“That moment we’ve been preparing for… Well it’s here!” Skeeter ran through the kitchen, his tennis shoes screeching across the linoleum floor. I turned up the volume on the police scanner, fixed the antenna a bit to get rid of the static distorting the dispatcher’s words, leaned down, folded my arms on the cabinet and listened the best I could.

“Shhhhhhh!” I turned back to him. His eyes wide, he was nearly jumping up and down. I couldn’t tell if it was from the excitement of finally getting to try out our newest invention or if it was from the X-citement we’d been cooking up in the basement.

“Yeah little brother, they’re coming alright.” I figured they were still a good ten minutes away seeing as they had to find our exact location. That’s one reason we chose to move out here in the middle of nowhere. What’s that old saying? “If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” Well…if nobody can see us, are we really here? Made sense to me.

I waved my hands in front of my face and laughed at Skeeter. “You can’t see me!” He started to do the same but stopped to pick a scab on his cheek and became distracted when it started to bleed.

“Flip the switch, dummy!” I yelled, realizing time was running out. He looked as if he just won an Oscar. “Me? You’re letting me do it?” His tone was now a little emotional. Annoyed, I pushed him out of the way and did it myself.

The house began to shake as the curtains of grass and greenery covered the home, concealing us from law enforcement. It rattled and clanked and then it began to grind to a halt. Our cover was blown, literally! The gear froze and left the top part of our lab exposed.

“Freeze… Get down on the ground! Put your hands behind your head….And for goodness sakes boy, wipe that white powder off your nose!”

With my face pressed down against the floor, I struggled to turn my head to look in Skeeter’s direction. “You just had to have a window in your room.” The lonely window allowed the breach.

The crisp morning air and clear blue skies invited me outdoors to have my first meal of the day.

I sat down on one of the many rocks that multiplied up the hill. My ear buds poured out the golden oldies giving me a feeling of peace. 

Facetime – interrupted my vibe. “Hey.” I answered. “I miss you.” His voice made me cringe just a little, the sight of him, more. 

I needed the time away, but technology wouldn’t let me get too far. “Same.” I wondered if he could see the lie on my face. “Pan around, let me take a gander at the beautiful landscaping of Utah.” His voice was full of energy. 

I glared back into the camera. “I can do you one better.” I stood up, sat my breakfast down, leaned my phone against a stone and let him peer out across the land. “Jenipher.” I stood out of view, arms crossed with my legs nervously bouncing. “I’m still here.” I said from a distance. But for how long, I wasn’t sure.

I turned my attention to the home below when I heard the screen door slide across the metal track. My stomach knotted up with decisions, definitely not butterflies. 

“Hey Jenipher, my grandmother wants you to bring her dish back inside. That’s an artifact, decades old, made by the Pech Indians in Honduras, not a cereal bowl!” My newest friend laughed at me. I felt my face flush with embarrassment. 

“Who was that? Who was that?” My phone’s speaker crackled from the loud tone of voice my husband now implemented. “Who was that man?” I hurriedly grabbed my phone, it slipped back  through my shaking hands, landing face down. My screen broke into a spiderweb of lines. “Ben, I’m sorry!” I could no longer see him, but I could hear the key unlock the cabinet door. “Ben!” My tears warmed the chill that now froze my blank face.

The sounds on the other side were exceedingly familiar. He threatened this so many times before. I didn’t think he would actually…………………… SILENCE filled the air.

 

The dogs barking echoed through the cold morning air. The Hoovers awoke to find little Sally Lynn missing. She was only three years old, with the blondest, curliest hair you could imagine. Her eyes a sky blue.

There were no signs of forced entry, authorities tore the house apart but there was nothing leading to her where abouts. The only thing concrete were footprints in the snow. 

Her mother, wrapped up in an afghan refused to let the search team go at it alone. Her husband, close by, his hand tightly intwined with hers. He whispered as the dogs sped across the wooden bridge. “There’s no way she’s in that frozen pond.” His words causing Sally’s mother to fall to her knees. He quickly lifted her back up. The lead detective gave him a scowl. “Mrs. Hoover, we are doing everything we can. There is no reason to believe Sally is in the water. We just want to be thorough in our efforts.”

The closest neighbor, nearly a mile away, no one seen or heard anything.

Mrs. Hoover’s freezing red face turned an abrupt pale, stopping the officers in their tracks as they called for the dogs to halt.

She reared back and with an abundance of force smacked Paul Hoover across the face, screaming at the top of her lungs. “What did you do to my baby?” The couple had only been married for about a year. The suspicion was there for all of us, and a mother’s intuition is usually the biggest clue to be found. 

It wasn’t long before cell phone pings and cameras gave way to Paul Hoover’s secret.

Mrs. Hoover had been sick with the flu and in the bed for nearly three days. Paul’s urge for a drink pushed him to take little Sally Lynn to the local bar, leaving her unattended in his truck for what he believed would be just a moment. The already subzero temperatures dropped. Paul’s minutes turned to hours as Sally Lynn shook and froze in her car seat that he so caringly put her in. 

He confessed, though his crime would have found him out when the spring thaw revealed her location. 

 

“You have to throw the rock if you want to be part of our group!” We hid behind the concrete wall that separated the landscaping from the walkway in front of the peer.

I was new to the area and of course I wanted to be part of the in crowd, or so I thought. I should have known better, two fellas named Harvey and Clayton. They had to be no good.

“Let’s go, Harv. This guy is not meant to be a member of the H.H.H.” Clayton said to his minion when I didn’t immediately take the stone I was offered.

Maybe they were right. What is a Hypnotic, Hype Heathen, anyway? That’s what they called themselves. They continued to whisper their cruelties, nudging me from side to side with their frail little shoulders.

“Take it, doofus.” Harvey pressed it closer to my face. We all stood up. I took a step back, offended by his breath.

I knew what they were asking me to do but the little stained-glass home reminded me of how my grandfather, a glassmaker, put so much time and love into pieces such as these. I presumed this house was a bit of a metaphor maybe, reminding us that everyone’s dwelling is stained whether you throw rocks near it or not. An encouragement for people to be mindful of casting judgement on others as they walked in droves near the waters edge, taking a thought of purity back to their abodes.

Harvey and Clayton thought it would be funny for a rock to fly crashing through the colors, a righteous initiation to their club. I, on the other hand realized how childish this was.

Harvey moved in closer, invading more of my personal space. I struck him with a powerful elbow to the chest, putting my weight into the blow. He tripped and fell, jumping up, red faced with his fists balled. We tussled onto the asphalt, tangled in an embrace of anger. I gave him one final push. His arms waved violently in the air as he tried to keep his balance. His feet caught up beneath him. He fell towards the glass house. I quickly grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him back up. We made eye contact as Clayton hurled the rock through the tiny structure.

The metal cuffs were cold as they fastened around my wrists. I didn’t notice the policeman close by as Harvey and Clayton bolted off.

As the new kid, I realized I would never fit in here.

I ran as fast as my feet would allow, rounding the corner into the lonely alley a few blocks from my home. Out of breath from my abrupt journey, I stumbled forward, bracing myself for impact with the brick wall. My heart was beating strong, giving a clue that it was still present though I felt like it had been ripped out a few times this week.

I was so tired.

I turned my back to the structure, slid down to the ground, bent my knees, and then wrapped my arms around them. I held tightly to my own hands. 

I was alone. 

My head fell forward as the tears began to flow. I was in the midst of my own personal storm. The thunder was frightening, and the lightning gave way to truths that hide in the dark.

I was scared.

I couldn’t prevent the thoughts that entered my mind, I could only try to make it through the hours ahead and hope that tomorrow would be more realistic for me. I could usually decipher whether the dark, gloomy sadness was a reason to grieve or …… if the excess energy should be carried out to the tune of a blissful event, something over the top, maybe. But today I was unable to know the difference.

I was confused.

No one would look for me because I only mattered when I was needed. I was good at being useful, worrying about everything and everyone. Lately, I felt as big as the tiny ant I noticed walking across the stones. The thought of the insect’s strength refueled a bit of my hope. I pulled myself up by the concrete flower bed, pricking my finger in the process. I pressed firmly on its tip, allowing a drop of blood to exit the torn skin. A subtle hint of mental relief appeared in the form of pain.

I exhaled.

I would survive this roller coaster, yet again.

 

A Wing and a Prayer

“The python should never be here and the birds, they should have left long before now.” I could barely hear Phillip over the ski mobile’s roaring engine as we trekked through the deep snow. The rumble from underneath the drift gave clue to its slithering path. “Do you think it’s still here?” I leaned up putting my mouth close to his ear. He turned his goggle covered face towards me and nodded.

I wasn’t too worried about the birds, but the snake reared its mighty head and then dove back under the cold as if it were gliding through the tropics. We caught him on our wildlife cam. His head large and bumpy, covered by a dark green silk skin. I had never seen anything like this. It took less than five minutes for us to jump into our gear and head out. The mighty snake was still travelling when we reached the beginning point of its journey. I suspected it to be at least forty feet in length and possibly a foot in diameter.

“Let’s go back! What is it we intend to do, anyways?” Phillip ignored my pleas and continued to follow the serpent’s belly marks which halted directly under the frozen tree.

“It’s stopped.” Phillip turned off the snow mobile but the echo from underneath the accumulation was still quite piercing. “Phillip, it’s moving around us, listen.” We could see the circular pattern blocking us in. “We have to get out of here.” He shouted. The vehicle couldn’t escape the round drifts the animal made, moving forwards, and then sliding backwards into the trunk of the tree. We were stuck! “We must climb to the top of that tree or we’re his!” Phillip pushed me on.

We dug our boots into the ice-covered bark as the snake raised up nearly eye level to us. He hissed and moaned then curled up at the bottom of the tree, laying there at peace, guarding his prey.

“What are we going to do?” I blamed Phillip for his unwise hastiness. “Pray.” He faithfully spoke. I was a believer, so what better way to end my journey here on earth. There was no escaping this. I closed my eyes.

“Look!” Phillip pointed. “The birds are coming back.” Each member of the flock grasped our coat threads with their small beaks and in unison delivered us back to our home. We agreed, they must be angels.

 

“I told him Oscar the grouch was hiding behind the tree on the other side of the bridge. Oscar the grouch was his favorite.” She spoke of her younger brother. The courtroom was dead silent. I couldn’t believe they allowed seven-year-old Grippy Alms to take the stand. Dark circles engulfed her little eyes, she picked at the skin around her fingernails and kept her head down the entire time. She somehow managed to answer each one of their harrowing questions.

With the heavy wooden doors shut tightly, one could still hear the child advocacy groups protesting in front of the building. “Free Grippy Alms, the truth must be told.” I could feel my stomach turning flips. The judge ordered no one in or out once this thing began so I chewed another orange antacid and braced for more of her testimony.

“Grippy.” The prosecuting attorney moved in closer, blocking the child’s view of her now only living relative. She referred to her as “Nanna.”

“Sweetheart, what happened after you tricked Motley to follow you?”

“Objection!” The defense spoke. “Your honor, terms of endearment trigger young Grippy.” 

“It’s okay. I like Mr. Egley.” The girl whispered.

Egley turned around to face the audience. “See, she likes me.” 

“Do you love Oscar the grouch, Mr. Egley?” Grippy giggled. The prosecuting attorney bellowed out a loud “No!” He stumbled backwards while pulling the white handkerchief from his expensive coat pocket to dab the sweat from his forehead.

“I want to go home, Nanna.” Crocodile tears ran down the tiny girl’s face, littering her pink dress as they fell from her chin. Her grandmother whimpered trying to hold back her heartbreak. “I’m sorry!” Grippy repeated. “I was trying to save Motley from Mommy and Daddy.” Laughter then escaped from her lips as she tried to keep them tightly shut.

The judge hit his gavel. “Who allowed this child to testify? This is over with. Guards!” He called for Grippy to be removed from his courtroom.

A displeased onlooker was immediately found in contempt, unable to control themselves. “But she put him in a trash can!” It’s true there’s two sides to every story but evil is a book of its own.

I was out of breath when I kneeled in the foot tall grass trying to regain my composure. Justin sat down next to me and sprawled his legs out, creating a space for his duffle bag. He struggled to unzip it. His face was covered in soot, I figured mine was too, so I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand. “Are you okay?” I questioned his strength when he fell backwards and closed his eyes. He didn’t answer me. I took his bag and retrieved the water he was trying to get. “Save me some.” I could faintly hear his voice. The sound of emergency vehicles travelled all the way to our location. “Do you think they’ll find us?” I was a little concerned.

“I doubt it.” He was never totally honest with me, attempting to minimize my anxiety though it seldom worked. I only trusted him sometimes and others; never. Once rehydrated, we both sat with our knees pulled up under our chins. “Wow.” I whispered. The city was a magnificent amber. The pellets of burning dust appeared brightly against the dark night sky. I was sure it was raining gold. Some of the buildings succumbed to the fire, others stood more masculine and immovable. The tiny hairs on my arms stood at attention above the chill bumps on my fair skin.

“This is what you wanted, isn’t it?” He stood up, reaching his hand out to help me to an upright position. “Yes, it is.” I didn’t know what else to say. I wanted to thank him, but words couldn’t express my gratitude. Our fingers entwined as we walked closer to the deliberate, newfound, earthly hell. “What about here? Is this close enough?” I nodded in agreeance.

He retrieved my canvas and paints. “Create, my love, create.” My desire was to capture the uncanny. He gave that to me.

Sit down!” I reached up and grabbed Amelia by her hand. She jerked away from me and held her arms high up into the night sky, bellowing out a scream of excitement. She was beautiful, the way her hair blew in the wind covering her eyes. She delicately wiped the strands of gold from her face. She stumbled just a bit. I pulled her down next to me and insisted she never do that again.

We were now centered at the top, looking out over the city, glorifying in its magnificence. The blue and pink neon lights never died; this Ferris Wheel ran all year long except for Christmas Day.

“You wouldn’t care if I fell a million feet.” She laid her head over on my uniform and sobbed. “The only place I want you to fall is more in love with me.” I held her close hoping she could hear me over the loud music that played in the streets.

She turned her worried expression towards me, her baby blues now full of tears. “If that’s what you wanted, you wouldn’t have left me.” I didn’t want to admit that I knew what she meant by that, but rumors spread like wildfire, and I wasn’t oblivious to the mill.

“Part of it’s true.” She revealed, knowing my thoughts from years of companionship. I could feel my stomach move up to my throat as I slid away from her, any truth she could offer would have a lasting impact on our lives. “Which part?” I courageously asked. Cowardly ways disappeared with my enrollment.

She sat up straight with confidence signifying the woman she had become. “I spent some time with Ryan Tilley but I never betrayed you.” She didn’t blink, stared straight at me. Relief poured over me. I believed what she was saying.

She gently put my hand over her navy silk dress, pressing it against her belly. “You’re going to have a son.” I swallowed hard, fist pumping the air and then planting the longest, most passionate kiss on her ruby red lips.

“Our future is the reason I joined. I never meant to hurt you.” The ride stopped abruptly, the operator opened the door so we could disembark. I led her closer to the waters edge, the tiny rippling waves gave me a feeling of euphoria, confirming my split second decision. I dropped down on one knee and became the man I so desperately searched for.

I walked through the ravine amid the towering rock slopes that held both sides of “no man’s land” at bay. “I knew this was coming.” I adjusted my earbuds so I could hear Brody better.

“I wish I was there.” He sighed and paused our conversation. “I’m here and I promised to always be your eyes.” I panned my camera around, holding it still so he could get a good look at the amber colored sky before the earth dipped and spun around on its axis, leaving us in the dark.

Brody fell from a thirty-foot balcony last year during an astronomy lecture. He’s now paralyzed from the waist down, prognosis: unknown.

“Show me the floor!” He wanted revelation of the glassy, black smut that covered the once boat traveled river.

The weeklong heat funnels that escaped the walls of the treacherous, calenture causing gardens brought forth a phenomenon unexplainable by anyone, except, maybe Brody. His studies disclosed that once this magnificent temperature change reversed, it would bring forth a hades type underworld.

“Brody, you know I can’t do that. You theorized the irreversible damage to one’s soul should he view what’s beneath.”  He pretended to cry. “I was wrong. We must witness it!” He begged.

I retrieved a small mirror from my backpack, placing it so my device could record the reflection of the underworld. I filmed for about three minutes; our eyes remained shut.

“Let’s watch the footage!” We spoke simultaneously. 

Featureless gray colored human shapes swam to the brink of the black liquid filled abyss. Their five fingered mitts pressed and beat against the clear cover, trying to push their way out of the void. Oblong mouths covered the largest portion of their faces, white egg-shaped circles appeared where eyes should’ve been, there was nothing else.

Imaginary screams pierced my ears as they bellowed from below. The creatures gurgled incoherently, responding to the horror they now lived in. I spoke my visions to Brody as I watched them unfold.

“Run! The valley of death is against you!” He screamed. 

Once I was out of the tunnel, he began to laugh. “What?” I yelled into the phone, breathless and confused. “All I could see was dark colored ground. You are suffering from optical illusions, thanks to the gases brought on by atmospheric change.” He pulled out his composition book and jotted a few things down. “Put on the mask I sent with you. Your troubles will diminish.”