(More trigger warnings: mentions of gang violence, some detailed torture, and death)
"I don't see why not?" Paul shrugged taking a swig from the bottle.
"Would you rather hear it in song and dance or .." He set the bottle down beside the bed before turning frantically, "Or would you like it performed like a Shakespeare monologue."
"I personally am all for song and dance," David started from behind, "but perhaps save the singing and dancing for the party. You can't exactly put on a good show for your story. Besides do tragedies even have dance numbers? Marko, do you know?"
"Typically they don't, Greek tragedies did but they were done by a chorus to explain to the audience what was happening," the cherub yawned lightly as he laid his head back on my stomach.
"Well, well, well we have a genius among us after all- got any more information for us?" Paul had rested his hands on his hips in a sassy manner.
"Not particularly- I just have a love for the arts," Marko paused, "besides shouldn't you be telling your tragic backstory?"
"I guess I should, it's been talked about too much. It would be a crime if I didn't tell it,"
"Since when are you worried about committing a crime?"
"I guess I was back in '68 or the summer of '69, that I last worried about crimes- I mean that's when I really fell for you," and like that I could remember exactly what Paul was talking about.
The summers in Crowne Point, New Jersey were almost tire melting. It made good business for the grease monkeys down at Merrill's Autoshop and Junkyard. However it almost made people revert to horses and carriages like they'd converted from almost less than ten years prior.
To say Crowne Point was a small town was an understatement. In towns like these, everyone knew each other which was nice if you liked the familiarity of small town life. However, it also meant everyone also knew everything about you too.
Everyone knew everything. Interesting gossip like things about Buck Van Winkle's affair with an out of towner to the strange appearance of a child whom everyone assumed to be his bastard was common knowledge for example.
The truth be told in this particular situation- Buck never had an affair. Juliette Van Winkle, Buck's wife, was gifted with other talents than being given the ability to be a mother. So when he came home with a baby and her music career took off, people began to conspire there'd been an affair. They figured the blonde child couldn't possibly been Juliette's; there was no characteristic similar to the dark haired woman's. And no one blamed her when she left to become Ms. Juliette Hitchhawke- The most popular country and gospel singer of the east coast.
Things like these, rumors, were like a sentencing chip in the small town I grew up in. It was just me and my father until I was fifteen. His sickness began fairly quickly and was over before we even knew what it was. The coroner was blown away by the quickness of the disease's evolution. It only took the disease two weeks to kill him.
He became sick, staying in from sunlight as it made him feint. Desiring raw meats and bouncing between an inibility to sleep during the night and day and becoming a night owl, staying awake until body exhaustion incapacitated him. The doctor suggested a brain hemorrhage but at the time no one understood what that entailed. So we all went along and accepted it.
I spend the next two years in the house he died in. The law hadn't found any family for me to transferred to. However I found myself emancipated from the system. I'll never know how that happened but I'm glad it did.
I spent my days attending school and my nights, afternoons, weekends waitressing at Big Al's Dinner or working in Pop's Soda Shop. I managed to support myself well enough without the little bit of money my pops had actually saved for us. I knew I had to save it because it had to be what would get me out of this county. I had to get out someday.
It was one of those hot summer evenings that I met him. He rode up next to me in a maroon and gold '52 Firebird with the top down and everything. His ride itself had me convinced of one of two things; he was one of those rich kids that lived up in the Highland Hills or that he had some crazy gig to have a nice car like that. If he wasn't a rich socialite that lived in the Hills to relax close to the country side then he had to have been one of Merrill's grease monkeys with a ride that sweet, and obviously customized. Or worse- he was one of Billy 'One Eye's' guys which would explain the mad cash for the wild ride.
Billy 'One Eye' had two eyes and surprisingly both worked considering the nickname. Despite the lack of obvious sense in the nickname, it was better than the original Billy 'One Nut'. No one dared to give him any kind of hard time about it, especially if you'd met the guy. Some said he was vile- others said downright psychotic and evil. And they were right. It was almost as if he'd made a deal with the devil to keep one of his two nuts and got possessed by something in the process. No one messed with Billy. He did the dirty work, he got results, and ironically happened to be the richest young man in town. I guess dirty work pays a helleva lot of more money than waitressing, dishwashing, or any other blue collar job.
"Hey babe, need a ride?"
I avoided looking anywhere but the sidewalk ahead of me. I knew he was coming- heard him anyway, his howling laughter was unforgettable. His voice wasn't much different than the howl, although less wild it was just as piercing in the right tone.
"No thanks," I kept my pace a little faster than normal and heavy.
"Where you heading?" He kept his car pulled to the side as he drove beside me. He didn't go any faster than I walked. He was very relaxed at the moment, wearing a kind smile, and brushing his blonde floppy Mick Jagger hair from his face.
"Home," I replied shortly, I thought about pick up my pace and just sprinting home but a crack of thunder and dark clouds started to roll towards the moon.
"I could give you a lift," he replied after the crack had settled. The air seem more humid and you could almost smell the rain coming.
In that light from the thunder I saw more of his face than I had before- he had fair skin that seemed to see only a little more sun than mine had. His crystal blue eyes shined in the blue hues I'd seen in the thunder.
He was good looking and he knew it. You could see it in the way he sat, the way he had his hand on the wheel, and the way he dressed. I could only see his slightly opened button up top from where I stood but something said he had way more of a fashion sense than he let on. He look like a rockstar by any and all means. The long hair, the cool car, and clothes- I bet he played an instrument or sang too.
"It's not too far," I felt like I was telling myself that too, however I knew home was a good six or so miles away. And it was up hill.
"It'll be faster and you'll get home before the rain really starts coming down."
I knew he was right and I hated it.
I stared at him hard in the dark and shook my head with a laugh, " You're very persistent aren't you?"
"Well what kind of guy would I be if I left a gorgeous gal like you out in the rain?"
"The kind that hangs with guys like Billy One-Eye,"
I muttered
"What was that?" He didn't look mad
"I said, Not a very respectable one I'd assume."
"Exactly. I'd feel better knowing you made it home safely. There are plenty of predators out prowling tonight," he said it in that piercing tone that reminded me just how right he was.
Old Howey's Billiard was ahead, on my way home. It was a place I hated going past. Billy 'One Eye' and his gang hung out there a lot. Besides that there was a lot going on in that place that was bad news. I tried my best to avoid it but sometimes you just had back luck and had to go past it. However, it might be better to go by it with someone else.
"I appreciate the concern but if I was worried I have friends I could call."
"Now babe, me and you both know that's not true."
"How dare you insult me!" I scoffed at the truth of his words in attempt to dull their sting. It didn't help no matter how much I denied it. He was unknowingly correct,I didn't have friends. I didn't have anyone to call.
"I didn't mean to insult you-"
"Calista."
"Calista- Please forgive me, the last thing I meant to do was insult you. I just know about you- I know it must not be easy-"
"Just what do you think you know about me?" I'd stopped a few feet before Howey's and proceeded to glare at the blonde under the street lights.
"You're Van Winkle's kid. He left for a while and came back with you. Everyone thinks your his kid albeit he brought you back when you were a few years old, they figured he'd had you with some other chick that wasn't Juliette. And that's why she had no problem taking off for her music career, because her husband had already made a family with someone else. And on top of it all, after she left you, so did he. The old guy got sick fast and left you alone at what fifteen? Did you even finish high school?"
I just stared hard at the young man in the driver's seat for a long time. I knew he was right so far, it was this damn nosy town. They thought they just knew everything which pissed me off but what upset me even more is how right he was.
"Maybe I'm familiar to you, do know my name?"
I shook my head, still watching him.
"The name is Brooke Hargreaves. I come into Big Al's with Billy Granger," fuck so he was with Billy 'One Eye', "but I also go to Pop's Soda Shop pretty often too... I don't go there with Billy though."
He was starting to become more familiar to me instead of just another faceless, nameless customer.
"Listen- you can not like me because of my association with Billy but please don't let it stop you from trusting me with giving you a ride home. I know the guys will be coming out of the billiard soon and if they see you walking out and about I can guarantee you probably won't be going home tonight. Just let me repay you-"
"Repay me? For what?"
"Look you don't have all night, and for the way you take care of Pop's and the shop. It means a lot to me and I just appreciate that you go out of your way for him. You don't have to but I can tell you care about him too, so from one soda lover to another, hop in?"
I bet he could see the hesitation written on my face. And I could hear bottles breaking in the billiard.
"Come on, I know you're anxious so I'll let you hold my pocket knife the whole ride if you feel unsafe-" the look of horror on my face must've said enough- "you know I'm with Billy, this shouldn't surprise you. But come on, it's my only one and you'll have it the whole ride."
I didn't plan on getting in but the door bell of the billiard rang through the night. And I could hear the guys yelling and cursing. I was cursing myself internally, but it was Brooke or Billy and Billy was someone I didn't want to take my chances with. I hoped into Brooke's car with ease as the gang not too far away, got louder.
That was the first time Brooke drove me home. And he did it many times after surprisingly. I'd made it clear to him that I had no intention of this becoming a regular occurrence. However I began to grow more and more fond of him each time it was.
I saw him more often at Pop's. He never once brought in Billy or the other rowdy guys he hung with. He made Pop's a brighter place. It made it more enjoyable for me to work there as he slowly became a familiar face for me. He was kind to the younger kids who came in, giving them nickles, dimes, and pennies to play pinball and get songs on the jukebox. He even brought in his own guitar, getting up on the little stage in the far right front corner of the shop. He just had a natural high, bright way of being around him. It was warm to just be in his presence.
It was strange how I'd come to like him so quickly. I just hadn't had much of anyone to get to like in this town. No one cares, no one made an effort (besides Pops), but Brooke did. He talked to me every day after that. It took him a while but eventually he got around to taking me home from work. And then he got to taking me to work. I don't know how he found the time away from Billy and the gang or his job at Merrill's. I was just eternally grateful I'd found someone who cared.
He cared so much- he even helped me study to get the equivalent of a high school diploma when I decided I wanted to finish school at eighteen. He was right the first night I met him, I hadn't been able to graduate high school like all the other kids my age. But you best bet he spent every second with me working and explaining concepts and formulas to me. He studied with me almost every night at Pop's and he taught me how to drive.
I'd never thought he'd let me behind the wheel of his beloved Firebird but it was the first car he taught me to drive. We would take rides through town, sometimes he'd let me drive myself and other times- despite how dangerous it was he'd have me sit on his lap and he'd help guide me as I drove. I noticed though, the more time we spent together, the more heads turned our way. Not that I was worried at first but I noticed some of those heads had glares attached to them and some of those heads were members of Billy 'One Eye's gang...
"Do you ever wonder what you'll do now that you have that degree?" he asked as he drove us through the tree shaded streets of Crowne Point.
"I figure I'll take it and leave here. Maybe I'll get a better job somewhere. Maybe I'll even get an opportunity to go to college!" I was so excited with the countless opportunities we knew awaited us.
The trees eventually began to multiply and the road smaller. We didn't mind the bumpiness of the road but we turned up the radio when it played the Beatles. And when we got there, he'd led me through a little bit of woods to the top of a clearing. It wasn't hard to get through though as my shorts and sneakers were a definite help as opposed to the usual church donation clothes I owned. Which that being said, it meant I didn't have a lot of options besides the nice clothes you'd wear to church on Sundays. It just happened that Brooke, being the kind soul he was, took me to get other clothes. Things I wanted for myself. He was good to me for no good reason...
At the top, the ground had a blanket and a basket on it. Beyond if was the edge of a cliff and the setting sun.
"What are we doing here Brooke?"
"I just wanted to take you to one of my favorite places. It's where I go when I think of you."
"Me? Why me?"
"I've never met another person like you. I've never met someone so motivated to move beyond their current situation. I've never met someone so in love with the possibility of how great they could make their own life. You are something I've never found in anyone else in this small town," he paused, pushing hair behind my ear as he leaned down to me," you're the reason I want to get out of this town. You're why I work so hard at Merrill's and why I haven't been hanging with Billy's guys so much. I just can't imagine living without you."
And that's how we got to where we are now. We had two bags each and a couple other small things that we'd wrapped up nice and tight. It was all thrown together and packed tight in the back of the CFirebird. Brooke and I had spent every minute we could together- which was surprisingly more than we thought was possible. It was good, we enjoyed each other's company immensely. I lived for the nights where he'd take me home from Pops and we'd have dinner and he would play guitar for me.
He was a talented musician- he could play any instrument and sing any song. He was the next big rockstar! He would've made it out there. We were going to make it out there. However the push to go came far sooner than anticipated.
I had been cleaning up at Pops almost an hour before close. As I was getting some rags, I heard the jingle of the door and ditched the rags for two glasses of water. I'd balanced the two in one hand a handful of cleaned menus in the other. Both hit the ground in horror when I'd seen who'd come in.
Sitting front and center along the soda bar was Billy One Eye and two of his cronies. One asshole on each side, sat there and looked at me with the most vile look I'd gotten in a long time.
"Welcome to Pop's Soda Shop, can I get you guys anything?" I stayed back from the counter, out of arms reach for them.
"Sure can sweetheart, you can get me a chocolate shake," Billy said, eyeing me in a way I didn't like, "oh and two for my boys here"
With the swiftest fastest movements I could make I got them their shakes and retreated to the back to get a broom to start cleaning the glass from earlier. As I started to approach the corner to the bar, I could hear a thud and a scrape sound happening. It couldn't be good but I mustered up all the courage and stepped around the corner with determination.
Billy One Eye sat at the bar by himself now. The thump and scratch I heard had been him; he was using his switchblade to dig into the bar top and carve out a particularly frightening message.
'It'll happen again' is what read on the bar top.
"You know Carmen, I'm starting to think you don't like me."
"It's Calista."
"I don't care what you're name is. You know why I think you don't like me?" He didn't wait for me to answer. "Because one of my top guys isn't around nearly as much as he used to be. He's no where to be found. But we found him. Chasing after some blonde haired fairy looking bitch. And he was my right hand man, was able to do anything I asked him to. And now he can't because he has to be a better guy for her? Yeah, bullshit, that's what I thought too. Boys," and with a snap, his goons had grabbed me, an arm each.
I didn't speak, I was too afraid. Each guy appeared out of nowhere it seems and grabbed an arm. They forced me to stand right in front of Billy who was now admiring the sharpness of his blame right in front of me.
"You know, one of the things I hate most are thieves. And do you know what they do to thieves in other places?"
I knew my whole body was shaking. Billy held up two fingers and then the assholes holding me grabbed one arm each and forced my hands onto the counter. One on each side of Billy's message. While they held me he pulled out two switchblades from his pocket and laid them on the counter.
"The thing I hate most about this is how unprepared I feel. You know- there's this thing about fate. I didn't plan this you know. We just happened to be driving by. And it's just an opportunity that I can't pass up. There's a guy who makes all my stuff. Everything is completely uniquely crafted- it's just unfortunate that all I have there are my favorites. Although I'll be leaving them with you, I know I'll get them back. I just want blondie to remember who he's dealing with," and his smirk was cruel as he said this.
"I'll leave it up to you darling. Lay your hands out flat and relax- this will make it much easier on you- no less painless but easier later. Or you can keep you hands clenched like that and we'll see just how much more this can hurt."
I fought as much as I could but my hands laid flat on the counter. It wasn't any use.
THUNK, screaming, THUNK, wailing.
I was weak at the knees, my stomach twisted. And I fought for each breath as he and his goons laughed, making their way out of the store.
"Tell Brooke we miss him around here, won't you?"
I had to stay awake, I had to keep standing. I couldn't move. Both of my hands had a switchblade through them, pinning me to my spot. There was no telephone line nearby, I would just have to wait for Brooke to show up. I had ten minutes before he was supposed to be here.
Just keep breathing right? It won't be long before he comes.
There were more screams when Pops got there with Brooke. Pops got on the phone, Brooke grabbed clean rags. Doc was coming and Brooke convinced Pops to not try to remove the switchblades.
Doc came by and carefully removed the blades and checked my hands. They had damaged my tendons but it wasn't nothing some rest for my hands wouldn't be able to fix. Doc said with enough time they'd be able to see just what kind of real mobility damage there was. Regardless though, he did what he could and stitched my hands the best he could.
The time since the accident had pushed us to work harder on getting things prepared. The tiny houses we lived in were being stripped bare. Lots of getting rid of things and packing as much into Brooke's car as possible. The trunk was getting full and heavy but nothing seemed too out of place. We kept our eyes peeled and I stayed with Paul instead of the house by myself. We decided to do that after rocks were thrown through my kitchen windows one morning. Billy went out of his way to terrorize me, but Brooke made it his duty to be by my side day and night. Though it was incredibly endearing of him, it made us easy.
It was our last night, we hugged Pop's goodbye and vowed to someday see him again earlier that night. We were getting ready to take off, having checked our stuff and left the keys to our places with the realtors. We were actually almost out of town, thinking we would make it, that we were home free. It was too early for our celebration. We sped down the empty streets towards the edge of town. We really thought we were going to make it. The car began slowing down, despite Brooke's lead foot on the gas.
"I know we said no stops until we're out of state, but it seems like we're not going anywhere right now.. I'm going to check out the car to see what's going on. Just stay here okay?"
I nodded and watched as we took a lap around the car. He looked confused as he checked out the rear driver tire.
"Fucking nails." The darkness behind him seemed to move out of nowhere.
"Brooke watch-" I wasn't fast enough. A flash of metal in moonlight let me know it was a pipe.
I screamed as I was ripped out of the passenger seat. It was long before I was kissing hard steel too. Everything went dark at that point.
The next time I opened my eyes, I wish I hadn't. Brooke was leaned against a tree, our tree in our spot. God, there was the cliffs nearby and the train below. I stayed still where I was knelt, waiting silently. Hopefully I didn't alert whoever was around that I was conscious. However I didn't need to, the focus wasn't on me.
There were car headlights the suddenly gave the scene some light. Billy came from the cars, guys with pipes, bats, and rope behind him. He stalked over to Brooke like the predator he was. He stared Brooke down, kicking his foot lightly.
"Broooke. Brooke. Brooke, Brooke, Brooke, Brooke. Look alive baby, you might not have the opportunity to for much longer," and with that he wrenched Brooke's head back to be looking at the rest of us.
He had a nasty black eye coming in but otherwise he looked fine. I was worried and I still am- we might not be getting out of this one.
"So here's the thing babes- there's a possibility that either one of you or neither of you will be walking away tonight. You see, Callie doesn't get a choice," and he snapped his fingers. The guys started to make their way to us, surround me specifically. "You see, what we have here is a leech boys. And this one has been feeding off one of our boys for a while now isn't that right?"
"No! Leave her-" Brooke was silence by a knock from a bat.
"Ah, ah, ah come on now Brooke- you know how this goes. You were my right hand after all. You still are right?"
Brooke said nothing but glared deeply at Billy. And then he spit a mouthful of blood into Billy's face.
"Fuck!" He hit Brooke again but harder this time. That one really bit Brooke you could tell he was struggling to keep his eyes open focus on the situation. "Here's the thing- good, loyal dogs don't bite. And the ones that do," Billy breathed heavily as he wiped a bit of blood off his face,"Get punished."
He nodded towards me and Brooke started freaking out- "No! No! Billy your beef is with me, let's solve it. Don't involve her, she didn't do anything."
"TOO LATE BROOKE, you know how this game goes. Boys, put the boots to her. Hard style. If she's not a blueberry by the end then you're wrong."
I sucked in a breath and prepared myself. However nothing could prepare me for what we in store for me. Even now I can't remember what all was done to me. Even in the end, I could imagine it. I couldn't see, whether it was from the blood or swell I couldn't tell you. I never saw Brooke again but I felt him. He cried and shook and screamed. It was all in vain. I felt myself being pulled up and my back was warm. Brooke's hand curled around my own and he whispered sweet nothings to me as we tied back to back. The gang chanted and laughed as we were dragged to the edge of the cliff.
"Night, night birdies," Billy's laugh echoed in my memory and then the weightlessness of falling.
Brooke squeezed my hand, and then the bleakness with the impact. There was nothing else.
"Wow... that wasn't good. None of us have gotten our happy endings, have we?"
"No. None of us have but this is our time doll," David sighed as we all snuggled in closer together.
"This time we all get the happy ending.. right?"
"It's what we've been waiting for for years. This is has to be the one though. It's our last chance," he was fighting off another sigh, "don't worry about it now. Now we sleep- but in the night we will plan. We will survive, we will overcome, and we will survive for eons after this. But for tonight, let's sleep, we'll worry about the details later, yeah?"
A chorus of agreeing sound soft as the sleepiness took us all and day approached us.