Prologue
The truth is: you fear what you don’t understand.
The year was the summer of 1975; I was 16 at the time. I used to live in a cottage-style mansion complete with its own road that welcomes you into the home with open arms. It was surrounded by a thick green forest that was overlooked by a small mountain in the far distance. The place will forever be locked in my heart as a bittersweet memory.
Living in a small town gives you the benefit of having a small group of friends; especially when you’re an only child.
Anthony, Maurice, and Pierce were my only friends throughout my life. Anthony was the adventurous, muscular, and overall nice guy. Pierce was the timid one of the group; he never had friends like us or a girlfriend, so he’s a bit awkward. Maurice had anger issues but he always stuck around in the end and learned from his mistakes. And sure, we had our quarrels here and there, but we remained very close.
That’s why, on the night I will never forget, we had planned something massive. Since my parents were gone for the week on a business trip, that meant we had the whole mansion to ourselves. We had planned to “live” together for the week.
When that night finally came, it’s as if God had answered my prayers. The night was cloudy yet gentle; the moon was nowhere to be found. The white painted wood exterior of the mansion contrasted with the sharp darkness from the night. The cherry on top was the comfortable night breeze that blew over the trees and grass gently. We took the opportunity to open the windows and enjoy the soothing air.
