On the summer of 1976, in the once quiet town of New Benfer in southern Indiana, horrific events unfold one night after Harmony invites three strangers into her home.
W A R N I N G : A B E R R A N T B E H A V I O R , B L O O D Y A N D G R I...
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May 19, 1976
Only a handful of people sat in the Westside Diner. Most of them were kids from my high school. Despite the many different conversations going on, I could still hear the noisy fan vibrate over the Television in the upper corner behind the counter. The useless toy not producing nearly enough cool air for this particularly hot summer evening. The glass window showed the corner of 5th and Maplewood where Frank's auto shop and gas station had been for years. By the time Lydia slid my milkshake towards me, my hand shot out, meeting it halfway, and instantly wrapped my lips around the pink straw. The cold glass cup felt refreshing in my clammy grip, the thick ice cream washing over my taste buds as it slid down my throat. Lydia smiled at me as she shook her head, then walked away, tending to another customer at the other end of the counter.
Dolores, one of my closest friend since elementary, made a joke I didn't catch and Susan laughed in between us. Susan grabbed her drink and held the cold glass to her forehead. Rolling it back and forth.
I soon grow to regret my decisions when the piercing agony of a brain freeze sends me screwing my face in pain. The two had a laugh at me but I simply ignored them.
"I'm so happy it's officially summer." Susan sighed with her eyes closed.
"I know right!" Dolores agreed as she chewed on her blue straw. "What're your guys' plans this summer? Since my parents decided to get a divorce now all our plans are kind of shot so I literally have nothing to do."
"That sucks. I'm sorry Dolores." Susan apologized but Dolores simply shrugged it off and smiled. "Well I'm gonna be going up to the family cabin with my cousin for the weekend, then a wedding in the middle of July, but other than that my schedule's wide open. Wanna hang out?"
"Yes, please, since Harmony's just gonna leave me."
At the sound of my name, I glance up from sipping my milkshake and find both Dolores and Susan scowling at me. I swallow quickly and hold a napkin to my lip when I feel like some might come out.
"I'll be back next week," I said through a mouth full of ice cream
Susan turned to Dolores with narrowed eyes, "So she says."
"I asked her to take me with her and she said no. Can you believe that?" Dolores scoffed.
"Monster." Susan shook her head at me as she took Dolores' head and forced her to lean on her shoulder.
"She wanted me to hide her in my suitcase!" I explained.
"And you couldn't do that?" She scoffed and turned to Dolores. "Lo, I would absolutely pack you in my suitcase."
