Headless (7 page)

CHAPTER XII

     The van pulled off the highway, and made its way down the ramp slowing to a stop. They knew they had reached a fairly desolate stretch of land, when there is a wooden sign screwed to the stand of the faded metal stop sign that reads “gas”, with an arrow pointing down the road. Dougie pulls to the edge of the exit, staring at the sign.

     “What's the matter?” Caleb looks over at his friend.

     “You ever get that really bad feeling, like fuck your life up type of feeling just crash over you?” Dougie looks at Caleb, putting the van in park

     The others 'boo' and groan from the back of the van.

     “Yeah. When I had sex with your sister. Come on, man. It's going to be dark soon. Let's go!”

     “I don't know.” Dougie shakes his head, staring out the window. “Maybe we can find a gas station further down?”

     “I think you got a contact buzz from the weed, and you're paranoid. Dude, we don't know where the fuck we are. Just drive down the road to the gas station. The fuck you being such a pussy for?”

     “Eat a dick.”

     “Blow me. Drive man, come on.”

     “Come on!” Danny yells from the back.

     “Let's go, I need a drink!” Sam tosses in.

     “I'm getting cramped back here,” Tina whines.

     “SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Dougie snaps back to all of them, looking over the back seat.

     The van instantly gets very, very quiet. After a moment of awkward silence, Kat climbs between the seats, rubbing Dougie's shoulders.

     “It'll be alright, buddy. We're just asking for directions and going to a party. What's the worst that could happen, right?” She smiles at him.

     “Right,” he nods, putting the van back in drive, and heading down the road.

     The van rolled to a stop at the one gas pump outside of the measly gas station. A garage door sat at the back, where at some point there may have been a basic auto shop, but now the rusted door was just blocked off by old bicycles, tires and lumber.

     As the group filed out of the van, they stretched and several of them paced in small circles to get the feeling back in their legs. Danny started doing jumping jacks, and overly-exaggerated stretches.

     “The fuck are you doing?” Caleb watched him, confused.

     “My legs are too long to be so cramped up back there. I don't want to get a blood clot.”

     “Going to prevent one by sticking your head between your legs, and kissing your own ass?” Caleb asks, grinning.

     The rest of the group laughs. Harold starts to take a joint from his pocket, but Amir smacks him on the arm, pointing off to the side. Most of them had seemed to miss the old police car sitting there, with Sheriff Williams sitting in it, thumbing through some paperwork. Harold clears his throat, and slides the joint back into his pocket.

     The rest of them turn their attention away from the cop car, attempting to be as discreet as possible. Sam comes up behind Tina and pinches her ass, causing her to jump and squeal out, bouncing away from her. She bumps into the cop car and Williams looks up at her angrily.

     “Sorry,” Tina raises her hands, pushing away from the vehicle.

     Everyone laughs at her, as they enter the gas station. The inside was just as beaten up and ancient as the exterior. Dusty windows, buzzing small fans, and a bug zapper hung in the corner. The paint on the walls had long since faded, and the tile was cracked and some pieces had chunks missing. Items on the shelves were relatively up to date, as various candies, chips and beverages line the aisles.

     The old woman, Mrs. Jenkins, was as old in appearance as the building she was in the employ of. Overweight, hair in curlers, and spectacles held on her head with a small chain. The faded purple moo-moo was her wardrobe of choice for this particular day of work. She glanced up from the magazine she was thumbing through to look over the top of her glasses at the kids as they entered.

     She watched as each one made their way by, some nodding and even saying 'hello', but she didn't return much of a reaction. Amir, Kat and Tina wandered down the cooler aisle, perusing the various beverages. Harold and Sam grabbed at various bags of chips, their eyes still bloodshot from smoking in the van. Caleb walked to the front counter, staring at the small selection of smokes behind old Mrs. Jenkins, and Danny felt over the different candies.

     “Hey. Hey...” Caleb snapped his fingers in the old woman's face. She glared at him, turning her attention from the kids in the aisle. “Can I get a pack of Menthols?”

     Mrs. Jenkins grabbed a pack from behind her head, and tossed them on the counter. Caleb took his card out, and extended it to her.

     “Cash only,” she spoke through missing teeth. Each syllable giving a bit of a whistling sound.

     “What do you mean cash only? What gas station doesn't accept credit cards?” Caleb looked befuddled.

     “This 'un,” she nodded.

     He looks down at his wallet, shaking his head, “I don't have any cash on me. Nobody carries cash these days.”

     “Then you ain't got no cigarettes,” she grumbles reaching for them.

     Dougie raises his hand, stepping up next to his friend. He laughs, reaching in his pocket and taking out his wallet. Caleb looks at her angrily, and starts to walk away, but Dougie rests a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

     “My friend will have his cancer sticks, and I'll take twenty bucks in unleaded, please,” Dougie grins at her.

     She clicks her teeth together, staring at him for a moment before taking some of the cash for the cigarettes. “Ain't got no gas.”

     Dougie nods, picking up his cash. He knows better than to argue with his elders. Particularly old local white ladies. He and Caleb both jump and turn as a crash echoed throughout the store. Mrs. Jenkins stretched her neck to look past them. Tina covers her mouth with her hands, looking over her shoulder to find the group watching her as she looks back to the broken beer bottle on the floor.

     “I'm so sorry, I'll pay for that,” Tina stammers, looking at the perturbed old woman behind the counter.

     “Damn right you will, and you're gonna clean it up, too. Mop is over there in that corner, girl.”

     Tina's head tilts in surprise, and looks around at her friends who are all still staring. Kat shrugs at her, and Tina sighs, walking to the mop. Danny takes this particular opportunity when no one is looking to grab a couple candy bars from the shelf and slide them in his pocket. As he starts to take a couple more, Sheriff Williams' calloused hand grabs him hard by the wrist. The others turn to see what's going on.

     “The fuck?” Danny turns, before realizing it's a cop that has ahold of him.

     “Now I know you wasn't thinking of doing what you was thinkin' of doing, were ya?” Williams growls at the college student.

     “That depends what you think I was thinkin' of doing?” Danny mocks, grinning.

     “Stealing from nice old Mrs. Jenkins is what it looks like,” Williams retorts.

     “Or I was just putting the stuff in my pocket until I got to the counter so I had my hands free to carry more shit,” Danny quipped.

     “Likely story.”

     “Well, you can't prove that's not what I was doing either, so get your fuckin' hands off me.” Danny glared at the old cop.

     “What you kids doin' in my neck of the woods, anyways?” The Sheriff inquired, releasing Danny's wrist forcefully.

     Danny grabs his wrist before angrily taking the items from his pocket and putting them back on the shelves. Williams walks slowly around the gas station looking at each of them, as he passes. He stops, and tilts his head taking an extra-long look at Tina's ass as she bends over mopping, before turning his attention back to the rest.

     “What about you, towel head? You here to cause trouble?” Williams asks Amir, staring him down. Amir lowers his eyes to the ground, and shakes his head 'no'. The Sheriff chuckles moving on. “Good lordy, are you a male or a female?” Williams asks Sam, looking her over. When she does nothing but roll her eyes, he moves on. “Cat got your tongues? You – boy – what you doin' here?” Williams nods to Dougie.

     Dougie grits his teeth at the condescension, but exhales and smiles. “We're on our way to a Halloween party, is all. Was hoping to buy some gas and get some directions, is all.”

     “Well, where you trying to go?”

     “Baskerville.”

     “Shit, you long ways past Baskerville. Turn for that is about forty minutes back on the interstate, exit 121,” Mrs. Jenkins spoke up.

     The thought of another forty minutes back the way they came clearly didn't sit well with most of the kids. At least not the ones stuffed into the back of the van. Harold threw his hands up in frustration, before walking outside. Amir, Sam and Danny have had enough and join him. Tina finishes picking up the glass and pushes the mop and bucket back to the corner where she got it from.

     “Exit 121, alright. We'll be on our way then,” Dougie nods to the old woman.

     He starts to head out, joined by the rest of the group. Caleb takes a cigarette out, lighting it, as he walks past the Sheriff. The old man grabs him by the arm.

     “Let me get one of those off you,” the Sheriff nods at the new pack of smokes.

     Caleb looks at the pack of smokes in Williams' shirt pocket. “Looks like you already got some.”

     “I do. But I want one of yours.”

     The two of them stare back at one another for a moment before Dougie taps Caleb on the arm. Caleb shakes his head and takes a cigarette from the pack, giving it to the cop. The old man takes the cigarette and lights it up.

     “Enjoy,” Caleb nods.

     “Way to be an asshole, Pig,” Jackie mumbles as she walks past Williams joining the rest.

     “Hold up a second,” Williams stops them. Dougie, Kat, Caleb, Jackie and Tina all stop at the door and turn around, looking at him. “There's a quicker way to get where you wantin' to go than to get back on the highway. You're just going to go in a big circle. I can tell you how to cut straight across.”

     “Oh yeah, how's that?” Dougie asks, interested in cutting down on the drive time.

     “You go out to this road right here, and instead of left to go back to the highway, you take a right. Take the road down about oh, fifteen miles? You'll see a sign saying 'Sleepy Hollow'. It's the old town. You can cut right through there across the bridge. You gonna spend half the time driving that way. It'll be another twenty minutes past that, and there you are. It'll be almost an hour back the way you came.”

     The college kids all looked at one another. Caleb and Dougie nodded to each other.

     “Sure, that'll do just fine. Thanks Sheriff,” Katerina said, smiling to him.

     “Not a problem, you kids enjoy yourselves. And have a Happy Halloween.”

     Williams and Mrs. Jenkins watched as the kids all filed out, and climbed back into the van, driving off in the direction that the Sheriff had told them to follow.

     “You do know it's Halloween, Sheriff?” Mrs. Jenkins asked.

     “Yep.”

     “And you sendin' 'em to the old Sleepy Hollow?”

     “Yep.”

     “Folks go there on Halloween, ain't likely to ever come back.”

     “That little bitch'll learn not to call an officer of the law a Pig then, wont she?”

     “Fair enough, Sheriff. What can I do ya for, anyways?”

     For the first time, Williams' disposition changes, as he removes his hat, leaning on the counter and clearing his throat. “Well, speaking of going up in that area. There was something I wanted to stop by and let you know personally...”

CHAPTER XIII

     The van winds down the desolate road, as the pavement blends more and more with the dirt, until they get the sensation they've truly left civilization behind. Katerina had found her way to the back of the van, and watched as all signs of society faded in the distance. Trees, and road were all they had now, and the sun was fading faster and faster. Amir noticed her staring off in the distance, and moved to join her.

     “Hey, you alright?” He asked, resting his hands on his lap.

     “Yeah, just thinking,” she nodded.

     “What's on your mind?”

     Kat shrugged, before looking at the floorboard. She wasn't one for talking about her darker thoughts up front with a guy she was just getting to know. Kat had a long history of battling depression, and something about the solitude of this place was quickly bringing that darkness to the surface. He noticed that she didn't seem interested in talking about whatever was bothering her, and quickly changed the topic.

     “So that cop was kind of an asshole.”

     She smiled, appreciating that he didn't push the subject. “Yeah, he was. Are you alright? He was kind of rude to you?”

     “Me? Oh yeah, totally fine,” he grinned as he puffed out his chest, with a sense of false bravado. “Truthfully, he's not the first asshole to talk to me like that. Won’t be the last either. Some people are just dickheads.”

     “It doesn't bother you?”

     “Used too, but why let it? People are going to say shit regardless. What does getting pissed off about it accomplish, besides building up negativity inside?”

     “I like how you think,” she nodded, smiling.

     He grinned in return. Danny watched their conversation from the side of the van, pissed off. He wasn't impressed with Kat's choice in men. One way or another, he was going to fuck this girl tonight. He scoffed at Amir' pseudo-hippy nonsense, and rolled his eyes.

     “That cop was a dick to me too, you didn't ask me how I was doing,” Danny chimed in.

     “That's because he caught you fucking stealing candy bars. Are you eight?” Katerina shot back.

     “The mark up on those things is ridiculous, alright? I ain't paying a dollar for a candy bar.”

     “No, you're right Robin Hood. A dollar is way too expensive. Way to fight the man!” Katerina joked, at his expense. The rest of the van laughed, as well. Danny crossed his arms over his chest, frowning hard. “I tell you what, next time you want a candy bar, and don't want to spend a dollar on it. Ask me for a dollar. I'm a big girl, I have this thing called a job. I'll give you a dollar, m'kay pumpkin?”

     His face burned red with anger, and embarrassment as the occupants of the van laughed at his expense. Danny glared at Katerina, and clicks his tongue against his teeth before turning away, looking at the front of the van. Caleb reaches back and pats him on the shoulder, trying to console him, but Danny pulls his shoulder away.

     “Fuck off of me,” Danny grumbles.

     “Aw, someone got their wittle few'wins hurt,” Caleb mocked, laughing at his friend.

     Danny didn't think it was funny.

     “Look...” Dougie pointed off to the passenger side of the window.
Sleepy Hollow, 5 Miles.
“Guess the old pig wasn't lying after all?”

     “Sweet, cause I'm ready to get out of this fucking van,” Jackie groaned, pulling a dildo out from between her legs she had been sitting on uncomfortably.

     “Do you think there will be some fine ass bitches at this party, though?” Harold spoke up out of the blue. Everyone looked at him confused. Sam seemed particularly perturbed by this. He looked around at each of them, unsure of what he said wrong. “What'd I say?”

     “Why do they have to be bitches?” Sam inquired.

     “What?” Harold looked at her confused.

     “Why do you have to refer to women as bitches? Why are they bitches? Because they won’t fuck you?”

     “No. I don't know their names, so I just – it's a broad term.”

     “Oh, so now they're broads too?”

     “What? No!”

     “Do you call your mom bitch? Sister? Girlfriend?”

     “I'm just fucking saying, alright?”

     “What? What are you trying to say? That you'd rather demean a woman before you even meet her, and objectify her, rather than referring to her as a fucking human being?”

     “Dude, I'm just sayin'...”

     “Do I look like a dude to you?”

     “I – kind of?”

     Dougie, Danny, Jackie and Caleb can't suppress their laughter. Sam's eyes burn a hole through Harold as he shrugs, still confused by what she's so worked up about.

     “Hair, just apologize man,” Amir spoke up to break the tension.

     “Apologize for what? I didn't do anything!” Harold shrugged, looking at his friend with both shock, and confusion.

     “No, you were born a problem. Fucking men,” Sam snapped and turned away.

     “...you want me to apologize for having a dick?” Harold shakes his head.

     “Just – stop talking,” Kat whispered to him. She shook her head, knowing he didn't particularly mean anything by what he said, but she also knew this wasn't a battle he was going to win. “Just, stop.”

     Harold sighed heavily, and threw his hands up, dropping them to his lap hard in frustration.

     Officer Hadley's police cruiser still sat at the corner of the road leading to the bridge, when the van turned off the main dirt road on to the side road.

     “Was there a cop sitting in there?” Dougie asked, looking in the rearview mirror.

     “Nah, he's probably out on foot looking for something,” Caleb shook his head, staring back out of his window.

     They continued on towards the bridge, and Dougie slowed to a creeping roll, looking at the car sitting there off to the side.

     “What is it?” Caleb asked, noticing Dougie's interest.

     “Nothing, just looking to see if someone's in the car.”

     “Maybe that's what the cop's out here doing, looking for whoever was in the car?”

     “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

     The van kept on, and Dougie drove slowly over the bridge, as it creaked and the wood cracked a bit under the weight of the van. Everyone else in the van stared out at the old bridge, as they passed under it. Most of them were used to skyscrapers, or suburbs. This thing was beyond ancient in their eyes. As the van made it to the other side, Dougie let out a small sigh of relief to himself, watching the bridge in the rearview mirror as they traveled on.

     Less than ten minutes later, the van is creeping through the disserted Sleepy Hollow. The group of students fight to see past each other, staring out at the broken-down town. Danny and Harold fought with each other for a spot, before Sam pushed her way between them, leaning against the window.

     “What the fuck is this place?” Caleb asks, looking around.

     “Fuck if I know,” Dougie shrugged, watching where he was driving. He noticed the cooler as they roll by it. “I think someone's here, though.”

     “Where are all the cars, then?” Jackie leans between them.

     “Where are all the people?” Kat whispers.

     “...where's the fucking road?” Dougie complains.

     He hits the brakes, and both Danny and Harold fall back towards the front of the van from the back doors. Katerina starts to fall as well, but Amir grabs her, pulling her to the side. Everyone else turns looking towards the front of the van, as they stare at nothing but trees. Doug puts the van in park, and both he and Caleb climb out, walking to the tree line.

     “What do you think?” Dougie paces the trees, looking into them. He notes the small path meant for walking, but no way was a vehicle fitting down there. Caleb takes out a cigarette and lights it, inhaling deeply. Lightning flashes across the sky. Dougie looks up at it. “I don't think we're getting anywhere this way.”

     “I think the cop was fucking with us. We wasted a half hour, and sunlight driving to the middle of nowhere,” Caleb complains, exhaling a puff of smoke.

     “Yep,” Dougie nods in agreement. “Let's get the hell out of here.”

     The two young men make their way back to the van, getting in. Neither of which noticed the large black figure of the Horseman watching from the trees. The van backed up, turning around, and headed back the way it came. Another few minutes pass and the van is rolling across the bridge.

     “Wait, so we gotta drive all the way back from where we came?” Tina whimpers, frowning.

     “It'll be all good,” Sam consoles her, hugging her tight.

     “What's your problem anyways?” Dougie looks in the rearview mirror.

     “We're cramped back here, man,” Harold responds.

     “So maybe y'all mother fuckers can just get out and walk then, how about -” Dougie screams, but it cut off as the van jerks hard.

     Wood snaps, and the passenger side of the van drops a couple feet. Everyone goes flying around, except Dougie and Caleb who are wearing their seat belts, but Caleb grabs the dashboard as he finds himself looking a lot closer at the bridge. The sledgehammer that Sam had brought with her, busts Danny in the face, instantly breaking his nose. Blood splatters across the wall of the van as everyone screams in shock.

     “Alright, alright! Everyone stop!” Dougie yells, as the van settles in this spot.

     Everyone holds their breath, as they try to stop moving. Katerina has grabbed Danny putting pressure on his nose, as he gasps through the blood.

     “What the hell happened?” Jackie asks, looking towards the front of the van.

     “Doug can't drive, that's what happened!” Danny screams, pushing Kat's arm out of the way.

     “I think the passenger wheel went through the wood. Everyone get out of the back, slowly. Very slowly,” Dougie orders, looking in the rearview mirror.

     Amir, being the closest to the back door pushes it open, and steps out. He extends his hand back in the van, as Tina grabs ahold, and he helps her out. Danny follows, with Katerina still holding his nose for him, tilting his head back. Sam is next, and she drags the sledgehammer with her. Jackie follows, and Harold jumps out.

     “Go ahead, man,” Dougie nods to Caleb, who unbuckles his seat belt.

     “Alright.”

     Caleb steps out of the back of the van, and Dougie is only a few seconds behind. They all stand there catching their breath as adrenaline courses through each of them. Dougie walks to the passenger side of the van, looking at the damage. He was right, the front passenger wheel broke through the wood.

     “Fuck,” Dougie groans.

     “Alright, should we call for a tow truck, or what?” Jackie speaks up from the back of the group.

     Dougie nods, taking his phone out. “No service. Anyone got any bars?”

     The others check their phones, and all find out very quickly service doesn't reach this far into nowhere. Frustrated, Dougie throws his phone against the wall of the bridge, causing it to break into pieces. Caleb starts to ask him what his problem is, but Dougie holds a hand up walking away.

     “Well, what the hell are we supposed to do now?” Sam snaps.

     “Nobody's small enough to fit past the van. We're stuck here until someone gets service, or someone comes along. Look, there's a cop car out there, right? And someone else's car. Somebody is bound to come by. We'll get some help then,” Kat points out.

     “That's all well and good, but I'm not sitting here waiting for that fucking thing to fall through the bridge,” Harold scoffs, pointing at the van.

     “I agree,” Amir nods, as thunder rumbles.

     “Let's head back to the buildings then? Can't be what? A twenty-minute walk? If it starts raining, we'll have a roof or two at least,” Katerina speaks up.

     After a few moments, the others all agree, and they grab a couple bags from the back of the van, heading out for the town.

    Twenty minutes later the group has made their way back into the town square. Caleb walks to the cooler still sitting there and opens it, checking it out. “Someone's here, or was here. The cooler is full of booze, but the ice is melted.”

     “Maybe they got lost out here, and that's what the cop's doing?” Tina considers out loud.

     “Maybe. Or maybe they left in a hurry,” Kat retorts, hugging herself as there's another thunder crash.

     Amir notices her chill, and puts an arm around her shoulder. She smiles at him. Danny glares over their back at this. Dougie walks around in a small circle, looking at the buildings. Tina hugs tightly to Sam. Harold lights a joint, and takes a long drag before passing it to Jackie.

     “What do we do?” Harold coughs out, gagging from the smoke.

     “I'm cold,” Tina complains.

     “We can build a fire. If it rains, we'll move inside,” Caleb nods, throwing his cigarette down, putting it out.