the series of r/nosleep | volume one: the {smile} series

{N}eighbor

Mother Nature is bipolar. Or, like I told my mom when she hung the winter wreath on the door at the very same time my dad was doing yard work in sandals, Mother Nature is most def a chick. You can't be hot one day, snow the next, and then decide you're going to be a little bit of both on the weekend.

We went full pads today, fourth time this week, and I'm pretty certain we're going to be doing sled work every day until I graduate. I don't really mind, I mean quarterbacks don't get hit, but still, I kinda feel bad for everyone else. After the Crestwater game you'd think the coaches were actually punishing us. Whatever. It's not like any of us are good enough for D1 next year. Don't tell my dad, though. He'd have a cranial if I told him I didn't wanna play ball at State.

The phone rings.

"'Sup?"

"You hear about your hot goth neighbor?"

"She show up in your dreams again, dude?" He gets a rager whenever he sees Mrs. Reynolds. "I'm gonna tell your girlfriend," I tease.

"Tara's the one who told me." There's a pause. It takes me a second to notice there's no humor in his voice. He sounds so... serious.

"What's up?" I put my half finished Gatorade down on the porch and switch the phone to my right ear.

Another pause. I can hear him breathing. "Um, Tara heard her dad talkin' and apparently they found her husband Mr. Reynolds – "

"That wasn't his last name," I correct.

"What?"

"Your Wednesday Addams kept her daddy's name, because of the business or something."

"Oh, Cassie never told me that," he mumbles. "That doesn't really matter. Anyway, Tara heard her dad say they found him dead in their garage, leaning up against that shitty black Gremlin. Totally gutted."

"The car or the dude?"

"The dude," he says.

"Whoa."

"I know," he says. "I mean he seemed like a good guy, right? Always waved and stuff."

"Didn't say anything about seeing us over at Mcleritin's place..."

"Right."

"That sucks."

The phone is silent for a full minute.

"Dude?" Chad asks. "Do you think it was –?"

"No!" I interrupt. "And don't even fucking think that."

"Ok, I mean... Tara's dad said there was black ash everywhere and Steven said –"

I think of her and my blood boils. "I don't give a shit what your brother said," I shout. "There's no way –" A small yellow U-haul truck pulls into the driveway across the street. Brakes squeak and hinges protest as it comes to a stop. "Whoa." At the same time the driver door swings open the sun decides to push its way through a soggy pair of grey clouds. The house across the street is cast into a backlit shadow as a man, I think it's a man, hops out of the cab and lets himself through the front door.

Chad is talking into the phone, but I don't pay any attention until I hear him say, "And he's been grounded since the party."

"What?"

"I said Steven's been grounded since the party so..."

"Good. Your brother's a douchebag."

"But the dance," he says. "What we saw..."

"Bigger fish right now, dude," I say and stand. "Someone's moving into the old Vanderson place."

"Is she cute?"