to the party.
As he went about his work, his vision dulled to gray every so often. The sudden flickers drained the world of color. Spectral portraits of Katie and Terrance kept appearing, their torment splashed across his mind. He had to stop what he was doing several times when he realized he nearly cut off his finger as he washed the dishes. Caught up in the throes of one of the episodes, he noticed drops of blood colored the soapy water. That only triggered more of the morbid visions.
He hurriedly finished his work, then hopped into the shower. He stepped under the nearly scalding water and clenched his teeth to keep from screaming. Searing heat washed over his wounds and made him dance under the water’s fall. His back stung under the steaming flow. Though his injuries were minor, he had so many cuts and scrapes it was as if they were one big open sore.
He relived the torment once more as the soap stirred his agony. Finally, the water began to cool. His wounds had grown numb, the pain battered away by the constant spray.
Out of the shower, he left a wet trail of footprints on the way to his room. He looked out his window and saw the sun had crept behind the mountains. Not wanting to disappoint Cass, he finished dressing in a rush and bolted out the door to Chris’s house.
The party waited.
* * * *
A little after eight p.m., the party was already in full swing. Jacob heard the music blasting down the sparsely populated block of Paradise Canyon. It echoed through the trees. He unconsciously nodded his head to its rhythm, his drying hair bouncing in time.
Though the warm shower had managed to soothe his mind some, the images still crept in. Less frequent than they had been, he noticed he froze up a little when they hit. He hadn’t noticed it earlier, but the music gave him a frame of reference. He was losing seconds each time the wave of memories hit.
He hoped that would pass once he had people around to distract him. He went up to the small house and let himself in, the door already cracked open a little. He was greeted with several raucous shouts by people he didn’t really know, an early game of Quarters in progress. Jacob waved, smiled and drifted toward the kitchen, the hub of every house party.
Not even over the threshold, Cass crashed into him. She gave him a welcoming hug. His injuries cried out in complaint, but he tried not to show it. Cass seemed to catch on anyway. He stiffened and pulled back as she stared at the array of red stripes that painted his face.
“What the hell happened to you?”
He heard the conversations in the kitchen die off. Chris, Dee, and Glenn looked over, waiting for his answer.
He laughed it off. “I kind of took a tumble down the hill.”
Cass’s eyes narrowed as she looked him over. Obvious suspicion crept over her face. “You okay?”
“Yeah, mostly. It’s like having a hundred paper cuts, but it’s nothing major, really.”
She glared at him a moment longer. The worried look on her face drifted into disbelief and he knew she thought his father had done it.
“I’m serious, I’m okay.” Her continued stare rattled him. The final straw was when her hands slipped to her hips. He knew he had to tell her something. “I went up on the mountain this afternoon to get away from the house for a bit.” He shook his head and pushed his hair out of his face. “I wasn’t really paying attention apparently, because before I knew it, I had wandered onto Old Man Jenks’s land.”
Cass growled at him, her glare visibly hot.
“Damn, dude,” he heard Glenn say from behind Cass.
“Yeah.” He laughed, though it sounded sickly. “It gets even better. I ran into the old man himself.”
Cass slapped his arm. He winced and took a step back.
“Easy. I got away and he doesn’t know who I am or where I live. As far as he knows, I’m just one more long-haired, good-for-nothing kid that’s stumbled across his land. There’s probably been hundreds of us over the
As he went about his work, his vision dulled to gray every so often. The sudden flickers drained the world of color. Spectral portraits of Katie and Terrance kept appearing, their torment splashed across his mind. He had to stop what he was doing several times when he realized he nearly cut off his finger as he washed the dishes. Caught up in the throes of one of the episodes, he noticed drops of blood colored the soapy water. That only triggered more of the morbid visions.
He hurriedly finished his work, then hopped into the shower. He stepped under the nearly scalding water and clenched his teeth to keep from screaming. Searing heat washed over his wounds and made him dance under the water’s fall. His back stung under the steaming flow. Though his injuries were minor, he had so many cuts and scrapes it was as if they were one big open sore.
He relived the torment once more as the soap stirred his agony. Finally, the water began to cool. His wounds had grown numb, the pain battered away by the constant spray.
Out of the shower, he left a wet trail of footprints on the way to his room. He looked out his window and saw the sun had crept behind the mountains. Not wanting to disappoint Cass, he finished dressing in a rush and bolted out the door to Chris’s house.
The party waited.
* * * *
A little after eight p.m., the party was already in full swing. Jacob heard the music blasting down the sparsely populated block of Paradise Canyon. It echoed through the trees. He unconsciously nodded his head to its rhythm, his drying hair bouncing in time.
Though the warm shower had managed to soothe his mind some, the images still crept in. Less frequent than they had been, he noticed he froze up a little when they hit. He hadn’t noticed it earlier, but the music gave him a frame of reference. He was losing seconds each time the wave of memories hit.
He hoped that would pass once he had people around to distract him. He went up to the small house and let himself in, the door already cracked open a little. He was greeted with several raucous shouts by people he didn’t really know, an early game of Quarters in progress. Jacob waved, smiled and drifted toward the kitchen, the hub of every house party.
Not even over the threshold, Cass crashed into him. She gave him a welcoming hug. His injuries cried out in complaint, but he tried not to show it. Cass seemed to catch on anyway. He stiffened and pulled back as she stared at the array of red stripes that painted his face.
“What the hell happened to you?”
He heard the conversations in the kitchen die off. Chris, Dee, and Glenn looked over, waiting for his answer.
He laughed it off. “I kind of took a tumble down the hill.”
Cass’s eyes narrowed as she looked him over. Obvious suspicion crept over her face. “You okay?”
“Yeah, mostly. It’s like having a hundred paper cuts, but it’s nothing major, really.”
She glared at him a moment longer. The worried look on her face drifted into disbelief and he knew she thought his father had done it.
“I’m serious, I’m okay.” Her continued stare rattled him. The final straw was when her hands slipped to her hips. He knew he had to tell her something. “I went up on the mountain this afternoon to get away from the house for a bit.” He shook his head and pushed his hair out of his face. “I wasn’t really paying attention apparently, because before I knew it, I had wandered onto Old Man Jenks’s land.”
Cass growled at him, her glare visibly hot.
“Damn, dude,” he heard Glenn say from behind Cass.
“Yeah.” He laughed, though it sounded sickly. “It gets even better. I ran into the old man himself.”
Cass slapped his arm. He winced and took a step back.
“Easy. I got away and he doesn’t know who I am or where I live. As far as he knows, I’m just one more long-haired, good-for-nothing kid that’s stumbled across his land. There’s probably been hundreds of us over the
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