FARSIGHT
By: Slang
Chapter 4: Stricken
Author's Note: Welcome back Michael Berg. This
chapter has undoubtedly taken longer then intended to write, but this was not
without cause. It is actually two chapters combined, and it goes hand in hand
with the next part which will be out soon. I truly hope that you enjoy all of
it. As always, you can contact me at [email protected]
with any questions, comments or other such things. Until the next time, live
well Michael Berg.
When the heart is cold, there’s no
hope and we know
That I am crippled by all that
you’ve done
Into the Abyss will I run
-David Draiman
A cool breeze pushed its way through
the thick wilderness as nature itself seemed to exhale. The wind was a welcome
change to Josh and AJ as they stepped out from the unbearably hot vehicle and
onto the gravel road. Surrounding the boys was massive extent of forest that
encompassed their current position for miles. In front of them was an old worn
sign that read welcome to
“Man it feels good to be out of the
city.” AJ exclaimed as he took a deep breath of the unusually fresh air.
“Definitely” Josh agreed as he
struggled with his luggage.
Claire hopped out of the driver's
seat and walked towards them while lecturing “Now you boys had better behave
yourself. I don't want any phone calls about some ridiculous stunt this year.”
The two of them laughed as they recalled a rather memorable event from the year
prior. “Seriously, behave. Oh, and have fun too.”
She bent down and kissed Josh on the
forehead.
“Mom,” Josh complained, but she
simply laughed and went over and hugged AJ, who didn't bother to resist.
Claire strolled back to the car and
jumped back in. She waved goodbye and blew her son a kiss, which only made him
blush more. AJ chuckled at Josh. She soon sped away, leaving the friends alone.
Josh was still having difficuilty with his pack.
“You need a hand with that?” AJ
asked while laughing at his friends awkward attempts.
“Nah, I'm good.” Josh claimed as he
finally managed to fit the strained straps of his hefty pack around his
shoulders. “I just got too much junk in here.”
“Did you pack any diapers?” AJ
questioned him as they made their way along the path towards the camp.
“No, I didn't bring any,” Josh
replied, “Might be too risky, with a cabin full of other guys. Why, did you?”
“Nope. Figured I could go a week
without them, and I knew that if you had brought any, you'd be kind enough to
share.” AJ said.
“Well actually...” Josh had started
to say but he quickly held his tongue as they came to an extremely crowded
field. There were people everywhere. The boys peered over the countless heads.
An aging structure at the far end of the space was known as the camp hall,
where the kids ate their meals and did other such activities. A few other
wooden buildings that also appeared to be far past their prime lined the rim of
the field; their purpose was to house the numerous staff and to act as offices.
The camper's cabins could be found on a path that twisted through the forest on
the near left of the hall. The rustic demeanor permitted a very isolated
feeling that could not be replicated by even the most beautiful of mountain
resorts. Josh and AJ were by now familiar with the setting, having been to
The boys carved their own route
through the masses of people. Some faces were completely unrecognizable to them
while others were those of acquaintances from past years. A quick hello was the
only greeting given to these old friends as Josh and AJ had no desire to stop
moving. They knew that if they did so, they would be engulfed in the sea of
people and it would be increasingly difficult to navigate their way to the hall.
Soon they were at the front entranceway.
“Almost lost ya there,” Josh said as
they walked into the building.
“We'll have to be more careful in
the future.” AJ decided and Josh agreed. “Hey, did you see Tim back there?”
“Yeah man, I can't believe he cut
his hair that short!” Josh exclaimed.
The two of them talked away about
Tim and other campers they had just seen. They stood in a surprisingly short
line (considering the number of people outside); waiting for their turn to find
out which cabin they had been assigned to. A short time later, they found
themselves in front of a jovial man named Frank, who had acquired the nickname
Newman due to his similar appearance to the Seinfeld character of the same
name. He was one of the directors at the camp, and he had been their as long as
Josh and AJ could recall.
“Hello boys!” Newman greeted them
gleefully. “How was your year?”
“Oh not bad,” Josh answered for
them. “And yours?”
“Simply wonderful.” He responded as
he fingered his way through a stack of papers. Upon finding a specific sheet,
his face lit up and he acclaimed “There you are!”
His personality was always overly
upbeat. Newman seemed like the type of guy that would get on your nerves, but
sooner or later everybody accepted his constant happiness and appreciated him
for being 'ray of sunlight on a stormy day'; at least that is how Newman might
describe it.
“Are we together?” AJ asked, though
he was almost certain he knew the answer.
“Oh yes,” he said “and in Cabin 18.
You guys must be growing up, how old are you now anyways?”
“Thirteen,” the boys responded
simultaneously.
“Oh, your last year of junior camp.
How exciting. You know I remember my last year of junior. It was marvelous.”
Newman sat back in his chair, caught up in his obviously wonderful memories. It
was a little awkward to be standing their, completely ignore by the man as he
strolled down memory lane. He soon returned to reality, “But no time for
stories now. There's a line behind you two that needs tending to, so if you
don't mind, scat.”
“Fine then,” said Josh feigning a
sense of abandonment. “We'll just be on our way then.”
“See you around!” called Newman's
voice from behind the flock of people now to the rear of Josh and AJ.
“I think that guy's on ecstasy.” AJ
said as he tried to become accustom to the bright sunlight which was
drastically opposite from the dimly-lit building they exited.
“That might explain things.” Josh
reasoned, “But I still say he's an alien.” They both laughed.
Cabin 18 was the farthest one away
from the field. Because of this, it had been considered the most senior cabin,
and it was always inhabited by the oldest campers of that particular year. It
was almost an honour to be placed there, because it meant you were either very
lucky or considered to be mature. Josh and AJ somewhat expected it to be the first
reason in their case, but chose not to complain. The two friends were quite
ecstatic about the whole thing.
They arrived at their cabin and
pushed open the door. Its hinges squealed as it swung forward, allowing light
to flood into the cramped room. Thee bunk beds lined the walls, which seemed to
have been brown at some point but chipping paint and foreign stains and marks
that probably each had their own story left only a collogue of dull colours for
wall covering. On the immediate right was the counselor’s bed, which unlike every
other mattress (save the two that were Josh and AJ's) was empty. This seemed
strange as the counselor was usually there beforehand. Thinking little of it,
the boys tossed their gear on the two remaining beds, which happened to be two
top bunks.
“Guess we got lucky.” Said Josh as
he rolled out his sleeping bag. “I've never been early enough to get a top bunk
before. They're always gone by the time I show up.”
“I know whatcha mean man.” AJ said
as he began to unpack some of his belongings.
The door bust open suddenly, causing
the hinges to let out a shriek of agony. Josh and AJ jumped into the air in
surprise, both of them hitting their heads on the ceiling. Josh soon recovered
at looked towards the sunny entrance. The light revealed the perpetrator of
their alarm, a boy obviously their age with a small build and short hair that
lifted into a row of spikes at the front, almost like a wave. Tears welled in
his eyes which were found behind glasses that didn't seem to suite the child.
At first Josh thought he might be crying but he soon realized that he was
laughing.
“Man,” the boy struggled to say
through gasps, “You guys were sooooooo funny there! You were all like 'ahh' and
then you hit your heads and ohmygosh it was freakin' hilarious.”
As Josh tried his as best he could
to decipher the slur that had just erupted from the newcomer, AJ rose, rubbing
his head.
“What the hell man?” questioned AJ
through clenched teeth. “You shouldn't go around kickn' in doors like you're
some kind of cop.”
“I'm sorry, I'm sorry.” the boy said
as began to get a hold of himself. “I'll try not to scare you in the future.”
The boy hopped up onto the other top
bunk which was right beside AJ's.
“And I'll try not to knock your
teeth down your throat.” AJ returned with a menacing glare in his eye.
The boy considered AJ and his threat
only for a moment, then laughed once again and gave AJ a playful punch in the
arm. The latter was taken aback by the almost complete stranger's confidence in
hitting someone he never met. AJ thought about snapping, but decided against it
as he had to spend the next week with the guy anyways.
“You're alright.” the boy
proclaimed, “What's your guys' names anyhow?”
“He's AJ, and I'm Josh.” Josh
responded for the both of them.
AJ reached over and shook the boy's
hand and asked “And yours?”
“I'm Dustin.” he replied as he shook
the hand vigorously. "Where yo guys from?"
"
"No way!" Dustin
exclaimed, "Me too, what part of town? I'm from the
"Neat the Hills." Josh
replied. These were at opposite ends of the city, so it was sensible that they
had never met before then.
Dustin nodded and said “This
is my first time here. How 'bout you guys?”
“I dunno,” Josh shrugged, “I guess
about four years. Yeah, that sounds right.”
“Well,” Dustin said grinning, “I can
already tell it’s gonna be great.”
Jake had to sneak his
way into his Socials Studies class upon his late arrival. All-to-vigilant hall
monitors lurked around every corner and he did not want to have a run in with
any of them. He really didn't need the extra stress right then. Jake was
awfully pissed off about the day's prior events and he would have preferred to
just go home and ignore the world. Make it all go away; the meeting with the
police, his inevitable argument about that meeting with Nicole if she found
out, and of course this ordeal with Josh and AJ. The thoughts of these engulfed
his mind as he cautiously made his way through the almost empty hallways. Eventually,
he reached the classroom and managed to creep inside undetected.
Jake took his usual seat in the back corner beside Robbie as
the teacher wrote away that day's notes on the board. His back was turned to
the students which allowed them to pass notes between each other without their
instructor noticing. Robbie, who had been lying half-asleep on his desk, sat up
suddenly as Jake quietly slipped into his chair.
“Wake you up?” Jake whispered to his friend.
“Guess so,” Robbie replied through a yawn, “Where you been
this morning?”
“Me and Josh and AJ were skipping down at the beach,” Jake
began but soon noticed that Robbie looked dismayed at being left out their school-missing
adventures. He continued, “Don't worry, you didn't miss anything...”
Robbie cut him off, “How is that 'not missing anything'? I
don't care what it is, it's gotta be better than here.”
Robbie's voice had become increasingly louder so that the
teacher had noticed. He had momentarily stopped writing to let them know that
they had been disrupting the class. Both boys fell silent until he began to write
again, at which point
they resumed their conversation, making sure to keep quite.
“Can I finish?” Jake asked in slight annoyance.
“Be my guest”, Robbie replied, obviously still a little
upset.
“Well,” Jake continued, “We went down to the beach to hang
out or whatever, and then Jake and AJ started acting like a bunch of ass-holes,
so I left.”
Robbie interrupted him, “What's going on with you two
anyways? You don't talk much anymore or hang out or nothing.”
Jake considered it. He had kept as much distance as possible
between his cousin and himself ever since he had found out about the diaper
thing. It was just way too strange. He didn't want anything to do with it. Actually,
their relationship had been progressively more strained since Josh and AJ's
return from camp that summer. They had been off together doing whatever it they
did (most likely diaper stuff he thought) and at their job, whatever that was.
Jake thought it may have been part of their growing up, or willingness to be
independent. He wasn’t sure at all. All he did know was that they liked to use
diaper (, and he didn't. He couldn't comprehend it, so Jake decided to continue
what he had been attempting to do for the past few days; ignore it.
Snapping back to reality, Jake looked at Robbie and said “I
don't know. Just some stuff I guess. Kinda weird.”
“What kind of weird?” Robbie questioned curiously.
“The 'drop it' kind
of weird.” Jake stated firmly.
Robbie knew better than to push the matter. Jake was
undoubtedly in a bad mood and he thought it best not to pry any further. There
were a lot of things with Jake that you had to be careful with. Talking to him could
be like walking through a mine field if you discussed certain matters. His
parents, for example, were a topic that anybody who valued their own well-being
would not touch. Not even Nicole talked about it much. Whatever, Robbie
thought, it didn't matter anyways.
“Okay,” Robbie said, “So you just decided to come back to
school? Why didn't you just go home?”
“I was getting there,” Jake said as he punched Robbie in the
arm for again interjecting. “Anyways, I was leavin' the beach and two cops pulled
up and found me. I didn't have a pass so they told me to get in their cruiser
and they brought me here.”
Robbie was now staring at his friend with his eyes so wide
it made his face look likes that of a disfigured owl. Jake laughed at him.
“You got arrested?” Robbie asked almost inaudibly.
“Well not really.” Jake shrugged, “They just told me to get
in the car, so I did. One of them gave this big lecture about staying in school
and then they asked for my name and number and stuff. It actually wasn't that
bad.”
“But still man, that's pretty huge. You're like the biggest
badass in the school. Wait 'till everyone finds out. You'll be a legend.”
Robbie said this all in such amazement Jake almost felt like he was some kind of
hero.
“No.” Jake said, “Don't spread this around. I don't want
anyone to know. I'm already screwed if Nicole finds out, which she probably
will. And you better not tell Josh and AJ. It'll just mess things up more than they
already are.”
Robbie through his arms in the air. “Dude, you're crazy. You're
just crazy. You could be like everyone's hero. You know that right?”
“Whatever,” Jake said. “Let's just get these notes down.”
Both boys turned to the front of the classroom and copied
down the seemingly irrelevant words that were scrawled across the board. Some crap
about global warming. Stupid hippy teacher, Jake thought. But it was a serious
problem. It was September and aside from a devastating thunderstorm at the
beginning of the month, the weather had been blisteringly hot. It had been that
way all summer, and proof of this could be found in the now scorched
“Hmm hmm,” the teacher cleared his throat to bring the
students to attention, though Jake believed that it had been primarily targeted
at him. “Today class,” he continued in a near-monotone voice “We will be taking
a different approach to current affairs by watching the news and discussing the
modern problems and stories of our nation. We will be watching a taping of last
night's national news.”
A large groan was emitted by all the students with the
exception of the enthusiastic few at the front of the call who almost appeared
to be thrilled. This deterred the teacher in no way and he waddled as quickly as
one with his gigantic stature could towards the television in the far corner of
the room. He inserted the tape into the now primitive VCR and the face of a
young woman who looked like a living lie to herself flashed into focus on the
dusty screen. At first her lips moved to no affect but the teacher quickly
adjusted the volume so that her speech echoed throughout the classroom.
“... not looking well for the Bush Administration.” her
voice became audible in mid-sentence. “And, in our top story tonight, a young
boy at a
This grabbed the students' interest as there had been a
shooting at a school in a nearby city the year before. The television now displayed
a picture of the school with police cars surrounding it. A field reporter gave
an overview of the situation.
“We are here live at Second City Jr. High, the location of a
recently attempted school shooting.” The young man's voice was overly enthusiastic,
as though he was trying to impress somebody. “Outbursts of violence such as
this are an epidemic that is becoming commonplace among the schools of
The camera turned to face a young boy who could only have
been twelve or thirteen. He had short brown hair and sharp features. He wasn't
skinny, but well built for his apparent age. But the most distinguishing
feature were his eyes. They looked cold and were not quite blue, but rather a distant,
merciless grey. Robbie turned from the TV. screen to Jake, then back, then back
again.
“He looks just like you.” Robbie exclaimed as quietly as he
could.
Jake stared at the boy shown and concluded that they did
have some similar physical traits, most peculiar of all the eyes which Jake had
always considered to be the on thing that set him apart. But this was surely
coincidence.
“Maybe he's my evil twin.” Jake whispered back.
“Or maybe you're the evil one.” Robbie suggested with a
wicked grin on his face.
“Shh!” One of the more interested students at the front
hushed them. They fell silent and again directed their eyes towards the news.
“I don't know about hero,” Coby started, not even a little
camera-shy, “I mean I just did the right thing. Like helping your neighbor take
out the trash when they're sick, ya know? This just happened to be a bit bigger
of a deal.”
“But still,” the reporter continued, “You halted an unstable
student in his path of destruction. You've got to be proud of that.”
Coby's eyes flashed with a hint of anger and he said “He's
not some 'deranged student'. His name is Phil, and he it wasn't a path of destruction.
It was a wrongfully attempted outlet to get out the anger caused by a bunch of
jerks that needed a freaking wake up call. Phil had every right to be pissed
off, because some feel the need to belittle others for small downfalls that are
easily targetable by those deemed powerful and important in today's culture.
It’s b.s., and I only stopped him because he might of hurt some else too.”
Colby walked away from the camera hastily.
Both reporter and the students viewing the tape were
dumbstruck. They didn't know whether to be more astounded by the rant, or the
fact that such a complicated and opinionated speech could be given by a person
so young. The reporter on the screen quickly gave a closing statement and then
the news continued with a story about a pregnant panda bear at some zoo.
Josh was pulled into the Hall by the seductive scent of
spaghetti. Admittedly not an authentic 'camp' type food, the out-of-place
dinner would undoubtedly be delicious, as the food at Stonewater always
was. Arriving early, Josh was soon at the front of the then short line
receiving a massive helping of pasta which was drowned in a thick red sauce.
The steaming plate was soon complimented with meatballs and a lesser helping of
a rather ordinary salad. He carried his plate almost triumphantly, as though it
were a prize, to the nearest table where he wasted no time waiting for his
cabin mates to arrive. Josh tore through the scrumptious meal rabidly, sparing
no noodle. He was starving from an afternoon that had been packed with random
activities and he ate with an almost feral speed. By the time the rest of his
cabin showed up, he was half finished.
"Nice of you to
wait," Dustin said upon his arrival. "You display the mannerisms of a
neanderthil."
"Neanderthal." AJ corrected him before taking a
seat and diving into his own plate.
"Whatever." Dustin shrugged, "Man was that a
great afternoon or what?"
Nobody at the table responded, obviously much more
content with eating than speaking. This did not deter the overly enthusiastic
Dustin.
"Did any of you guys go swimming? Man the water was
awesome. It was warm but a little cold too so it was good because it’s so hot
out. When I first jumped in I felt like I was in a Nestea commercial, ya
know, where they like take a drink and then there’s the pool behind them and
they fall in. It was just like that man. It was so nice I was there for like a
half-"
AJ clasped his hand around Dustin’s mouth, cutting him off
mid-sentence. "Talk less, eat more." He grunted menacingly.
Everybody at the table, including Dustin laughed at this.
The crowded table, which was built for four, now had five bodies crammed
around it. Besides Josh, AJ and Dustin, this group included a scruffy-looking
guy named Carson, who’s ripped clothing and scratched features were a result of
his wild and extreme ways, and Quinn, a good ol' country boy who was generally
didn't say much unless he thought it was with saying. This made up the entirety
of their cabin. Earlier in the day, Newman had informed them that their
councilor had suddenly fallen very ill and would not be able to make it to camp.
Normally, they would have been able to find a replacement, but for whatever
reason there had been nobody immediately available for the job. A limited camp
staff had left no other option but for Newman or one of the other directors to
fill in, or at least this would have been the case if the boys had not
convinced Newman that they would be well enough alone. This had only worked
after an extraordinarily long period of pleading. And so it was that the boys
of cabin 18 had been left for the most part in charge of themselves. They were
all aware that this left many avenues for open for a more exciting camp
experience.
The now full Hall hummed with the voices of the many campers
and rather than be drowned out, the group continued with their meal in relative
silence. Dustin would occasionally bring up stories of his adventures that day,
but that was about the only discussion there was between them. The five star
foods was the only thing that seemed to matter to their mouths at that time.
After a second helping or third for the truly hungry few, the campers who did
not have to stay and help clean marched slowly back to their cabins.
"I ate way too much." Josh admitted as sauntered
down the path.
"I know what you mean."
"Quit your whinin'" Quinn ordered the pair,
"That's the stuff ya need in yur body. Helps ya grow."
"Then I guess you could use some more." AJ said as
he stood walked beside the much shorter Quinn.
Quinn's only return to this was a playfulish punch in the
arm. He stood a bit shorter than the rest of the guys, except maybe Dustin. It
had been established earlier that day that Quinn didn't particularly like
people bringing up his size, and AJ, being the person he was, tended to exploit
this on a semi-regular basis.
"Geez, I was just screwin' with ya." AJ laughed.
"It’s better to be short than stupid."
"Would you all just quit your arguing!" Josh
stated loudly.
"Uh oh," said
"Nah," AJ chimed in "He's just looking out
for our better interest. Just like a counselor. Maybe you could be our
counselor! Would ya like that Josh?"
AJ had to duck under Josh's hand as it swung backward to hit
him.
"I oughta beat your dumb ass." Josh said as he
turned around. "But I wouldn't wanna make you cry if front of the
guys."
AJ laughed and challenged him "Anytime you
wanna fight, you got one."
"That so?" Josh questioned as he poised to tackle
his friend.
"Yep, that's so." AJ coolly said while trying to
keep a straight face that could support his tough moniker.
With that Josh tackled him to the ground. They rolled in the
dirt wrestling one another. The rest of the boys stood around them,
"Are they actually fighting?" He asked shakily.
"No ya dipshit they're just wrestling."
AJ took advantage of Josh being wrapped around his waste and
he tucked his head under his shoulder and wrapped his forearm around his neck.
He began to choke Josh.
"Tap or sleep!" AJ cried quite loudly.
"Forget...about...it" Josh gasped as he stood
slightly and explosively jumped backwards, sending AJ rocketing over his
shoulder as his vice grip around his throat was released.
AJ rolled across the path and turned just in time to see a
recovering Josh charge at him. Reflex occurred faster than sensible thought and
AJ quickly dodged his friend’s efforts with a movement to the side. As he did
this he wrapped his legs around Josh's ankles and twisted, causing Josh to fall
forward with a great speed that came to a sudden halt as his head collided with
a fallen tree with a sickening crack.. Josh lay dazed momentarily but soon came
to and spun around to continue. He found AJ sitting with a surprised look on
his face.
"Come on." Josh said fiercely. "Let's finish
this."
"Umm," AJ staggered as his face went pale,
"Its done man. You're kinda bleeding. You know the rule."
"What are you talking about?" Josh asked puzzled.
The rule to which AJ referred was one which the two of them
along with some of their friends had instated long ago: stop any fight at first
blood. But Josh wasn't bleeding, or at least he didn't think he was. Reaching a
hand to his head to check he soon felt the warm liquid oozing from an open
gash at the right corner of his forehead. Only after touching it did he
fell it, and it stung with a passion. The blood soon began to gush down his
face but Josh simply sat there with his hand across his head, eyes
wide with bewilderment. Maybe it was the constant blood loss, or the shock and
confusion, but the following minutes were virtually a big blur to him. Carson
and AJ had helped him up, and to the nurse's office. Though the actions
of his body were apparent to him, his mind seemed elsewhere, as though
watching the events in slow motion on a fuzzy television screen. The nurse met
them on the way over and Josh was lying on the hospital-like bed in no time at
all. He felt a cold cloth on his visage, and the hushed discussion of others.
He thought he heard
Jake's mind flashed back to the last time he had walked
somewhere alone. His cast was a painful reminder of the events, as well as the
black eye and cuts that only now began to fade. But this was a safer neighborhood,
he reasoned subconsciously, and began the on the long distance home. The houses
siding him went by without notice; he was unfamiliar with the folks that
inhabited them. Most of them looked quite similar, only varying between three
or four different designs. Jake hated how generic the modern architecture in
cities had become. When he grew up, the houses that he lived near were for the
most part all different, each with its own story. The people that lived inside
soon began to look like the buildings in which they lived, or maybe it was the
other way around. Either way, it was much more interesting than the blue-grey
structures that looked like lines of uniformed students. Jake's mind continued
to wander, though he never allowed it to go so far as to consider his cousin.
Within a short period of time that felt like mere minutes
Jake was walking up the path to Sunrise Place. He knew that he would have to sneak
around to avoid being seen by Josh or AJ, so he moved as quickly as he could
around the bushes that lined most of the yards of his neighbors’. Jake soon
reached his own house and he sprinted inside. He was glad to see Nicole was not
yet home. He threw his pack down on the couch as he strolled by and wandered
towards the fridge. He opened the door and reached around until his hand
clasped around a cold can of Coke. Jake removed it and made short work of the
beverage. It was still hot as hell outside, the sun had beaten down on him as
he trekked home, and Jake was certain he would have a nice burn to thank him
for it. The drink had been a nice refreshment but he was still hot and covered
in a thick sweat. Deciding that there was not much better to do, Jake went to
shower.
Shortly thereafter, a cold fountain poured down Jake's
bruised face. It was so refreshing. The water washed away the sweat and dirt
which was a result of the beach that morning. At the same time, it felt as
though it was washing away all the stress that had accumulated over the past
week. Jake stood in the shower, completely relaxed. He didn't think he was supposed
to get his cast wet, but he did not let it bother him. His short blonde hair
streaked back with the force and the oppressing heat which had gripped the city
had no affect on him now. Jake was truly at ease.
Then suddenly, his peaceful world shattered around him.
Through the nearby open window Jake could hear Nicole's car pull up. It seemed
a little early for her to be home, but not suspiciously so. Jake wondered if
she knew already. So what if she did, he thought. It was no big deal. He had
skipped school plenty of times before. He had just been unlucky that time. Its
wasn't like he had been put in prison. All it had been was a glorified lecture.
These were all points that Jake hoped Nicole would understand. Then Jake's mind
took a u-turn.
“I'm overreacting” he thought aloud.
He mentally agreed with himself. Nicole would seldom get
really upset about something Jake did. Often she would just laugh at his
antics, while other times she would let him know when he had pushed the limit. Still,
Nicole had never done this in a mean or harsh manner, she was just firm. On the
rare occasion, Jake had done something so rotten that he had made Nicole angry.
Usually, they both felt terrible afterwards; Jake for aggravating her and
Nicole for yelling at him. Their relationship was hardly ever strained. It
wasn't as much a mother-son sort of thing as a really good friend, or something
like the bond one had with an older cousin. They both preferred it that way.
Jake could hear the front door open and Nicole enter. He
listened to see if he could dictate whether or not she was upset by the amount
of noise she made. He knew that this method usually worked, and he was almost surprised
when he could hear no over dramatic slamming of doors or windows or anything of
the sort. Perhaps, Jake thought, the cops hadn't talked to her. Maybe they
wouldn't. The whole meeting with the cops could have mostly been for shock
value, to scare him into behaving. Or maybe they were waiting to phone. Biding
their time in order to get this type of reaction out of him. Torture, Jake
concluded as he shut off the shower.
The phone's ring came like a bullet as it rang throughout
the small house. Jake could here it as he stood exposed in the middle of the
room. It rang again; another bullet, this one even more painful. That was the police.
They were calling and he was in trouble. Nicole cutoff the third ring midway as
she picked up the receiver and began to speak. Jake tried to make out what they
were saying. His heart lifted when he heard Nicole answer 'Hi Claire'. He was
saved, for the time being.
He stepped out and proceeded to dry himself off with a
nearby towel that felt much too big. He dried the water from his face and
looked in the mirror. He saw that the black eye was for the most part gone,
even though it was still painful. The cuts that had marked his face looked to be
leaving no scars, except maybe a small one by his left ear which was taking a
peculiarly long time to heal. Jake finished up and put on the new set of
clothes which he had previously grabbed. He stepped into a ripped pair of jeans
that had massive wholes where that allowed his knees to be completely visible.
Jake affectionately referred to these as his Zakk Wylde jeans. To complete his
music related attire, he slipped on a Motley Crue t-shirt with sleeves so short
it was almost a muscle shirt. Checking once more in the mirror to make sure his
hair was how he liked it, he quickly exited the bathroom.
“Hey,” Nicole greeted him as he entered the kitchen. She had
just hung up the phone.
“Hi,” Jake said nervously, and then correcting his voice to
appear calmer continued, “How was work?”
“Same thing, different day.” she replied as she too grabbed
a drink from the refrigerator. “How was school? Anything important happen?”
She was fishing, Jake thought. She knew. She had to have
known. No, he reasoned with himself, it was just a simple question about his
day.
“Fine, I guess. Not much special though.” Jake said trying
to keep his wild thoughts inside his head.
“Oh, that's good.” Nicole responded.
She looked like she had been let down, like she had been
expecting something that she had not received. Jake considered that maybe
Nicole was aware of what had happened and but she wanted hi to confess. That was
not going to happen any time soon.
Jake headed to the couch and flopped down in a
half-laying-half-sitting position. He turned on the television and searched the
channels for something to watch. He wanted to end the conversation, believing
that in doing so he could drop the subject forever. Nicole, apparently, had different
plans.
“Hey Jake.” she called from behind the open counter that
faced the living room where Jake was.
“Yeah,” he said back with a little fear traceable in his
voice.
“You would tell me if anything was going on, right?” Nicole
asked, “I mean, if something big was happening, or something was buggin' ya,
you'd let me know, right?”
He stalled, paralyzed by fright. She definitely knew. He had
no clue what to say. He could come clean, but he chose not to. Instead Jake pulled
out the 'innocent' card; pretend that he didn't know anything was wrong.
“Um, I guess so.” He answered tentatively, “Why do you ask?”
Now Nicole hesitated. Again she seemed hurt that she had not
gotten the answer she desired. Jake felt guilty when he saw a look of disappointment
spread across her visage.
“Well,” she began slowly, “That was Claire on the phone just
now.”
“Oh.” said Jake, pretending to act surprised, even though there
was no reason that he should have been.
“Yeah,” Nicole continued, “She feels like Josh had been
acting, well, kinda weird lately. Have you noticed anything?”
“Not really, no.” Jake lied, still unsure of where this was
going.
“Well,” Nicole went on, “Claire said that ever during summer
break he kind of changed. She said he hasn't been talking to her much and he's home
less and less. She doesn't know what's going on with him, so I just thought
that you might know if something was up.”
Jake sat silently for a moment. He was, for the most part,
relieved. He was glad that it had not been the police and even though they may
call later, he felt it was not much of a big deal any longer. The initial stress
was over. But deep down, he had a growing concern for his cousin's situation.
Josh's strange behavior was obviously not just affecting their relationship,
but also that which he had with his mother. Jake wasn't entirely sure what to
make of the matter. It had snowballed into a large problem for a lot of people.
“No, I haven't noticed a thing." Jake said calmly.
"Oh,
well, okay then." Nicole half sighed. "Claire wanted me to ask you to
talk to him. Could ya do that for her?" The last thing that Jake wanted to
do was talk to Josh. The situation had awkward written all over it. Their would
not only be the diaper thing looming over their thoughts, but the general
strangeness that occurs when two people who just fought are forced together
under peaceful terms. The idea seemed terrible. What was he supposed to say
anyway? Jake's mind danced around these and other inner dilemmas. He wanted to
say no, but his reason was replaced with either compassion or ignorance. "Sure,"
Jake complied, "I'll do it. I could go over there right now if ya want me
to." A decision had been made and all that was left for Jake to do was
cope with whatever consequences may arise. His previous comment was for a
statement to himself, as though he had to prove to himself that he was ready to
brake down the walls of unfamiliarity the had been structured between he and
Josh's friendship. "No, I think we'll go over there tonight, after we
eat." As Nicole said this, Jake could notice a hint of a proud smile creep
across her features. Great, Jake thought, plenty of time to dwell on it. And he
did. Sitting in front of the television for the next hour or so, his brain
played out his future conversation with Josh over and over, each time resulting
in an unfavorable ending. Jake was no longer concerned with the call from the
police. It was no longer on the top of his priority list, or rather, list of
things to worry about. He worried a lot, about all sorts of things. AJ had once
suggested he take up marijuana. Then there was a new problem. How would this
affect AJ? Had his mom noticed anything different about him? Surely, Jake
surmised, that if Claire had come to he and Nicole for assistance with Josh she
had also contacted her son's best friend. Maybe not, he reasoned. Perhaps he
was taking this matter too heavily. Claire might have been doing the exact same
thing. This might have been part of Josh's growing up. Who knew? But it
was without a doubt becoming a troublesome ordeal. Jake had hardly touched his
meal. Nicole hadn't bugged him about. She could see through his lies. She was
aware that Jake had noticed the changed behavior of his cousin. It was
painfully obvious. The pair had without a word agreed to eat in silence. Their
was no need for further tension. After they ate, Nicole decided to do clean the
few dishes alone, and Jake went to his room. He lay down on his bed and
attempted to clear his buzzing skull of everything. It was futile. The same
conversations spun around, sometimes colliding to create brand new problems. An
inaudible wringing from his head was deafening, the sound of a mind punishing
itself with no motive, save perhaps fear. Fear of what the night would hold.
Jake had conceived so many expectations and yet none of them were expectable,
within a reasonable standpoint that is. His temples pulsed, harder and harder
with each new concept created until salvation arrived in the form of a knock at
the door. "You ready kiddo?" Came Nicole's voice through the soft
wood and under the crack. "Ya, I guess." Jake replied as he opened
the door. He and Nicole slipped on their shoes and walked out the door and down
the road. The sun was still merciless, and it had now commanded the sky to
share its blazing glare. Small beads of sweat trickled down Jake's neck,
and this was no fault of the heat. The distance that lay between the two houses
felt like it was miles long, and that still was not enough. Jake's clustered
mind, no matter how hard it worked, could not slow time and the pair found
themselves at the doorway of their destination in mere moments. They entered
and announced their presence. Hurried footsteps could be heard approaching. "Hey
guys." Claire greeted solemnly as she rounded the near corner. "Josh
and I just had a fight; he took off about ten minutes ago." She looked
like she was about to cry. Nicole walked over to console her. For some reason
Jake felt like this was his entire fault. He was aware that that was illogical,
but he felt that way nonetheless. He wanted to help. "I'll go try and find
him." Jake said as much to his own surprise as the other two. "No
Jake, I don't want you..." Claire began but Jake interrupted her. "No,
don't worry about it. I think I know where he is anyways." He lied about
the last part. He had no clue where his cousin would be. "Thanks
Jake." Claire said with only a hint of a smile. "Don't go anywhere
dangerous!" Nicole called as he exited the house. Jake ran down the street
to his house and grabbed his skateboard. He thought his aching mind was going
to explode. First the cops, then having to talk to Josh and no this. He had had
to worry about so much. But Jake realized that this was not about him. It was
about Josh and whatever was going on in his strange little world. Jake wasn’t
sure what he would do if he found him. A part of him wanted to strangle his
cousin for all the stress and anxiety he had caused, but deep down, Jake just
wanted to clear it all up. He would confront Josh and then go with the
flow. Come whatever may, he said to himself. He rolled down the hot street
absolutely focused until a familiar voice derailed his train of thought. "Where
are you goin'?" AJ said from a sitting position on his front porch. Jake contemplated
ignoring him and just continuing his search, but instead he swerved into his
friend's driveway. "To find Josh." He answered, "He got into a
fight with Claire and ran off. I'm gonna find him." "Listen,
man," AJ began, "About this morning, we were way outta line. We
shouldn't treat you like that." "That doesn't matter right now."
Jake stated venting a little bit of his frustration. "You did what you
did. Whatever. Right now I don't care. I'm going to find Josh and deal with
this damn mess. You're welcome to help." AJ considered Jake for a moment,
and then said "Let me grab my bike." Josh awoke in a state of
wild confusion. The room around him was foreign; he did not recognize it at all.
The numbing sensation in his head was not helping, either. He sat up slowly and
glanced around. He was in a small office. The bed was placed in the corner
farthest from the door. Beside him were a sink and a large cabinet. He stared
down towards his feat. Wonder once again seized his mind as he saw a table at
the end of the bed with two tall stacks of unopened youth diapers. Josh
stood up and walked over to the diapers. It was weird; at home he and AJ always
had to struggle to get diapers. It had been easier for both of them when they
had had ’problems’ at night, but at thirteen they had now overcome their
nighttime incontinence and they had to find other means of getting them. That
usually meant going to the grocery store in a far part of the city or something
like that to buy the diapers without being caught by an acquaintance. Josh
reached out and picked one of the packages up. It was Attends. The picture
on the front depicted that it was the pull-up type. The weight bracket was
120lbs - 145lbs. It was a perfect fit for him. He considered taking it, but
that once again brought up the problem of not knowing where he was. It was
obviously a nurse's office. He reached a hand to his aching head. A large
bandage coved his tender forehead. His touch stung viciously and he quickly
retracted his hand. He decided it was best to go and get some answers. He was
on his way out the door when it opened for him. A middle-aged woman in white
walked in, most likely the nurse, accompanied by AJ. "What are you doing
up?" The nurse screeched as she forced Josh back onto the bed. "Have
you known sense about you?" "What's going on?" Josh asked a bit
annoyed. "What going on," the nurse replied, "Is that you cut
your silly little head open and you should be resting because you're probably a
bit delirious." "What?" Josh questioned. He couldn't recall
anything. "You know," AJ said, "When we were walking back to the
cabin and you fell and hit your head on the log. Remember?" "No."
Josh returned nervously. "Last thing I remember is... spaghetti. Real good
spaghetti." Though Josh had a savory look on his face, the nurse and AJ
exchanged worried glances. "Is it bad that I don't remember?"
Josh asked. "Maybe." The nurse responded. "We'll have to see how
extensive the damage was." She marched purposefully to the cabinet and
extracted a tiny flashlight and some other equipment. She came back to
Josh and flashed the light in his eyes. She monitored his pupils and then
checked his reflexes. She proceeded to carry out the usual tests any doctor
would perform at a regular check up. After some thorough testing, she backed
off her patient looking quite dismayed. "How does your head feel?"
She wanted to know. "A little dizzy, but I don't think it’s a concussion
or anything." Josh answered. "Well," she began, "I don't
think there'll be any long term problems. I didn't have to give you stitches,
the cut wasn't very big, but you bled a lot. You should definitely drink some
juice or water. I'm going to let you go to your cabin, but no shenanigans,
alright? You just go straight to bed." "Sure." Josh replied
happily at the good news. "Now..." the nurse was interrupted by a
knock at the door.” I’ll take it outside; I'll only be a moment." The
nurse exited the room. AJ walked over to help Josh up. He was about to say
something when they heard the conversation outside. "Oh, hello Mr.
Hardy." The nurse greeted somebody. "Hey," the voice of Quinn
replied nervously. "Here to see your friends?" She asked politely. "Um,
no." He answered quietly. "I, um, I have a note for you." There
was a momentary silence as the nurse was probably reading the note over. "Okay
then." She said boldly. "Well it’s just inside." "But
aren't Josh and AJ in there too?" He was almost choking on his words. He
was certainly scared about something. AJ and Josh quickly pretended that they
had been in a deep conversation when the nurse came back inside to hide the
fact they were eavesdropping. She came back into the diminutive office and
walked straight over to the stack of diapers. She was about to open the package
when she turned around. "Well, nothing to be ashamed about." She said
to Quinn, beckoning him to come in. Quinn stood in the doorway, whiter than a
ghost. "Fine then." she said bitterly. "Young Mr. Hardy here has
a problem at night. He must wear diapers for this problem. Do you follow?"
Her cruelty was unimaginable. Josh felt absolutely terrible for Quinn, who was
now paralyzed. "Actually," said AJ slowly, "I wet the bed at
night too. I was supposed to ask you for some diapers, but I was too
embarrassed." Josh caught on quickly and said "Maybe I should take
one. You know, incase I my head acts all weird and I have an accident." The
nurse gave a hidden smile to Josh and AJ and all three saw Quinn lighten up. "Perhaps
I'll just give you the whole package." She suggested as she tossed the
diapers to AJ. "Just incase anybody else in your cabin suddenly has a
problem." "Thanks." Josh said as he arose. The nurse bade them
goodnight as the three of them followed the dark path back to their cabin. At
twelve o'clock, it was past the campers’ curfew. Lights out had been a
half-an-hour ago. For awhile, they said nothing. Quinn still seemed shocked, so
it was surprising to the others when he was the first to speak. "You
didn't have to do that for me." He mumbled. "Do what?" AJ
questioned seriously. "Its true man. I've been wetting the bed since
before I can remember." Quinn simply nodded, not actually convinced. Josh
knew that AJ had outgrown his need, if not his want for diapers a while ago. It
had been awfully generous of him to throw himself out there like that for
Quinn, and he was glad that he had. The almost-too-often sarcastic Josh
apparently had a kind side. The boys reached there cabin and entered.
Several
laps around their main hang out areas downtown proved futile, and Jake and AJ
were beginning to lose hope in their search. They had just checked the Pool
Hall and were now down by the beach. The sun had begun to set and the skies
dimmed. The heat remained like a vengeful memory. Jake stared across the
endless ocean, noting its size and how small he was in comparison. "Where
the hell could he be." Jake questioned even though he didn't expect a
helpful answer. AJ didn't say anything for a long time. He just looked around,
surveying the buildings and warehouses that were on the round at the far
end of the beach, and then glancing back up the way they had come. Eventually
he broke the silence. "I've got a favour to ask of you." He
started. "What?" Jake asked irritably. "Well, you're not gonna
agree with it or want to do it," AJ continued, "But you gotta. If you
wanna find Josh, you gotta do this for me. Or for him. Whatever." "Just
tell me what it is!" Jake demanded with aggression imminent in his voice. "I
need you to stay here well I go get Josh. I'm pretty sure I know where he
is." AJ said very quickly. "And I can't come, right?" Jake
questioned cynically. "Right." AJ answered quietly. Jake was
about to say something, but he held back and paced a little. He was already
furious, the anger was just starting to seep its way trough his skin. "Let
me guess." said Jake slowly "This is some bull shit to do with
your 'secret job', and I can't come because I'm not special or exclusive or
some shit. Am I in the ball park here?" AJ was afraid to say
anything. It was cutting wires for a bomb. One wrong choice and he would
explode. "I just wanna find him." AJ said. "Just trust
me." "Go." Jake said coolly as he glared with his cold grey
eyes at AJ's forehead, the latter would not make eye contact. AJ began
off in the direction of the warehouses. Jake waited until he was gone
and then let loose. He screamed at the empty beach, kicking up sand. What
was going on? What had happened to him and his happy clique of friends and
family? It had been shattered by a silly obsession. Secrets and withheld
opinions suffocated the conversations they had. Josh and AJ had left Jake out
of... something. He wouldn't take it anymore. Jake wanted to know. No more
lies. He was going to open the curtain and find the man. Jake was going to find
out just what the hell was going on. He took off after AJ. After the
beach cut off and AJ's trail disappeared, Jake had to guess which way he had
gone. He opted to search around the various warehouses scattered around the
area. This feat was becoming increasingly more difficult now that the sun had
set. Jake was very much aware of the fact that he shouldn't be around that
part of town at night. None of the gangs had actually claimed it, it was owned
by rich business men from big offices in other cities. But the dark alleys that
fell between the ominous structures were dodgy and mysterious, the typical
place for unfortunate mishaps. A few homeless folk were scattered about, but
they didn't pay any attention to Jake as he rolled along slowly. Most of the
warehouses were dark; all the workers had gone home. It was because of this
that Jake became curious when he saw a light shining through the basement
window of a small building. The glow imitated not from a warehouse, but an old
office building whose three or four upper floors looked to be condemned.
Deciding to investigate, Jake stepped of his skateboard and crept towards the
structure. He moved slowly, the deserted street gave the sense that there was
someone watching him in secret. Jake snuck around the side and froze. Lying by
a small door was AJ's bike. Adrenaline flooded his body as his heart
accelerated unnaturally. What the hell is this? He thought to himself. Could
this be Josh and AJ's job? Jake decided he was going to find out then and
there. Dropping to his stomach, he peeked into the nearest window. His eyes
quickly landed on a young man, probably early twenties, Jake thought, speaking
to Josh. They seemed to be arguing about something. Between them on a table
were some papers and some pictures, which Jake couldn't make out
clearly. He wanted to hear what they were saying, but the window made this
impossible. Jake concluded that this was useless and began to get up so he
could try and find another window. However, just as he began to push his body
off the ground, the door in front of him swung open. Jake was stricken with
fear. Two people casually walked out. One handed a cigarette to the other and
lit both. Jake looked up at the pair, who had yet to notice him. Jake
surprisingly recognized one. A boy from his school who had been their
when that kid had given him his skateboard on the first day of class. The other
guy was obviously a bit older, most likely 18. He sported a short blonde beard
that covered his face and a cowboy hat. They both took long drags in silence.
They quickly dispatched of their smokes and the bearded one again lit two and
passed on to the opposite kid. "So anyway," the bearded one began
after inhaling another long drag, "I said to him 'If you don't take that
damn thing down, I'll shoot you in the neck.'" The pair laughed
uproariously and once again went to their cigarette. After the familiar one had
finished his second smoke, he flicked the but to the ground where it
unfortunately bounced into Jake's face. He let out a short cough, which
revealed him from his hiding place. "What the hell?" The younger one
said as he bent down to see Jake. "What are you doing there on the
ground?" Jake didn't answer. "Well, help him up ya moron!" The
bearded one commanded; his orders were obeyed. Jake stood in front of the two
absolutely terrorized. He didn't move a muscle. "Are you all right
buddy?" The bearded on asked as he stared at Jake from head to toe. There
was no response. "Well he still hasn't answered the first question."
The younger one stated. "You've confused him. So, what were you doing on
the ground?" "I was, uh..." Jake mumbled. The bearded one stared
past Jake into the window and saw the meeting going on between Josh and the
other guy. His face suddenly fell into a more hostile state. "You weren't
spying, were you?" He questioned suspiciously. "N-no" Jake
stammered, "I was just, um..." "Check him out. Careful with his
wrist." The bearded one growled as the other guy grabbed Jake by his
collar and pulled him closer. "What the hell!" Jake cried "Let
go!" The one holding him felt his chest and back. He searched Jake's ears
and examined his pockets. He even ripped of his shoes, looking for whatever. "Clean."
The young one said, keeping his grip tight on the struggling Jake. "Let me
go ya bastards!" Jake said angrily. The one holding him stared at his
partner awaiting instruction. "Nah," the bearded one said, "I
think you better come inside for a bit." Fear swept over Jake as the
adrenaline almost mad him dizzy. He attempted to escape but the bearded on just
grabbed his legs up and they carried him inside. "Quit moving
around." The bearded on ordered sternly. "Who knows, maybe you'll
have some fun down here." He let out a twisted laugh as they carried him
down a dark stairwell.