting to be worked on. Clotheslines loosely hung out the back of many of the homes with fresh drops of water waiting to drip to the ground. A few well kept houses were sprinkled here and there with freshly mowed lawns and picket fences.
They drove passed a group of young boys playing in the rain wearing only their rolled up blue jeans. An old man sat on the porch, staring at the rain from his rocker with lonely eyes. His dry, wrinkled face turned towards the car, and for a brief moment made eye contact with JD.
The road curved and Misty pulled into the driveway of the last house on the block. JD still wasn’t sure what he was doing there but the lure of a warm meal was too much to resist.
Misty led him to the front door. The lawn full of weeds and overgrown grass, a rusted bicycle on its side, and dead flowers lining the walkway. A rotting brown wood fence enclosed the back yard.
Once inside she told him to wait in the entrance way while she took a pile of laundry off the couch and into another room. He noticed her smell lingered on him alluringly. Family photos lined the front hallway. Most were pictures of Misty, two brothers, and her mom. He didn’t see a dad in any of them. His eyes moved to her older brother’s football photos, standing proudly with his clean uniform and freshly shaven face; the all-American kid.
Misty appeared at his side. “That’s my older brother, Drew. Some football player, let me tell ya. Did you know he made first team all-district last year as a safety?” She blushed. “Of course you wouldn’t, not being from around here and all.”
The way she stared at the photos made him uncomfortable. “We miss him a lot.”
“Where is he?”
Her eyes glistened. “He died about three months ago. There was a fight in the parking lot after one of his games. Drew tried to break it up. He was always like that, trying to be the hero. Someone pulled a knife.”
Her fingers traced a picture of Drew and her at the beach, taken a few years earlier. She wiped her tears and glanced at JD. “You hungry?”
JD shrugged. “Sure.”
“Make yourself comfortable in the living room. Turn the TV on if you want. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need anything.”
“I don’t want you to go to any trouble. Trust me, I’m not worth it.”
Her eyes narrowed playfully. “There you go again. Now I brought you here, you might as well eat.”
Before she turned to the kitchen, she said, “How rude of me. You’re standing there in those wet clothes. Drew has a shirt you can wear while I put yours in the dryer.”
She disappeared into a bedroom and reappeared holding a maroon Texas A&M University shirt. “He always wanted to go to college there,” she said. “It’s funny. I can still smell him on these clothes.”Her eyes moistened again, her body trembled. JD hesitated before wrapping his arms around her and holding her against him tightly. He closed his eyes and tried his best to push all impure thoughts about her out of his mind. She sobbed as he held her, cherishing the companionship that he offered. He held her for several minutes, taking in her scent, and warmth. Her body pressing against his. She looked up at him, wiping her face. “I’m sorry. You must really think I’m silly for acting like this.” She lowered her face. JD touched her cheek and raised her chin.
“Don’t be. It’s okay.”
“You better get out of that shirt before you catch a cold,” she said.
JD untucked his shirt and undid the buttons before pulling it over his head. She took the wet shirt from him and handed him the t-shirt. Her eyes moved down his chest suggestively before looking away. Her hands ran up his chest gently while she played with his rifts of hair. JD knew he could only hold back the lust between them a while longer. She seemed so vulnerable, yet so seductive. And he was only a man, a lonely one at that who needed to feel a woman next to him. The chemistry between them was undeniable. He told himself it would be consensual and…
Wait. What the hell was he doing? He took her hands in his, taking a step back from her and took a deep breath. If he didn’t do something about it, the situation would soon be out of his control.
Misty’s cheeks were flushed. “Whoa. What was that?”
JD glanced at her. “Uh, I’m not sure, but I think you’re about to get me in some serious trouble.”
She put her hands in the back pockets of her shorts. “You look like the kind of fellow who can handle a little trouble.”
JD put the t-shirt on and looked at himself in the mirror. It fit snugly on his lean body. “This isn’t the type of trouble I’m looking for.”
Misty sighed. “You’re a decent man, JD. Not many like you left, especially ‘round here.”
He looked at himself in the mirror again. That was a first.
*****JD sat on the couch in the living room staring at the blank television screen. Scattered pieces of laundry were on the floor, and filled ash trays were on the coffee table next to empty coke cans. The room smelled like cigarettes and dirty socks. Stacks of Reader’s Digest lined the bottom of a dust bookshelf next to an incomplete set of worn encyclopedias.
Misty turned on a radio in the kitchen while she prepared dinner, an old Waylan Jennings song played. “Let’s go to Lucenboch, Texas, with Waylon, Willie, and the boys…”
JD’s conscience still battled over his intentions with Misty. He turned on the television to get his mind off of her. He began to flip through the channels one by one…commercial, commercial, news, commercial, sports, news, MTV, sports, commercials. He wasn’t looking for anything in particular to watch, and the flipping almost became hypnotic. It reminded him of the life he’d left behind. Many sleepless nights sitting on the couch, just mindlessly flipping, as if his brain were attached to the screen. He would later refer to it as the great brain drain. Television was the mind control of the 20th century, with each generation being more and more dependent on it. It has become the shrine that every family worships and pays daily tribute.The more commercials he saw, the faster he flipped. Soon the images on the screen flashed before him at a mind numbing rate. He wanted to stop but his thumb kept pressing the button like an involuntary muscle. Just find one channel or turn the damn thing off! He refused to sit through a commercial. He wasn’t interested in buying a car or going to a movie. He didn’t want to buy a pair of $150 sneakers just because some athlete has his name on them. He was tired of living in a consumer based society where to be a good citizen means you must buy, buy, buy. It never ends. Everything is prepackaged and mass marketed to such an extreme that eventually you become a mindless zombie wandering through grocery store aisles only buying the name brand items you’ve seen advertised five hundred times.
He closed his eyes and turned the television off with a heavy sigh. Could TV really make a person go insane? It should be used for either educational or entertainment purposes only, not as a cure for insomniacs or obsessive compulsive behavior, or as a tool for corporate giants.
JD sat on the couch for several minutes, staring at the blank television screen, wondering why he’d come here. Trying to live like a drifter, he led his life like tumbleweed, going where the wind took him. The question on his mind was why he’d been brought here.
The front door opened and a young boy, maybe ten years old stepped inside. He shook the water out of this blonde hair and tossed his backpack next to the door. Misty greeted him with a hug. “Hey, Andy, how was school?”Andy saw JD sitting comfortably on the couch and frowned. “Who’s he?”
Misty smiled at JD and turned to her little brother. “This is my friend, JD, he’s going to have dinner with us.”
Andy stood in the hallway, not sure what to think of this stranger in his living room. “Did mom say it was okay?”
“She’s working the late shift tonight and won’t be back ‘til the morning.”
Andy stared at JD. “Isn’t that one of Drew’s shirts?”
JD stared at the floor uncomfortably. He felt he’d walked into a sensitive domestic situation and had the urge to run out the door and never look back.
“JD’s clothes got wet in the rain so I let him borrow one of Drew’s old shirts.”
Andy didn’t approve and eyed JD suspiciously. “So what are you cooking?”
“Your favorite, spaghetti.”
“Try not to burn the noodles this time.” Andy stomped down the hall to his room and slammed the door behind him.
Misty blushed and gave JD an embarrassed smile.
JD felt even more out of place now, as if he were violating the routine of a dysfunctional family. He didn’t belong here and felt the awkwardness of his presence in the house.
“Don’t mind him. He hasn’t been the same since Drew died. None of us have really, but it seemed to affect Andy the most.” Sadness in her eyes now. “He doesn’t have any friends. All he does anymore is go to his room and play video games.”JD felt he was being involuntarily pulled into a situation he didn’t want to be in. The less he knew about these people the better. But he already knew too much. He could still walk away now with nothing to lose, but a part of him wanted to stay; curiosity perhaps, or was it just the lure of a home cooked meal? Probably a little of both. But if he stayed he risked an emotional attachment he wanted no part of. If he was to stay he would have to abide by certain rules: don’t ask questions, just smile politely and wait for dinner.
Misty went back into the kitchen and JD found himself alone in the living room. She said from the kitchen, “If you want to, see if he’ll let you play with him.”Reluctantly, JD stood up and walked down the hallway. He knocked once on the door and stood there with his hands in his pockets. A few seconds later, the door cracked open and Andy stared at him with narrow eyes. “What do you want?”
Why did this kid make him so nervous? Was it that he feared the kid could see right through his shallow demeanor? “I, uh, was wondering what games you have?”
Andy glanced down the hallway to see if his sister was coming before opening the door. “I have Mortal Combat, Twisted Metal, and a couple of racing games. You ever play any of them?”
JD nodded slowly. “A long time ago.”
“I have an extra remote if you want to join in.”
“Sure, why not.”
Ten year boys can makes friends with anyone. The minute JD agreed to play, Andy’s eyes lit up and he smiled as if his long search for a companion had ended.
JD listened as Andy gave him detailed instructions on how to play each game and how to use the controller properly.
Once they started playing, JD was able to relax for a while and just enjoy the moment. In the middle of a game, Andy surprised him by suddenly asking, “So you’re Misty’s new boyfriend?”
JD chuckled. “No, I’m not her boyfriend.”
Andy frowned. “Why not? I can tell she likes you.”
Choosing his words carefully. “Well, I just met her, and I don’t live around here.”
“Where are you from?”
“Here and there, different places,” JD replied, quickly losing interest in the game.
“So why are you here?”
JD grinned. “You’re a lot like your sister, you know that?”
Andy looked at him. “You never answered my question.”
“I’m not sure why I’m here, Andy.”
Misty set the table and poured iced tea into the glasses while Andy and JD washed their hands in the kitchen sink. Misty had taken JD’s shirt out of the dryer and given it back to him. JD felt the warmth of the freshly dried shirt against his skin. A quick glance out the window told him the rain had stopped and bits of sunlight were making their way through the dark clouds. After dinner he’d be back on the road once again.
An awkward silence lingered in the air during dinner. JD took his time eating the meal. He couldn’t remember last time he’d eaten a home cooked meal and he wanted to cherish every last bite.
“Would you like some wine or a beer?” Misty offered.
JD raised an eyebrow that made her blush and play with her hair.
“My momma has some in the fridge if you want.”
“No thanks.” He wiped his mouth with a napkin. “This really is a delicious meal. Thank you again for having me over.”
With her fork, Misty played with her food. “So, did you two have a good time playing games?”
JD winked at Andy who smiled. “We sure did.”
Andy hungrily ate his food. “When are you going to come over again, JD?” His cheerfulness and enthusiasm made JD all the guiltier.
JD glanced quickly at Misty who lowered her eyes. “I’m not sure, kiddo.”
“Momma told me if I was good at school and bring my grades up, she’ll get me a new game for my birthday.”
“You still have a lot of work to do then,” Misty teased.
JD grinned and took a sip of tea. This was just your average family, trying to make it through life the best they can. Dealing with a recent tragedy had taken its toll on them. All they really needed was someone to listen to them. JD was pleased with himself for providing them temporary comfort. That was the reason he’d been looking for the entire afternoon. That was why he’d ended up here of all places. For the first time in a while, JD felt satisfied with himself, like he’d actually done something useful.
The sound of gravel crunching in the driveway and a motor turning off made him glance out the kitchen window. Three guys, late teens hopped out of a white Ford pick-up truck and began walking to the front door with heavy footsteps.
A glint of fear in Misty’s eyes told him those guys weren’t welcome guests. They knocked loudly on the front door. Andy lowered his eyes and set his fork down, and Misty turned to JD. “I’ll be right back.”
Wiping his mouth with a napkin, JD watched her leave the kitchen. Loud, obnoxious voices came in when she opened the front door. Misty tried to block their path, but they rudely brushed passed her and invited themselves inside.
Misty said, “Now’s not a good time.”
“Now’s as good a time as any,” one said in a husky voice.
“Something sure smells good. I didn’t know she was going to cook for us,” another one said.
“You need to leave,” she told them.
“That’s no way to treat guests,” said the third.
Entering the kitchen ahead of Misty, JD got his first glimpse of the three guys. Two of them were large, corn fed country boys with thick necks with their stomachs rolling over the front of their blue jeans. The other one, Bo, had a thin waist but muscular upper body and steroid enhanced biceps that bulged in his tight fitting shirt.
One of the big guys, Cole, walked to the refrigerator and took out three beers. He handed them to Bo and Rusty, the other big guy. Cole popped his open and took a large sip.
They immediately sized up JD before Bo said, “You going to introduce us to your new friend?”Misty gave JD a regretful glance. “Bo, you guys need to leave. I’ll call you later.”
Bo, with the huge biceps, stuck a finger in the spaghetti sauce and licked his finger. Grinning, he turned to JD with his thick country boy accent. “Now that’s some good sauce. When she puts her mind to it, Misty’s a hell of a cook. What’d you say your name was?”
“I didn’t,” JD bluntly.
He was immediately met by hard, cold stares. “Where did you find this one, Misty, down by the Goodwill store?” Bo said. “Or was it the St. Vincent DePaul’s?”
His two friends laughed loudly.
“Stop being such an asshole, Bo,” Misty replied.
“As a friend of your brother’s, Drew would be so disappointed in you for not inviting us to sit down with ya’ll.” Bo took a seat at the head of the table. “I’ll tell you what, you come over here and sit on Bo-daddy’s lap so we can take care of some unfinished business, then we’ll leave. I promise.” A sinister glint reflected off the blackness of his eyes.
His unflinching arrogance reminded JD of dozens of guys he’d met over the years; ill-mannered with nasty dispositions. The kind of guys who would provoke you until it was difficult to walk away from them.
Bo’s eyes met JD’s. “You have a problem with something, buddy?”
JD leveled his gaze. “Not yet I don’t.”
With a toothy grin, Bo said, “Boys, we got ourselves a Lone Ranger here. Or is he just Tonto?” Bo picked up JD’s glass and put his fingers inside to grab an ice cube. He set the glass down and grinned at JD while he crunched on the ice loudly.
Misty glanced from JD to Andy then back to JD. Fear settled in her baby blue eyes. The kind of fear he wanted no part of. But in that moment when their eyes met, he knew where the pain behind those eyes came from. The muscles in his stomach tightened.
“Bo, just come back later okay?”
“Why, so you can finish up with Shaggy here? I don’t want his sloppy seconds. No telling where this boy’s been.”
JD felt he was being pulled into one of those situations he tried to avoid. There was only one way out of it. His face reddened as he spoke. “Misty, I appreciate your hospitality, but I think it’d be best if I left.” Misty’s eyes pleaded with him, and Andy’s silence grew louder.
JD stood up but two big hands planted on his shoulders pushed him back into his chair. “Where do you think you’re going, Shaggy?” Rusty asked.
“Come on guys. I’m trying to walk away,” JD said. Reasoning with them did about as much good as hitting your head against a brick wall. But they were mistaken if it was fear they smelled from him. He wasn’t scared, indifferent maybe, but not scared. He didn’t know Misty well enough to take a beating for her. Maybe Bo was just a jealous boyfriend. Maybe she had led Bo on the same way she’d tried to seduce him earlier. Or maybe…what? Again, the pain and fear in her eyes disturbed him. He tried to push that last thought from his mind. The last thing he needed was a reason to get more involved.
“No, he stays,” Bo said.
“If you won’t leave, then I’m calling the cops.” Misty stood up and picked up the phone.
Bo grabbed her wrist and tore the phone from her grip. “Now why are you goin’ to do a thing like that? We have no problem here. We’s just sittin’ here talkin’.”He tightened his grip on her wrist. She yelled, “Let me go!”
JD’s muscles tightened in his neck, and Rusty applied more pressure on his shoulders.
Bo forced her on to his lap and began fondling her in familiar places. “Such a little whorish cocktease!”“No!” she screamed.
Bo held her tightly and grinned. “I think she likes it. Let’s see what else she likes.”
JD closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. “Let her go!”
Cole smashed JD in the jaw with his large fist. A stream of blood dripped from his mouth the floor. He tried shaking the cobwebs from his head.
“You trying to be her hero, Shaggy?” Bo asked. “Let me tell you something about this little whore. She ain’t even worth it or the five dollars she charges at the truck stop for hand jobs.”
JD tried to lash out but Cole immediately slammed his face into the table, smearing sauce in his face and breaking the plate. JD slumped over and fell to the floor in a pile of food, broken glass, blood, and humiliation. Rusty delivered several fierce kicks to his ribs and face. The room was now blurry and spinning.
“You had enough yet, boy? We’ll beat the fight out of you for damn sure!” Rusty said.
Bo grinned at JD. “You better look out for old Rusty there. He’s liable to mistake you for one of his daddy’s farm animals. Ain’t that right, Rusty?”
“Fuck you, man! You know I ain’t like that!”
Cole laughed as he finished his beer. “Yeah, come on, Bo. Everyone knows Rusty is picky when it comes to farm animals. He primarily like sheep.”
“Fuck you guys!” Rusty’s face reddened in embarrassment.
Misty looked down at JD. “Stop, leave him alone! He didn’t do anything!”
JD tried to open his eyes but the pain was tremendous. He saw the back door and attempted to crawl towards it.
Misty clawed at Bo with her long fingernails, raking them across his face and breaking the skin.
“Fucking bitch!” Bo punched her with a closed fist in the mouth, bloodying her lip.
Bo felt the blood on his cheek and pursed his lip as he contemplated his next move. “Take that pile of shit in the backyard.”“What about him?” Rusty said, referring to Andy, sitting there frightened at the table.
“Take him outside too,” Bo said.
“What are you going to do?” Cole asked.
“Never mind that. Just do it!”
Cole dragged JD out the back door and dropped him in a bloody pile in the mud and wet grass. Rusty slung Andy over his broad shoulders and carried him outside. They locked the door once they were back inside and turned their attention to Misty.
Bo looked at her, his dark eyes filling with lust. “Now then, darlin’ where were we?”
****
It’s funny how quickly things can begin to spin wildly out of control. One minute you’re eating spaghetti, and the next someone has their boot in your ear. JD felt himself veering near the edge of a cliff that was all too familiar to him. He swore he’d never return to that point, but there he was, once again, peering over the edge, into the darkness.
JD slowly tried to open his eyes but the swelling in one had nearly closed it. He touched the cut and felt the warm blood on his dirty hands. His ribs ached and he felt as if he’d been used as a punching bag. He carefully sat up in the poorly sodded, rain soaked lawn. Pain was the only thing holding back his anger at the moment.
Andy sat near him, rocking back and forth, poking a stick in the wet ground.
“Who are those guys?”Andy replied without looking at him. “They played football with Drew.”
JD glanced at the back window. He couldn’t see what was happening inside. He probably didn’t want to know.
“How often do they stop by?”
“Once a week.”
“And what do they do?” JD asked, wiping the blood off his nose.
“Whatever they want.” Andy began stabbing the dirt with his stick until it broke. Then he sat there and made fists with the dirt, tears streaming down his face. “They usually leave me out here. They told me they’d hurt Misty real bad if I ever told anyone.”
At that moment the screams began from inside the house. The kind of violent bone chilling screams that echo in your mind afterwards. When he closed his eyes, JD could only imagine the horrible things they were doing to her. Misty’s screams continued at a regular interval for what seemed like an eternity.
JD tried to block the noise from his mind because walking away would be so much easier if there was silence coming from the house. He didn’t want to think about what they were doing to her in there. Screams like that were only reserved for the most savage and brutal of acts against man, woman, or child.
He stood up, dusting himself off with every intention of getting the hell out of there. He didn’t know these people, they didn’t know him. As he started to walk towards the wooden gate leading out of the back yard, the screams grew more guttural. He closed his eyes and told himself he could live with himself if he walked away. It might be hard at first, but it would eventually fade away, like so many of his other memories. He’d made a habit of walking away from his problems, never having to confront his demons face to face.
Just go, run now. Don’t look back. That’s why he left everything behind to begin with. So he wouldn’t have to get involved. That’s the way he wanted his life, with no strings attached. He could come and go as he pleased with nothing to tie him down.
He reached the gate and pulled it open. Don’t do it, don’t you turn around. Keep walking. You know what will happen if you look back.He wasn’t sure why he did it, but he turned and saw Andy, sitting in the dirt, staring at JD from across the yard with his red eyes. It wasn’t sadness or fear that JD saw, but disappointment in Andy’s eyes. Disappointment that went to JD’s heart and down to the pit of his stomach.
JD took a deep breath and knew those eyes would stay with him forever. Goddamnit! Why the hell did you have to turn around? Andy with those disappointed eyes. Misty with the pain in her eyes that should have been innocence. More screams, followed by hollering.
JD glanced from Andy to the house to back to Andy. He squeezed his eyes closed and shut the gate. The pain in his swollen eye hurt like hell, but the adrenaline now flowing through his blood eased the pain. His rubbed his bruised jaw and looked up at the overcast sky. The rain might have stopped but there was still moisture in the air.
A loose board hung limply on the wooden fence with two rusty nails on one end. JD lifted the board, roughly the size of a 4×4, and felt the weight in his hands to get a feel for the splintery piece of wood. Slinging the board over a shoulder he turned to Andy. He dug into his pocket and brought out a five dollar bill. Standing over Andy, he tossed him the money.
“Take a walk. Buy yourself a Coke or something. If you find a phone, call an ambulance.” That’s all he said.
Andy held the bill and squinted at JD in the dwindling sunlight. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to speak but no words came out. Disappointment was replaced by appreciation. Ten-year-old boys don’t bullshit with you. They tell you how it is, even if it’s with a facial expression.
“They usually lock the door, but there’s an extra key under the mat.” Andy hesitated before opening the back door of the fence, the wind blowing hair across his tear streaked face.
“Go on now,” JD told him.
“JD?”
“Yes?”
Andy stared silently.
“It’s going to be okay, kiddo. I promise.”
Once Andy disappeared from view, JD looked at the house and took a deep breath. As he took the long walk to the back door, wet leaves under his heavy boots, thoughts raced into his mind. What the hell are you about to get yourself into? The image of Andy’s face, filled with disappointment burned into his memory. He recalled seeing Misty for the first time in the pouring rain on the side of the highway. She had wanted to please him so badly, but why? Why had she really brought him to the house?
It came to him in a moment of clarity. Sonofabitch! Why hadn’t you seen it earlier. There was a reason for everything. JD had stopped believing in coincidences a long time ago. It seemed to him that all things were part of a larger plan in which you rarely got to see the end result.
The back door loomed closer. A question remained: Would he get to see the end result of this?
When he stepped on the back porch, he found the extra key just where Andy said it’d be. Muffled sounds coming from inside. They must have covered her mouth, getting tired of her screams.
He put the key in the door and turned the handle…
The sun hung low in the quickly approaching dusk. The storm had moved elsewhere so only a few scattered clouds lined the orange and blue sunset. The smell of moisture remained in the air, giving off a feeling of renewal as if the world had been temporarily cleansed.
JD walked south, knowing he’d eventually get to the city. He stopped at a ditch and washed the blood from his hands. Violent images of what he’d done flashed forth into his mind. He didn’t want to be reminded of what he was capable of. You killed them all, didn’t you? You didn’t stop until they were all dead. It felt good, didn’t it? To finally have a chance to release all of your anger and hatred of the word that had been bottled up inside you for so long.
He saw himself in the house, swinging the board with the rusty nails wildly. Not stopping until he was sure no one would get up. One guy’s face had nearly been taken off with the nails. Oh Jesus! He bent over and vomited. You only did what you had to do. Don’t forget that.
He saw himself dropping the board and standing, stunned over the three bodies. Misty, scrambling to put her clothes on, tried to speak to him, but he didn’t hear anything. She wanted to embrace him, but he brushed her aside, walked out the front door and didn’t look back.
With the sleeve of his shirt, he wiped the edges of his mouth. An acidic aftertaste lingered on his breath.
A sudden chill ran through his body. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he headed south. Once again down the lonely stretch of highway, a thousand miles from nowhere.
©2003 by Christopher A. Helton
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