Chapter 1
In The Beginning
South Falls sat on the edge of a river, a few stray houses on the other side connected by a crumbling wooden bridge. I lived here my entire life, on the same boring block, saw the same people day in and day out. I suppose it wasn’t too bad. The sun began to dance high in the sky, shimmering. I leaned on the sill, gazing out into the expanse.
“You’re awake.” Megan stood in the door, chewing on a piece of toast. I glanced at the clock. Seven on the nose.
“Yeah, I didn’t sleep well.” I slipped on some shorts and a black shirt, then followed my sister to the kitchen.
We shared a three bedroom apartment in the Ironwood Building on Tulip street, near the river. Mom and Dad had the master, and Megan and I fought over the other two bedrooms. Dad inherited the condo from his uncle after he passed away six years ago. We sold our former house just down the road and moved to save money, I guess. I whipped open the fridge and set the glass jug of milk on the table. She got out two bowls, spoons and some Cheerios.
“Hartley and I are going out of town for a few days.” Mom shuffled into the room, clad in a silk Chinese style robe. Her hair stood in all directions. She wiped the sleep from her doe eyes.
“I want Saul to go with you.” I did a double take.
“Excuse me?” She uttered.
“I want Saul to go with you. It’s one way to keep you out of trouble.” She poured some coffee.
“Mom, I’m almost nineteen. I can go wherever I want.” I smiled.
“Maybe I could get out of town for a few days. The mountains might be nice.” Her eyes bore right through my skull.
“No way. This is supposed to be a romantic getaway.” She set down her spoon.
“If you don’t take him with you, I won’t give you your damage deposit and first month’s rent for your new place.” My smile grew wider.
“That would be a shame, you’ll have to stay here for another year.” Her eyes buried deeper into my brain.
“Mom, please don’t let him come with us.” She sighed. I spooned some cereal into my mouth,
“Your Dad and I need some time alone for a couple days.” She set down her spoon with a clatter.
“So do we. Can’t he spend a few days in his room? He doesn’t even like going outside.” Mom rubbed her temples, meaning that she was going to lower the hammer.
“Megan, he is going with you on your trip. I spoke to Hartley’s mother, there are three beds in the RV. Let him have one, you come back from your trip and I’ll give you the money for your damage deposit and rent.” My sister glanced at me, and I shrugged in return.
“Fine, whatever. You better be ready to go tomorrow morning. We leave at seven.” She finished her cereal and placed the bowl in the dishwasher.
Her footsteps echoed in the back of the apartment. Mom turned to me.
“Well, I guess that’s one way to convince her.” I smiled. A few seconds later, Dad stumbled out into the kitchen and grabbed the pot of coffee, poured himself a heaping cup. He sat on the rickety chair.
“Hey, sport.” I waved.
“Hey dad. You missed a fight. Mom won.” She patted his arm.
“Yes. Megan is taking Saul to the mountains with that neighbourhood guy. Hartley.” I giggled softly.
“That neighbourhood guy is her boyfriend and future roommate. I’m gonna go for a walk, maybe see what Lisa is doing.” Both of them glanced at each other and smiled.
I’m not sure if my parents were aware of what went on in the brain of Saul Gunderson, but I definitely wasn’t into her. I passed by Megan in her room, splayed on her bed, a scent of mouldy pizza and dirty socks. She scrolled through her phone.
“See you tomorrow.” I winked.
“Fuck you. You ruined my life.” I leaned against the doorframe.
“I didn’t do anything. Mom was the one who wanted me to go with you.” She got to her feet. “You’re not a kid, you can make your own choices.”
“Leave me alone. Get out of my room.” She slammed the door in my face.
“Mom, Dad. Meg slammed the door in my face.” I called out into the unknown.
“Just let it go.” Dad called back.
I left the building, climbed down the sagging, carpeted steps to the steel door. It was constructed in the early seventies, around thirty or so suites and not well-maintained. The door clanged behind me. I started on the path that cut through to the next street, a hunky dad jogged by with his shirt off. Wow. Lisa’s house came into view, two big bay windows and lots of gaudy rotting stucco. She sat in the living room, her eyes trained on me. Her fist rattled the glass.
A few seconds later, she emerged on the front lawn. Her arms wrapped around me.
“Hey. Come in, my parents aren’t home.” She took my hand and we stole our way into the kitchen.
She cracked open the fridge and pulled out an ice cold glass bottle of root beer. I flipped the top with an opener, letting the cool suds roll down my throat.
“So, what’s up?” I leaned back.
“Yours truly is going on a trip to the mountains with the spawn of satan and her hot boyfriend. I shouldn’t actually insult my mother like that, my sister is fucking satan. Leaving tomorrow first thing.” She guzzled some of hers and pushed it away.
“How long are you going for?” Lisa stared out the window.
“A few days. Maybe I’ll get him drunk and he will confess his secret love for me.” She rolled her eyes.
“Dear, he’s not gay. He’s probably gonna end up your future brother-in-law.” Another drink.
“Do you have any more of those chicken strips from yesterday’s barbecue?” She pulled them from the fridge and I ate them stone cold.
“You’re gonna leave me here all by myself?” Whatever.
“You can hang out with Natty. She’s your best friend.” Lisa whacked my arm.
“Natty is in Cancun. She ditched me too. I was supposed to go with her but now I’m stuck here all by myself.” I sighed.
“This isn’t a bad town. My parents are threatening to take away her damage deposit money if she doesn’t take me with her.” I smirked. “Of course, my greedy sister agreed.” A shrug.
“Why does she need them to pay for the damage deposit? Doesn’t she have money saved?” I nodded. I finished the root beer and slid the bottle back across the tabletop. A hairline scratch appeared.
“She’s cheap. She wants to be an adult but she doesn’t want to actually do the work.” Lisa sat down beside me.
“Saul, you gotta stop thinking about your sister and her faults so much.” I waved her off.
“I don’t want you to do therapy on me. Let’s go for a walk or something. I need to clear my head.” We pushed open the back door of her house, the garden stuffed to the brim with exotic wildflowers and plants, Birdbaths overflowing with water. The sun rose higher, despite the early hour, and Lisa yawned.
“It’s really early. Let’s go to the store.” Sure, why not. Down the road sat the QuikMart, surrounded by evergreens and yellowed grass. We stepped lively with our feet clopping on the pavement. The glass doors loomed up ahead. The bell jingled a sad melody, two men lounged behind the counter. One white guy and a middle eastern fellow.
“I’ll buy you something.” She twirled a lock of hair around her fingers.
In the end I chose a sparkling water and a BLT sandwich, prepackaged from some small town out east.
It took two hands to stuff some clothes and supplies into my backpack. I threw in some shorts, a few shirts, my various charger cords and some grooming items. It wasn’t an overly long trip so I had to pack light. Megan came in and placed some donuts down on my nightstand, shot me a scowl and proceeded to trot out of the room.
“Thank you, my dear sister.” I trilled.
“Shove it.” She kicked the door frame on the way out.
“Mom, she’s being rude!” I grinned.
Nothing.
Later on I hauled out my telescope, aimed it towards the heavens and encountered a speck shooting across the manse at ungodly speeds. We lived near a group of hills, our town sat in the carved out little valley on the river. I turned the unwieldy cylinder up, scanning for more phenomenon. Nothing. Tomorrow I would be cruising out towards the craggy cliffs in the distance, a stud behind the wheel. I searched him up on social media. He wasn’t hard to find; my sister spent most of her time taking pictures with him and posting them on her stupid account.
Hartley had a bit of height, curly blonde hair and some beard. He wasn’t homeless looking or clad in a goatee like some Ivy league douchebag, but had it sensibly trimmed. He tended to wear short sleeved polos and cargo pants, a surfer stuck inland. My sister hung onto his arm in one shot taken at the pier in Southport, a six hour drive northeast. The sun almost glued to the horizon, specks of mauve, crimson and other colours blotted the sky. He bared his teeth, not menacingly, but in a genuine smile.
A sigh escaped my lips. Too bad.
I turned over to my side, cradling my device in my hands. Maybe one day I would find a guy like him, any guy really. Someone knocked on my door.
“Yes?” I glanced at the clock. Ten thirty.
“Can I come in?” Mom’s voice trickled in through the door.
“Sure.” She cracked it, floating in with her long robe bunched at her hip.
“I just want to tell you goodnight. Have fun on your trip tomorrow. I might not be awake when you leave. Did you pack?” I nodded.
“Yep, I’m all set.” She kissed my forehead.
“Don’t give your sister any grief.” I smiled.
“Okay. Goodnight.” She left, the darkness swallowing me up.
“Hartley’s outside.” Megan grabbed a few bags from the kitchen, crumpled them into her hand and made her way to the apartment door. I glanced out into the parking lot, a twenty footer sat right in the middle. A blast from the horn. It was a few minutes after seven.
“People are going to complain. Let’s go.” She pushed past me and took to the stairs. Her boyfriend stepped out, his hair a bit messy. The things I would do to him. Meg gave him a kiss, and he patted my shoulder.
“Are you coming along, Saul?” He shot a quizzical glance at me. I handed him my mini suitcase.
“Definitely. Can I drive?” I winked at him.
“Maybe later. We gotta get out of here. Traffic is gonna be crazy.” He tossed the bag into the luggage compartment, flapped the cover down and locked it with a thud. We piled in, I clutched my coffee cup tightly to my chest. The stud got behind the wheel, My sister in the front seat. It was an RV, so there wasn’t any place for me so I just lounged in the dining area.
The motorhome rolled onto the road, he took a wide turn and almost clipped a sedan. Eventually he pulled out onto the McGregor expressway a few minutes out of South Falls. Temple National Park was a five hour drive into the hinterland, our destination. Hartley couldn’t stop talking about it while the radio softly hummed on low volume.
“The campground has everything. Tennis, bathrooms, vending machines, you name it.” I shrugged.
“I’m terrible at tennis. Maybe we could pick up a hitchhiker or something.” Megan sighed.
“God, he’s so annoying.” She gave me the death stare.
“Right back at you.” Another shrug.
“I don’t want to hear anymore arguing, or I’ll turn this thing around and we’ll go home.” The machine hit a bump.
“Did you hit someone?” He continued to glare.
“I’m kidding. Maybe I’ll go have a nap.” Megan rolled her eyes.
“You just woke up like an hour ago. Play on your phone or something.” I shot her my middle finger.
“Don’t tell me what to do, you're not my mom.” He slowed down and went to the shoulder.
“Okay. Both of you, be quiet until we get there. Babe, you need to act like an adult.” She got up from her seat and marched into the rear, disappearing from sight. I joined him in the front.
“Just drive. I’m going to be alone for a bit.” Silence. Hartley threaded the big metal beast back onto the highway. He drummed his hands on the wheel.
“Should’ve kept her at home.” I whispered. He giggled.
“You guys better get along, we have a couple of days ahead of us.” Now he was really starting to sound like a dad. The Trenton hills loomed up ahead. Our state had two main regions, the seaside and the mountains. South Falls sat smack dab in the middle of it, and it was a good five hours to the border and another three and a half to the sea. There was one main highway, and we were on it, just cruising. He brushed some dust off his sleeve.
“Did your mom say that I was coming?” He shook his head.
“No. She doesn’t really say much to me. I don’t care if you come along or not. It’s actually good that you are here.” My heart did a backflip.
“Thanks.” He leaned back, his dick pushing against his shorts.
“Between you and me, your sister can be a bit difficult sometimes.” He shrugged. “But, she is a great person. Don’t you agree?” I opened my mouth to say something, but couldn’t.
“Not really, no.” Some more silence. He set the cruise back on and we rolled down the blacktop for a bit. A car would occasionally pass by, it was still early but the sun rose high enough in the blue that we weren’t staring into much. He produced a can of pop and cracked it open. Megan came back from the bedroom.
“You're in my spot.” She snapped. I looked up at her, then shrugged.
“It doesn’t have your name on it. Hey, can you get me a pop? Hartley’s one looks pretty good.” She smacked the back of my head.
“Get out of my spot. “ She repeated.
“My RV, my rules. Go sit somewhere else, babe.” Her boyfriend said.
“Excuse me, you don’t tell me what to do.” She turned her attention back to me. “Get out of my spot.” I continued to lean on the window. She made a grab for my arm but I hooked her neck. She struggled to pull free.
“Go sit down. Stop bothering me.” Again she pushed against me. I continued to tighten.
“Saul, let her go. You’re gonna hurt her!” He pulled to the side of the road once again. I released my grip.
“Okay, boit of you listen. One more fucking fight or comment about moving out of the seat and I will take you back home. I’ll go out there myself. Both of you shake hands and leave each other alone. Do it.” I stuck out my hand, she placed it in mine.
“Shake.” He uttered, as if commanding a dog. We moved our hands up and down, awkward as hell. Then she retreated to the back of the RV once again. He peeled off down the highway. Towards our destination.
We sat in silence for an hour or two, just soaking up the atmosphere.
“Temple National Park, coming up soon.” The park entrance was some sort of space age aluminium structure with a multitude of entrances and exits, three in and two out. Arrows on the pavement guided us to the right side with a smattering of cars slotted into the holes. There was an older gentleman stuffed into a tan coloured uniform with a revolver, a can of bear spray and a water bottle on a toolbelt. He strolled up to the window.
“Oversized vehicles take lane three at the very end. Are you staying in the park or crossing into Fortuna?” Hartley uncovered his pass.
“Show it to the guy in the booth.” He waved us through.
After leaving the gate we set off into the wide open territory, the camp ground about an hour into the vast wilderness. Megan reappeared, she had slipped into a long sleeved thin hoodie, almost like a cloak and some leggings. She sat on the bench and thumbed through her phone.
“Hey babe.” He looked back, smiling.
“Hey. Are we almost there yet?” He nodded.
“About half an hour. How are you feeling?” A sigh. We hit a bump, sending the metal monster shifting a bit.
“Better. Saul, can I talk to you for a second? Nothing bad.” I unhooked and joined her in the bedroom.
“I’m thinking of leaving him. I found pictures of another girl on his phone. What am I gonna do?” She sat on the bed.
“Did you talk to him about it?” She shook her head.
“No. I’ll do it tomorrow morning once we settle in and stuff. I’m sorry for yelling at you.” I smiled.
“What have you done with my sister? She never apologises to me about anything. Megan, are you there?” I felt under the bed. I glanced up, but she didn’t respond.
“I’m being serious with you. I’m trying to change.” She leaned back onto the soft bed covers, a lilac scent drifted in from the air freshener machine. “I gotta fucking grow up. I have to figure out what to do about him.” She pointed towards the front of the RV.
“Why did you go on a trip with him if he’s cheating on you?” I asked.
“Free trip to the mountains. I had to get away from Mom for a bit, think things through.” Whatever.
“Are you going to move out?” She sprang up off the bed.
“I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Let’s go back out there.” She touched my shoulder. “I’ll try to be nicer to you.” She grinned. A chill went up my spine. Was she on drugs? I didn’t get it.
She took the seat beside him, resting her hand on his leg. I pulled out some cards from the magazine holder, spread them out on the table, and studied the faces. The king and queen followed my gaze, like one of those paintings that tracks you when you move across the room. A feeling rolled over me. Maybe I should escape.
