Take Me Home Tonight

EX MACHINA I

Andrew woke up around 10:39 the next morning. He was facing his bedroom wall the sun was shining outside even birds were chirping! Andrew smiled and thought to himself, is this what it's like to wake up in love? Is this what all of the song writers, and poets and those TV shows about people being in love always go on about. He had always found romance slightly cheesy; in high school when the Twilight saga had come out and girls and even some boys alike had gone on and on about how romantic the story was. Andrew had only been interested in the vampires and werewolves. He had gone to see the first movie with his best friend Bailey, it had taken her a week to convince him to go see it! And finally he had given into her and watched it. Halfway through it he had found himself bored out of his mind the lead actress was incredibly boring and lifeless all she had done was cry and whine for Edward to save her, but he had looked over at Bailey. And saw how enthused she was and that was the only reason he had sat through it. He and Bailey parker had been friends since 8th grade after Bailey had moved to Fort Wayne. From Missouri. She had been a short girl with brownish blonde hair and green eyes. They had a very close and plutonic relationship, she was the first one Andrew told he liked boys. " Andrew are you sure you like boys? Bailey had asked. I mean have you ever had sex with a girl? Andrew shook his head no well I did touch Krissy Johnson's boobs that time in 9th grade. We were at that party at Craig Lindsey's house. Bailey had rolled her eyes yuck I can't believe you'd touch that whore Krissy's tits. She probably has an STD! Andrew snickered we were wasted shit happens! But that was like two years ago. Bailey had nodded yeah it was. They had been able to talk to each other about things that went on in their lives Bailey had told him when she had lost her virginity to her boyfriend. Robert Donovan after prom and Andrew had told her he was going away to college he had decided not to go to Hubbard community college. Like everyone else in their senior class; this had put a strain on their friendship. For the first few months they had kept in contact texting every day and skyping once a week. This went on until Andrew had met Rachael and it became less frequently. The last time he had talked to Bailey was in 2011 when she told him she was pregnant by Robert and had planned to marry him. By this time she had already just become a high school friend of his from back home. Andrew rolled over in bed he had almost forgotten Aiden was in bed with him! He rolled directly into Aiden's face. Andrew just laid there looking at Aiden for what seemed like hours and finally he kissed Aiden on the lips! Aiden began to wake up slowly smiling at Andrew and grabbing the back of his head. Well good morning mister! Aiden said in a cheerful voice, to what do I owe the pleasure of being woken up like this? Andrew giggled, well I don't know I guess its because you're such a good boyfriend. Aiden smiled and kissed Andrew on the forehead! Well if I'm such a good boyfriend how about I get a little morning sex? Andrew smiled hmm you might have to take a rain check on that. I was thinking I could show you something's around town some people! Aiden smiled ok then baby. Let's get showered and we'll do just that! After they had showered separately they went downstairs Andrews mother was in the back yard tending her garden his father and Deshaun had gone to town, and Olivia was laying on the couch texting. She looked up as Andrew and Aiden were coming down the stairs! Where are you two headed off to so fast she said. Andrew stopped and looked at her we're probably going to the mall and I was gonna try to see if I could find Bailey. Olivia smiled and laughed oh looking up your old girlfriend Bailey I see! My god I remember all of those years you used to text bailey day in and day out. Aiden looked at Andrew curiously" who's Bailey? Andrew waved off Olivia's remarks she's an old friend from high school we never dated and besides she married with like three kids now. Aiden nodded oh ok! Andrew said yes well anyway Livia tell mom we went out and we'll try to be back before dinner ok? Olivia nodded yeah, yeah ok. Andrew and Aiden walked out of the house, and got in Andrews Car and drove off. Back in Annabelle sheriff Henry and Dr Anthony were eating lunch at Faye's. "So tell me sheriff henry how do you know we have the right suspect? John henry sipped down the last of his sweet tea, well you can call me John and Dr Anthony seven years ago when the killings were going on in Manitachie falls we had suspects. A paroled pedophile, a drifter but non of the leads went anywhere. And they all centered around this boy Matthew Sarger. And his friends and a boy named Charles Thomas Grady" and finally Matthew and his friends were found murdered in a cabin but Charles Grady was nowhere in sight. No body no blood nothing! We talked to his aunt who had legal custody of him at the time. Dr Anthony interrupted why wasn't he with his parents? Well they're dead. His mother Debra Malkin was from Manitachie Fall's originally, I went to high school with her. She was a sweet girl really quite and everything she dated this guy named Ralph Grady! I guess you could say they were high school sweethearts well anyway they ran off together and eloped. And came back to Manitachie Fall's; Ralph was a good guy him and Debra had three kids. So this Grady kid Charles he has siblings? Sheriff Henry looked down at his glass and back up at Dr Anthony. He did one night before Charles was born Debra and Ralph were on their way home from Ralph's parents, and a drunk drive crashed right into their mini van killed poor Ralph and the three kids instantly! but it knocked Debra out of the van. She was three months pregnant with Charles then! They rushed her to the hospital because she was bleeding very badly. The doctors told her parents and sister it would be a miracle if she didn't lose the baby, but most importantly she herself might die. Well somehow the bleeding stopped and she didn't loose the baby. Even though she spent a month in the hospital! After that Debra wasn't the same Debra everyone had known. She spent the rest of her pregnancy depressed and well almost crazy! Dr Anthony nodded that's understandable she took a major loss. Yes she did, after Charles was born things looked up for Debra she got a job as the elementary school librarian and she met a man. Named Earl Rodmoore and Debra just changed she started wearing dark clothes and she'd wear these huge dark shades all the time her hair would look unkept and filthy. Poor little Charles would look filthy and he was always so hungry he was in my daughter Emily's kindergarten class. And she would tell me about him stealing the other children's snacks, one day Debra went into the grocery store and she got caught stealing raw meat. She tried to fight the grocery store clerk and even us the sheriffs department, when we showed up to arrest her. It was so bad we just let her go I figured I'd just catch her the next day. But when I went to her house she and Earl and little Charles had left already! The house was filthy it stank of blood and just filth! and there were weird symbols drawn everywhere. Her parents and siblings tried for years to find her and Charlie but they never did. Her parents eventually died and her siblings just stopped looking. Well about 9 years ago this teenage boy claiming to be Charles showed up at one of her sisters house in town he had this wild story about Debra dying five years prior and Earl running off and leaving him. And no one questioned this Dr Anthony asked looking curiously at sheriff henry. well we asked our standard questions and DHS investigated and Charles was placed in his aunts care. He seemed like a well adjusted boy he went to high school he played football. Had friends and well a boyfriend! So he's gay? Dr Anthony asked. I'm not sure but I do know that's when the killings started! Dr Anthony cleared her throat we need to find out what happened to Charles Grady for those years he was gone maybe we can help him once we find him. Sheriff henry shook his head no ma,am Dr Anthony there's only one thing that will help that monster at this point; and that's a bullet to the head. Just then Juanita's phone rang and she answered it. It was Rachael Edison, yes Rachael is everything OK? No Rachael said, no Aiden isn't Aiden he's been lying this whole time. Anita finally got the picture from Leeanne Pierce and its not him! The boy next to him though is the one who's with Andrew, he's the one who was in your class. Hold on Rachael can you send me his picture please? Yes Rachael said, just a moment. Dr Anthony looked at John Henry, and when the picture finally came through she gasped. " Oh My God, it isn't Aiden! She showed the picture to John. Son of a Bitch! The boy standing next to Aiden Pierce was Charles Thomas Grady.