9
Ben had filled a flask of coffee at the resort that morning before heading back to Atlanta. The caffeine coursed through him as he pulled off onto the interstate, making him feel awake and alert. The roads weren’t busy and they made good time. Ben had a warm sensation flowing through his body since they’d set out, he didn’t know why but he felt so good.
Halfway through the journey, they turned off the freeway and pulled into a gas station. Ben got out and began filling the tank.
“You guys need anything?” Ellen asked, getting out.
“Yeah, would you get me more coffee, and some doughnuts if they have any?”
“Sure Ben, Johnny, do you want anything?”
Johnny shook his head and she walked into the gas station. He hadn’t spoken since the night before.
Ben kept thinking he saw Johnny smiling in the mirror, but as soon as he looked up, Johnny would be just sitting there looking at a comic.
Ben filled up the car and put the pump back, closed the tank and got back into the car. He began flicking through the radio stations.
“Do you believe me, Ben?” Johnny asked.
Ben looked up through the rear-view mirror at him.
“About what, Johnny?”
“Everything, the pills, the girls, you believe me, don’t you?”
“Why wouldn’t I believe you, it’s the truth isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is,” Johnny looked back down at his comic, smiling.
“You might need to see someone, just to talk about what happened.”
Johnny looked back up at him, “you better be kidding Ben, I’m not seeing anybody.”
“Johnny, what you saw… it can affect people.”
“Well Ben, I’m not like other people am I?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know exactly what I mean, Ben.” Johnny sat forward, his face changing into a dark glare. A dark shadow appeared, hovering over Johnny.
Ben felt tingles shoot up his spine. “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about, Johnny.”
“I know you looked for the pills, Ben. Now you know what happens when people mess with me. That girl called me chicken, so she went SPLAT!” as he said the last few words, they sound of his voice changed, becoming deeper, disturbingly unworldly.
Ben felt a lump rise in his throat. He stared in horror at the cold, dead look in Johnny’s eyes. He noticed Johnny’s eyes were glowing, a faint green glow that seemed to drain the light from the car.
It began to feel unreal, like a dream. He pinched himself, feeling the sting.
“You better stop nosing around, Ben. You’re lucky you’re even getting a warning. Don’t fuck with us.” The dark shadow became so thick that Ben couldn’t see through it.
“Johnny, cut the shit. This isn’t funny!”
Johnny’s lips curled up into a grin that didn’t look right on his face.
“I think it’s very funny, Benjamin. Just as funny as when you took a tumble down the stairs, headfirst. Remember that, Ben? We enjoyed that.”
“Johnny, are you saying that you did it on purpose?” Ben turned towards the back of the car, looking at Johnny, “you admit it!”
“Of course we did it on purpose, Benjamin. We’d hoped to break your neck, or at least put you into a coma, but no. Well we are stronger now; we do not fear you anymore.”
Johnny leaned closer to Ben, only a few inches from his face.
“We have grown in power, we got that babysitter bitch. Her soul is ours, we got the little girls, and their souls are ours. And soon, Benjamin, your soul will be ours too.”
“You little fucker,” Ben growled through gritted teeth.
“Who do you think Ellen will believe?” Johnny began speaking in a voice that wasn’t his. “Her perfect little angel or the deadbeat she can’t seem to shake?”
Johnny let out a maniacal giggle.
“Why are you saying this Johnny? What’s wrong with you?”
“We will have you, your blood will water our seed, and your bones will feed our roots.”
Ben leaned over and grabbed Johnny’s shirt by the collar.
“Johnny, snap out of it!” Ben shouted.
Johnny laughed at him. “What are you going to do old man, beat me like your dad beat you and your brother?”
Johnny dug his nails in deeper and clawed at Ben’s face with the other hand, but Ben’s grip held tight. Johnny swung as hard as he could, slapping and punching Ben into the face.
Ben’s head jerked back slightly from the punches.
Something is wrong a ten year old kid shouldn’t be this strong!
“Shit,” gasped Ben, as he tried to pry Johnny fingers out of his eye socket. He could feel the blood drip down his face and neck from the scratch marks. Ben brought back his arm and punched Johnny into the face, once, twice.
“What the fuck are you doing to my son!” Ellen screamed.
Ben turned and saw her standing a few feet away from the car’s window. Her mouth was hanging open as she watched the struggle going on between them.
“Get your damn hands of him, right now!” she pulled the passenger door open. He let go of Johnny’s shirt and leaned back against the driver’s door.
“He did it, Ellen. He admitted everything! The fire and the rollercoaster, it was all him!”
Ellen pulled the lid off of the cup of coffee. Ben screamed as he felt the boiling hot water splash into his face. She began slapping him, screaming and punching.
“You fucking psycho, I’ll kill you!” she screamed.
Ben thought he heard a giggle from the back of the car.
Blinded, Ben felt around behind him with one hand, trying to ward off Ellen’s attacks with the other. He found the door handle and pulled it open, falling out in a backward somersault and landing on the concrete with a sickening crunch as his arm snapped under his weight.
That’s going to need stitches Ben…
Ben could hear Johnny laughing inside of his mind, the image of a tree bursting into flames appeared in his mind’s eye, the flames licking up the boy’s face as he cackled.
It was just a dream he’d told himself.
Ellen was out on top of him now, punching him into the face, his eyes felt like popping out of his head. The skin on his face felt red raw, it was burned and boiling like molten lava.
Ben reached up with his good arm and grabbed Ellen’s hair, trying to pull her off of him. He heard a clink of glass hit the concrete. Then hands were grabbing him, pulling him backwards.
“No, don’t please, it’s broke. My arm’s broke, please!”
Ben waited for a barrage of slaps and kicks, but noting came, only two arms held him in a tight grip. He opened one eye as much as it would go and saw a blurred figure standing above him.
“Don’t you move got it?” a gruff voice told him.
“You drunk fucking prick, I knew it!” Ellen screamed.
As his vision cleared up, his eyes focused on the man holding him. He was a large man in a red checkered shirt and cowboy hat; there was a sheriff’s badge on his chest.
“I’m okay,” said Ben, but the cop didn’t let go.
Ben looked at Ellen who was being held against the car by another cop. Looking around, he noticed a bottle lying on the floor.
It was an empty whiskey bottle.
“How could you, Ben?”
“What? No, that, that’s not mine!”
Ellen pointed down at the bottle.
“You could’ve killed us! Here I am thinking you were going to change, but all you still care about is getting shit-faced. I’m done. I’m so fucking done with you!”
“Ellen that’s not mine, I swear! I didn’t touch a drop.”
He thought for a moment, and then an idea formed in his mind.
“It must’ve been Johnny, Ellen! He must’ve slipped it into my pocket, but I didn’t drink any, I swear!”
She shook her head, looking away in disgust.
“If I let you get up, are you going to remain calm, sir?” the sheriff said.
“Yes, of course.”
The cop lifted him up and told him to stay where he was, then walked over to the police cruiser. He reached into a compartment and pulled something out. Walking back, Ben realized it was a breathalyzer.
“Thank god, now Ellen, I’ll prove I haven’t been drinking!”
She just stood there, shaking her head and not making eye contact with him.
“Have you given one before, sir?” the sheriff asked Ben as he put a tube into the device.
“Yes.”
“Please blow until I tell you to stop.” The sheriff put the breathalyzer into Ben’s mouth. Ben blew into it for a few moments.
“That’ll do.”
The sheriff looked at the screen for a moment. The bulb flashed red.
“I’m sorry sir, but I’m afraid you’re over the limit.”
He pulled his handcuffs off of his belt and turned Ben around, then locked them tightly over his wrists.
Ben grunted as he moved his broken arm. The cop sat Ben down in the back of the cruiser.
The cop standing by Ellen reached into the car and picked up Ben’s jug of coffee. He opened it, smelled it and then tasted it.
“Whiskey,” he shook his head at Ben.
“I knew it,” Ellen shouted at him through the window, “don’t bother calling me, ever. I’ll pack your things. I’m finished Ben, I’m so done with you!”
Ben could only watch in horror as they pulled off, he looked over at Johnny who was still sitting in the back of the car.
Johnny was smiling at him.