Patrick D'Orazio - Into the Dark

Teddy paused as he thought about it. “You think we could get ambushed here? We should see someone coming if we stick to the door.”

Ray shrugged, but looked excited. “Maybe, but I think there’s a chance we could be surrounded pretty quickly if we don’t check things out. There could be any number of slugs around the back of the building creeping up on us as we speak… on both sides!” His eyes were wild with possibilities. When Teddy looked around, he saw nothing, but Ray’s vivid imagination created new and dangerous possibilities in his mind.

He looked back at Ray. “I don’t want to move. If something happens to Jeff or George, they’ll need us to help out. I don’t think we’ll hear them if we’re not close to the door.” Despite the firmness of his words, he sounded uncertain.

Ray nodded reluctantly, but didn’t look happy with Teddy’s response. He slumped against the wall of the general store, crossing his arms. Teddy watched as he pouted, kicking at pebbles and sending them skittering across the parking lot. He sighed, knowing their discussion wasn’t over.

“What?”

Ray looked at his friend and shook his head. “I just feel useless standing here, man.”

Teddy raised an eyebrow. “Ray, nothing is happening, and that’s a good thing. We might get back to the RVs alive if we don’t do anything stupid.”

“I know, I know,” Ray grumbled. “But I at least want to check around the building. I think I would feel better if I did.”

“Why?” Teddy caught himself before he raised his voice, but only barely. He looked around, embarrassed by his excited outburst. He continued, whispering. “What do you think you can do? Shoot one of those things? Draw attention to yourself? Draw attention to us? If one of them comes around the corner, fine. Shoot it. But don’t go looking for trouble. Because I guarantee you’ll find it. And then what?”

Teddy stood, his arms crossed, rifle at his side. He stared up at the taller boy and watched Ray’s expression change from frustration to anger.

“I can handle myself, Teddy, just as well as you can. I’ve made it this far. You’re not my fucking father, so I don’t want to hear one of your lectures.”

Teddy barked out a harsh laugh. “Now you sound like Jason. He whined about wanting to come with us because he can handle it, but he’s just a little kid.” He went in for the kill. “You’re acting like a little kid.”

Ray’s eyes narrowed. His fists clenched and unclenched at his sides. He was bigger than Teddy, but knew that wouldn’t help much if he got into a fight with the compact, muscular boy.

“Fuck you.”

“Good one, Ray. Real witty. Ya slay me.”

“Go to hell.” With that, Ray turned away in a huff. He moved toward the side of the building.

“Ray!” Teddy hissed. “Come back here!” Ray’s only response was to flip him off as he kept moving.

“Raaay! Come on, man… okay, I’m sorry! Please come back!”

Ray hit the corner with a grunt and his back bounced off the brick surface. It hurt, but he ignored the pain as he pulled out the Beretta. After a couple of seconds, he remembered the safety and flicked it off. Taking a deep breath, he peeked around the corner and saw the dumpster and the metal door.

Ray examined the trash receptacle. It was nondescript and small, with the doors at chest level rather than head height, like some of the larger ones he had seen behind most businesses. The side-by-side doors on top of it were made of plastic.

Sweating profusely and knowing Teddy was watching him, Ray turned the corner and moved down the wall, hugging it. He glanced over at the building next door and saw no movement. The coast was clear. He slithered farther down the wall, his back to it as he stared at the dumpster.

Ray’s heart raced as he imagined what was inside the container. It stood away from the general store by a few feet, and he could see that the rear of the building was overgrown with knee-high thick weeds.

He stopped a few feet from the door on the side of the building. Ray nudged his wire-rimmed glasses up his nose and ran a sleeve across his damp forehead. His glasses had seen better days, but were still intact. The scratches on the lenses were a hassle, but he’d gotten used to it.

The portly teen stared at the tall grass at the back of the building and the dumpster beside it. He swung the nine millimeter back and forth between the small gap at the edge of the building and the lid of the trash receptacle. Ray’s heart was pounding so loudly that for a moment, he thought the sound was coming from somewhere else. His eyes darted back and forth until he was sure there was no threat, and more sweat dripped into his eyes. After he blinked, he could have sworn he saw the dumpster move.

Ray attempted to keep moving forward and realized he couldn’t. Something was in the dumpster, of that he was certain. All he could think was how stupid it had been to come back here and how he was going to stand there, frozen in fear, as a swarm of ghouls came climbing up out of some trash bin to tear him into bite-sized pieces.

He barely heard the noise behind him as he began to hyperventilate. Swinging around, he almost pulled the trigger on the Beretta. The diminutive figure pressed up against the wall behind him ducked, almost diving to the pavement.

“Jesus, Ray! What the fuck?”

Ray gaped at Teddy, his weapon pointed at his friend’s head. His finger remained rigid on the trigger, but his eyes swelled with recognition. He moved the gun until it was pointed at the ground. Ray’s legs felt like water, and he nearly slid down the wall but managed to stay upright.

Teddy peeked out from behind the shield of his arms.

“S-s-sorry, man,” Ray stuttered. “I thought you were one of them.”

“You thought I was one of them?” It took a moment for what Ray said to sink in. Teddy’s fear departed, and a warm trickle of anger took its place.

He stood up and gave Ray his most irritated look. “You’re fucking crazy, man.”

“I said I was sorry! You didn’t want to come and then you sneak up behind me. What did you expect?”

“Well I didn’t expect you to shoot me!”

They stood across from one another, silent. Slowly, Ray began to smile. Teddy saw it, and his lip began to curl up. He resisted, trying to look like he was still upset, but in a matter of moments, a smile was in full bloom.

They laughed quietly at each other, and Ray stuck out his free hand. “Truce?”

Teddy stared at the hand and then nodded. They shook on it. “Truce.”

“I’m sorry I tried to tell you what to do,” Teddy said after a few moments, his smile fading. Ray looked away, embarrassed by the apology and trying his best to act nonchalant.

He shook his head. “No problem. It’s cool.”

The smile returned to Teddy’s face. “So let’s check this place out, together.”

Ray’s eyes brightened. “Awesome!”

Teddy glanced past Ray toward the dumpster and door. “You check the door yet? Is it unlocked?”

Ray shook his head and looked slightly embarrassed. “I didn’t get that far.”

Teddy nodded. “You were playing it safe. Probably a good idea.”

Ray nodded vigorously in agreement.

Teddy walked past Ray. “So let’s check it out.”

Ray looked surprised at his friend’s relaxed attitude and watched as the smaller boy moved toward the door, the rifle loose in his left hand. He ran to catch up just as Teddy jiggled the handle. He glanced at Ray and shook his head.

“Locked.”

He moved toward the dumpster, but Ray put a hand on his shoulder. Teddy turned with a question on his face.

“I think there’s something in there.”

Teddy tried to crack a smile, thinking it had to be a joke, but his lips tightened as he saw the serious expression on Ray’s face. The smaller boy swiveled his head to look at the dumpster, shifting the rifle up to his shoulder as he did.