Chapter 5

SATURDAY

A pounding headache from the night before had Shane not able to hear what Lewis said in the town square. Not that it mattered anyways because he didn't care. Maybe he was still a little bit drunk when Marnie woke him up this morning in a fit of hysteria throwing a fit that he needed to get dressed right now - something about an emergency town meeting. At first he groaned and threw the covers back over his head, trying to ignore his aunt for another minute of sleep. Her voice was like glass on glass.

"Get out of bed! Get yourself dressed now!" She used her mom's voice in a frantic rush trying to get Jas ready. That's when Shane knew it was serious, at least he assumed it.

However, now that he was standing in the middle of town with everyone muttering amongst themselves as fear drenched their own worries, he couldn't care less. Lewis was trying his best to calm the crowd.

"Everyone please quiet down now!" Lewis called out, trying to dull the crowd. After enough echoing of his orders, the neighbors began to silence themselves. "I've called everyone here today because this morning there was an incident of vandalism at the Yoba Shrine. The police have been notified and they're working on who caused it. I won't go into detail about what all that happened, but I'm going to be ordering a curfew effective immediately. Tonight, everyone is to be at home before sunset."

The crowd burst into muttering, all asking the same question with different words, demanding to know what happened. Lewis again called for their silence.

"The police are saying," he continued, "That this is nothing but a bunch of sick twisted kids from the city coming into our town to stir up some trouble. But as your mayor, due to the unusual nature of this crime and my duty to keep everyone as safe as possible, I feel this is the best solution until the police can confirm more details."

Again the crowd muttered, only becoming louder until throwing questions out into the open.

"How was it vandalized?"

"Who do they think did it?"

"How long will the curfew last for?"

"Are we safe?"

Pressure pushed down on the old man. All eyes were on him, and even though he had expected these questions he couldn't anticipate how scared his fellow neighbors would become. A hand found itself on Lewis' shoulder. The wizard stood behind him. His aura projected the words "Let me speak" without him having to say anything. Lewis took a step back and allowed the magic man to the floor.

The fear in the crowd's soul was evident. His presence didn't provide much comfort, but he wasn't promising comfort; He was providing a harsh, scary truth.

"Hello. As some of you know, I'm The Wizard who lives in the tower on the edge of the Cindersap Forest. I'm a Master of the Arcane, and I was called this morning to decipher elemental writing on the walls of your place of worship." His words trailed off, as if he were thinking about what to say next. He was clearly trying his best to choose his words carefully, as if he had deep wells of knowledge which he was afraid to say out loud. "It takes years to understand elemental writing, more to read it, and a lifetime to write it. I know some of you don't believe in the spiritual presence around us and would much rather believe what your local law enforcement is reporting, but no teenager from the city trying to pull a prank would ever be able to write what was on those walls I saw this morning."

The villagers began to clamor louder than before Lewis spoke.

"Enough!" The wizard cried, quieting the crowd. "What I am trying to say, is that what I think has inflicted your town with this devilry is a creature of the night. It moves between shadows and speaks with a silver tongue. It will try to get all of you to turn against each other. Don't fall for its tricks."

Again the community couldn't control themselves and cried their questions out loud.

"I'm not entirely sure what creature this might be," the Wizard said with a raised voice. "It fits many descriptions of evil ghouls, and ghosts that might want to cause you all great distress. The best you all can do is keep inside. Don't go out at night. The best case scenario is that this creature is feeding off all your emotions. If you all keep being the tight knit community you have all been, its food supply will run dry and it will have to continue to resort to other animals to keep itself alive."

"What do you think it is?"

"What does it look like?"

"Are we safe?"

"Like I said, I'm still narrowing down what this creature could be, for it matches many different beasts. I haven't a definitive answer on what I think it is, nor do I know what it might look like. But I can promise you, if you stay inside you will be safe."

In a flash, the Wizard teleported, leaving Lewis to the hounds who howled for more answers and some reassurance, but they were only given one clear Instruction:

Don't be out past dark.

Kicking rocks all the way to the saloon to restock up on beer, Shane couldn't believe what he was hearing.

So basically fuck me going to saloon during the week.

The thought on how he was going to feed his addiction was the priority in Shane's mind. He would have just enough time after work to get a case from Gus and rush back home if he was lucky. Sure, the sun stayed out much longer during the summer season, but it only took until the midway point of its prime to start getting dark out again. He cursed himself for being on the Jojamarts 'Do not sell' list.

Show up too slammed once and you and Pam ought to hope Gus never runs dry.

What did that glorified occultist know anyways? 'The way of the elementals?'

Tell me that crock of crap when you can prove that shit.

The thought of how the saloon would fare with such an unfavorable situation crossed the drunk's mind. A sneaking sourness snuck up into his guts with the idea of this curfew lasting too long and putting Gus out of business. He didn't think Lewis would do that. But then again, if Lewis was leaning into these monsters out in the shadows theory, maybe he would.

Of course Emily, who only cared about everyone, was putting her 'protection' crystals around the bar. Her greeting was like a wasp stinging inside his ears as she called to Shane, putting a small glass jar on the table Elliot and Leah would normally sit at on Fridays. He rubbed at his face, fingers stretching his skin up and down in a vain attempt to get the blood moving out from his headache.

"So what brings you in?" Emily spoke as she rushed herself to meet Shane from across the bar.

How can anyone be this happy like ever?

"Same thing that brings me in everytime," He muttered pulling the money from his pocket. "I need a case."

And with a smile, she brought up a box from under the counter. When Shane went to grab it by the handles, she wrapped her hands around his, placing a hard object within his palms.

"It's Black Tourmaline. It's supposed to help with negative thoughts and emotions, and also ward off evil spirits," She said as Shane opened his hand to reveal the small rectangular and boxy stone. The grooves reminded him of the gentle waves on the lake the night before. Instead of snapping at her, he accepted the gift with minimal gratitude, shoving the stone into his jacket pocket and hurrying back home.

Once he was once back under the that familiar light of home, with the rain that pranced wildly on the roof, he watched as his frozen food dethawed in the microwave. His hangover was so mind numbing he didn't even feel Jas pulling on his jacket and hand to get his attention until he heard a thump come from the floor.

"What's this?" Jas asked as she picked up the stone. "It's so pretty!"

"Emily gave that to me, you can have it if you want."

"Thank you so much uncle Shane!" Jas exclaimed while wrapping herself around her godfather. Shane extended his hand to pat the excited child on her head, hoping the small gift would quiet her down.

"Go put it somewhere in your room. It's supposed to keep you safe."

"What if I want to keep it on me?"

"You can, but don't come crying to me if you lose it."

The little girl, smitten by the gift, went searching for somewhere to keep it in so as to not lose it whenever she had it on her person. Unfortunately she kept herself in the kitchen perusing through the drawers.

"When's Aunt Marnie going to be home?" Jas' voice again cut through the rain, as she opened and closed the cabinets too. It wouldn't have such a sin if Shane had a bit more patience on his side that evening.

"I don't know," he said, wondering why the timer on the microwave was running so slow.

"But didn't mayor Lewis and that guy with the funny hat say not to be out past dark?"

He wanted to make a snide remark, and say something he knew she wouldn't get with words for his soul only, but Shane kept his comments to himself.

"Yes, but Aunt Marnie is probably with mayor Lewis right now…" he answered as the microwave buzzed. "Don't worry about Aunt Marnie."

Running off into his room to get away from a child who had too many questions, Shane escaped Jas' never ending search for answers which she would eventually learn for herself as she grew.

But right now she wondered where her aunt was, or why her uncle always looked tired, and why his eyes were always dark and his skin was flushed of color. Maybe when Aunt Marnie came home she could sneak in the right time to ask why Shane always looked so sad and sick, or where Marnie had been all night. However, the only thing she could do for herself was find something to hide her new gift in. She had an idea for an item she didn't think anyone would miss. At the back of the sink she crawled towards the wall. In the low light it would be unseen by Marnie and ignored by Shane. Jas was only aware of the shiny infuser from having to help put dishes away with her aunt. She had found it in the back, and had left the object alone so as to not cause an issue. But alone, she was free to take the star shaped metal from where it hid. She admired the tea infuser that dangled and glimmered in the artificial light, with not a spot of rust corroding the silver hue. She struggled to open it up, wondering what her next move would be if she couldn't, but just before she gave up, the infuser popped open.

TUESDAY

He couldn't drink at home alone anymore. He couldn't stop himself. He couldn't control his thoughts all alone staring at the four walls that closed in on him. Even with the booze, they called for his soul. That didn't matter to him, but when he saw Jas peering in between the door and its frame, her eyes reminded him of someone he wished to forget. And when she asked what was wrong, he broke. He couldn't subject himself to the memory of her… and him.

While walking home, the rain was prismatic in how the sun shined off it as it fell. The sky was sad but beautiful, like an altar to what might be within the gloom of swollen clouds, alabaster and biscotti hued. The sky shed tears, but that didn't mean it was rotten. Sometimes even the earth needed to cry. The case of beer heavy was in his hand, but the weight of his anxiety rivaled it. The brick building he called home now was a tower of regret, and a reminder of where he was in life. He didn't want to face Jas or Marnie. He wanted to be alone...real alone. As the rain hit the trees he thought about it - what had happened to them. Perhaps with enough liquor and beer these trees could tell him what it was like to hit-

No, don't think about it.

Night time came and Shane wondered if he would die. He knew he wasn't supposed to be out this late. Marnie would have words for him when he stumbled home past midnight, but he didnt care. He needed an escape and the lakefront was what fulfilled that need. With enough beers he could pretend there was some mythical creature waiting to rip him open and eat his insides hiding out within the trees.

Come get me then, hopefully these organs are too soaked in booze.

"What are you doing out here, dude?" That familiar voice called from a close distance. Shane turned and fell on his ass onto the damp grass. It was Mars again.

"I could ask you the same thing," he countered with slurred speech before chugging the rest of his beer. For a moment Shane closed his eyes and when he opened them, Mars stood crouched over him.

"Why are you out here, anyway?"

"Because I like breaking the law," Mars said, trying to push Shane back up. "It's not safe out here."

"Don't tell me you believe in all that shit from this morning."

"No," Mars explained, "I'm just more concerned with you hurting yourself in the middle of the night drunk out at the water's edge.".

"You and my aunt can start a 'Let's Worry About Shane Club' then..buh," He retorted. "Meetings are on Sunday mornings or the days after I get too hammered."

"Why are you out here alone?" Mars' question cut through the ranting.

Shane wanted to be sarcastic, but he physically couldn't. Mars' charisma cut through Shane's nihilism before he even said it, and Shane's soul began to speak.

"Because I couldn't sit and drink in my room alone anymore," he said unfiltered with straight-from-the-source, no bullshit honesty. Mars took a minute to process the words as their eyes locked onto each other, Shane was drunk but he was still aware enough to start to feel his body again, and it was warm with lust. He turned red when Mars grinned.

"If I buy you booze and keep you company, will you stay inside?"

"Deal."

As Shane go to his staggering feet, the vertigo was too much, and it had the drunk gagging on his own spit.

"I didn't mean to get this drunk...fuck." Shane muttered with his hands on his knees, trying to stop the ground from spinning. But he couldn't, and could only feel his guts pushing up against his other organs in a hot pursuit to release their contents out from his mouth. Quickly, Mars went to his friend's aid and kept the alcoholic from vomiting on himself or falling into the stomach contents. "Shit i'm sorry" is what Shane would've said if he could speak, but as his guts empty themselves of everything including bile, he could only try and make half words, Mars there holding him up, rubbing his back over his jacket with his cold hands, trying his best to comfort the sick man.

"It's okay." Mars said.

"No, it's not."

"I'll get ya home."

"Please just leave me here, but don't leave. I'm sorry."

Once it was over, the embrassment hit before the general shitiness of getting too drunk did. Once Shane could stand on his own he moved out of the way of the vomit and fell back to his knees on the soft wet ground. Tears were in his eyes from dry heaving.

" You know, life can just be crushing and horrible, and sometimes I feel like the world doesn't want me here," Shane stammered, his mind too full of thoughts. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you that."

"It's okay, I think you just need to sleep this off," Mars answered as he picked Shane back up to his feet.

WEDNESDAY

Shane hadn't even thought much about the previous night, deciding for Mars that the man's time was more useful somewhere else rather than hanging out with one of the town drunks. As Shane started up his game system with the lights off, blanket over his body, and very comfy, he heard Marnie call out his name.

"Shane! You have a visitor,"

Then the night before came back to him as he heard the faintest sound of Mars' voice. Shit shit shit came from his lips as Shane tried his best to make himself presentable, or at least put some pants on. The knock of knuckles sounded on his door.

"Give me a sec!"

He heard Marine's advice for the visitor to just go on in had Shane cursing even more,

"I'll wait.."

He felt great relief that at least someone in the world respected boundaries. Out of breath but now pantsed, Shane answered his door.

How did he always look like this?

He had a case of beer in one hand and a smile stretching from ear-to-ear.

"Did you forget I was coming over?"

"Uhh, no I just didn't think…" Shane stammered, but was cut off by Mars not letting him embarrass himself with his low self esteem.

"Do you mind if I come in?"

In a slew of words Shane stepped aside and invited Mars into his space, lights stinging Shane's eyes as he turned them on.

"Sorry, it's a mess…" Shane said, watching as Mars took a seat on his makeshift gaming chair.

"It's not a mess," Mars said, watching as Shane's gaze went from the floor to the 12-pack. "Want one?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

In a quick moment of events Mars grabbed a bottle and tossed it over to the ex-jock who fumbled the catch, thoughts not on what flew towards him but on trying to not turn red. His incompetence made Mars grin.

"So what do you want to do?"

You.

"I mean, I was just about to play some video games, I got a second controller somewhere."

Once the alcohol was in his system and his bones began to rest, Mars' company became enjoyable. His thoughts of the evil he had caused in others' lives was suppressed, only was only him and his new friend playing some video games and drinking, staring at the T.V. in front of them on the floor like when he was young. Losing made him smile.

"How are you so good at this?"

"Well you gotta go do something on business trips. Eating, screwing, and drinking only gets you so far," Mars said as he gained speed on Shane in the racing game they were playing.

In a thought that went too fast for his brain to discourage him from, Shane quickly put himself between Mars and the T.V., giving himself an advantage to catch up. In a fury of trying to see the screen they pushed and shoved at each other until Shane crossed the finish line, winning.

"You asshole," Mars teased,

"I didn't think you were a sore loser."

"You want to say that to me without cheating?"

The playful banter kept Shane's mind from spirling, like he stopped falling down the pit and was able to gain control. He stared at the screen telling him he had lost, seeing the reflection of himself in the mirror.

"Had enough yet?"

In a trance Shane saw something in himself he hadn't for years: Happiness. Ice touched his hand and he dropped the control from the shock. Mars pulled his own hand away from Shane's as he snapped his hand towards his chest.

"You okay?"

"Are you?" Shane retorted, "You're like a fucking Icicle."

Once the initial chill wore off, Shane grabbed up the control again, eyes back on the game. "You should really go see Harvey for that, I know you said you're anemic but that's not normal."

"I'm fine, I've lived with it my entire life," Mars snapped back, but before he could get irritated, Shane draped him in his worn out jacket.

"I want it back before you leave."

Weeks passed and Marnie had never seen her nephew so uplifted. His mood, the way he spoke, even how he held himself had changed over the course of the weeks, and she credited it to Mars' presence. Shane finally had a friend.

But paradise didn't come without a price. She wasn't dumb, and watched the stranger. The way he moved like wind, how he never let her even get close to his form, like he hid something under those layers of clothing. He did come from the city, and they weren't the friendliest bunch, preferring an aloof nature, but even that didn't add up as she had seen Mars at the bar before the start of the curfew, and how sociable he could be. Touch shouldn't have been such a trigger for the extrovert. But who was she to tell another person what they should be comfortable with? She learned to keep her hands to herself while talking to the young well-mannered man.

But what she couldn't shrug off was how he watched Jas from the hallway while Shane made frozen dinners for them to eat. Like a shark trying to figure out a diver's cage. The gaze gave her chills and they would be in the kitchen just for a moment too soon for her to shoo Jas off to her bedroom. It wasn't a sexual gaze, but one of seeing the little girl as a threat. She had seen it before when she had lived on the cattle farm with her father. It was the same look the cows would give before being shipped out for slaughter.

Marnie struggled with saying anything to Shane, who was too blind to see how weird his new friend acted towards his goddaughter. The good in Marnie prevailed, and she said nothing. Maybe she wasn't seeing what she thought she was seeing, Maybe he was uncomfortable around children, Maybe something happened where he doesn't like hugs or being touched. He wasn't hurting anyone, and Shane was finally happy. Why should she take that away from him?

But Marnie still watched from afar. The motherly instincts within her wouldn't let her look away. Whenever Jas took herself outside her room and the boys were in the kitchen she was there, watching Jas like her own, knowing something wasn't right.

Feelings are only feelings, and they could be wrong or not understanding the entire picture. Plus the times Jas and Mars ran into each other and interacted were less than what one could count on a hand, and again, Shane was happy. And if Mars acted like an injured animal around the little girl, what did Marnie even have to worry about?

As the curfew continued, so did Shane and Mars' blooming friendship. Everyday was the same: Wake up, try to forget, help Aunt Marnie with the animals, try to forget, go to work, try to forget, go home, try to forget, play video games and drink with Mars, forget. Actually forget about 'it' for a few hours.

There were times Shane was telling Mars things that he didn't think he would ever divulge. They were never too detailed, like how he didn't have much of a family growing up, or how happy he was when he played gridball on the varsity team in highschool so many years ago. Mars never pried for more information. He only listened and laughed at the stories Shane wanted him to laugh at, or frowned and nodded at sad things he chose to divulge.

Shane would ask Mars about his own family and the things that gave him life to think back on, and the answers weren't as guarded. He grew up with both his parents that loved him very much but didn't quite understand him. They were simple, religious folk from the suburbs who didn't know what to do with their charismatic child who always knew exactly what to say to get what he wanted. At eighteen they threw him out of the house, embarrassed to find out that the woman they thought he had been dating was actually a man. It stung that no matter what Mars said, he couldn't talk his parents into loving him. Soon he found himself in a job talking to people for a living, and his career became more sweet like fine wine as it aged. His talent was like gold, and it only increased his wealth until he couldn't sell lies anymore, and then he found himself in the sticks enjoying the company of a new friend.

"Your parents are shitty people."

"No, they were just scared," Mars answered. "I still love them, but that's my choice,"

"I think they're shitty," Shane repeated as they played a co-op game. The little 8-bit characters were shooting at the mobs of ghouls. "You don't choose who you fall in love with."

"They were from a different time."

"You tolerate way too much. I mean, I guess that's why we're friends," Shane said with a smirk, covering his friend's flank in the battle.

"I guess at some point you just gotta let the anger go," said Mars. "I'm not going to tell others they can't or they shouldn't, but I just couldn't be angry anymore. They missed out on me, not the other way around. I had to move on."

Shane couldn't, though. The pain, the suffering he had caused, the fact he was so worthless at this point in his life...he couldn't move on because he had nothing to move onto. The ghouls had cornered him in the game, abd Mars was too slow to help. 'Game Over' flashed over and over again on the analog T.V.

"So, you got a type?" Shane asked, laying down on the floor. Mars seemed confused by the question. "You know, the types of guys you like?"

"Ohh, uhh.." Mars stammered hesitantly, joining Shane on the floor. "Well I guess tall, handsome, and doesn't mind how touchy-feely I am."

In thoughts he tried to not think about, Shane totaled up all those things Mars said he liked. He was none of them. He felt small and tried to fight off the feeling,

"But I'm more into how a person makes me feel, you know?" Mars continued, eyes to the ground. "If I can't bullshit them it's a plus. Who's your dream girl?"

The question had Shane searching his head for any bit of an answer. He tried to think of the last time he had a crush.

"I don't really care. Like you said it really just depends on how he makes me feel." He caught himself. "She."

Mars thought about pushing the subject. Shane was half out of it, most likely a slip of the tongue from the beer, but an error such as that was rarely ever not Freudian in nature. As he thought about his next move, Shane made it for him.

"What do you think about me?" He asked half jokingly.

"What do you think?"