not titled

Children scrambled about frantically clutching handfulls of candy thrown to the crowds. Floats of various shapes & sizes adorned the parade, their passengers waving gracefully in pageant syle. Hayley stood at the corner of Birch & Aspen with Joshua strapped into his stroller for a better view. This was the tykes first parade & he was taking in the festivities with fascination. She'd tried to contact Jess all afternoon. She doubted Nicky had ever attended such an event at her young age. How nice it would have been for both of children to share this experience togethor. She searched the crowd for some sighn of her friend in the hopes that she'd brought her children into town to participate in community days. The sun shone bright casting a haloed effect behind those walking toward her. The shrill laughter of children mingled with big band music as the areas school of gymnastics cartwheeled & somersaulted their way past them attired in clown costumes. Joshua squealed kicking his chubby legs & waving his arms with all the delight of an 18 month old little boy. She regretted having forgotten to bring her camera to capture this moment to add to the collection of photoes she kept for his baby album. Her thoughts drifted back to this morning when Gary had taken a picture of both of them still sleeping confessing to have been enraptured by the purity of the moment. She had woken to the sound of the cameras shutter an expensive graduation gift from her grandparents. She opened her eyes to find him gazing down at her. "Good morning beautiful." Her blond hair fanned out in a wealth of silken strands across her pillow. Joshua layed nestled in her arms his tiny face content with the peace of being so close to his mother. "Morning handsome" she said shifting lazily. Gary extended his arm around her & the child speaking softly in her ear "About last night." Hayley tensed sensing morning after regret in his voice. Joshua cood softly in his sleep serenading the new day. "I'm in the process of trying to terminate a relationship with someone. I'd appreciate it if we could keep this on the down low. Just for the time being, I'd hate for anyone to be hurt more than they have to." Perhaps it was because she was so drowsey that she didn't question his motives. Confusion tore at her heart, a response that surprised her. Careful she thought to herself, you'd better heed some caution. Hayley tried to feign a casual attitude motioning a my lips are sealed gesture & winking for good measure. Lonliness & longing for affirmation caused her to question her better judgement. She shivered as he tenderly caressed her face then winked back at her.


part two


Gary couldn't tear his gaze from the person that lay befor him. Unconcious & startlingly handsome with a strong jaw, perfect teeth & full lips set against his chalky white complexion. He couldn't be older than 17 or 18 years old.
His tee shirt faded black with age & wear bore a skull with crossbones. His levis were frayed & tattered & he wore black high top converse sneakers, the soles worn almost through.

The last ten minutes had seemed to carry on for an eternity of time as Gary tried to bring his young friend back to a state of conciousness but he'd lost so much blood from the wound in his head that he feared the young mans life hung in the balance.

They had agreed to meet at the dense copse of aspens on the bank of the columbia river during a battle of the bands hosted by the community.

Just through the trees a local band set stage preparing to perform, their audience abuzz with anticipation for the festivities to begin. Overhead the stage lights gleamed casting an amber glow illuminating faces & casting shadows adding to the already eeire ambiance of the evening.

Gary forced air into his lungs keen to the scents that floated on the breeze. The smell of the muddy bank rose up & mingled with the aroma of food from an assortment of venders in the food court.

After the boys head had struck the rock he lay unconcious, helpless, his head resting in a pool of blood reminding Gary of a fallen angel with a crimson halo.
During the struggle he had managed to get a throat hold on the boy, the entire time the kid had held his gaze, defiant eyes staring straight through him until he had lost his footing & stumbled backwards to land flat on his back, his head striking the rock that now pillowed his skull.

Garys present circumstances tied knots in his stomach threatening to double him over. Nausesness overtook him as he struggled to regains some semblence of compsure. It hadn't been his intention to inflict this kind of harm on the kid. His intention to strike fear in this individual who now lay at his feet had taken a direction beyond his control. The dispute had erpupted over the boys outstanding credit limit & refusal of alternative payment. When he sneered in his face & called him a queer Gary blew up accusing him of shortchanging him among other things.

Panic threatened to overtake him as he considered the possability of getting caught should the kid die & the repercussions carried with it. Son of the pope, what had he done?!

Nerving himself he knelt down & felt for a pulse. It was fairly weak but it was there.
He seemed to be coming around opening one eye to stare curiously up at Gary.

The faint smell of marijuana carried on the breeze & shadows moved across the moonlit path. Soon he would be discovered. He had to act quickly. Hastily he kicked aside discarded bottles which littered either side of the path. He slipped his arms under the kids & around his chest dragging him down the bank of the river being careful not to slip him self on the muddy slope.

Blood soaked from the wound saturating Garys shirt & dripping down his arms in dancing rivulets. He cursed under his breath as he tried to manage the boys weight & manuever through patches of tall grass & dead fall.

From nearby he heard someone call into the darkness. "Spider? Hey man are you out here?" Garys breath caught in his throat. He froze where he stood afraid to blink least he give away his position & be found out. Laughter erupted from the trail above as others, friends of the boys no doubt emerged from the dense grove of aspens. "I seen him come back here. Must of had to take a leak" someone said.

A cocophony of sound split the air as the band started the show drowning out the voices of those on the trail. Carefully he lowered a branch peering through the dense boles of aspens scanning the path above him. He could make out three figures against the moonlit background of the trees heading back to where they had come from.

His adreneline was pumping. He needed to act quickly, he'd almost been caught.
The whole scene somehow felt unreal, like a dream. From somewhere outside of himself he observed the events as they unfolded willing himself to wake from this terrible nightmare.

Fear gripped him as he carefully pulled the boy along the bank & into the water. The metallic smell of blood & fishy scent of the river filled his nostrils accosting his senses.

The boys black hair matted around the injury on the back of his head which might mean the blood was either coagulating , slowing the bleeding or had stopped bleeding altogethor.

When he reached the water he lowered the boy so that he lay level in shallow water
& then progressed to create a lee of rocks arounds him so that he wouldn't roll over face first into the river & drown. He prayed to whomever might hear him that the frigid temperature of the water would bring the kid back to conciousness & keep him from bleeding to death as well.

The boy who had been called Spider lay there quiet as if his spirit had already departed to the after world. Gary wondered if it now floated about observing his actions.

The stars had vanished as if they had fled after witnessing the voilent atrocity. Clouds drifted across the moon hiding the brilliance of it's light drowning them in the blackness of night. Gary shuddered as he could hear bats flitting about in the darkness & the band played a Metallica rendition of "For Whom The Bell Toll."