From New York to New Mexico and Beyond

Chapter eleven

"I'll go next!" Race announced before anyone anyone else had a chance to speak up. He leaned forward, causing everyone else to do the same, and started his story.

"It was a dark and stormy night..."

"Oh boy," Jack muttered. Race shot him a withering glare to shut him up. "It was raining so hard, you could hardly see right in front of you. And I was alone. The streets were quiet. And I was running. Running from something terrible, running from something that was worse than anything you've ever seen. Just praying out loud that luck would be on my side. I turned a corner and slipped and fell in the mud. I tried to get up, but my arm was burning, I had hit it hard and it was broken."

Katherine felt Jack tense beside her and she looked at him curiously. He looked like he knew where this was going and thought it was a bad idea.

"Then, as I was trying my best to ignore the pain, man up, and keep running," Race continued. "I heard footsteps...getting closer...and closer...and closer..." his voice gradually lowered to an eerie whisper. "And then...I saw a shadow coming towards me. The shadow...of a monster..." Les gasped. "He turned the corner, I tried to run, but he grabbed me and pulled me back. I turned to face him and found myself up against..." he paused for a dramatic effect and all the boys held their breath. "A man...with a bushy beard, big dark eyebrows, and little tiny black eyes."

"A man?" Les interrupted skeptically. "That's no monster. Doesn't even sound scary."

"He is too scary! And he is a monster. A real life one." Race yelled. The group fell quiet, except for the dying fire crackling. Then Race sniffled and rubbed his eyes stubbornly. "He was a monster." He muttered angrily. "I know he was, Race." Jack leaned over to put his hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'm sorry." Les awkwardly apologized.

"I think these stories are getting a little too personal." Davey said softly. "Maybe we should head to our tent." Les frowned but no one argued.

As the rest of the boys left for the tent, Jack stayed behind with Katherine. "Uh, Race's dad..." he explained. "He ran away from his dad when he was about eleven, but he dad hunted him down. I found him that night he was talking about after his dad had beaten him to a pulp and was just getting ready to drag him back home. I called the police and that's how we got Race."

"Oh." Katherine nodded. "That's awful." Jack nodded quietly and then they fell silent, just watching the fire die out. "Jack?" Katherine looked up at him. "Hm?"

"You don't have a horror story like that do you?" He looked down at her, questioningly. "I mean...I've heard the short version of how you ended up living with the boys, but now I'm wondering about the long one."

"Oh..." Jack looked back at the fire, frowning. "We'll save that for another time." Katherine sighed, disappointed. He looked over at her and smiled. "Look I promise that someday you'll hear the whole sob story of Jack Kelly." She smiled back sadly. "But for now..." he inched closer, a smirk forming on his lips and his tone dropping to a whisper. "The rest of the boys are in bed...we're out here in the woods alone...by a nice campfire..."

"Jack..." she chuckled. "The boys are right there in that tent. They can probably hear us."

"I can hear you!"

"So can I!"

"Me too!"

"I can hear you too!"

"Yeah Jack, pipe down and stop being so weird!"

Katherine laughed. "See?" Jack groaned. "Alright I get it! But...come on...just a little bit of innocent kissing before we turn in?" Katherine bit her lip, her eyes twinkling. "Maybe a little bit..." Jack immediately wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss. Soon he had her in his lap, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, but before they could break their promise about "innocent kissing..."

"Get a tent you two!" Race yelled. "We can hear you!"

"Shut up!" Jack yelled. But the mood was ruined. Katherine laughed. "Well, I guess that's that." She stood up and straightened her skirt. "I'll see you in the morning." She smiled and gave him one more kiss before heading to her own small tent, separate from the boys. "G'night Ace." Jack reluctantly watched her go. He was gonna kill Race.