Project X16.

Chapter 1.

A light breeze tickled his wet bare skin. Patrick dabbed his beach towel on the water-beaded areas where the wind told him that he had missed a spot. It was not a cold day so the breeze didn’t bother him. The warm sun heated the lake and made the air slightly humid. It was definitely too hot for layers.

“I can’t find them,” Caleb said from behind a tree that jutted out close to the water’s edge. He had been looking for his glasses for nearly an hour. He squatted around a small shrub nestled against a tree. Pulling branches and leaves aside, he searched the brown earth for a wire frame holding two pieces of rounded glass.

Patrick patted down his swimming shorts again, drying them the best he could. Dropping the towel over a low branch from a tree, he turned towards a gray, moss covered boulder sticking out of the ground. On a small shelf-like edge sat Caleb’s glasses, shining in the surface reflection of the water. Patrick turned to his friend and almost broke out laughing when he saw Caleb’s butt crack peeking out from his navy blue shorts. Patrick decided to surprise him. He bent down and picked up a long thin stick. Gently, he prodded the bird’s eye view of Caleb’s backside. Like a frog, Caleb leaped up about three feet with a slight scream.

Caleb’s reaction was priceless. Patrick cocked his head towards the sky and laughed hysterically. Caleb wasn’t impressed and pulled up his shorts.

“That’s not funny, Patrick!” he half shouted as his face turned different shades of red. He crossed his arms over his bare chest to emphasize that he was upset. Catching his breath, Patrick stepped closer to Caleb and put an arm around his buddy’s shoulder.

“Sorry, Caleb. I couldn’t resist. Remember you set them on the rock over there?”

Caleb dropped his arms and squinted at the oversized stone. His face returned to its normal color. He slapped his forehead lightly, not knowing why it hadn’t occurred to him before.

“Thanks,” he said, walking over to his glasses. Patrick just nodded and reached out for his shirt. Caleb used the hem of his shorts to rub the dirt off the lenses before putting them on. Patrick noticed something black hanging just under Caleb’s left armpit. Since Caleb was only 11, Patrick knew it could not be a patch of armpit hair. Not only was it thick, it was too low to be hair. Patrick stepped closer and examined it. Caleb saw the questioning look in Patrick’s eyes and froze.

“What is it?” Caleb asked, curious of Patrick’s sudden inspection.

“Leech,” Patrick said and squeezed the slippery sucker off of Caleb. It left a small bloody kiss on Caleb’s skin. He wiped it away frantically and shuddered.

“Ugh. I hate leeches,” He muttered as he watched Patrick place the one he took off on the hot boulder. It curled in the sun as if it was crossing its own arms… if leaches had arms.

“You see anymore on me?”

Patrick’s eyes traveled over Caleb. He looked his smooth tanned legs over, up his back and then around under Caleb’s other armpit. There were no more leeches clinging to him.

“You’re clean from what I see,” he told his friend.

Caleb grabbed the waistband of his shorts and pulled outward, examining for invaders attached to his covered parts. There was nothing except what should be hanging there. Next, he slipped a hand down the backside of shorts and felt around. Again, No slimy blood thirsty worms were found.

“Want me to look you over?” Caleb offered.

“Sure, I guess. I think I’m clean,” Patrick replied and slowly turned around for Caleb.

There were no blood suckers. They finished getting dressed and gathered their towels, placing them around their necks.

“Hey that new sci-fi movie is coming out tomorrow. Want to see it with me?” Patrick asked ask as the two boys picked up their bikes.

“Sorry, I can’t. I promised Maggie I would go with her and her mom to the mall,” Caleb said in an apologetic way.

“That’s ok. We can go the next night.”

“Sorry, staying at my Dad’s that night.”

“Maybe next weekend then,” Patrick said with a sigh.

“Sorry buddy. See you tomorrow at school?”

“Yeah, see you there.”

Patrick and Caleb said their goodbyes and rode their separate ways.

Patrick got home just as the sun was setting. An amber glow illuminated a path to the side door. To his surprise, his mom was home early, setting the table with dinner. She was still in her work clothes, humming a tune he didn’t recognize. He stepped behind her as she spread out the silverware. She was startled by Patrick’s hug. She turned, smiling, and wrapped an arm around Patrick’s shoulders.

“Hi, sweetie. How was your day?”

“Good. I went swimming with Caleb.”

“I can smell it. Wash up quickly for dinner, ok hon?”

“Ok. What are we having?”

“Fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, and corn.”

“Mmmm. That sounds great!”

Patrick raced into the bathroom and cleaned up. He went upstairs and got into some cleaner clothes. When he came to the table, his mom served him up a plate and had placed a twenty ounce bottle of Mountain Dew by his fork and knife. He was sure going to get a sugar high. They sat and ate as Patrick’s mom told him about her day and all the stuff that wore her out. When they finished, Patrick cleared the table and gave his mother a gentle shoulder massage. She leaned down on the table after a while and dozed off with her head on her arms.

Patrick leaned in and kissed her cheek.

“Love you, mom.” He whispered.

“Love you too, sweetie.” She whispered back. Patrick smiled and crept up the steps and into his room. After shutting his door, he flopped on his bed. Immediately, boredom kicked in. Deciding to watch TV, he rolled on his stomach after grabbing the remote. He pushed the right buttons and got what he wanted. A sci-fi show of ghosts glowed on the screen. Tonight, the hunters where searching an industrial cellar, looking for the ghost of the former owner. The first couple of minutes didn’t entertain Patrick like the other episodes he had watched. Some of them gave him nightmares. He watched the show even though he jumped up awake in bed a few times. He hated the dreams but loved the show.

The sound droned away as he fell asleep with the lights and TV on. As he lay there, His mind worked into dreams of glowing blue light and fast flying dark spots in the sky. Some whirled and crashed into houses and buildings. Fire blazed up in huge balls of fiery. The explosions lit the neighborhood in a myriad of oranges and yellows. They showed flashes of what was under cover of the night. Things, indescribable things popped from black capsules and shot blue lasers at the panicked and confused. People tried running away, screaming at the top of their lungs, immediately engulfed in the blue light and vanished. Not a trace was left of the people who ran. Except for the crackling fires, it was all quiet again. Patrick’s mind raced, his eyes fluttered. He let out small moans and twitched in bed as more of those dark spots flew through the air.

To be continued…

Editors note:

Please feel free to contact Mickforhire at his e mail address to express your thoughts and comments on his first chapter. Its mickforhire@gmail.com

Thanks, Dwedno.