We are the Gray — Chapter Three
Lion-Skip- Marley
“Trusting too much makes you cry drops of blood, should you turn your back never try to cover it, just run.”
The last year of Elementary school triggered my first crush. You could call it a curse. A kind of curse you will never walk away from. Daniel’s frost tiger eyes fluttered my heart like fairy wings. We no longer rode the same bus. My new bus stop is the same one as Amanda. Our bus played songs on the top pop list making me rehash my crush every ride.
School finished and we made a promise over ice cream. A promise with our pinky fingers. Unlike all the other promises ours stuck. Lake Gemm Rill is an hour hike for all of us because the forest adorning the lake is half-way between our houses. Rachel had the idea suggesting there was a spot uncovered that could be like a clubhouse closer to her property.
Blazing light glared down on Amanda, and me as we skipped down the sidewalk lacing our fingers together. She was humming “we’re off to see the wizard” while swinging her Hello Kitty lunch box. I wish she stayed in that phase.
Flecks of strawberry hair blinded me as I turned my head towards Amanda. Our sandals dug into the grass of the forest. Her mom made us both lunch with extra fixing for the other two. In the dead summer heat my hands tried swiping away at beads of water. The other hand carried an old portable radio.
The streets began to blur as an hour of walking meant seeing the mixture of diamond picket fences and barbed wire. Amanda sat down downing an entire bottle of water. Her feet looked as red as an apple. Mine had dirt flicked between them. We flushed over the same frosty eyes, and smile but I would never make her aware of that.
Cars fled by ignoring our eleven year old selves as they went about the day. “ Alana, I wanna make cheer captain this year.”
“You want to be a cheerleader of all things? Why not join a runners club or something?” My canteen full of Hawaiian punch drenched my throat.
“I mean it’ll cost money-” Her half destroyed sandals kicked the uncut grass away from slivers of glass on the ground. “Money my parents don’t have. But I’ll find a way-”
“I could lend it to you.” I hefted a laugh at picturing her twirling around golden pom poms and falling on her face.
Wiping flecks of grass off her flower covered spring-dress she stood up.” I figure if I manage to become a cheerleader, I’ll be able to date Daniel without a fuss.” Her fingers interlaced with mine again.
“He won’t be the only boy looking at you.” I nudged her teasingly as we headed for the forest full of danger for our exposed feet.
“I only want him looking. You can have the rest.”
“I don’t want garbage.”
“Ouch. Alana..you think the only thing I attract is garbage?”
“Yea.” Grinning I nearly tumbled oddly over a twig along our path. My leg did a little jolt side ways before I shook it back into place so we could continue on. Passing giants, rocks, and half destroyed animal nests we made our way for the lake.
A scent of fresh marsh water crept its way to my nose. Our lake water wouldn’t be blue for about three weeks. Its a curse of harsh winters. I call it the curse of Kingston. The giants spread wider as we approached softer ground. Rachel sat at the ledge of the forest floor dangling her feet into the marshy water. Dirtying them.
I ran at the speed of light towards her entwining my fingers around her thin frame. Rachel leaned back trying to usurp her power over me. “Where is Daniel?”
“Come on you two, get up, we got a boy to find.” Amanda’s ringing voice echoed her impatience. The primadona wanted her way.
“I’ll lead hello kitty girl.” Hesitantly Rachel stoop letting her soaked feet leave a patch of wetness behind. We followed her tail through a thick brush of forest bushes, and past an open forest floor. A lone brush of bushes filled with little red cherries littering the leaves made us all grab some as we walked.
Our eyes met with a castle of crust. A little shack built out of shambles stood with its roof half on, and windows shattered by rocks. My heart beat like a blood pressure checker. Half the roof is gone? The stairs had a few missing steps. But there in my view sat a boy. His baseball cap hid his flecks of coffee hair.
“Daniel!” Flinging herself like a rubber band Amanda ran towards him. She shoved her hello kitty lunch box at him. “I got us food for our little club adventure.”
“You mean grub for my horrifyingly unfilled stomach. Let’s get inside. There has to be a place a sit in this crusty old shack.”
Stepping forward to make sure to miss any empty steps I entered the decaying shack. Most horror stories are written of places like this. Specks of dust caused us to choke on clouds of gray sparkles as we entered. Laying across the floor with mold from rain storms and glass littered the floor. Animal feces covered every corner. My poor feet.
“Why wasn’t I warned not to wear sandals?” Amanda’s voice quaking in the tiny area.
“Why did you wear sandals?” Rachel retorted.
“I didn’t think we’d be stepping into a glass filled horror story.”
“If its a glass filled horror story-” Daniel chuckled dangling a thin piece of glass that was edged between a wooden board, and ground at Amanda.
“You mean become a mass-murderer like Lord Voldemort.” Rachel investigated an old picture frame that was broken on the floor. It belonged to someone a long time ago as the photo is beige from age.
“Lord Voldemort killed more than just three people. I like to say he used magic. I don’t have that ability.”
“We all know your letter got lost in the mail.” I dig my finger nails into my skin nervously. He had a way of making me nervous like a math test.
“Nah, I think you lost yours Alana.” Daniel went over to Rachel taking another look at the Renaissance like girl in the picture. “Looks like this is an old home.”
Amanda standing at the entrance looked afraid to step forward. The glass, dust, and wood scattered on the floor must have held her feet in place like chains.
“Aren’t we supposed to be finding a place to eat?” Rachel broke the awkward silence. Any food eating in here will be contaminated by the air alone.
“Nah, I don’t want contaminated food.” Daniel swept past Amanda swiping away glass he walked by. Outside the rays of the sun gleamed down on us as we began to wash down the grub.
We spent the rest of the day walking back to Rachel’s to enjoy her pool. The blazing sun turned our skin a scorching red, and as we stepped up her front porch with the giant Navy seal flag fluttering with the wind our faces winced. Forgot about sun tan lotion.
“Rachel!” Running towards from the open front door was her mother. Cascading blonde hair and dark leaf green eyes with a tall but thin frame grasped her daughter’s burning hands.
“What did you guys do to cause such a sunburn?”
“Walking in the forest.” Rachel got ushered inside with us following as her mother picked up a bottle of Banna Boat lotion to slather it all over us.
“You poor things.” Scrambling past the perfect hallway we entered her pristine kitchen. Marble floors, and decorative oak cabinets, with pots and pans hanging over a glass display. A little more expensive than my old home. She grabbed three glasses and poured orange juice in each panicking over the how hot we were.
I noticed out of the corner of my eyes a small decorative piece that my mother made about three months back. I choked up the desire to ask questions. Anybody could buy the same thing. No way my mother made it just for them.
“Don’t go diving into the pool just yet. Let’s go put on a movie.” We traversed into the living room to spend two hours watching The Lion King and crying over Mufasas death.
Cars began to pull up and beep. Amanda, and Daniel left before the end leaving Rachel with me. Her mother got a call turned to me and told me that I was spending the night and that her father wasn’t coming home tonight.
We spent the night playing board games, watching television, and discussing our top secret. Her mother kept to cleaning the house, and singing. When morning approached my mother’s car sat outside with my brother in the passenger seat.
I leaped into the back seat unaware of the sins that commenced at home.
