Forsaken Saint

I can hear my horror movie ring tone going off on this wonderful Saturday night. It’s my new friends Marla, Stokely, Evan and Freeman. They’re texting me to come outside so I can go with them to this party they’ve been talking about for the longest time. I haven’t been to a good party in a long. I guess because I’ve spent most of my life as an alter boy. I can still hear my father’s voice saying “Steven you better get your hind-end on the church bus or you’re grounded for a week.”

Yeah, those were the days, at least before my dad lost his life in a car wreck almost a year ago. Kinda lost my faith since then and fell out of love with church life, now I’m just a heathen out drinking and doing drugs. I know my dad wouldn’t be proud of the crowd I’ve fell in with, especially since he was a state trooper, but this is my way of coping and papa ain’t around anymore. He’s more of a rolling stone rolling under the stones. I’ve got my cool button up shirt and my Lee jeans on now.

My train of thought has also been interrupted by the honking of the horn and the yelling coming from the car parked in front of my complex by my window. “YO HURRY UP CHOIR BOY, WE’RE GONNA BE LATE!!!” Evan screams up from the passenger side of Freeburg’s jeep. “I’m comin, howlin’ wolf, hold your horses.” I finally finish getting ready and make it down to the jeep and join the crew. “Well well, if it ain’t the motley crew.” I begin jokingly as Freeburg drives off. “Yeah and after 3000 hours we’re finally joined by our lead singer.” Stokely jokes agreeably. “Eh, gimme a break. All this party life stuff is still new to me.

“So how did you feel about the last couple parties, kid? Were they not the best parties you’ve ever been to or what?” Freeburg asked. “Well…honestly they’re the only parties I’ve ever been to.” I answer with slight embarrassment. “Steven that’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” Marla says providing comfort. “Yeah, you’ve lived a very sheltered life and we’re just here to bring you out of that shell, so to speak.” Evan added. “I believe it. You guys haven’t steered me wrong yet.” “Why would we do that? We’re your friends.” Steven calls back with a smile. I really appreciate all four of these misfits. They’ve really been my safe space ever since my dad died.

“Here we are.” Evan says gleefully as we park down the packed street from this big house in the country of which we are attending aa party. I can tell this is gonna be a dope party. “Here have a beer.” Freeburg says while handing me a miller light. “I’m pretty sure they have beer on the inside.” I say jokingly as we walk toward the house party. “Yeah, but we like to be prepared.” Evan responded. “He’s got a point. You can never go wrong with bringing your own beer.” Marla added.

I take a few sips of my beer as we walk and laugh making our way to the house, but suddenly I start feeling lightheaded and dizzy. “Guys…am I the only one who feels…” before I can finish my vision begins to blur. I briefly look around in my dizzy stupor and see my quartet of friends staring at me seriously. It’s almost as if they’re waiting for me to fall. As I do in fact fall down, everything fades to black.

I wake up what feels like hours later and at first I see no one. I’m still slightly dizzy, but I’m feeling a little better. My head still kinda hurts and my arms and legs feel like weights have been attached to my limbs. While stumbling to get up I see something frightening in my peripheral. Oh my goodness, it’s a swarm of snakes slithering towards me.

As I crawl away screaming in fear the image disintegrates into nothingness. Before I can get over that terrifying image a swarm of rats appears from behind me chasing me like a stampede. I’m now running away from them too in these spooky woods of never ending darkness. As I run in terror with my heart racing the rats also disintegrate into nothingness. All I can wonder is what the hell is going on as I’m frozen in fear, but nothing could prepare me for the next traumatic image that presented itself in front of me.

“Hi son.” The image of my dad greeted in front of me with gash wound on his head. “I’ve missed you for some time, but then again I guess that drink you’re having is on me right? I thought I raised you better than that.” The image then disintegrated and I found myself surrounded by my four friends with serious looks on their faces. “Guys…what…what’s happening?” I ask while stumbling on my words.

“Payback.” Freeburg replied wuth an angry look on his face. “Payback for what I ask in a confused tone. “Payback for the pain your father caused us.” Now I’m caught off guard from what I just heard. “Wait, you knew my father?” I ask in a puzzled tone. “Your father is the reason all of our parents ended up in prison.” Marla responded in a soft but bitter tone. “What are you talking about?” I ask while genuinely confused.

“Operation Mickey Dee.” Stokely began. “Our parents were responsible for that, ring any bells?” Evan inquired. Then it hits me. Operation Mickey Dee was a money laundering scandal involving McDonald’s stock. My dad was the cop who busted everyone involved. Apparently they were all parents trying to make some money to send their kids to good colleges. It was them it was these four people standing in front of me who I thought were my friends.

“You guys tricked me this whole time.” I acknowledged. ”You were never my friends. You were just trying to get to me to get back at my father. He’s dead now, what does it matter?” “How do you think he died in the first place.” Evan interjects.

My heart stops when I make the startling realization…it was them. These four who I thought were my friends killed my father. “It was you guys, wasnt it?” I conclude. “Yes.” Marla responded somewhat shamefully. “We cut the brakes on his car that caused his accident.” Evan added. “But then it hit us. Why should we have stopped with just him? Why should his kid get a fair shake at a future if we couldn’t get one.” Stokely continued.

“You killed him and then manipulated me this whole time just so you could get me out here and exact your unwarranted revenge.” I reply in anger. “Yes.” Freeburg concludes as he pulls a knife from his waist and rushes towards me. As the others look on with trepidation, Freeburg swings the knife at me, but I quickly duck and hit him in the stomach, forcing him to drop the knife.

I quickly reach for the knife as the others look on and just as Freeburg grabs me by the shoulder I grab hold of the knife and bury it in his throat. Freeburg grabs his throat, bleeding profusely as he falls to his knees. The others stand in a menacing shock. “You SON OF A BITCH!” Evan screams in anger. He then pulls a gun from his waist and points it at me.

My heart is racing, but as he readies himself to shoot me I take the blade I took from a now expired Freeburg and throw it at Evan’s gut in which it lands, forcing him to hunch forward in agony, dropping the gun in my direction. I quickly dive for the gun as Stokely and Marla follow suit angrily. I get to the gun before they can and order them to stop as I aim the gun at the remaining three.

“Don’t move!” I urge. “Take one step and I’ll bury all three of you. “You’re really gonna kill us, Steve?” Evan goads. “Yeah, do you have it in you to kill the only real friends you’ve ever had?” Marla adds. “You guys aren’t my friends. You never were. You were snakes in disguise and now you’re gonna pay.” “AAAAHHHH!!!” They all yell charging at me as I start firing off rounds. The first two shots hit Stokely and Marla in the chest, respectively. Evan then angrily gets to his feet and tries once more to charge me. “”DAMN YOU TO HELL!” He screams swinging his knife at me as I fire one more shot hitting him in the head, killing him instantly.

“Your journey, not mine.” I reply while studying the four corpses in front of me. I take Freeburg’s keys out of his dead person and walk back to his jeep. As I get in and crank it up it occurs to me that a trip back to church and rekindling my faith like my dad would want isn’t such a bad idea.