Respect the Dead. Shawn McLain
and the door inched forward into the room. His frantic pounded mixed with breaking wood and guttural growls.
“Go way.” She whispered as her head exploded in agony.
Throwing his weight against the broken door, it moved slightly against a heavy object then swung free. He began to raise his hands, then paused. A low frustrated, mournful moan escaped his lungs as Lisa, slack jawed and hollowed eyed stared back at him.
Her moan met his. They turned and together, limping and staggering they wandered out of the house onto the porch. Darkness had fallen and the woods were barely visible beyond the pool of the porch light. Dead eyes stared into the darkness then at each other.
Slowly making their way up the long wooded drive they could sense it. Somewhere out there was food.
Last Date
Seventeen year old Beth McDaniel’s annoyance grew as, Corey, her boyfriend's car left the main road to turn down a side street. They were getting further and further from town.
“This is not the way to the theater.” She grumbled as Corey took another turn.
“It’s a shortcut.” He replied grinning.
“I know how to get to the movies and this isn’t even close. Where are you taking me?” She demanded.
“Relax this is better than the movies.” He patted her knee, an act that only added to her growing anger.
She wanted to see this movie. She had been anticipating it for weeks. She had agreed to see it with him instead of her best friend, a decision she was regretting more and more by the second.
The houses were getting fewer and fewer and the landscape more wooded. She began to recognize the landmarks. The large black barn that sat close to the road, the fork with the gnarled old tree with the huge branch pointing the way, this was not going to take her anywhere near where she wanted to be.
“Why are we out here? The movie starts at 7:30.” She huffed checking her watch.
“I wanted to show you something.” He said with that annoying smirk in his voice, that one that at first was so enduring now was just tiresome.
“I’ve been out here before. I know all about the Haunted bridge.”
“I know.” He smiled.
Something about the way he said it made her extremely uncomfortable. The smile on his face was illuminated by the dashboard light. I made him seem ugly and slightly creepy. “Seriously, I’ve been here before.” She was getting nervous, “We can still make it. You know the previews take forever.” She added hopefully.
“Come on, this will be more fun than some stupid fantasy movie.” Corey said, using what he thought was a sultry voice. It made Beth’s skin crawl. He pulled the car to the side of the road and flipped the lights off.
“I want to see this movie.” She replied backing further away as he advanced. One of his hands was gripping her knee the other was snaking around her shoulder. The harder he pulled her to him, the harder she tried to pull away. Unfortunately she was pinned against the car door. “Corey, Stop! I mean it I want to see this movie.”
“I have something planned that is so much better than…”
“Stop it right now! I told you once I won’t tell you again.”
Ignoring her demands, Corey leaned in and started kissing her neck. Beth pushed him off, he grabbed at her hands laughing. Annoyance was now starting to fight with fear. He was holding her wrists in one of his hands while his other was on the back of her neck pulling her toward him. Freeing her left wrist she grabbed his face, pushing away hard.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” He cried rubbing his cheek, her hand print still visible on it.
“I want to go home, now!”
Changing tact, he smiled sweetly, “Come on baby don’t be a tease. It’ll be fun.” He whispered leaning in again.
She pushed him back, angling herself with a knee between them. “Stop it right now! Take me home.”
“Oh, I’ll take you somewhere honey.” Before Corey could move more than a few inches… “Smack!” Beth’s hand connected painfully with his smug face.
“What the hell!” He screamed, massaging the spot where she had hit him.
“I said take me home right now!”
“You bitch! What the hell did you hit me for!?”
“I told you to stop!”
Anger flared in Corey as he reached over grabbing at Beth’s hands, “You don’t hit me, EVER!” He growled. Beth fought back, slapping his hands away. She fumbled behind her for the door latch with one hand while keeping him at bay with the other.
Corey's voice rose with each word, anger contorting his face. “You think you’re man enough to hit me. Then I’ll treat you like a man!” His fist cocked back, the door popped open, and Beth spilled out onto the gravel road. His fist hit the seat where a split second before her face had been.
Crawling over the seat, Corey grabbed at her feet. She pulled them out of his reach. Kicking hard she slammed the door it in his face. When it appeared in the window a second later it was full of rage.
“Fine!” His muffled voice screamed through the window, Beth scooted further from the car, “Fine! Stay out there, bitch!”
He disappeared, but the engine revved. Beth scrambled to her feet and out of the road. Gravel and dirt spit from the tires as Corey sped forward. Shaking with anger, Beth watched as the brake lights came on. The car skidded to a halt. There was a pause. Suddenly the reverse lights illuminated the road. The engine whined in reverse. The vehicle swerved whipping around, gravel shot out from the tires again. Beth stepped further off the road shielding her eyes from the bright headlights as the car spun. Fearfully she stepped back as the vehicle hurtled toward her. Mere feet away, the brakes locked up again skidding to a stop. Beth stumbled back away from the car ready to run. Corey got out, slammed the door and advanced on her. She stood her ground. Out of the car, in the open, she knew she could take him. He noticed her stance and faltered.
Beth had shown more than once she could take care of herself. The memory of gym class when she had protested the sexism of girl’s sports versus boy’s flooded back to Corey’s mind. She had seriously embarrassed one of the school’s top wrestlers that day. Still, he was going to make it clear she was in the wrong. Pointing an accusing finger, “You said you’ve been out here before when I brought it up. What the hell is so important about a stupid movie?”
“What… huh… wha?” Beth sputtered in her anger and confusion. “I came out to the haunted bridge, so what!? What does that have to do with, with...” She couldn’t comprehend how her being out here before constituted it being ok for him to assault her.
Backing up with a look of contempt on his face, “Is that what you think this place is?” He sniffed his disdain, “You just missed your chance. You should stay with the geeks, not try to date outside your league.” He turned back to his car. Flinging Open his door he turned and pointed at the passenger side. “Get in.”
Beth stood still. “I prefer to walk.” The disgust dripping in her voice.
“Just get in we’ll go see your stupid movie.”
“I don’t want to go anywhere with a pig like you.”
“Just get in the damn car!”
“No.”
Angery words echoed through the dark woods surrounding them. In the end, he had sped off calling her several names that ensured they would never speak again.
The taillights faded away leaving Beth alone with three choices: walk home in the dark, call her brother, or call her best friend, Wesley Davidson.