Chapter 27
Melissa listened anxiously as Gabriel outlined a sketchy plan to defend them against Eugene. She stared out the kitchen window as dusk gave way to night, as darkness crowded out daylight. Her neighborhood was eclipsed as a warship fleet of iron clouds shadowed overhead, accelerating nightfall and expanding their dominion to more than three-quarters of the sky. In the distance, the landscape flickered as if with muzzle flashes followed by a cannonade that shook the remaining twilight. Another springtime storm brewed overhead.
She turned from the pane and looked to Gabriel who conversed with Yoshi and Alexandra in the dining room. Alexandra glanced at her briefly, a look of fear and disbelief flashed in her deep brown eyes. Melissa wished her friend had not been involved in the nightmare that was unfolding, again. Gabriel seemed to perceive her misgivings and gestured for her to join them. Reluctantly, she moved from her post at the window as lightning flashed across the black clouds, sharp and bright, and flashed again. Thunder crashed. The sky convulsed and shook innumerable silvery scales of rain.
“Jesus! We’re getting some storm!” Alexandra said and shivered.
Melissa joined Gabriel and stood at his side. He wrapped an arm around her protectively and rubbed his hand up and down her arm. Though she was certain the gesture was meant to soothe her, it had the opposite effect. Goose pimples arose on her exposed skin once again and she struggled to concentrate. Instead, her focus was diverted to what felt like a riot of winged insects darting and flitting about in her stomach all beating their wings feverishly in unison.
“Don’t worry, it’ll end soon,” Yoshi assured Alexandra.
“What are you, a meteorologist? How would you know it’s going to end soon?” she asked haughtily.
Alexandra’s response to Yoshi lacked the razor-sharp edge that was always present when her friend sought to humiliate or essentially silence one who dared speak fatuously in her presence. Her current demeanor was different, almost playful. If Melissa didn’t know better, she would think her friend’s behavior verged on flirtation.
“I know because where I live the weather can be very harsh. Since we don’t have the modern conveniences you enjoy here in America like satellite-guided weather reports, we have to rely on thunder and lightning patterns, cloud color and thickness among other things. Judging from what I see and hear, the storm will last no more than twenty minutes tops.”
Melissa waited for a snappy response from Alexandra. When none was offered, she became equal parts suspicious and worried for her friend’s emotional state.
“Yoshi’s right,” Gabriel affirmed. “When the storm breaks, it will be dark enough out there for us to walk to Melissa’s house and get her dad’s shotgun. He does still have it, right?”
“Yes,” she answered.
“And ammo?” Yoshi asked.
Typically, Alexandra would have issued him a verbal lashing and charged him with asking an asinine question. Melissa expected it, paused in anticipation of it but, again, silence.
“Um, yeah, I guess. Why would he keep a gun without ammunition?” she asked then blushed.
“Good point,” Yoshi agreed, the skin of his face matching the scarlet hue she imagined streaked her own.
“We arm ourselves and stay put. Eugene will be back. It’s only a matter of time. If we run, he will follow us. He will never quit; until we’re dead,” Gabriel said somberly.
“What!” Alexandra exclaimed. “Are you saying we’re going to wait for him to come back and kill us?”
“Well, kind of, but not exactly,” Gabriel began.
“Are you out of your fucking mind?” Alexandra railed. “You must be if you think it’s a good idea to just stay rather than run and give ourselves a fighting chance.”
“Alex, you don’t understand –”
“No, you don’t understand!” Alexandra panicked. “You don’t understand! That thing came to my house and wanted to kill me once before, would have if Daniella hadn’t called when she did. I am not risking another run-in with him. No way, no how!”
“So you’re proposing we live a life on the run and never come back to Harbingers Falls, or anywhere else for that matter? You want to go from place to place across the country indefinitely with no home, no family, nothing?”
Alexandra was clearly rattled by the prospect of either option; both seemed bleak, hopeless. She lowered her head and ran her hands through her thick, raven hair. When she raised her chin and looked to Melissa, Gabriel and Yoshi, her eyes were pools of liquid onyx, red-rimmed and filled with tears.
“Running, staying, both are horrible options,” she said in a trembling voice. “I don’t want to die.”
Her sentiment echoed Melissa’s, appeared to resound through everyone.
“No matter what, we need the gun,” Gabriel said solemnly. “No decisions need to be made right this minute, but time is an issue.”
“Fine, whatever, but we need to come up with a third option,” Alexandra said.
Finally in agreement, Melissa waited with Gabriel, Alexandra and Yoshi as the storm raged. Rain pelted the rooftop and windows, exploding like shrapnel in every direction. Thunder cracked, shook the house, as though a great war was being waged between Heaven and Earth. An extended barrage of lightning blasted from an angry sky showcasing its might, its fury.
When finally the battle ended, quicker than she would have imagined and just as Yoshi had predicted, darkness had fallen. Clouds remained but were retreating swiftly. All that was left was otherworldly stillness.
Melissa had spent much of her time waiting out the storm perched in an upstairs bedroom, away from Miss Harriet’s lifeless form, and in the company of her friends. Gabriel kept her enveloped in his arms to calm her, reassure her. His proximity did little more than cause her pulse-rate to skyrocket.
As the last droplets fell, the storm long since passed, Gabriel released her from his protective embrace.
“We should go now,” he said soberly then slowly walked to the top of the staircase. Melissa followed, as did Alexandra and Yoshi. They descended the steps and followed him to the sliding glass doors off of the living room. The sliders led to a large, painted wooden deck. From the deck, they would have access to both Miss Harriet’s backyard and Melissa’s as well.
As they crossed the living room, Melissa glanced at Miss Harriet, face down in a large, garnet halo of blood. Sadness and guilt filled her. Her kindly neighbor, the person who had baked her cookies each Christmas and prepared every conceivable dessert for Melissa and her father after her mother’s death, was dead. And it was her fault. A wave of nausea washed over her. She had seen her deceased neighbor earlier, had spent the night in the same room as her, but the shock of being kidnapped by a veritable monster had superseded normal emotional responses. She had feared for her life. She had contended with more questions than her brain could process. Now, however, when presented with a far graver potential future and a moment of reprieve with Gabriel, reality settled in and weighed upon her.
Melissa shook her head as if the act alone would clear her mind. It did not of course. The image of her late neighbor remained, etched indelibly in her mind’s eye. She doubted it, along with so many other images she’d witnessed in the last five months, would ever disappear. She would deal with them another time. She had to get to her house safely and retrieve her father’s shotgun and plan an exit first. She looked away from Miss Harriet and focused on the sliding glass doors.
Once at the doors, Melissa, along with her friends, looked to Gabriel for further instructions.
Melissa’s heart maintained its dangerous pace as Gabriel opened the door and peered out.
“All right, we go, get the gun then come back here, okay?”
“Yep. Easy-peasy,” Melissa heard herself speak with confidence she did not possess. In the dark recesses of her mind a nagging presentiment warned her that the task they were undertaking would be anything but easy, that
it would prove a challenge unlike any they’d ever been presented with.
Forcing intuition from her thoughts, Melissa opened the glass storm door and stepped out concealment.
The darkness beyond Miss Harriet’s door loomed impenetrably, so solid in appearance it assumed a sinister life of its own. The profound gloom paired with Melissa’s churning imagination turned exceptionally darkened niches into portals that descended into unknown depths of hell and shadows into mythical harbingers of doom that, like cockroaches, crawled walls and fences, fleet and quivering, silently championing bloodshed and awaiting impending chaos.
She felt unsettled, walking into perfect darkness. In the most primitive portion of her mind, an inner voice dictated that she always move toward light and away from darkness. Each step she took into the blackness disoriented her further, contradicted an inherent demand for lightness and made her primitive voice scream that she turn back.
She heard Gabriel’s squishy footsteps behind her navigating the rain-saturated lawn.
As if he sensed her need for him at her side, he sped up and walk alongside her. They reached the porch that led to the family room at the rear of her house and, after climbing three steps, Melissa used her key to unlock the door.
“This door was unlocked when we left,” Yoshi observed.
“Maybe the psycho bastard locked up for Melissa. You know, you can never be too safe,” Alexandra joked and smiled wryly. But humor did not reach her eyes.
Melissa opened the door slowly and listened for sounds of movement. The house was still, save for the hum and buzz of major appliances. She stepped across the threshold but did not turn on any lights. She did not want to draw attention to their arrival, to possibly alert Eugene to their presence. Rather, she stepped quickly and cautiously through her blackened home, avoiding obstacles by employing her memory and mental maps. Gabriel, who possessed superior vision, followed her with ease as did Yoshi. Alexandra did not fare as well.
“Fuck!” Alexandra screamed as her legs tangled in a blanket haphazardly strewn on the family room floor. She caught herself before she tumbled to her knees.
“Guess the psycho locks up after he ransacks the place but doesn’t clean up after himself,” she grumbled loudly.
“Shhh!” Melissa admonished then whispered, “It was there a few days ago.”
“And you didn’t pick it up because?”
“Oh shut up, Alex! We’re trying not to get killed here and you’re judging my housekeeping?”
“Knock it off you two,” Gabriel said gently then, to Yoshi he said, “Watch the driveway from the kitchen window. We’ll go up and get the gun.”
Yoshi took his post in front of the kitchen window and Melissa ascended the staircase quickly. Alexandra and Gabriel followed. Once inside her father’s room, her eyes scanned the area quickly and focused almost instantly on a rack upon which the Remington shotgun was mounted. Gabriel grabbed the gun while she searched the cabinet below it for ammunition.
“Where’s the ammo?” Gabriel asked.
“I don’t see any! Gabriel, I can’t find it!” she panicked.
As he turned to her to speak, Yoshi called out.
“We have a problem people; A big problem!”
“Eugene?” Gabriel asked.
“No. Two patrol cars just pulled into the driveway, lights on and everything. We need to go, now!”
“Cops? Why would the cops be here?” Melissa whispered.
“We have to leave,” Gabriel ordered. “Now!”
“But what about the gun and the ammo?” she asked.
“Forget it! We don’t have time,” he replied and replaced the Remington shotgun to its mount.
“Let’s go!” Alexandra said and dashed down the steps. Melissa and Gabriel followed.
The doorbell sounded followed by pounding at the front door.
“Quick, out the back,” Yoshi said quietly.
As they opened the backdoor and stepped onto the porch, another series of knocks at the door made Melissa jump. She knew that in no time, the police officers would make their way to the back of the house, searching for whatever or whoever they were after. She could not be certain, but felt intuited that the police pursued her and her friends. They needed to leave, unseen by the officers. Such an endeavor would be tricky, near impossible. Gabriel’s car was parked farther down the road; to get to it, they would encounter the cops. Running back to Miss Harriet’s house posed the same problem. Melissa could not think of an acceptable escape route.
Shafts of light, approaching purposefully, distracted her from her escape route rumination. Sweeping from side to side, the beams sliced through the murkiness, illuminated the land at the side of her house.
Gabriel grabbed her arm and half-dragged her straight across her backyard and into the wooded area bordering her property.
“Run!” he commanded in a hoarse whisper.
Melissa’s feet moved faster than she ever imagined they possibly could. Alexandra kept pace with her while Gabriel and Yoshi remained to their rear. Melissa was sure they could both outrun she and Alexandra easily, but stayed back to ensure their safety.
Rain-soaked leaves canopied their pathway, sent water cascading at every stir. Wet and tangled brush underfoot made running next to impossible. Melissa struggled to keep her footing. The deeper they moved into the woods the darker it became, more dangerous. Branches lashed at her face. Undergrowth tugged at her ankles and feet. The air was heavy with moisture and smelled vaguely of fungus and decay. Melissa’s lungs burned as she pressed forward reluctant to inhale the thickening scent of rotted mushroom and tree bark. The scent, dank and dense, mixed with animal spoor, became overwhelming.
A thump beside her followed by a whispered profanity indicated that her friend had fallen. She halted her feet and was forced to gulp the putrid air.
“Ouch! Shit, I think I twisted my ankle,” Alexandra whispered. “Go! Go without me!”
“Just be quiet a minute,” Yoshi ordered her. “I’ll lead them away from you.”
Yoshi, who previously moved with the stealth and sense of direction of a nocturnal jungle cat, began running clumsily with his arms at his sides rustling and disturbing everything in his path. He crunched down hard on felled branches and twigs created a commotion. Distracted by the noise, the police officers traced their rays after him.
“Damn it! Why did he do that? They’re going to catch him for sure,” Alexandra said as she stood and faltered on her ankle.
“Not a chance,” Gabriel assured her. “There’s no way those town cops will be able to navigate the woods like him. Put one arm around Melissa’s shoulder and one around mine. We’ll get you out of here.”
“And go where?” Melissa heard herself ask.
“My car is still parked at the lot behind the school,” Alexandra offered.
“All right, that could work. We’re close to the edge of the woods where they open to the street,” Melissa said.
“How far from the school would we be then?” Gabriel asked.
“A few blocks, two maybe three,” Melissa replied.
“I say we go for it,” Alexandra said and began hobbling quickly with Melissa and Gabriel’s assistance.
“Let’s go,” Gabriel rallied and picked up their pace by nearly carrying Alexandra to the border of the woods.
Once on pavement, Melissa felt heartened but only slightly. The Harbingers Falls Police Department was unlikely to relent. The reason they had for pursuing so doggedly, though unknown to Melissa as of yet, was clearly deemed sufficient enough to warrant two patrol cars and four officers. She did not slow for fear of being caught. She worried for Yoshi, imagined the only reason the police hadn’t bust through the trees after them was because they had caught him.
She ran, assisting her friend, across the street until headlights sent them searching for cover. Long beams of blue-tinted light carved through the murkiness and warned of an approaching ve
hicle. Fearful of another patrol car, or worse, Eugene, they found refuge behind a large, rectangular trash receptacle dropped in a driveway and filled with construction debris. They hunkered down along the length of the massive metal receptacle and waited for the rays to fan out as the car drew closer.
A flash in Melissa’s peripheral field of vision distracted her from her vigil. An animal or person darted from the woods. Low and crouched, it moved too quickly to be human, too stealthily.
“Did you see that?” she whispered to Gabriel.
“See what?” he responded.
“Something shot out of the woods, an animal or something.”
“Right now I’m more worried about Eugene catching us, or the police.”
Melissa, returned to reality, realized her misstep. She felt her cheeks burn with shame. Gabriel reached his hand out and took hers, gave it a gentle squeeze. She never understood how someone designed to be devoid of emotions managed to be so in tune with hers.
A rustling behind her, however, proved her earlier observation was neither worthy of shame nor a blunder. Gabriel turned immediately to see what approached. Footsteps advanced quickly.
“What the hell?” Alexandra said as she twisted her upper body to face the sound.
Melissa touched Gabriel’s arm, felt the tension in his formidable muscles. He was poised to strike, alert and vigilant, no doubt employing each of his heightened senses to ascertain what loomed in their midst.
Without warning, Yoshi materialized from behind a shrub of the neighboring property.
“Shit, little man! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” Alexandra whispered her admonishment.
“Sorry,” Yoshi apologized with sincerity.
“Good to see you in one piece,” Gabriel said. “Would have liked to see you coming and not been ready to kill you, but good to see you anyway.”
Yoshi smiled, his teeth a striking bright white against the darkness.
Melissa did not bother whisper-scolding Yoshi. She was too relieved to see him and not a mountain lion, lion-man or half-formed human descending upon them.
“Why are we hiding behind this big smelly thing?” Yoshi asked.
“A car, right there,” Gabriel pointed to where a vehicle drove with infinitesimal slowness. “There’s no floodlight on, so maybe it’s not the police.”
“Maybe the driver is lost, looking for an address or something. He’s going really slowly,” Alexandra offered.
“With our luck, that’s unlikely,” Melissa said and rose to look around the corner of the trash receptacle. She felt the fine hairs on the back of her neck raise as, upon closer inspection, she determined the car to be a police cruiser; a state police cruiser.
“Eugene,” she murmured. “That’s Eugene.”
“Where?” Gabriel asked.
“That car, the driver is Eugene.”
“You see him?”
“No, but that’s a state police car just like the one from my driveway. I know it’s him. We have to go, now!”
Gabriel looked at her, and despite the darkness, conveyed a look of understanding.
“We have to move quickly and stay out of the light. If he catches even a glimpse of us, it’ll be too late,” Gabriel said and led the way.
Melissa, Alexandra and Yoshi followed moving quickly but cautiously. They traversed several yards in the neighborhood and skirted the perimeter of a playground before they reached the rear parking lot of Harbingers High School. Alexandra’s car was still parked exactly where she’d left it. Dozens of other cars surrounded it as the school hosted a rival town’s wrestling team. With the match under way, Melissa guessed they did not stand out among others milling about talking on their cell phones and smoking.
Gabriel elected to drive. Alexandra did not object. Instead, she climbed into the back seat of her own car beside Melissa.
“Now what?” Alexandra asked.
“We have to figure out what the hell is going on, why the cops are after us,” Melissa said.
“We’ll likely find out if we go back to my old house. I bet Kevin and those other morons know something or are involved somehow. They might have tried to pin Eric’s murder on us,” Gabriel suggested.
“How are we going to get out of this?” Melissa asked.
“I don’t know, but first we have to find out what we’re dealing with,” Gabriel replied.