Maybe a cliffie? Not too bad. Naaah. I don't think.
Fun House
OoO
Crops die. The pouring rains cannot even raise them.
Dark skies happen at odd times.
Crime increases. Slight but it's there. The news picks it up. More people start locking their doors.
Tulsa is strange and so are the people. Too many things are being stirred all at once.
OoO
"So who were you?"
"Who was I?"
"Yeah, before you were…death?"
Ponyboy's looking at me with questioning eyes and I appreciate this intimate time we have. He's my favorite. I must admit this. I saved him. I'm partial. We've been having more of our talks in dreams; I'm trying not to tire him out so much.
"Iris wipes the memories clean. We never know. We don't remember."
"Really?" He frowns. "I'd hate that. Aren't you ever curious?"
"Not very much anymore. I've been Death for a long time, Ponyboy. It truly is who I am. When I retire, I'll get the memories back. Fate sends us to some semblance of our former life."
"Retire? When do you retire?"
"When this is all over."
"Oh," he says. Worry clouds his face. I go to ask why but then Darry's hollering that breakfast is ready and Ponyboy comes out of the dream.
OoO
Maybe it's nothing but I can't stop wondering – if Everett retires, what will happen to me?
Though he's caused trouble, he's always looked out for me. Without him…there'll be someone new. Someone new and Iris. I don't know if I'll ever get out of this. If I'll ever—
"Pony?" Darry places a hand on the back of my neck. I glance down and realize there's a bowl of oatmeal in front of me. "You're zonin' out, kiddo…"
I pick up a spoon. "Just thinking about something." Darry watches me for a long minute. He pours himself a cup of coffee.
OoO
"You know how Pony is," Soda says, trying to reassure his brother. "He's always thinking. He's a smart kid."
"I know he is," Darry says with a slight frown. "I just…well, hell, I just want him to talk to us if something's wrong. I don't want him to keep it in."
Soda smirks. "This coming from a guy who never talks."
"I'm trying here, Sodapop."
"I know you are, Dar. You're doing good. Pony's fine."
"He talks to you?"
"He does," Soda says, hesitant. Not wanting to hurt Darry's feelings if Ponyboy hasn't opened up. "Sometimes. When he wants."
Soda claps Darry on the back and hops out of the truck. Darry lets it idle out in front of the DX. Soda shuts the door and hangs in the window. His words braver than he feels. "He just doesn't want us to worry. That's why he's quiet, Dar. Don't let it get to you."
Soda smiles. "I'll see you tonight? You still comin' out?"
Darry nods. Soda raps a hand against the side of the truck and walks off.
Darry waits until Soda gets inside. His jaw tight, he squeezes fists around the steering wheel.
OoO
"May I ask what you're doing?"
Iris smile benignly. "The bee in his bonnet?"
"Phrases like that aren't used today, Iris. But yes. That."
"I'm just having a little fun. Testing the waters."
I turn away from her and go to the fire glass. Iris is toying with Darry Curtis. The man's tough and strong but I'm not sure how he'll fare against Fate.
OoO
The lights are bright and the noises loud. The smell of grease, friend food and burnt popcorn. The local fair is Two-Bit's choice of hangout tonight. It's not exactly my favorite place but he put effort into getting us all together so I make it a point to have fun.
He carries a beer wrapped in a paper bag and shuffles along, giving the play by play of a fight Tim Shepherd got into the other night at his bar. "I tell ya, Ponyboy, they just all come to me, they drink and they can't wait to show off…"
Soda and Steve are meeting us here when they get off work. Darry too. I never realized how hard it's been lately to get us all in one spot at one time. Except for when I've been sick. And that's even worse.
"What do you say we hit up the fun house, Ponyboy? Take a stroll through that rickety shack."
Rickety is right. The sloped and junky fun house sits between the ferris wheel and a hot dog cart. Neon lights blink, a clown beckons in passing kids. I raise an eyebrow. "Ain't we a little old for this, Two-Bit?"
"We'll never be too old, Ponyboy Curtis." He chugs his beer, then tosses it in the trash. "C'mon, kid, humor me while we wait for those JD's."
OoO
Iris's brow is wrinkled. "This feels like a trap." She mutters a foreign curse word. Always eloquent. "This is Chaos. I cannot control it when it pops up like this."
"Shall I go?" I reach for my hat.
"Yes. Help him."
OoO
Inside the fun house, I realize why I've never liked them. They're creepy and they're dark. They remind me of my dreams. Things lurking in corners. It's quiet, Two-Bit and I the only ones inside. An odd smell lingers in the air.
We make our way up to the second level, the stairs crooked and hard to climb. I grip the banister and mutter to a huffing Two-Bit, "Next time, I pick where we hang out."
"The library is not an option, kid."
We enter a new room. Mirrors line the walls. There's someone else in the dark.
OoO
They get to the lip of the entrance and Soda freezes. Steve turns. "Yeah, I know you don't want to be here either, buddy, but—Soda?"
Soda's heart beats fast. The pit in his stomach churns. It's far, but he feels it. The thread pulling him close to his brother. I follow along.
"Man, what's goin on?"
"Nothing," Soda says, snapping out of it. Trying to shake it off but walking fast. "Let's just find them."
OoO
It's the bum from the bookstore. Hunched over, he's a skeleton. Starved. His arms are the size of twigs. My stomach growls and he turns a beady eye my way. His frame's elongated in one of the mirrors, his torso about ten feet tall.
"Just uh…" Two-Bit's voice echoes. "Hanging out up here for kicks, buddy?" He chuckles and evaluates himself in one of the mirrors, his body squat and short. "Pony, would you get a load of this?" He flexes a distorted bicep.
Slow, so slow, the bum takes a step.
"Two-Bit," I say, keeping my voice even. "We should go, we should get outta here."
The last thing I want is my friend involved. The bum nods like he can hear me. I gawk.
"Too creepy for you, Pone?" Two-Bit asks with a chuckle. "I gotta admit, I even think—" He wrinkles his nose at the stench creeping on the floor. His eyes get wide when he squints at the bum in the dark space. "Hey – you're from the bookstore. Pony, do you know this guy?"
"No. I don't." The heart in my chest could explode. It's pumping fast. It's a Black Fate. Why it's just standing there is baffling. The growl in my stomach grows.
I move closer to Two-Bit. He frowns.
Two-Bit's a nice guy.
But Two-Bit's also a greaser. And he's smart. The easy-going look falls from his face and is suddenly replaced with distrust. He looks at the bum and then at me. "Well, kid, I take it that's our cue to get outta here."
When he speaks, the bum's voice is melodic and calm. "Pony, I want to talk to you."
Something dark starts flapping in the corner of the mirror.
OoO
I should be helping Ponyboy. But I cannot. Fascinated, I watch Sodapop head in the correct direction of where Ponyboy is. He doesn't know – he just goes. Steve hoofs it along, his frown deepening as Soda pushes through the crowd.
OoO
Two-Bit sees the dark flapping too; a bird-like thing. The bum shuffles forward, hand outstretched. "Ponyboy."
Two-Bit steps in front of me. My friend is confused by what's happening but staying in charge. His voice is hard. "Man, I don't want a problem with you; but you try and touch this kid, and you're gonna have one."
The bum says, "Pony, you must hear me out. Hear me. You have the hunger."
A mirror flickers and this time it's a skeleton. Just bones on the bum. He staggers forward, rib cage stretching. Two-Bit grabs my arm and shoves me toward the exit. "Move it, Ponyboy, get outta here!"
Ripping my eyes away from the bum, I begin to run, stumbling blindly down the stairs, Two-Bit at my heels.
"You must listen!" the bum shouts.
We run. Fast.
Footsteps follow.
OoO
I'm too late to offer help.
Soda and Steve are almost to the fun house when the front doors burst open, Ponyboy and Two-Bit spewing forth. Famine's right behind them. To anyone else, he resembles a homeless man. Tired, worn, hungry. Starved for what he can't get.
To me, to Iris, maybe to Ponyboy, he's a skeleton. A Black Fate.
Soda and Steve rush forward. Someone screams for security.
Ponyboy trips. Two-Bit tries to help him but he's shoved away by an invisible force. He hits the side of the tinny fun house but then rebounds. Long, bony fingers grab Ponyboy's wrist. They lift him up, up, up. Pony screams.
Famine stretches its mouth wide and—
With a fierce swear, Two-Bit knocks the bum away. He and Ponyboy hit the ground. Two-Bit scooting back on his hands, dragging Ponyboy with him, arm wrapped around Pony's waist. Their faces wild and frightened. The bum moves close—
A cop tackles Famine.
Soda hits the ground. He yells once to get their attention. Two-Bit lets Pony go. Arms flying out, Pony launches himself at his brother, rocking them both backwards. Soda holds him tight, feeling Ponyboy's heart pound.
"Holy shit!" Two-Bit yells, hopping up and smearing his hair back like he's doing a frantic dance. "Shit, man!" He paces, watching as the cops handcuff the bum. He covers his mouth. Steve's beside him, telling him to walk it off.
Adrenaline flows heavy.
And then Darry Curtis is there, running across the dirt lot to where his brothers are.
OoO
I keep my eyes shut and take a breath. Gently, Soda uncoils me from his arms. We're in the mud, covered in grime and peanut shells. "You okay?" he asks, eyes wild. "Kiddo, talk to me…"
"I'm okay…" I glance to my right.
"He had to have been on something," Two-Bit's saying to Steve, as they hustle over. "He just came at us like a goddamn crazy person." Kneeling, Two-Bit shakily smiles. "How about that for a night out, huh, kid?"
I laugh. Soda shakes his head. "Jesus, Two-Bit…"
"What the hell happened?" a voice booms, and Darry's in the dirt now. His eyes follow the cop leading away the bum. The bum glances over his shoulder.
"Some creep went after Pony," Two-Bit says, giving the bum the finger. He shakes his head. "Started talking nuts and went off. Chased us out of the fuckin' fun house."
Darry evaluates my face. He puts a hand out. He opens his mouth—
The dark flapping thing from the fun house mirror flies inside and disappears down Darry's throat.
I cry out, "No!" and lunge forward, away from Soda. I grab Darry around the neck.
"What? What is it?" Untangling himself, Darry grips both of my hands, keeping me still, pulling me close. His eyes are soft and blue. Searching, always searching. He cups my chin. "Pony, are you hurt?"
"No – No, I ain't—"
"Then what is it?"
My heart pounds. They're all staring at me. I can't talk. I don't know what to say. I don't know what I just saw.
OoO
Iris wheels around. Her face is wild. "Bring me Ponyboy. Tonight!"
OoO
I pace. I've never been so scared. "What's in him? What's in my brother? Iris?" I nearly shout when she doesn't answer.
She glances at the scene before us. In the real world, I'm asleep in bed. Darry and Soda linger in my door away, arms crossed, talking. Talking. Like they always do. It's all they do.
"Famine unleashed darkness into your brother. He is now a host for the badness to come."
"What is that? What does that mean?"
"It means we must push up our plans."
Stunned, I stare. Everett steps up. "The darkness is evil. A mark in Darrel that will spread unless we stop the Black Fates faster. It's imperative that they find you."
"This was not how it was supposed to go," Iris seethes. She speaks like she's talking to herself. Maybe she is. "We are stronger than they. They would find you. I would send them below. We fix your heart. You go to college. It was supposed to be easy." She glares at Everett.
"You should have been there tonight instead of fawning after Sodapop."
"Iris, I hardly think—"
"Stop!" I run a hand through my hair. My eyes sting. "Just tell me. What'll happen to Darry?"
They glance at each other. Finally, Iris moves forward. She touches my arm, electricity on her fingertips. A calm flows through my skin, into my bones and—
"Don't," I say, stepping away from her charm. Breaking our connection. "I know what you're doing. Please. My brother."
She smiles sadly. "Slowly, he will change. He will not be the same. Inside, it will not be him, Ponyboy, but the Black Fate's destruction. He will not be aware. It will eat and eat at him. You must know this. He may fade in and out, but in the end, if we don't fix it, he will not recover."
"How do we fix him?"
"We cannot. Until all the Black Fates are entirely defeated. Only then will the darkness fade."
I take a breath. Anything. Anything for Darry. For my brothers.
"Tell me what to do."
"We must be fast. You must listen to me."
OoO
The floor creaks. Darry says, "You oughta be in bed, Ponyboy." He sighs as I shuffle out from the dark hallway.
For Darry, he's up late. Worrying, probably. I'm worrying too. About what Iris and Everett have told me. Unable to sleep, I just had to see him. Darry's in flannel pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt that shows off his muscles.
"I guess tonight didn't turn out so fun, did it?" he asks.
"None of this was supposed to happen," I murmur.
His face turns sad, like he's thinking of my heart problem when I really mean him. "I know it wasn't."
I move closer. Squint in the dark. I can't help it. Signs, all I'll be looking for now. I feel so sick. I don't want this to happen. I don't want my brother affected because of me.
"Are you okay, Darry? Do you feel okay?"
He gives me a funny look. "Course I do. And I should be asking you that."
"Aw, I'm alright."
"I'm serious, Pony. After tonight, I'm worried about you. All the stress and—"
"Darry, I'm fine. I'm keeping out of trouble ain't I? The medicine seems like it's working."
"It ain't a fix," he says. "It ain't a fix until October." I stare at him until he sighs and pats the couch cushion. His face is soft in the glow of the TV. "C'mere, kiddo."
I do. I climb onto the couch and relax into the crook of his arm. I close my eyes. I hope something awful.
OoO
Steve's curious.
It's only natural. They've all witnessed it, off and on for the last couple of years. But the other night, at the fair, Steve saw it. Really saw it. If it weren't his best friend, he'd ignore it. He's good at ignoring things. But not with Sodapop.
He can't play it off anymore.
Steve's been thinking about the right way to ask this particular question, when Soda brings it up for him.
"What's with you, Steve?" Soda asks. He snaps a grease rag at Steve as he crosses the shop floor to flip the OPEN sign to CLOSED, stuffing the rag in his back pocket. "You been quiet all day. Evie on your case again?"
"I got a question for you, Soda. I got a question about Ponyboy."
Soda pauses at the window, bristling. He's used to Steve and Ponyboy's bickering; but he also knows Steve can be an asshole when he wants to be.
I watch all this from the bed of a broken 1950s Chevrolet. I prefer cars from the 30s; they had true class.
"What about my brother?"
"How'd you know?"
Soda turns around. "How'd I know what?"
"Where he was the other night? At the fair. How'd you know that?"
"It was just a feeling, Steve. That's all."
"Pretty big feeling."
The two friends stare at each other. Steve's not jealous, just truly curious. Soda's sick of lying, of ignoring it, but he doesn't have an answer. There's something there, but why it's there, Soda's at a loss. Finally, Soda says with a shrug, "I don't know, Steve. It's weird, I get it. But I honest-to-god don't know."
Steve raises his hands. "Hey, I don't care. As much as your brother gets into trouble, I'd say it's a damn good thing."
Soda smiles.
The phone rings and Steve walks away to bark out a hello. Soda flips the sign to CLOSED. Outside it starts to rain. Thick sheets of water drench Tulsa.
OoO
Pardon typos.
Thanks for reading! Hope everyone had a great Fourth of July.
As always, reviews would be fab.
XO,
Feisty