Shoot Me Down

Part 30

Caleb has switched out of ghost story mode, there’s a slight quaver in his voice when he says, “I could feel her hands around my throat. Cold, and strong like iron. It was too strong…” he grimaces and I look down at my hands. I had felt a kind of wild power that I’d dredged up from the anger.

“Creepy.” Ben shivers.

“Nothing but bad dreams,” Larry scoffs, and Caleb whips around in his seat and glares at him. “Shut up, Larry. You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t test me, man. Remember what I told you.”

My eyes light up, hoping for another fight. Hoping that the two alpha dogs will take one another out. But Caleb just rolls his eyes and shrugs bad temperedly, and they go back to playing cards.

As they play their third game and keep drinking, Caleb is slowly staring to relax. I’m in the kitchen now, checking out the window over and over, chewing on my nails anxiously. The sun is slowly climbing down towards the trees. The site of the forest behind the house makes me feel sick. Sam is there by the river waiting for me, slowly fading into nothingness. But it’s getting dark, they might decide to kill Nakia any minute now. I can’t let it happen. I’ve got to do something before it’s too late.  I turn towards the den as a burst of laughter reaches me, feeling a wave of anger crash through my body. How can they laugh? My hand slams down on the counter, and shocks me by making contact. The dull thud stops the laughter, and someone asks, “What was that?”

“Just Nakia trying to get out,” Caleb’s voice rumbles from next door.

A smile is curling the corners of my mouth, and suddenly I know exactly what I’m going to do. I’m going to make myself angry enough to bash the basement door open and drag Nakia to safety. I have to at least try. More laughter and clinking from next door makes me frown. If they hear her escaping they’ll go after her. I have to get rid of them somehow. When I drift back into the den the boys are staring dejectedly at a number of empty beer bottles on the table and arguing about who has to go for a beer run.

“Come on,” Caleb wheedles. “Ben or Derrek can go get it, right?”

“No.” Larry is leaned back in his chair with one hand behind his head. He shakes a finger at Caleb like he’s scolding a naughty child. “Ah, ah. We came here to do you a favor because you called us. We’re good friends. Now it’s your turn to repay us. Beer is on you tonight, my man.”

Caleb grumbles, but he stands up and grabs his jacket off the back of the wooden chair, shrugging into it he grabs the keys from his pocket and shakes them at Larry. “Fine. Who’s going with me?”

“Scared to go by yourself?” Larry asks mockingly, and Caleb glares at him and stomps out of the room. “Fine, I’ll get you your beer, jack-ass!”

Larry laughs and folds both hands behind his head. “You’re a gentleman and a scholar, you know that?”

The door slamming loudly is his only answer, and Larry laughs again. They go back to their game, after he peeks at the cards Caleb had.  I stand there staring at them, working up a good head of anger, allowing the dark clouds of rage to build up into a full-fledged storm.

Silently I address Larry, turning my full attention to him. There’s something about him that makes my stomach twist violently. He’s hard. He’s evil.

You did this to me.

Something begins to happen. It begins to build up in the pit of my stomach first, an angry humming energy that gathers in on itself. The snake inside me is writhing, pulsing with the need to lash out. An unseen wind whips through my hair, and my blouse blows out around me, tickling my skin. At the table, Ben looks up, his brown eyes wide, “Shit, did it just get really cold in here?” He rubs at his arms and Derrek does the same. “Yeah, man. I’m freezing.”