Summer in Texas

Life-Long Friends Volume 1:

"Summer in Texas"

Lytle, Texas - August

The chanting had stopped, and with that, Joey and Jason looked at each other, afraid of what they might face in the seconds ahead. Was she still alive? Yet their resolve had won the battle of the what-ifs earlier that day. It was a rare occasion when Jason considered the well-being of anyone else. His humanity was showing like a big red pimple on a nose, disgusting him. He also felt the need to be there for his best friend Joey. He wasn't going to allow him to go in and rescue this weird chick all alone. He had to help. Joey would do the same for him. 

With their suspicions confirmed the day before they hid in silence behind the aging trash cans in the yard. The stench was enough to make them wince and cover their mouths and noses with the front of their t-shirts. Their breathing had grown shallow and their hearts raced in anticipation. There was no turning back now. Sarah needed rescuing. She had to be freed from the hell she likely faced her entire life. THEY would be her knights in shining armor. At least, Joey thought so. This fair-haired girl had somehow struck a cord in their adolescent minds, though she seemed a bit off when their curiosity got the better of them just three days ago. That was the day they saw the moving truck pass through town and over to the old green house on East Elm. As nice and pretty as Sarah was, nobody wore Little House on the Prairie dresses anymore. 

Over the past three days, they met up with her at the end of her driveway, and judging from their conversations, she was an innocent. Instinct told them something wasn't right about her home situation. 

Joey voiced his concern. "I don't know man, something about the whole thing is just... weird right?" 

"Yeah, and why doesn't she ever leave the driveway? It's like she's afraid she'll turn to ash if she steps past it, like a friggin' vampire or something," Jason added. 

"Nah, I don't think she's a vampire. She's definitely something though."

Yet, here they were in the dark searching for answers, waiting behind three garbage cans in her driveway at 9:25 on a warm south Texas night. They heard several voices chanting from inside the old weathered house. 

"Dude, what the fuck!?" Jason whispered, looking wide-eyed at Joey.

They both stared back at the screen door and dimly-lit windows of the house. Prior to leaving Jason's place, they packed flashlights and pocket knives for protection. Joey hoped he wouldn't need to use his small blue Swiss army knife. Jason on the other hand hoped one of them would try something. He wanted to know what it was like to stab somebody, although inside he was as frightened now as his pudgy sidekick. 

The life-long friends lived in the small town of Lytle, Texas, population 2,694. Lytle was a town that thrived due to the oil business. Jason's dad was a field supervisor for Halliburton. Joey's dad, on the other hand, worked as an assistant manager for H.E.B., the local grocery store chain. The two families weren't particularly close; however, they were accommodating to the two best friends. 

Day 1 

On a hot Texas Saturday morning in August, Joey rode his bike through Lytle to Jason's house. Jason lived in a nicer part of Lytle, which was why Joey enjoyed staying there more so than at his own house. Joey pedaled up to Jason's driveway meeting him outside. Upon his arrival, Jason picked up his bike. The heat made Joey sweat profusely from every crevice, soaking his shirt, prompting Jason to make fun of him, laughing. "You're sweating like a hog, Joey. You nervous or something?"