SHIMMER/DADDY'S GAME

  David lay back in his bed hearing the hinges squeak as his parent’s bedroom door was shut.  He had over heard their entire conversation.  David decided he wouldn’t mention the Shimmer again when his Dad spoke with him in the morning it would only cause more trouble.  He would tell his father he had lost track of time and he was sorry for lying to him.  It wouldn’t be the truth but it was what his Dad wanted to hear.  David heard his mother softly giggle; they were already starting what he knew was going to take place this evening.  In a while he would hear the old springs start to squeak in rhythm to his parent’s passion.  David couldn’t stand the thought of listening to his parent’s again this evening.  It wasn’t going to happen tonight, he had to get away, get far enough away so he couldn’t here them.  David threw the sheet off him self and got out of bed, walking to the window he stared out at the night.  This was the perfect ending to his birthday.   He rested his hands on the window seal and let his head protrude through the opening, sucking in the night air to calm him self.  He heard his mother moan as he gazed up at the star filled sky.  A hand suddenly grasped David tightly around his throat choking off his ability to scream.  He was pulled through his window and was immediately pressed up against the rough wood on the side of his house.  David’s feet were left dangling a good three feet off the ground as Zeke pressed his face nose to nose with David. David mouthed the words screaming for help but no sound would come out as he clawed at the hand Zeke was strangling him with.  David’s arms and legs went limp as he started to lose consciousness. Zeke loosened his grip allowing the blood to flow keeping David alive. 

  As David’s eye’s cleared, he remained docile, Zeke had him trapped and there was nothing he could do about it. They stared at each other, David unable to talk and Zeke smiling at his little hostage.  Zeke pressed his body against David’s not removing his hand from the boy’s throat.  Slowly he stuck out his tongue and licked David’s face from his chin to his forehead.  Zeke watched as a tear cascaded over the boy’s cheek; he licked the tear away enjoying the salty taste on his tongue before he spoke. 

  “I told you I’d be back, calling me all those nasty names.  You taste sweet son, good meat.  I’ve heard the stories people tell about me, but their wrong boy I’m no queer, you’ll find out what I have in store for you soon enough.  Scared aren’t ya, I can feel your body trembling no need to speak, that’s right you can’t get a word out can ya.  That’s okay let me do all the talking.  I watched you and that faggot friend of yours running through the woods like a couple of scared little girls.  I watched your Dad bust your ass on the front porch.  I even watched your pretty Mom wash your hair.  I could have killed you all anytime I wanted.  Didn’t want to right now, figured I might as well have a little fun first.  I can get you anytime I want boy and there’s nothing you or your daddy can do about it.”

  David tried in vain to stop his body from trembling; he had emptied his bladder before Zeke had opened his filthy mouth.  He wanted to strike out to hurt this pervert that was holding him captive but he couldn’t will his arms to move.  His fear had him paralyzed.  David glanced toward his mom and dad’s bedroom window, the light was off.  He tried to scream for help once again feeling Zeke’s hand tighten around his throat; his scream came out as a barely audible whisper.    Zeke looked in the same direction as David, a broad smile crossing his face; pulling David free from the wall he turned the boy in mid air so that his back was against his stomach.  Zeke’s hand never left David’s throat his other hand was wrapped tightly around David’s arms and chest.  He carried David to his parent’s open window forcing the boy to look in.  David could see the shadowy outlines of his mother and father lying in bed.  He felt Zeke’s hand squeeze tighter around his throat, as he whispered softly in his ear call to them boy, go ahead, scream for help.  David could tell his life was drifting away as he passed out. 

  Zeke felt David’s body go limp in his arms.  He may have killed him but it didn’t matter now or later made little difference.  He carried David back to his bedroom window and laid him down on his back in the wet grass.  Zeke straddled David’s body and put one ear to his chest.  He could hear the small heart beat and knew the boy was breathing.  Zeke smacked David across the face, getting no response he shook David’s shoulders.  He saw the boy’s eye’s fluttering he was starting to regain consciousness.  Zeke’s filthy hand clamped quickly over David’s mouth as he started to scream.

  “Sssh, wouldn’t want to wake ole mom and dad would you boy.  You wake them up and I’ll have to kill them boy.  Make you watch while I cut their throats.  You want me to kill them boy, don’t say a word just nod your head.  Good, I didn’t think so.  I’m going to take my hand off your mouth boy and you scream out I’ll kill you quick, and then I’m going to kill them you understand what I’m telling you son.  God boy the smell of your fear sure makes it hard on ole Zeke to resist a little sample right now.  But I’m going to wait, got myself a plan and I’m going to stick to it.  Roll over and put your face in the dirt boy.”

  David did as he was instructed.  He felt Zeke’s weight crushing down on him as he sat across his hips.  David shivered as he felt Zeke’s tongue gliding across his shoulders.

  “Please don’t, please Zeke let me go I won’t tell I promise.”

  “Don’t worry boy I’m not going to kill you, not yet anyway.  I need to have one more taste before I let you go.”

  Zeke placed his hand over David’s mouth lifting his head from the ground.  With one of his long finger nails he cut a path from David’s shoulders to his waist.  David let out a scream that only he and Zeke could hear.  David heard Zeke’s quiet laughter before he felt Zeke’s tongue following the incision he had made.  Zeke continued to lick David’s wound until the bleeding had stopped.  Zeke grabbed David by his shoulders and flipped him over onto his back.

  “Look at my mouth boy, you remember how bloody I was, my teeth being knocked out.  Don’t speak only nod.  See how well I’ve healed up, got a little secret only Zeke knows about.  I’m going to kill you boy but I’m going to kill the one that knocked my teeth out first.  Sssh be quiet now or I’ll have to hurt you some more boy.  Your buddy isn’t going to be as lucky as you.  I’m going to let you live a little while longer.”

  Zeke pulled David from the ground grasping him around the neck and suspended him off the ground with his back against the house.  He squeezed tightly enjoying the way David tried to suck in the night air to fill his lungs.

 “I can get you anytime I want boy!  Going to kill the one that hurt me first and then I’ll be back for you!  I’m going to let you go now boy, you scream for help and I’ll come back quick, kill your parents while you watch! I’m going to let you go now boy, be quiet I’ll be watching for a while better do as you’re told!  You understand what I’m telling you son?  I’ll be back boy, when you least expect it I’ll show up.  Your friend first and then you, Zeke won’t forget about you boy.”

  David nodded his head indicating he understood.  Zeke lowered David by his neck until the boy’s feet touched the ground, releasing his strangle hold Zeke slowly backed away from David disappearing into the darkness.  David’s knees buckled underneath him, causing him to sit down roughly on the ground.  He remained there until his trembling had stopped and the tears had dried on his face.  David tried to cry out for his dad but only a raspy whisper parted his lips.  Summoning his strength he got to his feet and hoisted himself back through his window crashing to the floor.  He heard his Dad call out his name.

  “David???”

  Swallowing hard he was able to scream “D---A---D!”  The sound of his father’s feet pounding on the hardwood floor greeted his ears as his father burst into his room.

  John could see the shadowy outline of his son lying in the floor beneath his bedroom window.  At first he thought David had simply fallen out of bed, but when he called out his name again, he received no response.  Turning on the light he walked over to his son scooping him up in his arms as he sat down on the edge of the bed.  David buried his face into his father’s chest.  Susan walked into the room and sat down beside her husband and started softly stroking her son’s hair.

  “What’s the matter David?  What are you so scared of?  We can’t help you if you don’t tell us about it.”

  “It… It… It was Zeke Mom!”

  “I knew all the talk your father was doing about Zeke would lead to this.  It was only a bad….how did you get your back cut?”

  David turned to face his mother, she could see the clear outline of a mans hand surrounding her son’s small throat, causing her to stop in mid sentence as her hand left David’s head to cover her open mouth.  John turned the boy around so he could see what had caused his wife’s reaction; he shoved David onto Susan’s lap.

  “I’m going to kill that son-of-a-bitch!”

  John stormed out of the room returning a few moments later fully dressed with his rifle and flashlight firmly in hand.  He took another look at his son’s throat and back before he turned to leave; David crying out to him made John stop and face his son.

  “Wait Dad, please wait!  Zeke said he would kill you and Mom if I told!”

  “Don’t worry about me son I’ll be okay.  I’m not going to allow this. . .this animal to do this to you and get away with it!”

  “You don’t understand Dad!  I know where he’s going; he’s going after Tommy!  He told me so!  He’s going back to the hole Dad!  Then he’s coming back for me!”

  “What do you mean the hole?  Your not making any sense son!”

  “He’s going to take Tommy to the hole. . .to the pond in the woods, that’s where he’s headed Dad!  He comes and goes at the hole!”

  “I don’t have time for this now David.  I’ll head for the Chandler’s house and check on Tommy and then I’m going to hunt that bastard down!”

  “He’s going to come back Dad!  He’s going to come back for me!”

  “You’ll be safe here with your mother, he won’t be back tonight unless it’s at the end of my gun.” 

  John ran from the house and onto the dirt road leading to the Chandler’s house.  He stopped in the middle of the road looking back toward his own home, thinking of what his son had told him, he changed directions and headed into the woods.  The moon was full tonight; it would be easy to see around the pond once he got free from the forest canopy.

  Susan continued to sit on the bed trying to calm her son.  She hadn’t tried to stop John when he had left and secretly she had no desire to.  In her heart she wanted Zeke dead for what he had put her son through. Thoughts and questions were entering her mind quicker than she could shut them out.  Why had Zeke chosen her son, and why once he had him did he let him go?  David had said Zeke was going after Tommy, why these two boys, what happened to make Zeke suddenly want these two so desperately that he would attack them in their own homes?  Susan started to ask David some of these questions, thought better of it, and decided it could wait until morning.

  “Come into the kitchen with me David, I’ll heat up some water, get you cleaned up so we can get some rest before your father returns.”

  “I’m scared Mom, what if Zeke comes back while Dad’s gone?”

  “He won’t, He’s on the run, and he knows your Dad is after him.”

  “I hope Tommy’s okay.”

  “So do I son, so do I.”

  Susan held David by the hand as they walked into the kitchen.  She washed David off and had him put on fresh underwear and pajama bottoms.  They walked together to her and John’s bedroom David hesitated at the doorway.  Susan tugged on David’s hand but he still resisted entering their room.

  “David we need to at least lie down and rest, I don’t expect you to be able to sleep.”

  “I don’t want to Mom.”

  “I know your scared David.  I’m not going to leave your side for an instant.  I’ll be right here with you.”

  “You don’t understand Mom, please don’t make me.”

  “I understand more than you give me credit for young man.  Come on now get into that bed.”

  Susan tried to sound light hearted as she attempted to coax David into the bed.  In the end she picked him up and carried him into the room placing him in the center of their bed before lying down beside him.  David scooted as close to the far edge as he could without falling off into the floor, his mother’s arm encircled his waist as she pulled him back to the middle of the bed holding him tightly against her body.  The thoughts of what his mother and father had done in here flashed through his mind; he was going to be sick.  Tearing away from his mother’s grip, he ran out onto the back porch and started vomiting.  He vomited until his stomach emptied and he was left dry heaving.  He felt a cold washcloth on the back of his neck as his retching started to subside.  David turned around and allowed his mother to walk him back into the house.

  John arrived at the clearing surrounding the pond; remaining in the shadows of the forest he surveyed the area.  Drawing in a deep breath, he stepped out into the clearing looking for the right spot to wait.  It had to be located where he could see as much of the field as possible but not be seen.  John circled the pond and decided on centering himself in the woods between the path that led to his home and the path on his left that descended to the Chandler’s.  Standing next to a tree he could see approximately three fourths of the area around the pond.  John couldn’t actually see the pond itself or the clearing on the far side away from him but this would have to do.  He waited wandering if it had been wise to listen to David instead of going straight to Allen and Mary’s house.  If the bastard harmed Tommy or any of them for that matter, he would never be able to live with himself.  A crackling noise to his right captured his attention; he couldn’t believe what he was seeing, except there it was less than forty yards directly in front of him.  Light flickering or raining down in an area about the size of a doorway.  John tried to remember what David had called this apparition…. Shimmer, that was it.  John was so mesmerized at what he was seeing he failed to notice Zeke crossing the clearing on his left with Tommy slung over one shoulder.  Zeke entered John’s field of vision less than twenty feet from the Shimmer; John pulled his rifle to his shoulder firing at the dark shadow running toward the illuminated doorway.

  On such a quiet night the sound of John’s gun reverberated through the valley.  Ripping away the silence and causing Susan and David to sit straight up in their bed.  Both ran to the front porch listening as the echo faded away across the mountain.  Gradually the crickets started singing their song as they sensed an end to the danger.  Susan and David stood there waiting for another shot that never came.  Susan had instinctively wrapped her arms around herself trying to keep warm; she noticed that David was actually shaking from the cold.  Susan picked David up in her arms before sitting down on the front porch.