Harbinger Harry

Chapter 17- Decisions

Cynthia had met with Brodie after both football and cheer practice had been cut short due to the accident and each team had been forced to clear out by law enforcement.  They had driven onto the outskirts of Harbinger Valley meaning to sit in Brodie's BMW and spark up a joint while he shared with her how he had asked around if anyone had heard from Paul but how everyone's answer had been the same. No one had. She told him how Erica had also gone awol since Monday. Brodie went on to share his suspicions surrounding their recent disappearances and the unnerving audience they had had during practice right before Derek's death.

" He was standing there leaning against his bike. Just watching us. Fucking grinning  just like he was  that morning."

"I still don't get it. He was watching you guys practice. So what? "

" He was gone right after Derek took the hit. Just. Gone. Like he was never there."

" Maybe you just thought you saw him and he never really was."

" No." Brodie took a moment to assert his tone of certainty. " He was there."

Cynthia inhaled deeply, filling up her lungs and exhaling an impressive stream of gray smoke through her nose.

" Again so what? You think he had something to do with not only Derek's death but all the missing people?"

He didn't say anything, only taking another puff from the joint.

" You know how crazy that sounds, right?"

She was right of course. How could he have caused Derek's death? The police had ruled it an accident  brought on by faulty equipment. Brodie's mind kept coming back to metal pipping attached to the dummy and how it had appeared to have been warped. As though melted by an intense heat.

Brodie took another hit.

" I don't know how but I get this feeling that fucker has something to do with all of this. Him and that little fag Hooper."

Cynthia took another puff, coughing violently after having overestimated her capability with her last toke.

" Can we talk about something else? This is all really freaking me out." She pleaded struggling to catch her breath.

After they had finished successfully getting baked they had decided to head back into town. While trailing down the main road both high and lost in their own state of euphoria, each street light they passed taking on their very own hypnotic undulations. The crisp funnel of wind whipping Cynthia's long blonde hair out behind her. An unusual spark of ember suddenly appeared in the far off distance catching Brodie's eye. Orange in color. A burning star growing large with every passing second. It was moving closer and closer into view, it's intensity becoming more visceral and almost violent. Was this a drug induced hallucination? Was he seeing things? He turned to Cynthia hoping for some reassurance in what he was seeing. But she was lost in her own world. Her eyes shut, wearing a smile of pure ecstasy. He turn back towards the road as the fiery form now appeared to be even closer. It was facing them down as though committed to an onward collision.

It's a fucking bike!

" Holy shit!!" Brodie bellowed in terror, jerking his steering wheel to the right, tearing Cynthia out of her peaceful trance and forcing a shrill screech from out of her lungs. They went veering off the road, Brodie momentarily losing control of the vehicle until they came to a abrupt stop and came crashing into a mound of gravel on the side of the road as the glowing figure on the motorcycle kept moving on undisturbed.

" What the actual FUCK Brodie!" Cynthia cried out with hot, angry tears running down her face.

_________

Tuesday

Harry had made it through the school day wracking his brain over everything the strange girl had told him. He had decided to skip his English class for the day opting to stop by study hall for the duration of the period. He just couldn't deal with the idea of having to sit next to her. Feeling her piercing eyes watching him the entire time. He spend lunch period hidden away within a small hallway nearby his next class hoping to reduce the chances of running into her. He spent the duration of lunch staring at the ring. Fixated. The sudden thought of removing it came to him but was just as quickly quashed. He struggled more then ever trying to recall the night of the game when Harvey claimed they had found it and he had given it to him as a gift but all he could conjure forth were shards of that night. Images he believed could only be from a nightmare. There was no possible way they could have actually happened.

He  had made up his mind. He wouldn't be meeting with her that night.

" Hey Hooper, what's shakin'?"Harvey stood leaning against his bike he had been waiting for him. They had made plans to hangout that day after school the previous day.

" Hey Harv," Harry walked over trying to hide his very noticeable discomfort.

" You still not feeling too good huh? You still up to hangout?"

Harry took a moment to consider the thought but all he could think of were Capri's warnings. How certain she seemed in what she were saying. Was Harvey really only using him? Was the world's fate depending on him and whether or not he would fall for this enigmatic boy's façade.

" Actually, you think I can take a rain check? I'm just not feeling the best today. Think I might turn in early."

" Yeah sure, no problem bud," Harvey smiled that million dollar smile of his, scooting up on his seat to make room for Harry. " Let's get you home."

Harry had spent the evening up in his room listening to music trying to lose himself in it. There was a sudden knock at his bedroom door.

" Come in," he called back. Joseph opened the door and stepped inside.

" Hey bud, noticed you weren't joining us for dinner. Just wanted to come up and see how you're doing?" He stood there in the doorway, wearing that eerie insincere smile, show casing every tooth, the corners of his mouth stretched unnaturally wide. His eyes seemingly unblinking. It was now more noticeable to him just how unnerving it had become.

Harry rolled over, turning his back to him.

" Yeah, everything is fine, I'm just not really feeling all that hungry tonight."

He recalled a memory long forgotten from back in grade school.  A boy had brought a ventriloquist dummy to school for the talent show. Harry had found he couldn't bring himself to watch his performance. The dummy's vacant eyes and hollow smile as it's eyes stared out into the audience lifeless and it's wooden jaw jotted up and down with every word spoken in it's silly high-pitched voice. The show had brought him a week of sleepless nights spend in his parent's bed, much to their annoyance.

It was just a puppet. You have to be brave. His father would say.

Just a puppet. Harry thought to himself. His father's voice clear as a whistle in the forefront of his memory.

" Aw, I'm sorry to hear that buddy. Anything I can do?" He said in that unnatural chipper tone.

" No, I think I'm just gonna get some sleep." He stayed turned facing away.

" Alrighty then. Sweet dreams kiddo." Joseph had begun to exit the bedroom when Harry called out to him.

" Joe. What do you thing of Harvey?" He asked hesitantly.

" Well I think he's a pretty swell guy!" Joseph replied without skipping a beat, smiling ear to ear.

" Why do you ask?!"

His gaze fell onto the ruby worn on his right hand. It gleamed brilliantly as if staring back at him. He felt urge to pull it off silence almost as sudden as it had come.

" No reason." Harry replied, regretting asking the question.