Chapter 4- The Last January

       Crimson stained the sharp edge of the blade.  Blood, still viscous enough to be fresh, had not yet gotten tacky, the kill was within the last few minutes. Tina stared in amazement as the blood dripped from the blade into a quickly spreading pool at Miss Darabont’s feet.

       “Get yourselves off the floor kids, the machete isn’t meant for you.  Damn pit-bull went nuts on the horses, was trying to tear em apart.  Kincade is round back with Cyd cleaning the mess up, was the damnedest thing.  We were just sitting out back having brunch when he he rushed the fence and started to go after them”

       Miss Darabont stuck the machete into the wooden porch and gave TJ a hand on getting back to his feet.  Nancy, having drug herself out of the bush was helping Tina to her feet.

       “Kincade tried stopping him, but he bit his arm.  Cyd smacked him with a board, it was like a fly, he saw it, he knew what was going on, he simply couldn’t of cared less.  When he turned to push Kincade down, well Mommy Bear going to protect her cubs before she does the chipmunks that live with them.”

       While Miss Darabont’s words were not untrue, they were mostly meant to mask her frayed nerves.  Jade Darabont was by know means an animal person, but you raise an animal for years, keep it safe protect, support it, it still kills a part of you to have to hurt that animal, even if it is to protect someone you love.

       “Nancy hon, you got a scratch on your arm there baby girl, lets get you inside and patch it before your pops decides to refuse us medical service for letting his girls get hurt.”

       “He would never do that Miss Darabont, only thing he loves more than us is money.” Nancy responded

       “Oh Nancy”  TJ soothed his friend, “We all love money more than you hon” before turning the knife.

       “If you use the machete why the boys are cleaning up I’ll swear it was a freak accident hon.”  Miss Darabont quickly added

       “Please do not tempt me.”

       Tina still stood frozen looking at that the pool of blood just outside the doorway.  The image burned her soul, seared her mind in the way only a traumatic memory can.  That type of pain that only comes up when you have to relive a moment that defined you, for the good or the bad.
       “….you ok?”  Tina became aware of the fact that Nancy was speaking to her, but had no idea how long she had zoned out for.

       “Yeah sorry, the blood, it just got to me.”

       “Oh hon, I wasn’t thinking, I’m so sorry.” Miss Darabont apologized.

       “It’s ok Miss Darabont, no reason to be sorry, you have had enough nonsense this morning, please don’t be worried bout me having a momentary mental break down.”  Tina joked off her reaction.  “Besides not every day you see a model covered in blood.”

       “Speak for yourself girl” TJ felt the need to add for some reason.

       “Trust me Tommy my friend, no one here or anywhere for that matter, wants to speak for you.” Kincade’s voice and ensuing laughter echoed throughout the entrance to the house.

       “If I was wearing a Sailor Scout outfit you would do more than speak for me” TJ responded, “You know damn well you would make clay pottery with me.”

       “I’m going to go Whoopi on your ass all right.”

       “So you do love me then?”

       “Your mom said till you guys are done cleaning up we could get it marked as an accident.” Tina informed Kincade

       “Damn, another missed opportunity.” Cyd entered into the hallway were the group had become gatherd.

       “Cyd!”  Nancy was thrilled to see Kincade’s neighbor and ostensible best friend.  He was not often a companion of the group, preferring to hang in smaller groups in order to better manage his emotional issues.  With that said over the last year or so the group had kind of adopted him as an honorary member if not a full part of their group.

       “Cyd.” TJ said with as little enthusiasm as humanly possible.  TJ did not dislike Cyd, he just was not a fan of what he represented, a threat to his friendship with Kincade as well as a flirting target for Nancy.

       “Tommy Boy, how you doing?”

       “TJ, its TJ, Sidney”

       “Touche”

       “You two going to touch tips or what?”

       “Only if you want to line em up Cade, only if you going to line them up.”

       Miss Darabont, Nancy and Tina reentered the hall after putting the medical adhesive over the scrapes on Nancy’s arm, even if minor, Miss Darabont could not help but be protective of the girls.  She had none of her own only two sons, but these two plus Ash being close to Kincade has allowed her to assume a motherly role to young women who did not have someone filling that role properly.  Plus having strong women around her sons will teach them to look for that in women in the future.

       “Cade Im going to bounce homie, right there if you need me just shout over the music.” Cyd announced

       “More than ok for you to chill man, hate for you to help and just take off.” Kincade nodded to his friendship

       “I hear you, just got a few things to handle myself today, we will catch up later. Tina, Nancy, TJ.  Miss D, I’ll grab that head on the way out and get it to the vet when I run to town so he can check it out.”

       “Shit, I forgot to put it in a bag, the kids on porch and then…” Miss Darabont, embarrassed about her startled reaction to seeing the kids.

       “No problem Miss D I got you.” Cyd grabbed a trash bag out of the hall closet on his way out the house

       “Good kid” Miss Darabont commented

       “Good indeed.” Nancy comment obviously not about his quality of character

       “But not great” TJ added

       “How would you know anything about greatness TJ?” Kincade poked his friend

       “Et tu Brute?”

       “Et tu.”

       After the group made their way to the living room and sat down to talk, Miss Darabont headed up to take a shower and wash of the violence of the morning.  The blood from her flesh, the violence from her soul.

       “You going to ask him or should I?” Nancy asked as soon as she heard the water turn on upstairs.

       “Fuck, ask me what?” Kincade looked alarmed at three of his best friends

       “Have some fucking couth Nancy.” TJ quickly responded “Calm down Cade.  The three of us had all just been having some fucked up dreams as of late…” Cade went from appearing alarmed to skeptical in a matter of moments. “They all had similarities, but Tina..”TJ nodded towards her sitting on the couch across the room from them, “she saw you in hers, no context other than that really…”

       “Not entirely true.  I know that there had been some kind of falling out or argument within our group.  I do not know who all was there but based on you looking the way you do I know one was you.”  Tina added

       “Well that”  TJ continued “but there were other things, a Shadow who was over looking the things going on.  Strange ties to mythology that none of us understand.”

       “Plus the school.” Nancy chimed in

       “What about the school? Walpole right?” the skeptical look had long since been erased only to be replaced with a general look of concern.

       “Yeah…it blows up…we do not know how or when…” Tina responded to the fear in his voice quickly

       “I do”  Kincade responded, revealing he too must have had the dreams. “I’m going to blow it up.”