DREAM SMASHERS

Dream Smashers - Chapter Seven

DREAM SMASHERS

SEVEN

From the outside, the pit seems empty. Broken windows bleed the darkness from within. Not a normal darkness, but one that warns you to stay away and screams danger. The street lamp illuminates the tears falling from the sky. I don’t know what happened to this shack of a house before we came to know it, but I’m sure evil deeds were once done here.

            I would have just ridden my bike past the pit without looking twice. But since I know about the secret crawl space under the house, I prop my bike against the back of the house. The only place left to look for her is here. I’ve been to the park and the skate rink and the movie theatre. She has to be here.

            I slide the glass door open. Although the air inside is dry, it is much colder than outside. I shiver. “Rainy…are you here?” My breath turns to fog.

            I step into the house and walk to the hidden door in the floor usually covered with a heavy carpet. The carpet sits rolled-up in the corner, exposing the wooden door. I only hope that it’s Rainy down there and not some tweaker.

            I stomp on the door. “Rainy?”

            No answer.

            Muffled voices come from under my feet. Dread drains my body. I turn to tip-toe out of the house. A familiar laugh shakes the floor and my confidence fills back up. “Rainy?”

            “In here,” Rainy says with a muffled voice.

            The door squeaks and a stream of light and smoke billow from the open hole in the floor. Rainy peeks her head from the floor. “Oh, hey, dude. Whaaaaz uuuup?” She coughs and laughs. Not a true laugh, but a giggle that never ends.

            “Are you kidding me? Please tell me you’re not stoned,” I say.

            “Hahahaha…no way, baby. I ain’t stoned.”

            A man’s voice says, “Yes she is.” And then laughs. Ace’s head pops up behind Rainy.

            “What the hell? Are you seriously with this guy again? Isn’t he, like, old enough to be your dad or something?”

            “No…no….no…” She burps a ridiculous laugh this time with snorts and mouth farts. “He’s snot. I mean, he’s not. He’s like…” She turns to face him. “Dude, how old are you again?”

            “Ha. I ain’t tellin.”

            “Whatever. Come on Rainy. We need to go,” I say.

            “Ace? Have you met my mom?” Rainy glares at me. “Mom, this is my new friend, Ace. He ain’t no tight ass like another friend of mine.” She grabs the beer out of Ace’s hand and takes a swig off it.

            Nice. I swear I need new friends.

            “Hi Mom.” Ace waves.          

            “I’m not your mom and I’m not a tight ass.” I take a step closer and kneel down. “I’m your friend, remember? This is just some older guy that doesn’t have a life of his own. What is he, like, twenty-five?” I lower my voice to a loud whisper just to be sure Ace doesn’t hear me, even though he seems oblivious to everything around him. “You know he’s probably going to want to have sex or something.”