Richard Hale - Frozen Past

“No. Why?”

“Nothing,” John said. “See ya’.”

Ralph looked at them funny but didn’t say anything more. They walked the rest of the way home, slogging through the slush in the road and Luke said goodbye as Jimmy and John turned into their house. Luke’s dad was waiting for him at the top of the drive and he looked angry. Oh crap, Luke thought. Now what?

Luke and his dad had an ordered relationship at best. His dad ordered him around and he did whatever he was told. He learned a long time ago not to question his father. It didn’t go well when he did.

“Hey, Dad,” Luke offered as he made his way up the icy drive.

“What kind of crap have you boys been up to?” his dad asked.

“We’ve been at school.”

He gave Luke a look that said, ‘Don’t take me for an idiot.’ “I’ve been watching those two cops for the last hour and they stopped every kid coming home except you four. As a matter of fact, they almost ran off when they saw you. What the hell is going on?”

Luke hesitated for a second, then said, “I don’t know, Dad. Maybe they got the information they needed.”

“What do you know about this boy in the pool?”

“Nothing.”

“Who was he?”

“I don’t know. Nobody at school knows.”

His father eyeballed him and he tried to keep eye contact but finally had to look away.

“You seemed awfully nervous when you saw the cops at our house.”

“Everybody gets nervous around cops,” Luke said.

“But how did you know they were cops? They could’ve been anybody visiting your mother and I.”

“I recognized the one from Ellie’s dog and the pool. The woman was at the pool too.”

His dad frowned, and then said, “You had better not be lying to me. This is serious stuff and you could get yourself into big trouble. Now, get on in and get your homework done.”

Luke nodded and went into the house relieved the confrontation was over. His dad could usually see right through him. Maybe he was getting better at lying or his dad was willing to let it go for now.

The next day Luke was at Ellie’s house watching TV in her basement. They were huddled up under a nice warm blanket and he was enjoying the feeling of being close to her. Plus he got to feel those lips against his as much as he wanted. At least until her stupid brother showed up.

“Ellie, you got a phone call,” Patrick said, handing her the cordless phone and disappearing up the stairs, but not before he gave Luke an evil look.

“I never heard the phone ring,” she said to Luke as she covered the mouthpiece. “Hello?”

“Help me…”

Luke could hear the voice faintly and watched her face go white and her mouth fall open. Then she freaked out.

“Leave me alone!” she shouted into the phone and threw it across the room. Luke could hear laughter coming from the speaker as it lay against the wall. He went over and picked it up.

“Who is this?” he said, but the line was dead. He hung up and went over to Ellie who had her face in her hands.

“He’s gone,” he said softly. “Are you ok?”

She shook her head. “Every time I think everything’s going to be fine, something else happens. How did he get my number?”

“He knows our names and your number is in the phone book. It’s just that easy.” Luke’s cell phone started ringing and they both froze, staring at each other. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. It read ‘Unavailable.’ He showed it to her.

“Don’t answer it,” she said.

“I want to,” he said.

“Why?”

“I don’t want him to know I’m afraid.”

She shrugged and he pressed ‘send’ and said, “Hello.”

He couldn’t figure out why, but the voice that came across the cell phone made his teeth hurt and seemed to vibrate directly down his spine. It was so abrasive, yet so quiet, it hurt more than someone shouting into his ear. He actually pulled the phone away from his head a little.

“Help me…”

“What do you want?” he said, trying to sound tough but it came out thin and shaky.

“For you to help me…” and then a thin laugh.

“Help you with what?”

“To kill your girlfriend. What else?” More laughter, almost like a child giggling.

“I’d never do that.”

“You already are.”

The line went dead in his hand. He looked at the phone and saw it shaking in his hand. Ellie saw it too.

“What did he say?” she asked.

He turned away from her, paced to the opposite wall and then turned back to face her. He couldn’t tell her. He wasn’t supposed to keep secrets, that was part of their pact, but he couldn’t find it in him to tell her. Not this.

“He was just messing with me. He said ‘Help me…’ and then laughed. The voice was horrible. It made my teeth hurt.”

“You said you’d never do that. What did he want you to do?”

Luke paused. “To help him.”

“Do what?”

“Whatever it is he does. He didn’t say. Kill someone I guess.” Luke hated lying to her. It was the worst feeling in the world. Apparently he didn’t do it very well.

“Luke,” she said softly, “what are you not telling me. Please don’t lie to me. No matter how much you think I can’t stand to hear, we promised not to keep secrets. Please.”

His felt his shoulders slump and he sat down next to her. He couldn’t look at her. “He asked me to help him kill you.”

“Oh, God!”

He turned to her quickly and said, “I won’t let him hurt you! Ever! I’ll stay outside your window every night if I have to. I’ll go everywhere with you. I’ll get a gun. I promise I won’t let him touch you!”

“You can’t do all that. You’re not superman. We have to tell someone. We need help.”

“But he told you not to tell anyone.”

“It doesn’t seem to matter. Apparently he’s out to get me anyway.”

Luke’s cell phone beeped showing he had a new text message. He held it up so they could both see. It read Tella soul, and you both die.

He looked at her and she started to cry.

The killer was thirsty. The dog had not been enough. His hunger had taken over and it was like a living thing. No cat, or raccoon, or lost dog was going to satisfy his urge and he knew the time had come. He had been under control for a very long time now, and he thought his routines had left nothing to be desired. He knew now that it had all been just a ruse. He had been fooling himself and delaying the inevitable. He may have even made it worse.

He lay in wait at his chosen place, like he had done numerous times in the past. Fortunately, he had not followed through then, forcing himself to see things as they were and letting the urge pass. Tonight, that was not going to happen. His lust for this release was going to win and he could feel himself on the verge of total bliss. He lay in wait.

The boy approached. Alone, distracted, not a care in the world. The blood rushed through the killer’s veins and he could hear it sing, the notes a cacophony of tension and anticipation. As the boy drew closer, he imagined the blood of his victim and the notes it would play as the pulse slowed and the pressure waned. He’d heard it before and thirsted to hear it again.

As the boy passed, he spoke the words and knew there was no turning back.

“Help me…”

The boy stopped.

Jaxon felt deja vu. He was standing over another boy who had just been pulled from the same pool and the paramedics were working hopelessly trying to revive him. It wasn’t going to happen. He knew it, the paramedics knew it, and Sally knew it. The kid was gone.