Sometimes it was witches living in a house on the hill.
Other times, something about an ancient burial ground at the end of the road.
Albinos seemed to be a recurring theme.
Was any of it true?
Chrissy’s girlfriend Liz wanted to find out, and if he was going, that meant I was going also.
It also had to be on a Friday the 13th, which happened to be this Friday.
Plans were set and made.
Janet was going to be there also.
It was and wasn’t quite a double date.
That Friday evening, Chrissy was outside leaning on the horn, waiting for me to come out, as we were now going to be late and he didn’t want to hear anything from Liz.
Normally, my wardrobe selects itself, but this time it was different.
If something crazy was going to happen, how did I want to look?
Thirty minutes later, I settled on the usual: blue jeans, a T-shirt, and my leather jacket.
Constancy.
I hopped in the car, and Chrissy understood without asking.
I rarely wear my Thundercats T-shirt.
When we picked the girls up, I switched to the back seat with Janet, and I tried not to look at her.
Why?
The car was small, compact, and the back seats were more like an oversized single seat. There was no way for our shoulders and legs not to touch.
That’s what I told myself.
Once Chrissy got off the highway and started weaving through the back roads, that is when we all seemed to realize just how dark things were on the road.
No cars.
No houses.
No streetlights.
The road itself was unremarkable, just like any other country road, but when Liz spotted the house, the mood shifted.
I felt Janet move just a little closer.
When Chrissy pulled over and cut the engine, there was a sudden feeling of vulnerability.
The car engine, Pearl Jam, and the conversation in the car were replaced by silence.
Liz was the first to get out, followed by Chrissy, myself, and Janet.
There was a low rock wall to the side of the road, overlooking a large field, and just beyond the field, in the distance, one could just make out the moving headlights from the cars on the parkway.
We sat on the rock wall, myself, Chrissy, Janet, and Liz.
A few minutes of silence.
Was something supposed to happen?
Liz wanted to walk across the field, see what was on the other side, something about the ancient burial site or something.
Chrissy flipped on the headlights to the car, illuminating a path halfway across the field.
Were we coming?
I could see Janet hesitating a bit as she sat on the wall and glanced at Liz.
I offered: maybe Janet and I would stay here and keep an eye on the car.
Chrissy flashed me a hidden smile.
Eventually, the two vanished across the darkness of the field, and I was left sitting on the wall with Janet.
Was I scared?
I was.
She was surprised by my answer.
I laughed and told her that probably wasn’t what she wanted to hear right now, but it was true.
Sitting on a stone wall overlooking a haunted road at 11 PM on Friday the 13th, not much more to add to that.
But I was glad we could sit here and be scared together.
That earned me a smile.
When Chrissy and Liz returned, Chrissy was the first to see our outline just outside of the car lights, and I could see he was puzzled to find us just sitting on the wall together.
Liz was disappointed.
No haunting.
No secret burial ground.
No albinos.
Back in the car, how about the Nautilus for dinner?
When Chrissy turned the key, the car just clicked, and the battery warning light came on.
The headlights.
It was the best plan that Chrissy and I could think of, given that we were in a dead zone with no reception, and knocking on the door of the house on the hill was out.
Liz in the driver’s seat, Janet next to her.
Car in neutral.
Chrissy and I pushing the car down the road till we hit the exit with the gas station or got reception.
He asked if I thought they could hear us.
Looking through the rear window, Liz and Janet were leaning in close, talking to each other, and I was confident they couldn’t.
Did I like her?
Liz was going to ask him later, and he needed an answer.
Slacking for a moment as we pushed together, I had to think if I wanted to give him that.
It wouldn’t just be telling Liz that later; Chrissy could never keep a secret or pass any type of loyalty test.
I told him the truth.
I did.
No comments:
Post a Comment