Flawed Creatures

Sweet Thing -20-

CHAPTER TWENTY

October 1969

Bicycle coming to an abrupt halt in front of his best friend's house, Kirk dismounted and walked it up to the porch, carefully leaning it against the wall. Helmet removed and dropped next to it, he knocked several times before deciding to ring the bell. Deciding no one would answer after three minutes ticked by, he left the porch and jogged around the side of house, quite certain Dennis wasn't home since his car was neither parked next to the curb or the driveway. He knew he couldn't have parked in the garage as it was much too cluttered in there for a vehicle to fit. It being a Friday afternoon he surmised the man was still at work, but where was Cara?

Something was wrong. Kirk didn't want to believe that, but all week he just couldn't shake the feeling. He hadn't seen or heard from Cara since last Saturday when his dad took them fishing. Assuming she was sick when she wasn't at school on Monday, he didn't truly begin to worry until the following day when she was again absent. The minute his last class ended he rode his bicycle to her house, pedaling so vigorously his legs ached.

There hadn't been an answer so he went home and called. No one answered the phone until early evening when Dennis finally picked up assuring him that although Cara was under the weather she would be fine and back at school soon. Promising to give her Kirk's get well soon message the call ended with the preteen feeling better. At least until the next day when the anxiousness began to rise. However, he neither called or stopped by until today when he just couldn't take it any longer.

Although she hadn't answered, Kirk figured she had to be home since she was sick. Therefore, he refused to leave. Staring up toward her window, he cupped his mouth and repeatedly shouted her name, waiting a few seconds between each utterance. Thinking Cara might have been asleep, he headed further down the driveway toward the garage where their ladder was kept amongst the clutter. He was just about to reach for the handle when a loud noise drew his attention toward the backyard.

A frown marring his brow, Kirk's sneakers crunched the weed infested dried up grass on his way toward the old shed placed between two trees. All of its windows had been completely boarded up except one, which had enough open space at the bottom for him to peer through. What he saw and smelled broke his heart, caused nausea to attack his stomach and an intense anger to invade his soul.

There kneeling on a filthy mattress was his best friend dressed in a simple gown, barefoot and her hair a tangled, greasy mess. Head lowered, small shoulders shook as tears raced down her face dripping onto the mattress. Before her was a turned over bucket with what appeared to be human waste spilled across the wooden floor. Perhaps that had been the cause of the noise. Tears stinging his own eyes, Kirk called her name causing her to jump, head snapping in his direction.

"Kirk..." Cara's voice sounded raspy as though she had either just awoke or for other reasons hadn't used it in a while. Slowly rising to her feet, within two seconds she arrived at the window, ducking in order to see him. Fingers, the undersides of their nails caked with dirt clutched the windowsill. "I heard you calling me, but you shouldn't be here. I'm all right. Go home."

"You're all right and you're crying in the shed?" Kirk peered around her. "What the heck is this? Are you...can you get outta there?" Despite figuring she couldn't he had to ask. Dennis. He always knew he was a jackass, but this was an entirely new low. According to him his daughter had been sick, but it seemed that he was the sick one.
"Not yet." Cara used her gown to wipe at her eyes. "Please go, Kirk. Pretend you didn't see me here."