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Arbor Day
Short Fiction/ Writing Challenge
Word Count 6,858
5:20am
an alarm clock sounds.
“Just five more
minuets” Adam Kensworth hits the alarm, sending it to the floor. He
pulls his thick black silk comforter over his head. Another beeping
sound is heard from downstairs.
Adam slowly
draws the comforter from over his face. He stretches and rubs his
hands over his face and through his silky black hair. His fingers get
caught in a messy knotted-up tangle that nearly causes him to pull out
a clump of hair as he tries to get his fingers free. “What the…?” He
sits up in bed and looks at his pillow. There’s wax all over it.
“Great” Adam grabs the nearly completely melted down candle from the
top of his head board. “Freakin great!” He tosses it across the room;
the small piece of wax hits against the wall and falls into the trash
basket.
Adam goes into
the bathroom and starts the shower water. Then he walks down stairs and
pours freshly brewed water into a mug over two tea bags. He doesn’t like
coffee but he religiously drinks a half a pot of green tea every
morning. He brews it through the coffee maker because it’s quicker than
boiling water, and the timer with automatic brew feature comes in handy.
The waxy mess in
Adam’s hair has thrown off his morning. Now he has to take a shower
before his morning run, and then he’ll have to take another shower after
his run, before he goes to work at Border’s book store. Adam works at
Border’s because he likes the people he works with. He doesn’t have to
work at Border’s, or anywhere else for that matter. Four years ago,
Adam’s father, Michael Kensworth died after a major heart-attack.
Michael was a very wealthy man- one of Lake Placid’s most wealthy and
successful attorney’s. After Michael’s death, Adam was left with 22.2
million dollars. Adam’s mother was left without a husband and that was
it. Because Paula, Adam’s mother, was quite psychotic, Adam decided to
move out of state.
He traveled to
Seattle hoping to find a refuge in the city of Art, and he found a home.
Just outside of Seattle, in the mountains, Adam built his own home. He
made sure over the last four years to come back and visit Lake Placid,
his father’s grave, and run the annual marathon that he and his father
used to run together…
After being in
the shower for a few minutes without any success at getting the wax out
of his hair, Adam decides to get out and run; he’ll worry about the
nasty mess in his hair afterwards.
***
Standing at the
end of his driveway using the metal mail box to lean against as he
stretches, Adam notices a few joggers out on the street. Being
self-conscience about his nappy hair, he decides to run along the trails
in the forest behind his house.
The air is brisk,
clean; he fills his lungs and smiles as his blood begins pumping quickly
through his veins. His head is clear. The pounding of his heart and the
hammering of his feet against the ground is almost arousing. The cold
air on Adam’s lip rings chills the inside of his bottom lip. It is an
interesting feeling. Adam originally got them just to tick his mom off,
but soon, they grew on him.
The trails are
scattered all throughout the forest. About a mile down the trails is
Bird Lake, named for all the types of birds that can be found nesting in
the tall pines around it. Bird photographers and artists can be spotted
camping in the forest nearly all year round.
‘These trails
have really grown out since last year’. Adam thinks as he runs down
the familiar trail. Adam runs this trail every year to prepare for the
Lake Placid Marathon that he has ran every year since he was 14, with
his father.
Every morning at
5:30am through April, and twice a day in May, Adam hits the trail.
Usually he starts out in the mornings jogging around the block and
slowly works his way to the trails. By June, Adam is ready to head to
New York for two weeks for the marathon. This year the marathon is going
to be held on Sunday, June 10th.
Adam runs down
through the overgrown trail towards the lake; winding around large
trees, ducking under low hanging branches, he flies along the dirt
trail. Finally the dark overgrown trail begins to lighten up and opens
to the beautiful blue water.
Adam stops for
just a moment to catch his breath and take in the scenery. He closes his
eyes, head spinning from the sudden stop; taking a deep breath he tries
as hard as he can to tune out the pounding of his heart- and listen to
the nature around him.
A smile breaks
out across his face as he is ushered into Bird Lake’s famous concert of
the birds. The sounds of thousands of different birds filling the lake
valley with melodies and harmonies, is a glimpse and taste of Heaven.
Adam raises his hands into the air as if he were the great conductor.
He opens his
eyes, looks around the lake. The early morning steam that rises from the
water’s surface makes this a morning that most artists only dream of
capturing on canvas. Adam starts running again. He slows to a jog as he
circles the majestic body of water.
At the far end of
Bird Lake, a beaver has built a dam slowing down the lakes outflow, but
not stopping it. A large tree has fallen just behind the dam making a
natural bridge, which Adam crosses easily without having to slow down
too much.
Adam makes pretty
good time around the lake jogging. As he reaches the trail leading back
into the forest towards his house he yells at the top of his lungs. It’s
a tradition for him. Why? He doesn’t know- it just feels good to yell
before he kicks it into high speed through the forest, back home.
Stopping one last
moment before running into the forest Adam looks at the scenery again.
“See you tomorrow.” He says. Then he gazes up the trail leading into the
dark, “Let’s rock and roll.” And he takes off as fast as he can up the
trail.
***
As Adam runs
along the trail he imagines himself with several other runners racing
along the historically scenic route. The people living at Lake Placid
take pride in their history with the Olympics and their annual marathon.
Running along the
trail Adam waves at invisible onlookers at each turn. The trail’s
incline gets steeper and steeper, like the hills along River Road
towards the marathon’s finish line. It’s a challenging uphill fight, and
Adam pushes his body to the limit. He focuses on his breathing;
controlled, rhythmic, intentional. Faster and faster he runs, fists
gripping the air, eyes watering; a tear escapes from his eye and runs
along the side of his face –the wind pushes it over his ear. He huffs
the fresh air as he flies through the trees. Faster and faster he drives
himself forward.
“Awe” Adam yells.
His head is violently jerked backwards hurling him into the air. He hits
the ground hard landing on his back. Adam lays there on the ground
looking up into the air for about a minute, heart still pounding,
muscles twitching, and head throbbing horribly.
He puts his hand
on the back of his head – warm and wet. His hand is covered with blood.
Then his eyes focus on something hanging from the tree in the
background- a large clump of black hair. Adam slowly brings himself to
his feet to examine the branches. He pulls the clump of hair out of the
branches. It was the wax. The tree limbs must have caught themselves in
that waxy mess on top of his head.
He takes a couple
steps forward and is stopped by a sharp pain in his side. He looks at
his side and runs his fingers over his ribs. Adam finds a nice deep cut
about four inches long. “This is not happening to me!” he yells. “This
better not need any freaking stitches.” Adam hobbles the rest of the way
up the trail to his house.
Adam flips
through the rolodex on the kitchen counter and finds Dr. Simon Saize
phone number. Dr. Simon has been Adam’s physician since he’s lived in
Seattle. Dr. Simon Saize was a runner himself for years; he took special
interest in Adam and his passion for running.
The phone rings,
“Hello, this is Simon”
“Hey, Dr. Simon,
this is Adam Kensworth.”
“Hey buddy, how’s
my favorite runner doing?
“Not good. I hurt
myself pretty good, running today. I think I broke something. Can you
come over?” Adam asks.
“I’m pretty busy
at the office today. I won’t be able to get out there until later. Do
you think you can come down to the office, I can squeeze you in, in the
next hour if you come now.”
“Yeah,” Adam says
“see you in about twenty minutes.”
“Alright Adam,
drive safe.”
“Bye” Adam hangs
up the phone and slowly walks to his car. I should have my own
doctor, on call. He thinks as he drives down the street.
***
“I’m sorry Sam,
I’ll be in later for sure… yeah, I’ll take it easy… ok man, thanks for
understanding. Yeah I’m in the emergency room now. Later Sam; thanks
again. Bye.”
A nurse walks
through a set of double doors, “Adam Kensworth?”
“Right here”
“Follow me Mr.
Kensworth” The nurse leads Adam down a hallway, making a short pit-stop
at the scale in the middle of the hall to weigh him. Then she takes him
to a small room where there’s a hospital bed. “Just sit on the end of
the bed and the doctor will be in soon.” She dropped a light blue
patient gown in the bed. “Put this on.” The she walked out of the room.
Adam put the gown
on and sat at the edge of the bed. There was a knock at the door. Dr.
Simon Saize walked in. He was a tall guy, dark brown hair, chiseled
features; he looked more like a professional basket ball player or
boxers model than he did a doctor.
“What’s going on,
Adam?” Dr. Simon asks.
“I’m stupid, and
how about you, Dr. Simon Saize?”
“I’m great.” He
looks directly at Adam who had a slight grin. “Yeah, I’ve heard it my
whole life. I tell you every time you come in, Adam; call me Simon. Now,
let’s see what kind of damage you’ve caused yourself. Lay on your side
for me.” Adam lies on his side and Dr. Simon lifts the gown to look at
his ribs. “How in the world did you manage this?”
“I was running a
trail down by Bird Lake. I fell and cut myself.”
“I noticed a
pretty good gouge on your head too, Adam.”
“Yeah” Adam
touches the little bald spot and chuckles.
“This is kinda
the reason for that cut there.” The doctor moves his attention to Adam’s
head wound for a moment.
“It seems to be
healing up pretty well. I’m curious about this substance you put on the
cut?”
“I didn’t put
anything on it, that’s wax. I had a candle on my headboard last light
that melted sideways onto my pillow and into my hair. I feel really…”
“No, I see the
wax; I wasn’t going to say anything about that. I’m talking about this
white substance that seems to be on your head and your side wound.”
“I don’t know, I
didn’t put anything on it.” Adam looks at his side, “I didn’t see that
on there earlier.”
“It’s probably an
infection of some sort; no big deal, I’ll disinfect it and give you some
sample antibiotics. But, you are going to need stitches for this cut on
your side, it looks pretty deep.”
“You know that
I’m running in the Lake Placid Marathon April 27th. Is this
going to screw that up?” Adam asked as Dr. Simon starts to prep him for
stitches.
“It all depends,
Adam. It depends on how quickly you heal. Either way, you’re going to
get worse if I don’t stitch that wound closed. It’s going to take just a
moment; you’ll be out of here in twenty minutes.”
“Yeah, ok.”
Dr. Simon had the
cut on Adam’s side stitched up in no more than five minutes. He gave
Adam a shot to stop any further infection and wrote him a prescription
for the pain.
“Alright, Adam,
that’s it. Get your cloths on and I’ll send a nurse in to get something
to cover those stitches. If you need anything call the office, alright?”
“Sure” The doctor
walked out of the room. Adam put his clothes back on. There was a tap at
the door and it cracked open an inch.
“Are you ready
for me?” a nurse asked.
“Yep”
She walks in with
a roll of gauze in her hands. Adam’s pleasantly surprised: she’s about
5’ 8”, long blonde hair, clear green eyes like two perfect emeralds,
full soft lips- that of a super model, and her body was something out of
Adam’s greatest fantasies. She smiles at him and inadvertently gives him
a quick look over too.
“I’m just going
to touch that up a little.” She tapes a neat six by six inch square of
gauze over his stitches. “Keep this on for three days, after that you’ll
want to wash it and keep this on it.” She hands him a small tube. “Dr.
Simon put a bag at the sign-out desk for you with some samples. Your
stitches will dissolve so you don’t have to worry about that. If you
have any problems call us.”
“K” Adam says. He
really wasn’t paying a whole lot of attention to what she said – she was
hot; he only heard what he wanted her to say. ‘Adam, you’re soo hot. I
want you. My break is in a couple minutes, meet me in room 113, no one
uses it. I want to make wild love with you right now Adam.’
“K” Adam repeats.
“What?” The nurse
asked.
Adam shakes his
head and looks down the hall way, then he looks back at the nurse,
“Yeah, tube…three days… call if I have questions- got it.” He turns
around quickly and heads straight for the sign out desk, hoping that his
aroused-indicator-switch is not indicating to everyone that he’s
aroused.
He grabs the bag
at the desk with his name on it and heads home. First, he’ll drop by the
café at Border’s to fill-in his manager.
***
Sitting at a
small round table with his manager Sam, Adam tells about his crazy
morning.
“So, what the
heck were you doing at five in the morning running around the lake
anyways?” Sam says, mockingly.
“I told you.”
“I’m just giving
you a hard time. I’m your boss, I have to.” Sam laughs. Rachel, another
barista brings two steaming mugs to the table. “Here you go, a nice hot
Chai for you, and for Adam, a cup of your favorite green tea.”
“Thanks Rachel”
both guys say in unison.
Adam takes a sip
and looks into the cup dissatisfied. He sets it back on the table.
“So are you still
planning on going to New York for that marathon?” Sam asks.
“I hope so. I go
every year, and plan to go every year. This has really thrown my
work-out schedule off though.” Adam takes another sip of the hot tea.
“Rachel, I’m not feeling like tea right now – I’m sorry. Can you get me
a large cup of ice water?”
“Sure, not a
problem,” She laughs as she brings him a big glass, “Adam drinking
straight water, no tea, or alcohol? You really did hit your head pretty
hard.” Rachel teases. Sam and Adam chuckle.
“Nice, Rachel,
thanks for not using my pain for an opportunity to crack jokes.”
Sam stands up
from the table and pats Adam on the shoulder. “Well, I think you should
probably get off your feet and relax. The doctor, I’m sure, wouldn’t
want you spending your time-off here at work. Get home.”
“Yeah you’re
probably right.” Adam gets up and walks around the counter, refilling
his glass. He drinks it down quickly and gives Rachel a hug.
“Get feeling
better, ok,” Rachel says.
“Yeah, I’ll try.”
“Adam,” Sam says.
“Seriously though, stay off your feet and don’t worry about the café, we
can handle it. Call if you need anything.”
“Sure. I
appreciate you guys, really.”
“We know” Rachel
says with a sarcastic smile.
“Alright I’m
outta here.” Adam walks out, gets in his car and heads back home.
***
7:00PM
Adam wakes up on
his couch in a cold sweat. His tongue’s dry and cracked, his lips are
chapped, and when he smiles, to test the dryness, they crack and bleed.
“Dangit” Adam
gets up and walks into the kitchen; he pours himself a large cup of
water and drinks it down as fast as he can. He pours another glass, and
another. His side is really itching. ‘Three days, that isn’t going to
happen.’ He says to himself.
Adam walks up
stairs and into the bathroom. He turns the shower on and takes his
cloths off.
RING, RING,
Adam looks at the
phone.
RING, RING,
“Ok, I’m
coming.” He walks around his bed and picks up the head set. “Hello?”
“Adam Kensworth?”
“Yes”
“Hi, it’s Heather
Caulier. I spoke with you today; I’m Dr. Simon Saize’s nurse.” The
thought of the two of them making love on the hospital counter flashes
through his mind.
“Adam?”
“Oh yeah,
Heather, I remember. What’s up?”
“I was just
calling to see how you’re doing. You seemed like you were not exactly
there, today. Are you doing ok now?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,
just a little banged up, and heart-broken.”
“Heartbroken?”
Adam scenes the
concern in her voice “I was planning on running in a marathon that I run
every year without fail, and this year it looks like I may not be making
it.”
“I’m sorry, Adam”
“Yeah, thanks.
So, do you call and check on all of Dr. Simon’s patients?”
“No, only when
Simon says.” They both laugh. “No, but really, he didn’t ask me to call
you. I just wanted to check on you myself.”
“Really?” Adam
lies back on his bed, the black silk comforter feels good next to his
skin.
“So… it sounds
like everything is ok though.” Heather’s tone tells Adam that she
couldn’t do much more to give him an opportunity to invite her over
–unless she invited herself.
“You know, I am
stuck up in here for the next few days, and I was going to call a friend
from work over to watch a few movies with me, to help me get my mind off
of the marathon. But, I don’t know…what are you doing later?”
“Adam. Are you
asking me to come over for movies?”
“Well… if
you’re…”
“I’ll bring the
popcorn.” Heather says quickly. “Where do you live?”
“212 Strange
Street Circle; my house is the big blue one on the very end of the
cul-de-sac.”
“Gotcha. I have a
few things to do this evening still, is nine o’clock too late?”
“Not at all”
“Great, it’s a
date.” She says excitedly.
“See you in two
hours.”
“See you in two,
Adam.”
He hangs up the
phone. Looking down at his fully functioning indicator, Adam smiles
“Looks like Adam is getting some tonight.” He stretches out on the bed.
The stream from the shower is coming into his room now.
Adam sits up in
the bed, he opens the nightstand drawer to make sure that he has
condoms. He walks into the bathroom, which is full of steam; slides open
the large glass shower door, and steps in.
The hot water
pouring over Adam’s body feels wonderful, better than it normally feels.
He stands under the shower head, eyes closed. Thoughts of him and
Heather on his bed fill his mind. He smiles.
His lustful
thoughts are suddenly interrupted by a sharp pain in his side. He looks
at the gauze. It moves. “Oh, that’s not good.”
Another sharp
pain sends Adam to the shower floor. He puts his hand over the gauze.
Something moves under his hand. “No, No, No, this is not friggin
happening to me.” Adam decides to pull the gauze off. He starts slowly
and then rips it off. “Awe crrraaaap!” he yells. “Dangit, son of a
mother” Adam looks at his side. The skin is black around the stitches;
which are bulging from the swelling. Suddenly something pushes against
the stitches, like a snake coiled up under his skin trying to get out.
Adam slams the sliding glass door open so hard it shatters as it crashes
against the wall. He quickly hobbles out of the shower onto the floor.
Stumbling down the stairs, Adam falls the last six steps down, landing
hard on the wood floor.
He stands up
and makes his way to the white bag the doctor had given him. The pain in
his side, makes him fall to the floor again. “Oh God, help me!” He rips
the bag open, dropping everything on the floor and his lap. “There you
are.”
Adam grabs the
card with Dr. Simon Saize’s cell phone number on it. He crawls into the
kitchen and pulls the phone off the wall and dials the number.
“This is Dr.
Simon.”
“It’s me Adam.”
“Yeah, the wax…”
“Listen to me,
something bad is happening to me.”
“What, Adam.
What’s going on? Do you need…”
“Shut up and
listen to me. You have to get here now! I think I’ve got a…just get here
now! 212 Strange Street Circle. Please Simon, don’t let it kill me.”
Adam hangs the
phone up. He leans against the kitchen wall, and looks at his side. It
bulges again, this time causing blood and a white substance, like milk,
to ooze out. His head starts spinning and he begins sweating profusely.
He wipes his forehead. It’s sticky. He looks at his hand. It’s covered
with blood and the white stuff. Adam feels the gash on his head, as he
has his hand on the bald spot something from under his skin pushes
against his hand. It feels sharp like a horn. He pulls himself up; using
the kitchen bar to steady himself. Fumbling like a drunk, Adam stumbles
over to the kitchen table knocking over bar stools and dining room
chairs. He makes his way around the table and pushes himself against the
mirror on the dining room wall.
Looking into the
mirror he peers into his own face. His eyes are blood shot, with thick
black circles. He has sweat as thick as syrup covering his head and
face, blood and white puss ooze down the side of his face coming from
his head.
Adam feels a pain
in his lips. His two circular, silver lip rings move back and forth.
Then, as if pinched off by a hydraulic press they break and fall from
his mouth. Adam watches them fall to the floor. He looks again at
himself, and focuses on the bald spot on the top of his head where the
clump of hair had been pulled. It’s dark red and purple, with black
splotches of skin and blood and puss. The skin starts to pulsate up and
down. Adam watches in horror as a horn looking object raises about two
inches nearly ripping through the skin of his head. Adam screams.
Everything goes
black.
***
“Adam? Adam can
you hear me, son.” Adam opens his eyes. Dr. Simon Saize is leaning over
him. He looks around the room. Adam is still in his own house, covered
up and laying on his couch. There are several people in his house. They
look like E.M.S.
“Adam, you had me
pretty frightened there on the phone.”
“I had you
frightened?” Adam says.
“What happened
here, Adam?” Dr. Simon asks.
Adam touches his
side; there’s a new fresh square of gauze. He looks at everyone in the
room; they all seem to be looking at him as if studying a drug addict.
“What’s going on here?”
“You tell me,
Adam” Dr. Simon asks as he makes a note on a small yellow pad.
Adam sits
up. “There’s something inside of me, a snake or something, I saw it try
and come out last night.”
“Adam, you’re
fine, in spite of the fact that you took your bandages off and broke the
shower door. There’s nothing wrong with you. Your stitches were a little
loose, but I put a couple butterfly stitches on to help that.”
“I was covered in
blood and some kind of white ooze.”
“There wasn’t any
blood on you, Adam. There was a small trace of that white substance, and
that’s why I’m going to have Heather and Kyle, stay here, and watch you
tonight. You met Heather, and Kyle is another one of my nurses. They
both said that they’d be fine staying the night here with you. I think
it would be best. Adam, I believe that the white substance, possibly
something you contracted from whatever cut you in the forest, is causing
you to hallucinate.”
Adam yells, “That
was no hallucination I had. I experienced something very real.”
“I am sure that
it felt very real, hallucinations usually do.”
Adam didn’t say a
word. There was no use. They didn’t believe him.
“Adam,” Heather
says. “Kyle and I are going to stay with you tonight and make sure that
everything is ok.” She smiles and holds up a box of kettle corn. “Still
want to watch a couple movies.”
Adam looks over
at Kyle, who’s sitting on his recliner drinking one of his Diet Pepsi’s.
“Why not, sounds like a party.” Adam says sarcastically.
“Good” Dr. Simon
says. He pats Adam on the leg. “But no getting off this couch”
“Yes, sir” The
doctor pulls everyone into he kitchen and talks privately. Heather comes
over and sits at Adam’s side on a chair from the kitchen. Everyone else
walks out the door.
“I don’t know
about you, but I love kettle corn. I hope you don’t mind if I help
myself to your microwave.” Heather says.
“Why not,
turd-head already helped himself to my Pepsi without asking.”
“Be nice, Adam.
He’s a good guy. Anyways, I’ve never been paid to watch movies all night
at a patient’s house before. It’s exciting.” Heather disappears into the
kitchen.
“I was hoping
that it would just be you and me, though.” Adam hollers back.
“It’ll be fun,
Adam. You won’t even know Kyle’s here. Come on, it’s not like we were
going to get crazy and strip down and have out-of-control sex all night,
on our first date, right?”
Adam cracks a
crooked smile and raises his eyebrows at the TV. Kyle walks back in.
“Ok, whatcha got to watch in this joint anyways?” He walks right to the
entertainment center and opens the door to the DVDs. Adam feels a little
violated.
Heather comes
back with a large bowl of popcorn. She stands right in front of Adam,
facing the TV. Her rear-end is right in front of his face. His indicator
starts working perfectly as he starts thinking about what he had
planned to do with that perfectly shaped… “Well, are you going to move
over and give me some room?” Heather interrupts, looking around at him.
Adam moves over
and lets her sit down. Kyle pops in a DVD. Adam lays his head on
Heather’s shoulder and soon he falls asleep, carried off by erotic
fantasies.
***
The next morning
Adam wakes up on the floor, in front of the couch. He stands up and
looks around. The sunshine pouring through the sliding glass door,
leading to the back yard; it feels like invisible, golden honey, pouring
over his body. Adam has the yearning to take his cloths off and soak in
the warmth.
He looks around
the room. “Heather?” He walks upstairs, “Heather?” Then he runs back
downstairs and opens the sliding glass door. Kyle is standing at the
edge of the trail going into the forest. “Where’s Heather?”
“She was gone
when I woke up. She left a note for you to call her.”
“What are you
still doing here? Don’t you have some place to go?” Adam says as he
walks back inside and retrieves the sticky note on the counter.
“You have a great
view here, Adam. I think that I’ll just take a stroll down the trail to
the lake.” Kyle yells.
Adam pops his
head out the door. “Yeah, whatever, go camping. I don’t care.” Kyle
steps into the darkness of the forest. Adam starts to dial the number
that Heather left. The phone rings and startles him, and he drops the
phone on the floor. Adam picks it up and looks at the caller ID. It’s
Heather. Adam laughs.
“Hey” He answers.
“Hello Mr.
Go-to-sleep-as-soon-as-I-get-the-popcorn-finished. Just kidding, how are
you doing this morning?”
“I’m feeling
fine, actually I’m doing great, I feel wonderful.”
“Good, I was
hoping that a good night sleep…by the way, did you know you talk in your
sleep?”
“I do? What did I
say to you?” Adam says half embarrassed.
“You didn’t say
anything to me. You talked to yourself about what you would like
to do with me.”
Adam is silent.
“You’ve got quite
a creative mind… I think that we’re going to have a lot of fun
together.” They both share a naughty laugh. Adam smiles; his lips split
and a drop of blood splashes onto the mouth piece. Adam wipes it off
with his hand. Looking at his hand he walks into the kitchen.
“When are you
coming over?” He dampens a paper towel to put on his lips.
“It’s going to
have to be later tonight. Tomorrow’s Arbor Day and I always plant trees
with co-workers. We actually get paid to get involved. Plus I love
trees. I’ll call you when I find out something.”
“Ok, I guess I
can wait around here with turd-head.”
“Is he still
there?” Heather asks a little annoyed.
“Yeah, he’s out
in the forest, probably on some personal spiritual journey. I swear, if
he comes out of that forest with mud on his face and wearing nothing but
his underwear…” Heather laughs,
“Stop it, Adam,
your soo wrong. By the way, your wonderful word picture of Kyle running
around the forest in his underwear brought something to mind I wanted to
ask you.”
“Anything”
“Well, this
morning I took a walk through the forest and I thought that I would love
it if you would let me take one of those beautiful trees and transplant
it into my own backyard.”
“Sure, just take
one.”
“Ok, I’ll be over
later with a couple guys and a flat bed.”
“Sounds good”
Adam adds more water to his towel.
“See you later,
Adam.”
“Later” He hangs
the phone up and leans against the bar. Dabbing his lips with the soaked
towel, his lips tingle. Suddenly his stomach starts to turn. He can
swear that he feels something moving in his side. “I’m not going to
look. It’s all in my head. I need fresh air.”
Adam walks
outside, it’s cold, but direct sun makes his body feel like a machine
kicking into gear. He walks down to the edge of his backyard and stops
at the trail. Adam peers into the darkness of the forest. ‘No sign of
nature boy.’ Adam thinks to himself. He starts walking down the trail.
The forest is
surreal, a prehistoric world that feels millions of years away from the
hustle and bustle of the city. Adam’s nostrils widen as he takes in a
deep breath. There seems to be thousands of scents floating in the air
tonight. He starts to jog. His side hurts, but Adam decides to do his
best to ignore the pain.
Before he
realizes it, the trail opens to Bird Lake. He didn’t pass Kyle along the
way. ‘I hope that dumb-crack doesn’t get lost out here.’ He thinks while
scanning the lake looking for him.
All at once the
birds begin to sing; the orchestra tunes up. Adam finds himself
uncannily aware of everything around him. He can feel the winds
slightest touch as it kisses his skin. The sounds of wildlife hidden in
the forest sends a vibration into the air that he feels with his hands.
Adam lifts his
hands into the air. The air is filled with the most incredible song.
Adam looks around. All the birds are no longer hidden, but filling the
tress all around the lake, watching him. Adam slowly drops his hands to
his sides. The birds silence themselves. Adam squints his eyes in
disbelief. He starts to raise his hands again. The music of the birds
start up again. He puts his hands down. It is quiet.
Adam looks at his
hands, then at the birds. He rubbs his hands together and slowly raises
them into the air. The song can be heard softly as Adam holds his hands
at his waist. As he raises his hands no higher than his chest so the
music gets louder, with added harmonies. Then Adam slowly raises his
hands over his head and Bird Lake comes alive with song; like the THX in
a theater – the earth shakes, and the top of the water vibrates. The
whole valley has come alive with nature’s melody.
Adam puts his
hands back down and laughs. He looks at the lake, the water – and finds
himself uncontrollably drawn to it. Adam kneels down and puts his lips
to the water’s surface. The fish and all the other creatures living in
the bottom of Bird Lake begin to surface. Thousands of tiny fish heads
and crawfish break trough the glassy surface of the water; all eyes
fixed on Adam.
A sound of
branches being crushed next to him captures Adam’s attention. He jumps
to his feet and spins around. A black bear, then another one; a fox
comes out from the brush. Before Adam has time to be frightened he is
surrounded by hundreds of animals. They have all come to see him.
The large bear
walks up next to Adam. It lifts itself onto its hind legs, towering over
Adam by about four feet. They both stare at each other. Then the bear
drops down and drinks from the river. Adam also drops to his knees and
slowly puts his lips to the water again and drinks. He puts his whole
head into the water and gulps as much as he can. He becomes more and
more thirsty. Then it hits.
Pain
The sharp pain in
his stomach hits again, this time worst than the first time. Adam throws
himself backwards on the ground and crouches into a fetal position. “Oh
God, please”
His head starts
to ache. Adam puts his hand over the wound on his head. Something moves
under his hand, the little bald area starts pulsating. Blood and white
puss bubble out from it.
A stabbing pain
in his head causes Adam to cry out. He puts his hand to his head again,
as he touches the lumpy pulsating bald spot, the skin rips and a sharp
object pushes its way out of Adam’s head. “Oh no, please! Kyle! Kyle!
Help me.” Adam screams, but Kyle is no where to be found.
Adam’s whole body
begins to feel like it’s on fire. He crawls over to a nearby tree and
starts to pull himself to his feet. The animals, now moving back into
the forest and under the water, watch him. As he pulls himself up he
notices his four-arms; the veins are solid black under his skin. He
stands up and stares at his forearms. The veins start to move, wiggling
around in his arms like long worms.
Adam heads for
the trail. His shirt gets tight around his neck and left side of his
ribs. He pulls his shirt off. His right side, where he’s still bandaged
up, is bleeding and the wound pulsates. Adam takes the gauze off. The
wound expands and contracts, the stitches can barely hold his torn flesh
together. He wanders off the path and falls over a bush, back to the
ground. “What’s happening to me?”
Something drips
on his face, then again in his mouth. It’s bitter, coppery. Adam slowly
looks up into the trees. He lets out a blood curdling sound of horror.
There, about 15 feet above Adam, is Kyle. A large branch from an oak
tree is coiled around his neck and squeezing tighter – like a massive
constricting python. Kyle’s arms and legs are stretched out as smaller
branches have worked their way into his body and are now pulling on him.
Adam lays there
staring in shock. The fear has paralyzed him. Suddenly a large branch
swings down and impels Kyle through his chest sending flesh and blood
all over Adam. Kyle looks down at Adam. His mouth opens but no sound
escapes; thick purple blood flows out. He just looks at Adam as his life
fades and his body jerks and twitches.
The pain in
Adam’s side nearly causes him to pass out. “I have to make it out.” Adam
gets back up on the trail. Now his skin starts to blister, his clothes
rub big pieces of skin away. Adam quickly strips his pants and shoes
off. Naked, Adam fights his way up the hill. He feels something on his
head. He reaches up and pulls a large clump of his black hair and scalp
off. A small but thick branch has grown out of his scull. Adam’s legs
get shaky, like jelly, from the pure horror and fear that has gripped
him. He falls against a tree to support himself for a moment while he
catches his breath.
Adam can see the
light up ahead. He’s almost out of the forest. He puts his hand on his
wound. The skin raises about 6 inches. A thick tree limb rips through
the stitches. The black veins in his arms, now solid brown twigs start
to tear through his pours.
A car door slams.
“Heather” Adam
tried to yell, but his voice is no more than a whisper. He can feel his
lungs stiffening. Adam makes a run for his backyard. He pushes himself
as hard as he can to get to Heather.
“Adam” Heather
yells inside the house. “Where are you Adam?”
Adam breaks
through the darkness of the forest and onto the green grass in his
backyard. He fights his way to his feet. Each step forward is met with
more pain.
“Let’s go out and
load up the tree you want.” Adam hears one of the guys say. He tries to
yell; when he opens his mouth it stiffens in place- jaws locked and
mouth opened wide. Adam makes his way halfway across the back yard. His
feet suddenly burst open with large roots, and several smaller roots
project out of from between his toes, snaking themselves down deep into
the ground- anchoring Adam to the middle of the back yard.
Adam sees
Heather’s shadow against the living room wall as she walks to the back
door. He tries to scream. He reaches his arms out towards her. The skin
of his arms and fingers rip to shreds, like rice paper. Hand-like
branches tear out into the cool night. Adam again gives everything he
has and tries to scream Heather’s name.
***
“I’m not sure
where that boy went. Maybe he ran to the store or left with Kyle
somewhere.”
Heather walks out
the back door into the cool night. The air is fresh and smells of Oak
and Pine. The Birds are all singing a beautiful song on the lake.
Heather looks out into the trees and takes a deep breath. “Oh, I just
love it here. There’s not a more peaceful place.”
“It’s getting
late, Heather. What do you want to do?” One of the guys asks.
“Well, Adam said
that it would be ok if I took a tree home with me.”
She walks down
into the yard. “That’s funny; I never noticed this tree before. There’s
something about it.”
She looks back at
the two men standing with shovels ready.
“I’ll take this
one.” Heather tries Adam’s cell phone. No answer. The men quickly dig
the young tree from the ground and set it on the flat bed. Heather
leaves Adam a voice mail.
“Happy Arbor Day…
call me, Adam; I want to show you the tree I picked, I think you’ll like
it. There’s something about it that reminds me of you. Later.”
'ADAM'S DEMISE' by Jonathan Snow
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