“Stay Inside”
By Stephen Mars
Smashwords Edition
Copyright 2011 Stephen Mars
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
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The four of them were best friends ever since they could walk. Frank and Johnny connected even earlier in the local daycare, and they never let each other down. When Melissa and Emma came into their young lives their bond strengthened even more. They grew up together in a dangerous city, and they wouldn’t do anything without all four of them being present. It was a bond that would last a lifetime. On one particular night they were all hanging out on Frank’s porch. Everyone saw him as the leader. With strong shoulders and an even stronger personality, Frank was the one who kept everyone in line if a fight broke out between any of them. The other three agreed that without him, they might tear each other’s heads off one day. “They need a new quarterback.” said Frank leaning over the railing and taking a puff of his cigar. “What do you think?” he said scratching his beard. “I think you need to give me back my Calc homework.” said Johnny, or the “brainiac” of the group as dubbed by Frank. Johnny turned around to see what the girls were up to. Inside the house they were laughing and had shot glasses in their hands. Johnny couldn’t help to take his eyes of Melissa, whose curly brown hair swayed gently around her freckled cheeks. When Johnny faced Frank again he saw a fat grin on his face. “Are you gonna go for her or what?” he said. Johnny had always seen Emma as a sister, but he always had a crush on Melissa. It wasn’t until Melissa’s ex-boyfriend cheated on her that he began talking to her more. He had no idea if she had feelings for him though. He was just a skinny nerd after all. There was no way she can be attracted to me, he thought. “I don’t know Frank.” said Johnny. “She’ll never go out with me.” Frank snorted. “Who said anything about going out with her? Bro, my parents are out of town and there’s a spare bedroom upstairs.” It took Johnny a moment, but he shook his head in disgust when he understood what Frank meant. “No, not like that.” said Johnny looking back to Melissa beyond the clear sliding glass door. She was stumbling on her heels and Emma was helping her up. Both of them were laughing hysterically. “Okay look, next weekend I’ll ask my Uncle Tony if I can borrow a few Kayaks. We’ll go on a camping trip down Keys River.” Johnny nodded shyly. “You can show her all those survival tricks you showed me. Chicks dig guys like Bear Grylls, man.” Johnny had been experienced in the outdoors. He was not only a former Boy Scout but every few weeks he’d walk a trail along the Keys River by himself to escape the stress that surrounded him. Johnny agreed that he would be most comfortable there to ask her out if he got the courage. “I’ll ask the girls about the trip don’t worry.” said Frank tossing his cigar on the street. “But right now I’m grabbing a handle and going to blackout city my friend.” The next few days went by anxiously slow for Johnny. It’s either going to be now or never, he thought as the four of them plodded through the mud in the middle of the woods. “How much longer?” said Emma tying her short blonde hair up. “We’re almost there, relax.” said Frank. Emma shot him a sharp look. Johnny half expected the two of them to get married one day, but he and Melissa both thought that would end in a very quick divorce considering they both had strong personalities. They did date briefly in middle school but it didn’t go very well. Johnny was surprised the group stayed together after their breakup. Without them, he’d be all alone. “Is everything okay?” said Melissa smiling beside him. The autumn colors of an oak tree reflected in her amber colored eyes. “Yeah I’m fine.” said Johnny feeling his voice crack. I must have been zoning out, he thought. When the group got to the shore they found only two Kayaks. “Damn it Frank there’s no way Johnny’s gonna fit with you in one of these.” said Emma. “He’s not sharing one with me.” said Frank with the same sly grin Johnny has been used to his whole life. “Johnny’s going with Melissa.” Johnny felt his heart beat out his chest. The four friends glided down the river letting the current take them. While Emma and Frank tried to take control of their boat by whacking each other with the oars, Johnny and Melissa kept their distance as Johnny explained to her what type of plant was beside them. “So why have you never asked me out?” said Melissa suddenly. Johnny was stunned. Looking over he saw Frank and Emma trying to push each other off their boat. “I don’t know I just…” Something caught Melissa’s eye behind them which caused Johnny to stop. “Who is that?” said Melissa pointing behind him. Standing on a large rock by the river was an older man with a long white beard. He wore a plaid shirt that was covered in what looked like blood. Dirt was spread across his face and he held a shotgun in his hand. “He must be a hunter.” said Johnny. “So anyway…” he began, wanting to tell Melissa everything. He wanted to tell her that she was the prettiest girl he had ever seen and how ever since they were kids he wanted to be with her. He never got that chance however as the old man in the distance behind shouted towards them. “Hello there!” he said in a heaving breath. “I need some help!” The four friends paddled over and got out of the boat. When they met the man he was sitting down on a tree stump smoking a cigarette. “Do you any of you have water?” the old man said solemnly. “Here.” said Frank handing the man his water bottle. The look on Frank’s face was an expression Johnny had never seen before. There was something about this old man that kept all four of them on edge. “You’re all too kind to help out an old veteran like me.” said the man handing the water back to Frank. He told the old man he could keep it. “So what are you up to?” said Emma. “Just keeping this place pure.” said the man propping his shotgun against the stump. “How so?” asked Frank. The old man wheezed a chuckle. “I got caught some food earlier. If you wouldn’t mind having dinner with me then I’ll tell you.” Johnny was starving and his friends were too. It didn’t take long for the sun to set behind the clouds. Frank gathered firewood and the four friends stood amazed when the old man created a flame from just rubbing sticks together. The five of them sat in the same spot beside the river for hours. The old man told them of the time he fought a bear in the same woods nearly fifty years ago and then enlisted in the army the same day. “I left my soul here when I fought in the war.” said the man taking a sip from his flask. “Lucky for me it was here when I came back.” “You have a very interesting life.” said Melissa putting a piece of cooked deer up to her mouth. “An interesting life?” said the old man. The tone of his voice took her aback. “My life isn’t interesting, honey. My life is just hard. That’s the problem with today’s generation. They don’t do anything. They just sit around and watch as the world turns to…” “I think it’s time for bed.” said Frank gripping the old man’s arm to stop him. It was the worst thing he could do, Johnny thought. “Time for bed?” wheezed the old man. “Who am I your grandpa? Look at you boy. You think you’re so tough with your big muscles. The only time you use them is in a gym. Tell me, have you ever killed anyone with your bare hands?” The woods went silent. Only the sound of a splash from a duck floating on the river was heard. The four of them all wanted to leave as soon as possible. “It was nice meeting you sir.” said Emma standing up. “I hear something!” suddenly cried the old man. The four of them looked around nervously. “What is it?” asked Frank. Suddenly the figure of a man in the shadows came into the view behind Emma. She shrieked in pain as the figure bit into her neck. The old man picked up his shotgun and in a split second, blew a shell in her direction. The figure collapsed and Emma fell to her knees. “Emma!” screamed Frank running over. Emma stood up clutching her neck. “I’m fine.” She said as blood oozed out from between her fingertips. “What the hell just bit me?” she said with a cough. Frank grabbed a stick and put one end in the fire. He then put the flaming stick up the body of the man on the ground. The man looked diseased. Green warts covered his face and clothes were tattered as if he were outside for weeks. Emma gasped and the old man grunted. “I knew I shouldn’t have slacked off tonight. Now an innocent girl has to die.” “What?” said Frank grabbing the old man’s shirt with his large paw. Johnny looked over to Melissa who had her hand over her mouth. She was trembling and on the verge of tears. They all were. “Let’s just make this quick now.” said the old man grabbing the shotgun. “It has to be done.” “No!” Frank screamed and soon a swift punch connected against the old man’s temple. He fell backward into the river without a noise. “What have I done.” said Frank, his arms shaking. The old man’s lifeless body floated down the stream. “I just want to go home.” said Emma, tears streaming down her rosy cheeks. The car ride back was silent with neither of them saying a word. When they got back to Frank’s house Melissa helped patch Emma up. Johnny sat beside Frank on the porch. His big meaty hands were wrapped around his round head. He looked completely lost. “You’re going to be okay buddy.” said Johnny putting his hand on his friend’s back. “You didn’t mean it, and it was self-defense anyway. He was going to kill her Frank, and for what?” Frank shot him a look. Johnny’s body immediately felt cold. “You’re right.” said Frank. “I saved Emma tonight.” Johnny nodded. “You did that old guy a favor. He was crazy. He probably would have killed us all if it wasn’t for you.” The group soon decided it was time to go to bed. Johnny lay wide awake on the floor as the sounds of the city bellowed out the window. Frank, who was known to have had the loudest snoring known to man, was silent on the couch. “Are you awake?” said Johnny in a whisper. “Yeah.” Frank sighed. “I keep thinking about what happened.” “It wasn’t your fault.” whispered Johnny. Frank stood up. “No, about Emma. Do you think we should bring her to the hospital?” “I asked her already if she wanted to go but she said no.” said Johnny. “She’ll be fine.” “I don’t know man.” said Frank. I’m gonna check on her.” He walked of the room, leaving Johnny alone. Johnny thought about walking into the next room and seeing if Melissa was okay. He didn’t even care about her being his girlfriend now. He just wanted to make sure she was alright. Just as he was about to get up to see her, he found himself drifting off to sleep. The alarm on the table beside him woke him up. He heard footsteps walk up beside him. “Johnny.” called a voice above. It was Frank. His eyes were bloodshot and his right hand was taped with a large bandage. “What the hell happened?” said Johnny springing up, still half asleep. “I think there’s something wrong with Emma.” said Frank. When they got to the room Emma was sleeping in, Johnny saw that her wrists and ankles were bound to the corners of bed. The color of her skin was dark green and she breathed heavily. “I knew we should have brought her to the hospital.” said Melissa, who sat beside her holding her hand. “She’s fine!” shouted Frank pacing around the room. Johnny didn’t like the look of the dark, brooding circles under his eyes. “What happened to your hand?” said Johnny walking up to him. “Nothing.” whispered Frank. He pushed Johnny away but Johnny grabbed his arm. “You can tell me what happened alright? Just…” “She bit me all right!” shouted Frank. “Emma friggen bit me!” He clutched his hand to his chest. “Is that what’s gonna happen to me?” whimpered Frank pointing to Emma. Johnny had no idea what to do. Frank was the one who usually set things straight if trouble came between the group. “Let’s just go to the hospital and everyone will be okay.” Johnny said. “Alright.” said Frank walking up to Emma who lay motionless and close to death. “I’ll get the car.” said Melissa standing up and wiping a tear from her eye. Johnny stood watching Frank just hover over Emma. “It’s not your fault.” said Johnny. Frank turned around. His eyes were even more bloodshot and sweat dripped down his forehead and across his round nose. “Will you give us a minute? I just want to say a few things.” Johnny nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him. He didn’t think it was wise to leave Frank alone like that given the state he was in, but he couldn’t deny his friend a wish so simple. “The car’s running.” said Melissa walking back in. A cold breeze swept into the house from the outside door which chilled Johnny to the bone. “How are you holding up?” said Johnny holding her hand. The nerves that he had about being with her went away since the incident at the river. He didn’t care anymore with his friends so sick. It never occurred to him that these people always trusted him. They weren’t some strangers, they were his friends. They meant more to him than that even. “Listen, I know…” began Johnny. “Don’t say it.” said Melissa moving closer and holding his hand. She turned her head up and Johnny couldn’t help but look into her eyes. It was like looking into her soul, he thought. “We’ll figure it all out someday.” said Melissa with a smile. Johnny wanted to confess his love for her right then and there but a loud bang on the door behind them startled them. “What was that?” said Melissa opening the bedroom door. She gasped when she saw Frank. He was lifeless. His back was against the wall and scrapes were gashed into his face. In the large pool of blood he stared off into the distance, never to be full with life again. As Melissa fell to her knees in shock, Johnny peered into the room. The straps on the bed were broken and the window beside it was open. Emma was gone. “Stay here.” Said Johnny. He ran quickly around the house locking every door and window. When he came back Melissa was nowhere to be seen. How could he be so stupid to leave her like that? Adrenaline pierced through his veins. He felt he was about to pass out as the room swirled around him in a fog. That is, until he heard a scream coming from upstairs. He recognized it immediately as Melissa. He darted upstairs and was met by a fallen body on the ground. I’ll never live it down if she’s dead, he thought. He slowly crept towards her and saw that she was breathing and had no wounds. Suddenly darkness enveloped him and he felt his body crash to the floor. When he woke up Melissa was sitting on the floor beside him, her hand pressing gauze against the back of his head. “Who attacked us?” he said feeling a soft lump on the back of his skull. “I don’t know.” said Melissa. “But it’s the end of the world.” Johnny got up and noticed that boards were nailed each window. He peered through the cracks in the wood and saw that a dozen sickly looking people with green skin were clawing at the door. Cars in the street were turned over and fire spread like a disease all along the road. Melissa grabbed a tiny radio and put it on the ground beside him. “They’re going to bomb us to get rid of the plague.” she said looking defeated. “What should we do?” said Melissa desperately. Johnny stood up and grabbed a butcher’s knife off the kitchen counter. In the other hand he took a bottle of scotch from the cabinet. Melissa looked bewildered when he walked in. “Stay inside.” he said as one of sickly looking green men punched out one of the boards bolted to the dining room window. He then screwed open the top of the bottle and took a sip.
The End
Stephen Mars is a college student living in New England. Currently studying for an English degree, he likes to write short stories of all genres and is currently working on a full length novel.
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