Authors: Kristopher Rufty
Nicole
turned the key. The engine shut off with a coughing gust. The fan continued to spin
a few seconds longer before finally stopping. She didn’t know much about cars,
but something was definitely wrong under the hood of her ‘97 Nissan Altima. And,
she wasn’t surprised since the car was acned with dents and scratches, and had
a salvage title on it. Balding tires, two of them with plugged holes in the
barely existent tread. It was only a matter of time before the engine started
going caput on her, too.
Didn’t
matter. She lacked the funds to get it fixed, and no one would dare buy this
heap if she tried to sell it. The fan had been acting up for months already, so
a repair could wait a while longer.
Andy
would pay for it, if he knew.
Yes,
but she’d never ask him to. If the car held out a little while longer, she should
have the money saved up. If the Nissan got her to and from work and to the
store when she needed,
that
was what really mattered for now.
With
a groan, she got out of the car and bumped the door shut with a hip. She
shouldered her pocket book as she stared at Andy’s car. The strap pulled
against her Food Town blouse, feeling itchy against her skin. She adjusted the
strap, then ruffled the shirt so it wasn’t so tight.
Looking
at Andy’s car again, she expected any moment for the door to open and Andy to
climb out. She’d been waiting on him to since she’d pulled up, washing the
shiny paint with her headlights. He hadn’t. The car still just continued to sit
there, dark as pitch on the inside. Since there weren’t any flood lights in the
yard, all she had for light was the moon and a pen flashlight in her pocket
book.
Which
she fished out, using her thumb to click it on. A pencil line of light jabbed
through the darkness. She aimed it at the Camaro. Such a hot car. A couple
times Andy had taken her for rides. They’d parked at Hanky-Panky Hill and had
some hanky-panky of their own. She smiled at the memories, but felt a hollow
space open up in her chest.
“Andy?”
She walked toward the car, keeping the light pointed ahead of her as if walking
a dog on a leash. “
Andy?
” Something about finding a parked car where it
shouldn’t be was eerie, causing her arms to stipple with gooseflesh. Seeing that
car without its
driver
made her whole body tremble with fear and
premonition.
What
the hell is going on?
Leaning
over, she pointed the light at the window. The glass seemed to glow, glaring
the light back at her. She could hardly see what was on the other side. A nearly
transparent version of herself pointed the light back at Nicole. The smeared
reflection rippled inside a puddle of black.
Feels
like I’m looking at a ghost of myself.
The
back of her neck prickled.
Stop
it.
Shutting
off the penlight, the phantom Nicole vanished. That was better. She stood
upright, looking around.
Where’s
Andy?
Knowing
where she kept a spare key, he was probably inside waiting on her to come home.
Since she hadn’t spoken to him all day, there was no way he could know she’d
been working.
Nicole
woke up in the middle of the night, feeling lonely and wanting strong arms
around her. But, the spot next to her was vacant. She’d located Andy in the
living room, snoozing on the couch. Obviously he’d feared things would traverse
to more than just a harmless sleepover. It was good that he had, because it
reminded her of the real reason she’d gone over there.
Danny.
But
how he’d intentionally kept his distance from her crushed her feelings. She
left shortly after sunrise and was on her way home when work called asking if
she could come in early. Two people had called out, so they were extremely
short-handed. She figured if she was really going to leave Danny and attempt
making it on her own, she would need the extra money.
Why
didn’t Andy just look for me there?
He
probably realized she was upset and, not wanting to make matters worse, kept
his distance. However, things were still made worse by him
not
coming to
the store to check up on her. Sure, she could have called him, but she wanted
to see if he would make the first move.
First
move to what? Leaving Danny for Andy after you left Andy for Danny is a stupid
idea, not to mention a bitch of a thing to do.
“The
hell’s wrong with me?” she murmured.
She’d
hurt both brothers enough. If she was going to truly leave Danny, then she needed
to leave Andy as well. Her eyes wetted at the possibility. Losing Andy somehow seemed
even worse. The thought terrified her, made her ache all over. Her throat felt
tight and thick as she climbed the rickety wooden steps to the front door.
Nicole
pulled back the storm door, letting it rest on her shoulder. Her hip poked
through the square breach where the screen mesh should be. It had been ripped out
a couple years ago and never replaced. Putting the key to the knob, she
inserted it into the slot, but didn’t turn the lock. She paused there, the
realization of how truthfully fucked up her life had become.
How
had it happened?
She’d
graduated high school on the honor roll, gotten a two year Associates degree in
business, and was dating Andy through it all. After college, she told Andy she
wanted to spend some time apart, spewing a long speech about how he needed to
get his priorities right, and most importantly, demanding that he grow up. She
was sick of busting her ass while he partied and dealt drugs, him sleeping most
of the day while she trudged through class on loans. When she’d left him that
night, she’d actually prayed to God for her sermon to have gotten through to
him.
Apparently,
it had, seeing how quickly he’d turned things around.
But,
visiting a bar with some friends the Friday night after breaking up with Andy,
she ran into Danny. She drank a dozen beers with him, then came back to this
forsaken trailer for a weekend sex spree.
And,
she’d been here ever since. More than ten years had blinked by.
Now
the tears did come.
Not
now. Stop it.
Taking
a deep breath, she held it in until she no longer could. Exhaling, her chest
expanded, feeling tight and achy. It helped delay the sobbing fit, but she knew
it hadn’t conquered it. Sometime tonight she would have to let it out. Just not
right now.
She
used her thumb to wipe the tears from her eyes.
Don’t
want Andy knowing I’ve been crying.
He’d
ask questions, get her talking, and they’d most likely end up where they both
wanted
to be, but
shouldn’t
be. She should tell him, tonight, that they
can’t ever be. Maybe that was why he was here? To tell her the same?
She
doubted it.
Pushing
the door open, her fingers felt like they might poke through its cheaply thin
surface. The door swayed inward. No lights were on inside. She doubted Andy
would be hanging out in the dark for her to come home. She tried to recall if
the power bill had been paid on time and she thought it was.
Then
why aren’t the lights on…?
Power
outage? No way. Other trailers on the way in had had their lights on.
Fumbling
her hand along the wall, her fingers found the light switch. She flicked it up.
Nothing happened.
Maybe
the bill hadn’t been paid after all.
“Andy?”
Her voice sounded strange in the silence, shaky and thin.
No
reply.
A
chill lodged in her spine. Although she didn’t hear anything, she couldn’t help
the inclination that someone was in there, hiding in the shadows.
Waiting.
Oh
really? Waiting for what? To ambush me? Get over yourself, Nicole.
She
shook her head, then clicked the penlight back on. Pointing it into the
trailer, she waved it this way and that. She saw the couch, her ash tray on the
middle cushion, a pyramid of crinkled cigarette butts about to spill over the
brim. The coffee table looked as muddled as normal underneath unopened letters
from the collection agencies, utility bills, coupons and other junk mail. She’d
made cheese crackers in the microwave yesterday, and the plate still sat atop
the envelopes and sales papers. Clumpy streaks of spilled cheese and cracker
crumbs were on the plate. She needed to wash it, plus all the other dishes, but
she’d still love herself if she waited until tomorrow.
“Andy,
are you in here?”
Stepping
inside the trailer, she noted how hot and stuffy it was. With no power, the air
conditioner couldn’t run.
Probably
tripped a breaker.
Happened
all the time with their cheap wiring. Sighing, she left the front door open,
using the washed out light of the moon to see by as she came all the way into
the living room.
Up
ahead, she could see the pale shape of the counter that separated the cramped
kitchen from the living room. She avoided its pointy edge on her way into the
kitchen. Shining the light on the fridge, she stopped. Listened. No hum. She
wondered how long the power had been out. Hopefully nothing spoiled. She really
couldn’t afford to replace what was inside. Plus the stuff in the freezer!
She’d check on it once she got the breaker box figured out.
As
she started across the kitchen, nearing the sliding glass doors, the curtain
fluttered inward. Before she could focus on that, something crunched underneath
her shoes. Stopping, she looked down, putting the light on the floor. In its glowing
wink, she saw Tortilla-shaped shards of glass. Following the trail, she
discovered a much larger pile at the foot of the door. The tips of the swaying curtain
glided across their twinkling surfaces.
Nicole’s
back felt as if it was being scraped with an icy fork, skin tightening. Her
stomach felt hot and mushy. Someone had broken in. Would Andy do that? She
didn’t think so,
wanted
to not think so. She’d been correct in her
initial feeling upon entering the trailer. She
had
felt a presence
inside…
And
if that was true then they were
still
inside.
Her
feet were stepping backwards before the idea to leave had even registered. More
glass crunched and crackled as she moved away from the damage. Her rump knocked
against something hard. Hollering, she spun around, arms held out to strike.
The light raked over the counter. Realizing it was just the countertop, she
exhaled a relieved gust, wanting to laugh.
Then
two tiny red eyes appeared in the dark block between the cabinets and countertop,
choking off that laugh. A monstrous pair of slimy hands slapped down on the
surface, cracking the counter in several directions. The talons attached to the
fingertips tapered to piercing tips.
Nicole
raised the penlight. It landed on foaming jaws, teeth that could crunch metal
inside a cavernous mouth. She knew she should scream, should be appalled by
what she was seeing, but the sight of the creature froze her, shutting down her
response system. All that registered in her mind was a dull blank.
That
all changed when the hands lashed through the darkness and gripped her
shoulders. The scream ripped through her throat, exploding from her mouth in
tortured wails. She was yanked through the narrow space, her back glancing the
bottom of the cabinets as she shot through. She felt herself being released,
darkness spiraling around her, then she crashed onto the coffee table. It
shattered beneath her. She lay in the table’s broken remains, her back on the
floor.
The
impact had blasted the wind out of her. Heaving, her neck bobbled as she tried
to suck in air. The creature stepped toward her. She felt the vibrations of its
movement through the floor. Looking in its direction, she watched it rise to
full height. It was much larger than she’d originally thought. A kaleidoscope
of colors swirled through its body like tie-dyed clothes. Garish shades, too
many to track, but all bright and shimmering, flowed from its shoulders down to
its feet and back. It was beautiful to see, really, and Nicole found herself
enthralled by its constantly evolving patterns.
She
couldn’t move. The landing had really hurt her back. Her lungs burned,
tightening, air not coming through fast enough. She tried to pull herself away
from the looming creature on her elbows, but she couldn’t do it fast enough.
A
webbed foot stomped down on each side of her. Colors flashed, splotchy and
bright to reveal two elongated toes, talons protruding from the tips. The skin
looked hard and scaly, coated in thick slime that reminded her of the glaze on
doughnuts. The toes made wet slurping sounds as they flexed.
The
creature crouched, scrawny legs lined with tight muscle bending at the knees.
She saw the little bulges of its knees poking out like pointy lumps.
Nicole
sucked in an asthmatic breath. “What…are you…?”
Its
head tilted slightly to the side, displaying recognition of her speaking. The
eyes narrowed to thin red slits. A bifurcated tongue unraveled from inside its
mouth, licking the thin lips baring those giant razors for teeth.
A
hand lowered, claws extended.
She
sucked in another trembling breath that stung her lungs.
The
hand squeezed her right breast, talons piercing through her work blouse, tearing
through her breast’s springy softness as if it was nothing more than pudding.
A
tumult of Nicole’s screams shook the walls.
After
twenty minutes of signing paperwork, and collecting what little he’d had on him
from storage, Pinky escorted Andy to the waiting area. A female officer sat
behind a desk, scrolling through her iPhone. Her dark hair was cut boyishly short
like a pixie. When she noticed Pinky, she quickly set the phone face down on
her desk.
“Andrew
Raab,” said Pinky.
The
lady nodded. “Noted.”
Pinky
grabbed Andy’s hand and gave it a shake. It felt slightly awkward to Andy with
Pinky’s missing finger. He hid his grimace, though, but cringed on the inside.
“Good
luck,” said Pinky. “I hope you find your brother.”
“Thanks.”
Frowning,
Pinky nodded, leaving through the door. It was on a mechanical fastener, so it
took a moment for the door to completely close. Andy watched it until the door
latched into place. When he could no longer see the other side, he suddenly felt
lonely, a little sad, as he turned around.
The
officer had gone back to her phone as if Andy wasn’t even in the room. Sighing,
he looked around the small space. Old furniture was placed around, and Lou
Manchu was seated on a tattered couch that looked as if it had been taken from
the side of the road. Head leaned back, he dozed, legs extended on the floor, and
feet crossed at the ankle. He had on sandals, gray sweatpants and a navy green
T-shirt. His fingers were entwined on his large gut, thumbs pressed together. As
he softly snored, rattling sounds came from his large, hooked nose. His mouth
was slightly parted under the bushy moustache that crowned his upper lip and
hung off both sides of his chin in shaggy ropes. That was where the Manchu
nickname had originated: A combination of his mullet and moustache. He wasn’t Chinese,
just an overweight white guy from the sticks.
Seeing
Lou now, Andy wondered—not for the first time—how they’d ever been such good
friends. He guessed it was their childhoods spent together. Back then, kids
didn’t care where you came from, or the kind of house you lived in. You could
be friends and those things wouldn’t matter. It was only when you got older that
everyone started to understand societal classes.
Lou
came from nothing but built an empire in the county’s poor sections by selling
meth and weed at affordable prices. The police suspected his activities, but
never had enough proof to bring charges.
As
Andy approached the snoring pudgy Lou, he contemplated sneaking past him, going
outside, and using his cell phone to call Nicole for a ride. He might have done
it, too, but Lou’s eyes opened with a snort.
Blinking,
he looked over to Andy. “There you are,” said Lou, groggily.
“Yeah.”
“Get
all your shit?”
He
patted his pocket. “My cell phone.”
“Wallet?”
“Sitting
in the car at Danny’s.”
Sitting
up, Lou used his fists to rub the sleep out of his eyes. “That sucks.” He
coughed. “How’d they treat you in there?”
“Fine.
I think you’ve got a couple pissed off
associates
back there.”
Lou
looked at Andy, frowning as if he wasn’t sure what he was talking about, then
shrugged. “Let them sweat awhile, the dumbasses. I heard about what they did to
you. Plus, Wayne had some shit on him. That’s their problem for a couple days.”
“Not
worried they’ll…say things…?”
Lou
stood up, stretching. “Nope.”
Andy
guessed Lou had no reason to worry. It wouldn’t be the first time one of his
boys was arrested. Nobody had ever snitched on Lou in the past, so why would someone
now?
“Let’s
get the hell out of here,” said Lou. “We’ve got some things to talk about.”
“I
suppose so.”
Lou
waved to the officer. “Bye, Jessica!”
She
looked at Lou, smiling a bit bashfully. “Have a good night, Lou.”
“Hopefully
I’ll see you around.”
“You
just might,” she said with a goofy grin. “You just might.”
“I’ll
thank my lucky stars if I do.” The officer—Jessica—laughed. Lou turned to Andy,
motioning him to follow. “Let’s go.”
The
small parking lot beside the station was empty and dark except for two cruisers
and Lou’s red Jeep Wrangler. Bulbs in the sodium arcs had burnt out, so the lot
was shrouded in a heavy blanket of darkness. It was after nine and still muggy
outside. Andy’s clothes clung uncomfortably to his sticky skin.
Lou
pointed his keys at the Jeep and pressed the button on the remote pad. Lights
flashed, the headlights remaining on and cutting two bumblebee eyes through the
shadows. The brightness hurt Andy’s eyes, so he looked down as they walked.
“Mind if I ask what made you front the money to get me out?”
Lou
shook his head. “Wasn’t a front. I just paid it. Don’t worry about owing me
nothing.”
Andy
was confused. “Why the act of kindness? Did your heart grow three sizes too
big?”
Lou
tilted back his head and unleashed a deep guffaw. The laugh ricocheted off the
building. “Not at all. Let’s get on the road, and we can talk.”
“You
don’t mind dropping me off at Danny’s so I can get my car?”
“Nope.
Don’t mind. We’ll talk on the way.”
The
Wrangler had a detachable vinyl top, and removable half doors. The wheels
weren’t factory standard, but jacked-up designs that raised the platform two
extra feet. Andy had to lift his leg high so he could use the step to climb
inside. Before he even had the door shut, Lou was already buckled and firing
the engine. It came to life with a tremendous growl.
Lou
had to shout over the engine because Andy’s door was still open. “I’d take the
top off, but it might rain tonight, so I’m not risking it!”
Andy
was finally situated in the seat. With all the room up here, he was surprised
how cramped he felt. Leaning out, he pawed at the door handle until finally
catching it. Then he pulled the door. It slapped against the Jeep, vibrating.
He pushed on it to make sure it was closed. He didn’t trust the plastic
durability of the door, so he quickly pulled down the seatbelt.
Revving
the engine a few good times, Lou popped the brake and they started to roll
forward. As they were pulling onto the street, a police cruiser turned into the
station. Lou had to swerve so his giant tires wouldn’t crush the front end of
the marked Charger. The Jeep bounced over the curb and onto the road.
“Asshole,”
shouted Lou, though there was no way the cop could hear the insult. He shook
his head. “Took up the whole damn space!”
After
they were on the road and driving smoothly, Lou spoke. “Is it true that
Larry…you know…?”
Andy
sighed. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Jesus
H. Christ. I’m sorry. I always knew he was four quarters short of a dollar, but
I didn’t realize he was a perv.”
“People
are full of surprises.”
“True.”
“Like
you.”
Lou
studied him from the corner of his eye. “Me?”
“Yeah.
You surprised the hell out of me by paying my bail.”
Lou
shrugged. “Figured it was the least I could do.”
“I’m
not gonna rat on you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“I
know you won’t. You’re too loyal. Still are, even after all the shit between
us. I want to wipe that clean, by the way.”
Andy
thought about it. A clean slate with Lou would be fantastic. “Deal.”
“Good
to hear.”
“So,
tell me, why
are
we talking right now?”
“Our
idiot brothers.”
“Figured
as much.”
“When
Larry called to tell me you’d all been arrested at Danny’s, he told me you were
there looking for Danny because Nicole hadn’t seen him in a couple days.”
“Since
Friday. She’s worried.”
“I’m
guessing I was the last one to see either one of them,” said Lou. “Danny showed
up the other night to pick up Rosco, and you should have seen them. Both acting
like a couple a teenagers going to go get laid for the first time. I ribbed
Rosco like normal, wanting him to tell me where they were going. He wouldn’t,
though. When I asked why it was such a big secret, he got this smug look about
him and told me that they only allow certain kinds of people inside.”
“And,
what’d you say?”
“I
said: ‘Certain kinds of people? You mean dumbasses?”
Andy
laughed.
“I
thought if I kept pressing on him, he’d finally cave and tell me, but he didn’t
budge. I’m guessing Rosco had worked so hard to get an invite to this place, he
didn’t want to risk fucking anything up. And, I haven’t seen him since.”
“Well…I
wish I could say the same about Danny. I haven’t talked to him in months.”
Lou
shrugged. “Things happen…people fall out of touch. But, I guess your situation
is a little different because of Nicole.”
Andy
harrumphed. Nicole had caused more damage to the Raab brothers than all the
drugs combined. And, here Andy was, still doing whatever he could for her. Not
even a full day had passed and he’d already nearly been ass-raped and arrested.
“Still
doing her bidding, huh?” asked Lou, twisting the proverbial knife deeper.
“He’s
my brother, Lou.”
“And
it’s Nicole.”
Andy
threw his hands up, letting them smack down on his knees. “What do you want me
to say?”
“I’m
not meaning to bust your nuts, bud, really. Sorry to even bring her up. It’s just
that…I’ve never liked how she treated you.”
“Hey…”
“She’s
the only girl I’ve ever seen pussy-whip you like she does. The control she’s
always had over you is scary. I’m not saying she’s a wicked bitch or anything, even
if she talked you into quitting the business with me, but I think deep down she
knows she has you grasped by the dick and just sort of tugs you in the
direction she needs you to go in the moment she needs it.”
“Damn,
Lou. You sound just like my mom used to when she got on my shit about Nicole.
Did you spend all that money for bail just to lecture me?”
Lou
shook his head. “Shit no, man. I’m sorry, again, for bringing it up. I guess
old grudges die hard or some shit. I blamed her at the time for you walking
away from the business, but after some time passed, I understood. It’s no big
deal.” Lou groaned. “So, what the hell did them boys get into?”
Andy
was thankful Lou had changed the subject and brought the focus of their
conversation back to the matter at hand. “You have no idea?”
“Not
much of one.”
“But
you have something?”
“
Had
something.”
“I’m
confused.”
Lou
reached for the ash tray and grabbed something. Raising it into the greenish
glow of the instrument lights, Andy saw it was a half-smoked cigar. Lou bit
down on the already chewed end, then lighted it with a Zippo. He puffed a few
times. As the cherry ignited, the cab began to fill with the sweet tang of
cigar smoke. He took the cigar out of his mouth, keeping it pinched between two
fingers while he drove. “Rosco heard about it from a guy through a guy. All I
know is there was a place he wanted to go to but no one would talk about it
whenever he asked.”
“How’d
you
find out?”
“Asking
around.”
“Who’d
you ask?”
“Look
Andy, the people I roll around with sometimes while doing business know more
than most. It’s scary shit, but it’s true. I’m not gonna say who they were,
because I’ll bet you’ll go and ask them as well. And, these are not the kind of
people you want to contact. Got me?”
Andy
nodded. “Crystal clear.”
“But,
I asked them because I know Rosco is always somehow in the middle of their
business. I think that’s why he got Danny involved, because he knew Danny
wouldn’t stop looking for this place. I’m guessing they found it.”
“Do
you think they’re there now?”
“Damn,
I don’t know.” Lou puffed on the cigar. Through the thick smoke, he said, “You’re
going to school for computers and shit, right?” He cracked the window on his
side. The hot wind sucked the cigar smoke through the narrow gap, thinning out
the heavy odor.
“Well…yeah.
Programming and software design.”
“Whatever.
Would you be able to look on a computer and see what someone’s been up to?”
He
told Lou he thought he could. Andy had a few certifications in information
technology and was about to go for another one in a couple weeks. He’d learned plenty
about home computers.
“This
is Rosco’s computer.” Lou patted a laptop bag in the basin between the seats.
“I’ve been trying to get on it but it’s password protected. I tried so many
times it locked me out completely.”
“I’m
not sure I would be able to crack his passcode either.”
“Probably
not, but can’t you see what’s on the hard drive anyway? Or see what he’s been
looking at on the internet?”
“Maybe.
Why?”
“I’m
willing to bet whatever that
place
is, Rosco was trying to find
information about it online. I don’t know if he did, but maybe we can get a
name? What gave me the idea was a buddy of mine began suspecting his wife was cheating
on with him a guy she met online. So, he got a computer nerd—uh tech—to go into
her computer.”
“Was
she?”
“Hell
yeah, she was. But, it got me thinking you could probably do that with Rosco’s
computer.”
Andy
smiled. “Damn, Lou. That’s a great idea.”
Lou
beamed like a dog being praised by its owner. “Well…just a thought…”
“A
good one. Yeah, I’ll see what I can find.”
Andy
lifted the laptop case and set it in his lap. He patted the soft casing
nervously. Lou was right. There
had
to be something on this computer
that would give them at least a hint of information.
The
Eagle’s Nest sign come into view inside the glowing field of the headlights. It
looked as if the brick slab was sinking into the ground. Another neglected year
and it might be swallowed up by the earth completely, leaving Eagle’s Nest
without an insignia. Maybe that was what the city wanted—without a sign people
might forget the trailer park existed.