Bobby Cole - The dummy line

“Damn. I hate to lose to Auburn at anything.” Johnny Lee had never been to The University of Alabama or any other college, but still he considered himself a full-fledged fan. The den of his trailer was filled with prints of great Alabama football moments that he had stolen from an attorney’s office in Demopolis and couldn’t bring himself to sell.

“Wanna steal some rich kid’s car over at the college in Livingston?” Reese asked.

“Nah,” Johnny Lee replied, turning on his CD of Hank Jr. Turning to Tiny, Johnny Lee asked, “Did that guy pay you for the load of moonshine?”

“Yeah, but he was a grand short. He said he’d pay you next week,” Tiny reported. “Something about taxes.”

“Taxes?” asked Johnny Lee like he had never heard of the word.

“That’s what he said,” Tiny responded.

“Damn, I was gonna buy a flat-screen plasma TV. Remind me to charge him interest, and to tell him about my accountant. He gets out of prison next month.”

Everybody laughed. Johnny Lee loved being the center of attention.

“Don’t laugh-he’s good,” Johnny Lee replied to no one in particular.

“You have to have income to pay taxes, Johnny Lee,” Reese jabbed.

“My point exactly. Uncle Sam thinks I ain’t made a penny in years. I know how to hide it,” Johnny Lee said proudly. Johnny Lee always acted like he was a high roller.

“Hey…I know, let’s go break into that camp on County Road Sixteen with the pool table and the stocked bar. We can drink, play pool, and see what they have new to steal,” Reese said excitedly.

“Yeah, they don’t turkey hunt, so none them dudes will be there. We ain’t broke in there in maybe two years,” Tiny added.

“That’s not a bad idea…I’ll bet they got some of that Maker’s Mark high-dollar whiskey. Let’s go, but let’s take two trucks.” Johnny Lee stood up and stretched as he spoke.

Second only to his double-wide trailer, Johnny Lee loved his Ford “Harley Davidson Edition” supercharged pickup truck. It was jet-black with tinted windows and flames painted down the sides. It would fly. Thanks to a drug buddy getting busted, Johnny Lee had gotten it cheap. But he refused to let Sweat ride in it because of his overwhelming body odor.

Tiny had a 1987 Chevrolet four-wheel-drive that he and Sweat rode in. It smelled like chicken bones and stinky socks. Tiny could never get enough money together to improve his transportation, but it was part of his “starting-over-fresh” plan that was long on wishful thinking and totally devoid of action.

Sweat and Tiny had drunk a case of Old Milwaukee beer since the middle of the afternoon. They called them Walkie-Talkies. Sweat was outside taking a leak off the deck when the plan was formulated. When everybody started sticking pistols and knives into their pockets, he joined right in without a clue of what was doing on. He never even asked.

“Let’s steal their pool table,” Reese said, excited that his idea was being taken seriously.

“If you can tote it out, I can fence it,” Johnny Lee said, pulling on his ostrich-skin boots and stuffing a Ruger Blackhawk .44 Magnum inside the right one.

“Mount up, boys…the Redneck Posse rides,” Johnny Lee Grover said with pride as he rubbed the Doritos out of his dim excuse for a mustache.

“You’re right. This is a perfect place to see the stars. I’ve never seen so many.” Elizabeth slyly grinned. This was the same view she had by her swimming pool. But she wouldn’t tell Tanner that.

They had been parked for almost forty-five minutes. If there had been windows in the Jeep, they would have been steamed up. They sat in the back seat looking at the stars. They had been doing some serious necking and a little talking. Elizabeth wanted to do more talking; Tanner wanted more kissing. He loved the way she smelled, the freckles on her nose. She had no idea how beautiful she was. Elizabeth was really enjoying being with Tanner. She loved his Jeep, the music. She loved the wind blowing through her hair. The temperature was a bit cool but perfect for her fleece pullover.

“And it’s safe. I locked the gate back, and no one would ever come out here this time of year at night. Never,” he commented, leaning back and placing his legs across the front seat. Elizabeth then crossed her legs over his and leaned against him and snuggled.

“Are you still excited about going to the University of Virginia?” he asked, smelling her hair.

“No, not really. It’s…it’s more for my mother than me. She went there and pledged a sorority, so she thinks I should. I’d really be happy to stay home and go to Alabama.” She looked up at the stars.

“Mom took me two summers ago, and we walked through The Lawn. I really got excited. Mom started signing me up for everything after that. Don’t get me wrong: it’s a beautiful campus and a great school, but I’ll miss everybody, especially you,” she said and kissed his neck.

“I think you should do what you want to do.”

“I don’t want to disappoint her. She’s so excited. I think she wants me to do all the things she did and didn’t do,” Elizabeth explained and sighed.

Well, that’s it. Tanner knew the make-out session was over, and that all they were going to do was talk. He was used to it. He just loved being with her. That was one reason he knew he was in love. It didn’t matter what they did…just as long as they were together.

“So we could run off and get married,” Tanner said with a sly smile, and he meant it.

“You think?” She grinned as she responded. “You had better get a new car first…and pass English!”

“Is that all?”

“One with a roof.”

“I have a roof. It’s called a top, and I’ll pass English.”

“It’s plastic, and you can’t conjugate a verb.”

“Well…that’s true…I can’t, and the top is actually high-grade waterproof canvas and-”

“Kiss me, Tanner. I’m tired of talkin’,” she interrupted before he could finish.

“Yes ma’am.” And he did.

When it was time to leave, he composed himself enough to start the Jeep. He paused, “I sure hope it cranks.”

“It better, it would take days to walk out of here; plus, I just noticed my cell phone isn’t working,” she replied, brushing her long black hair.

“This area’s dead; there’s no service. It’s just too remote,” he answered.

Tanner paused another few seconds and watched her brush her hair. She’s got no idea how beautiful she is. The Jeep cranked and he smiled at her. “I love being with you.”

She leaned over and kissed him. “Me too. Crank up the heater. I’m kinda cold,” she said, briskly rubbing her hands on her arms.

They started the five-mile ride down the abandoned railroad track that was used for a road. She turned and held his hand and passionately kissed his right ear. Tanner was struggling with shifting and driving one-handed. He was in heaven.

“I’ll teach you how to conjugate verbs,” she whispered, then laughed out loud.

By midnight Jake was in the middle of the recurring nightmare he’d been having since he was fifteen years old. It was so real, so vivid. It never changed-he was walking to a deer stand in the predawn darkness. For every step he took, he heard something or someone following him. He walked a bit faster and then stopped. Whatever was following him stopped and stood still, in step with him. He began walking and could hear it following him again. It sounded heavy. He shone a flashlight, expecting to see glowing eyes-he couldn’t see a thing. Then suddenly he stepped on something out of place. There was a body, someone familiar to him, lying there dead. Brutally murdered. His throat was cut. There was blood everywhere. The exact moment the flashlight turned on, there was a high-pitched cackling scream…demonic…from whatever was following him.