The Void

6

6
Recall 1: Jessica

On the heels of summer 2001, a rowdy school bus turns down a suburban neighborhood. Reaching its usual midpoint within the rows of streets, the bus rolls to a slow halt. The braking tires produce its signature high-pitch squeal as the large vehicle stops, followed by the hissing of hydraulics underneath. A handful of teenagers, students at Clear Creek High School, rise from their seats, eager to return home for their first weekend since starting the new year.

The students fall in line between the taught, brown-leather seats of the bus still mostly full with other students awaiting their stop. With a quick screech, the doors slide open, and the line moves forward. Last to leave the bus is William, dismounting the bus's final step with a short hop into the grass adjacent to the sidewalk.

A few more loud mechanics hiss and spur before the bus continues on its way, leaving behind an odd smell of stale glue. The children disperse the drop off, each one following their own direction towards their house. Along the sidewalk, William follows behind two older boys, both enthralled in their own conversation to pay him any mind. Eventually, they reach a cross street, splitting the boys while William walks ahead four more houses down.

Seeing his family's modest two-story house, he brings his backpack to his chest and pulls his house keys from a zipper. He unlocks the front door and steps inside. The AC greets his skin with a chilly kiss, a welcomed relief from the brutal Texas heat. From the doorway, he calls for his mother but gets no response. He is alone, which meant he would have to make the sandwich he wanted.

"Ugggh!" he moans, figuring his mom was out shopping.

He enters into the kitchen and hits the fridge, grabbing a pack of turkey, two slices of cheese, and a jar of mayo. At the counter he builds his sandwich, finishing it with a clean triangle cut. With his prep complete, he plates his sandwich and bounces to the pantry to grab a bag of chips.

Thinking through the school week, he catalogues the homework assignments needing his attention. High School was a huge change, and already the transition into advance placement courses was setting up to be a daunting experience. He sighs through his apprehension; the sooner he completed his homework, the sooner he could play his computer game with his friends online.

With cherubic energy, he grabs his food and hits the stairs. Behind him, he hears an unsteady fumbling of keys as the lock turns at the front door. Halfway up, he stops, expecting his mother to come in and demand he help with groceries. The door swings open and then slams shut with a violent force.

Startled, he whips around and sees his sister rushing up the stairs. Their shoulders collide, sending William into the rails of the staircase and knocking his two sandwich halves to the floor.

"Move!" she shrieks, stomping past him.

"Hey!" he shouts back, catching himself on the railing, "What the heck!? Stupid idiot!"

"Fuck you!" she cries before slamming her bedroom door.

The strength behind her outburst stings like a swift slap to the cheek. Stunned, he stands at the staircase trying to process what just happened. At his feet are his sandwich halves, split and slightly disassembled from the fall. He crouches down and picks everything up, crudely reforming his floor sandwich and wiping up a small smudge of mayo off the steps. Rising up, he stares at his plate and contemplates his next move.

"Whatever..." he sighs, forgoing the fact that his sandwich was on the floor.

Covering the remaining few steps, he rounds the railing of the staircase and heads for his room. But as he passes Jessica's door, a strange noise stops him in his tracks. It is the unmistakable crying of his sister. He moves in closer, hearing the pain in her cries, deep and inconsolable like someone that had just lost a dear friend.