A Thousand Paper Cranes
By Reiko Anne Nguyen
Date: August 02, 2009
Author's Note: Hands down, this is my most favorite chapter to write.
Summary: Benny never thought he'd find another adventure quite like pickling the beast. Little did he know that freshman year would prove to be anything but ordinary. Varsity hazing trials, dead bodies, and town secrets are bound to be revealed.
Chapter 8: Point Mugu Trial
"Benny felt his body go limp from the exhaustion of standing.
It was safe to say that the ropes kept him strapped to the post,
and that his body's impulse to go limp would not hurt him—too much."
September 10, 1962
Monday
The bell rang at exactly three o'clock p.m. Benny popped out of his chair in Spanish and ran towards the office, picking up Ham and Kenny on the way.
"You have to push it," Kenny told Benny impatiently when he wouldn't stop tugging on the handle of the office door.
"Thanks for telling me man," Benny retorted sarcastically. "Cause, you know, yanking the door upwards was next option."
The three of them filed into the cool office, thankful that none of the other boys who had tried out for the team were there yet.
"Excuse me, miss," Benny asked the plump woman behind the front desk. "Where are the results of the baseball tryouts being posted?" The old woman pointed to the empty table in the corner of the room. A white sheet of paper sat on top of it.
In a flash, Benny, Ham, and Kenny ran to the table and grabbed the sheet of paper, eager to see if they had made the team or not.
"Yes!" Ham yelled in relief. "I made the team! Did you hear me, lady?" He asked the woman at the front desk. "The Great Hambino made the junior varsity baseball team!"
"Uh-huh," the woman nodded at Ham with a monotone voice. "Congratulations, sonny."
"I made the team, too!" Kenny exclaimed as he and Ham joined hands and began jumping up and down. They were unaware of their slip of manliness as they started their own group hug complete with squealing and—yes—giggling.
Benny scanned the sheet over and over. Although he was sure he had made the team, he still felt nervous. He even wore Elaine's lucky charm bracelet, hoping it would bring him luck again. Despite the precaution he took, he felt incredulity engulf him as he realized his name was not on the list.
"You guys," Benny whispered, causing Ham and Kenny to become aware of their lapse of masculinity. "I didn't make the team."
Ham and Kenny stood in disbelief as Benny held the sheet of paper in front of their faces. True to his words, Benny was not on the list.
"You didn't make the team?" Ham managed to speak in astonishment. "But, you nailed the tryouts. You're the best out of the three of us!"
"Yeah! You busted the guts out of a baseball! How could they NOT put you on the team?" Kenny and Ham grabbed the sheet from Benny and closely read every name.
Benny stood in silence as he tried to recall what he had done wrong. So far, he couldn't think of anything that could have kept him from making the team. He had turned in his health examinations, and his grades had been fairly decent, if not better than usual. He even had Coach Banks' reassurance that he would be making the team. And not to seem arrogant, but Benny knew that if Ham and Kenny could get into the team, so could he. Even Scott Phillips' name was on the list, and it was no secret that the sandlot boys could play better baseball that he could.
"What's this?" a mocking voice interrupted Benny's train of thoughts. "Benny Rodriguez isn't on the list for the baseball team?" Benny turned around and came face to face with Dylan Royce and his usual group of followers.
"I guess all those stories about him busting the guts out of a baseball was just another lame rumor," the thin blonde named Ronnie pointed out, intent on pushing Benny's buttons.
"Hah! I don't know why anyone would be dumb enough to believe that story," Tony spat, still holding his grudge on Benny for beating him up on the first day of school. "This guy is obviously a fake."
"Say whatever you want, pea-brains," Ham began his verbal assault. "We were there, and we saw Benny outrun Hercules."
"Yeah," Kenny agreed. "We don't need your opinions. Besides, there's gotta be a mistake on this sheet!"
"I'm afraid not," Mr. Banks said as he entered the office. He looked at Benny with a secretive smile on his face.
"You didn't make the junior varsity baseball team, son." Benny remained composed on the outside, but on the inside, he was shaking in disappointment. Behind Mr. Banks, the varsity team looked at him with disdain, a sneer spreading across Tony's face. He was obviously ecstatic about proving Benny's reputation as a hoax.
"You didn't make the team," Mr. Banks said loudly for Dylan, Ronnie, and Tony to hear, "because you made varsity. Congratulations, son." He handed Benny another sheet of paper with the varsity baseball team logo printed on the top. Benny scanned the list, and in the row above Dylan Royce's name was his own: Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez, batting order #1.
"Batting order number one? That's the leadoff hitter!" Ham cried in amazement at his friend's good luck.
"Yep," Mr. Banks nodded. "Benny's job as the fastest base runner is to advance around the bases as fast as possible. I was tempted to recommend him for third, but I figured the seniors wouldn't have appreciated it if the title of "best slugger" went to a freshman. Besides, I think leadoff hitter is a very fitting position, don't you think?" Ham and Kenny nodded in agreement, feeling very triumphant at the scowling faces of Tony and Ronnie.
"Well," Dylan Royce interrupted as he stood next to Mr. Banks. "I'm thankful he didn't take my spot as third batter then. And as captain of the varsity team," he continued, looking at Benny with a serious face, "I'd like to extend an invitation to a little get together we're having today. It's a tradition the varsity team has whenever a new member joins."
Mr. Banks patted Dylan's back in approval. "That's the spirit. I'm glad you boys have matured so much since you left my JV team."
"Wait," Benny said before Dylan could continue with his false pretense of friendliness. "You're not coaching the JV team?" Mr. Banks shook his head.
"I'm afraid not, Mr. Rodriguez. The honors go to Dr. Teague. Well, I'll be on my way now, gentlemen," Mr. Banks announced as he began walking towards the office doors. "I'm expecting great things from you, Mr. Rodriguez." And then he left, leaving Benny, Ham, and Kenny to deal with the varsity boys.
"I'm guessing you're taking that invitation back from me, huh?" Benny asked, suddenly aware of the fact that he would be seeing Dylan and his cronies more often.
"Oh no," Dylan drawled with a devilish smile on his face. "You're one of us now, kid. You have an induction ceremony to attend."
"A what?"
"Let's just say, if you want to get along with the team, you'll have to pass a test first." Benny looked at Ham and Kenny hesitantly, feeling as if he were being sentenced to a sacrifice rather than a so-called induction ceremony. "It's either you join us, or we make the rest of your high school year a living nightmare, kid. What will it be? You in, or you out?"
Benny contemplated the options he had. If he refused to go with the team—wherever the heck they were going—he had no doubt they would make his varsity team days a living hell. But if he went...well, what exactly was he going to lose. It wasn't like they were going to throw him off a cliff, or anything remotely dangerous. Were they? But then again, he had beaten Tony to a pulp. Was this just a trick to get back at him?
Benny gulped nervously as the seconds ticked.
"I'll go," he said finally, relieved that he had made a decision, but anxious as to whether he would survive to see another day or not.
"That's a good boy," Dylan said, a hint of malice seeping from his tone. "Come with us." And with that, Benny found himself being pushed out the door and towards the school parking lot. He felt the itch to fight them back and change his mind, but it seemed a little too late for that when he found himself in the back seat of a ford truck with Dylan and Ronnie in the front seats. Tony had run off with Dylan's brief instruction to "get everyone else."
The ignition suddenly ignited, causing the truck to release a deafening roar, and the three of them left the school campus with Benny unaware of their destination.
After sitting through an hour drive in which Dylan and Ronnie ignored Benny, they stopped near a field consisting of tall stocks of wheat and grass. They all stepped out of the shiny brown truck and stretched, feeling the breeze of the day's end cool their bodies. Benny relaxed a bit as he stared out into the open space ahead of them. And then he wondered why they brought him here. This did not seem like the type of place a group of teenage boys would go to for a "little gathering."
"Hey, Dylan," Benny suddenly found the confidence to speak. "Where are we?"
"Point Mugu," Dylan said casually as he sat on the hood of his truck. "It's an unincorporated area 65 miles outside Los Angeles." Benny nodded, but felt a little nervous at the mention of an "unincorporated area." What the heck did that mean?
"Well, what are we gonna do here?" he dared to ask another question. Dylan turned his attention to Benny, his usual sneer returning to mar his striking face.
"Just wait. You'll find out."
A couple of minutes later, a similar red truck approached them, followed by a black Chevy. The boys in the vehicles parked behind Dylan's truck and stepped out before walking as a small group of eight towards Ronnie.
"Ey, Evans," one of the boys greeted Ronnie with a high five. "I heard we got ourselves new meat. Where is the little punk?" Benny gulped as the boy scanned the area and laid his eyes on him. The guy was a giant! He was easily the tallest and brawniest, if not the most distinctive with his blonde buzz cut and teasing blue eyes.
"Is that him? He don't look all that tough!" The other boys in the group, who were almost just as tall, nodded in agreement.
"You might be surprised, Zee" Dylan announced as he approached the group. "This kid here beat the crap out of Tony last month." The large boy named Zee made an "O" with his mouth before breaking into fits of laughter.
"You mean to tell me this short Mexican was the 'gigantic bouncer' you fought at a club? He doesn't look like he's even old enough to drink!"
"Shut it, Zee," Tony flushed as he attempted to shove the large boy, who only continued to laugh at his team mate's lame story.
"Well then, this freshman must be something if he managed to make varsity and take Tony down."
"He is," Dylan said with slight annoyance. "He's the Rodriguez kid everyone's talking about." The seven boys who had not met Benny yet looked at him, inwardly criticizing the way he looked.
"So this is the guy my kid sister won't stop yapping about," one of the boys mused as he shoved a strand of long blonde hair from his eyes. "I can't wait to break him like a rag doll."
"Don't worry, Danny. We'll get a shot at him in a moment." Dylan's words struck Benny, who suddenly began to panic as the boys looked at him, cracking their knuckles and pretending to shoot him with imaginary guns.
"Danny, you brought the rope, yeah?"
"I got it right here, Dyl."
"Webber, you ready for your speech?"
"I'll wing it."
Dylan smiled pleased at his team mate's attentiveness. Benny, on the other hand, began walking back, prepared to run if he had to.
"Alright," Dylan yelled. "Go get him, boys!"
At the sound of those four words, Benny found himself instantly sprinting to life. He ran away from the group, disappearing into the expansive field of tall wheat and grass. He ran straight forward, unsure of where he was leading himself into as the field seemed to run for miles on end.
Benny could hear the yells and screams of the boys behind him disappearing as he picked up his legs and sped up his pace. It was when he reached an empty road leading towards the farm that he changed his course and began running towards the farmhouse.
As he ran down the road, he heard the sound of an engine rumble behind him and turned around. Fear engulfed him when he saw Dylan's brown truck come racing towards him, and he knew he couldn't outrun it. He changed directions again and went back into the field, convinced Dylan wouldn't dare drive his vehicle through someone's property.
He was right. Dylan had stopped his car, making Benny feel relieved. But his relief was only temporary as a smashing force sent him slamming onto the ground.
"Good job, Zee!" Dylan called out from his truck. "Pull the kid over here!"
Unable to exert anymore energy, Benny remained limp as Zee picked him up and threw him over his shoulder.
"I can see why you made the varsity team, kid. You're fast!"
"Thanks," Benny mumbled in defeat. "But obviously not fast enough."
Zee chuckled lightheartedly as he dropped Benny into the back of Dylan's truck, which instantly sped off towards another end of the field, away from the farm.
"Don't worry, kid. We're almost there," Zee said in a loud, excited voice. "We all had to do something like this at one point." Benny mumbled something nonchalantly, feeling his head ache from the effects of Zee's earlier tackle. The guy should have been on the football team instead.
As the car stopped a couple of minutes later, Zee picked Benny up again and carried him through the field. It was a long walk, making Benny wonder how far he really ran.
"You can drop him there," Benny heard one of the boys say. "I'll take it from here."
Zee slowly put Benny down, who stumbled a little bit as he tried to regain his composure. He looked around, found himself cornered by all ten boys, and tried to step away before running into something hard. He looked behind him and noticed a tall, wooden post rising from the soil beneath him. It reminded him of a crucifix, except it had two horizontal slabs of wood pinned to it instead of one.
"Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez," the boy named Webber said in a professional tone. "During the process of this transition, you will be caused to respectfully accept your challenge and face hardship. As pointless as it seems, there is a time-honored reason behind the task, which will assure us that you will wear the Varsity Team jacket with the same pride as those before you. It is our goal to instill in you that trust is inherent with the donning of the title Varsity Team member. It is our intent to impress upon you that challenge is good—a great and necessary reality which cannot mar you—which in fact, strengthens you. It will be our intention to test you, to try you, and to accept you."
Benny looked at Webber in mixed confusion. Although the aura surrounding the words seemed prominent, it did nothing to quench the feeling of sacrifice and condemnation.
"Benjamin Franklin Rodriguez," Webber said again in the same, authoritative tone. "Do you accept your challenge?"
Benny remained silent, completely hesitant of what to say.
"If you want, you can always take option B," Ronnie said. "You can stimulate in oral sex with a cucumber!"
Benny winced at Ronnie's perverted humor and refused to respond. Did he really have a choice to begin with?
"You understand that this is totally voluntary, and that we can't be blamed if anything happens to you?"
"Voluntary my ass,"Benny thought. Nonetheless, he replied with a simple "yes," triggering a collection of cheers and hoots as the rest of the boys circled in on him. They then unbuttoned his shirt, leaving him to wonder what in the world they were going to do to him shirtless.
Benny flinched a little as Zee picked him up again. This time, he placed him on top of the wooden post so that he stood on the bottom slab. Two other boys then climbed up with ropes in their hands, and before Benny could register what was happening, he found himself tied to the wooden post, feeling very much like Jesus on the crucifix.
"Trust is inherent with the donning of the title Varsity Team member," Webber repeated. "We trust that you will not speak a word about this event to anyone." Benny stared at him before turning his attention to Dylan. Webber took his silence as an agreement, and began walking away with the other boys.
"If you don't get out of this by nightfall, don't worry. Zee will be back here to cut you down—assuming that he doesn't forget, I mean." Dylan chuckled before jumping off the post. Benny couldn't tell if he was joking or not. "I'll see you tomorrow at practice then, Rodriguez." And with that, Dylan Royce disappeared into the field of wheat, leaving Benny to wonder what in the world he had gotten himself into.
He turned to look at his arms, which had been tied to the slab at his wrists and elbows. He then tried to look down at his legs, and although he couldn't see them, he knew the ropes tied his ankles to the post where he stood. It was useless to try and get out of this, he thought as tried to break free.
Benny sighed and looked out at the open field before him. The sun looked as if it was ready to dip below the horizon, causing the sky to turn into hues of yellow, blue, and purple. It was a beautiful comparison to the golden glow the sun gave the wheat field.
Benny almost had to laugh at the juxtaposition of the situation. Here he was brutally tied against a wooden post in the middle of an enchanting field, and he barely said anything to stop it.
But if it meant gaining the varsity team's approval—and getting them off his back—he would tolerate the hours that he would spend fixed to this scarecrow post (at least, that's what Benny deducted it must have been). The weather was fairly warm at night. It wouldn't kill him.
Or so he thought when three hours had slowly passed by. It must have been seven o'clock at night when Benny felt his body go limp from the exhaustion of standing. He winced as he tried to move his arms, which felt like lead as the ropes dug into his flesh. It was safe to say that the ropes kept him strapped to the post, and that his body's impulse to go limp would not hurt him—too much.
The minutes that ticked by seemed like hours to Benny, whose body grew more tired by the second. He even began to smell strange things. At one point, he could have sworn he smelled tangerines. Maybe even melons. It was a sweet smell, but Benny shrugged his association with fresh food as hunger.
Just when it seemed like he was ready to fall asleep, a shuffle from the distance caught his attention.
It must have been Zee coming to tie him down, Benny thought in relief. But when he saw a tall, slimmer figure that couldn't have possibly belonged to Zee, Benny panicked. Whoever the person was, Benny couldn't possibly explain who had put him there. If he wanted to keep the varsity team pleased and off his back for the rest of the school year, he had to keep their initiation ceremony a secret, just as he had silently promised Webber.
Suddenly, Benny found bright light being aimed towards his face. His eyes, which had adjusted to the dark, immediately shut close.
"Benny?" That voice. It was so familiar to him. "What—how did you get up there? How did you get here in this city?"
"Mr. Reynolds," Benny croaked as he squinted his eyes. "How'd you find me?"
"We'll talk later," Mr. Reynolds said gravely as he reached behind his pocket and pulled out an army knife. He ran behind Benny and first released his ankles before climbing up to free his arms.
"You think you can stand and keep yourself from falling if I let your waist go?" Benny nodded as he held onto the post with his free hands. He felt the rope around his torso loosen before he jumped down and staggered to the floor. Then he heard Mr. Reynolds curse silently.
"What's wrong, Mr. Reynolds?"
"I dropped my army knife. No use looking for it now," he said before draping his dark green jacket over Benny. "C'mon. I'll take you home, and we'll talk on the way."
"How far away are we from the valley?" Benny asked tiredly, trying to think of a false story to feed Mr. Reynolds.
"Quite far, Benny. We're already in the Ventura County."
Mr. Reynolds led Benny to the road where his black, 1960 Pontiac Catalina waited. They entered the vehicle and drove down the road, away from the farm. Benny hoped that if he faked sleep, which he probably wouldn't have to fake considering how exhausted he was, Mr. Reynolds wouldn't question him about his day.
His hopes died, however, when Mr. Reynolds suddenly spoke, and Benny couldn't fight the impulsivity to be respectful.
"Are you alright?" Mr. Reynolds asked Benny, keeping his eyes on the road.
"I'm fine. Really fine," Benny said, hoping Mr. Reynolds wouldn't worry.
"What happened to you? How did you end up here in Point Mugu?" Benny contemplated his answer, feeling guilty for lying to one of his father figures.
"I went out with a couple of guys from the baseball team. I made varsity."
"Congratulation," Mr. Reynolds said, concern still in his mind. "Then what happened?"
"They took me to a restaurant at the northwestern district of the valley," Benny replied, trying to produce as many details as believable. "Afterwards, we decided to call it a day, and I insisted on walking home. I didn't want to be a burden to them or anything."
"Alright. Now I know why you and Elaine didn't walk home from school together. Tell me how you ended up tied to a piece of wood in the middle of a field."
"I…um…was attacked."
"Attacked? By who?"
"A gang," Benny mumbled, hoping Mr. Reynolds would buy the story. "They tried to take my money. But when they found my identification card and realized who I was, I guess they decided to pick on me."
"So, they shoved you in the backseat of some car, drove you an hour away from the valley, just to hang you in a deserted area because they've heard of you?" Benny couldn't help but worry at the sudden hint of disbelief in Mr. Reynolds' tone.
"Yeah. That's how it went," he said, rubbing the sore spots where the ropes dug into his skin.
Mr. Reynolds sighed and relaxed his shoulders, remaining quiet for the time being. Benny hoped he bought the story, yet feeling extremely guilty. Lying to Elaine's parents was practically a sin in her book. He only hoped the truth wouldn't reveal itself.
"I'm disappointed in you, Benny," Mr. Reynolds suddenly spoke out. "I'll have you know that I'm more than aware about the baseball team's various initiation rituals." When it seemed like Benny was not going to respond, Mr. Reynolds continued.
"You haven't even asked me how I found you. Would you like to know?" Benny turned his attention to Mr. Reynolds, who went on with his explanation. "I was in Point Mugu's Naval Air Station finishing some missile tests when Elaine called from home. She said you left the school with a bunch of older boys, and that she suspected they were taking you to Point Mugu. When I asked her who you left with, and she told me you were with the varsity members of the school's baseball team, I knew exactly where to find you. I was a graduate from San Fernando High, Benny. And I as on the baseball team, as well. I'm very familiar with high school initiation rites and transitions."
Benny felt his face flush with guilt and shame for being caught. He prepared himself to apologize to Mr. Reynolds, but the man continued to talk before Benny could squeeze out a word.
"I don't know what it is that you're trying to protect by covering the varsity team's name. Knowing you, though, I'm guessing it's something really significant. Otherwise, you would not have lied to me."
Benny kept quiet, unsure of where this conversation was going.
"Coach Banks and Coach Teague would probably want to know if hazing was happening under their noses, and I'd at least like for you to tell your mother and father about the situation. Let them decide what's right."
If Coach Banks and Coach Teague found out what was going on behind their backs, Benny had no doubt that he would make life long enemies with the members of the team. He also had to take into consideration what would happen to Ham, Kenny, and Elaine. Ratting out the varsity team would only bring the three of them more abuse.
"But I made an oath not to tell anyone," Benny finally spoke. "They said that trust is inherent with the donning of the title Varsity Team member, and that they trusted me not to tell anyone about the ritual. Besides, it's not like they forced me into it. I agreed to take on the challenge."
"Did you just say donning of the title?" Benny nodded his head, causing Mr. Reynolds to sigh in exasperation. "The goal was to instill in you that trust is inherent with the donning of the rank Chief Petty Officer. It was our intent to impress upon you that challenge is good; a great and necessary reality which cannot mar you—which, in fact, strengthens you."
"That's—"
"Part of the Navy's Chief Petty Officer creed," Mr. Reynolds chuckled. "It's something I had to memorize when I was in the Navy. Jesus, I can't believe high school kids would reduce it for the purpose of hazing other students."
Benny remained silent as he tried to formulate a plan. He'd take Mr. Reynolds words to heart and tell his parents about what happened. But he would have to try and convince them not to let it get past the house.
"I won't tell your parents what happened, Benny, because I know you're smart enough to tell them yourself. Just do me a good favor. When you find some control over the team, whether it be this year or in your senior year, stop the abuse, alright? End the trend."
Benny smiled at Mr. Reynolds, thankful for not only saving him, but for his words and his discretion. He would do the man more than just his favor. He would never lie to him again.
"Will do, Mr. Reynolds. Will do."
Author's Note: I've done my research, and Point Mugu really is a town in southern California. I know…anal, aren't I? I even calculated the driving distance from San Fernando Valley on Map Quest (haha), and was lucky enough to discover that a Naval Station was established in Point Mugu. They used to do missile testing there, I think, and so I thought it would be relevant for Mr. Reynolds, a former U.S. pilot and current Intel analyst for the Navy, to be at the scene. Pretty convenient, eh?
Disclaimer: "The Sandlot" was written and directed by David M. Evans. I do not own anything related to the movie other than this fan written fiction and the original characters I have created through my own imagination. I assure you that this piece of work does not make any profits, nor will it be published in the future. Copyright infringement is not intended.