Immediately afterward, Rick crumpled to the ground and lay still, his eyes staring into eternal depths that no living man would ever see.
Some time later, after years of digging up old documents, I learned something interesting about that old house out in the woods. The original owner of the land had been Lester Chaldon, a wealthy eccentric businessman.
It was mostly kept quiet, but I found out by reading old letters between his brother and sister that he had a thing for collecting the old bones of Indian medicine men. It was also said that he tended to bury them throughout the yard. He believed he was using them to put a curse on anyone who would trespass into his land.
I can't help but wonder where he got the idea.
MOON DANCE
Matthew J. Leverton
Matthew J. Leverton is the author of Bending the Darkness, and a forthcoming novel, The Veins. He resides in upstate New York with his wife and daughter.
***
Jimmy lay on the ground, staring at the flickering stars in the infinite distance. He grasped in his right hand a small folded paper. He sighed into the night and said, “Are you going?”
Felicia lay just a few feet away, her long red hair splayed out behind her like a copper blood stain. “I’m thinking about it. Stacey Kell’s parties are always wild. You never know, it may be an all out orgy this year.” Felicia giggled.
“Really?” Jimmy said, perking up.
“No, you pervert! It’s normally a costume ball. I went a few years ago, and they had about a hundred people all dressed in cloaks and masks. It was kind of creepy and really fun.” Felicia smiled. She ran her hands over her hair and the grass.
“I’m thinking about going…” Jimmy said, waiting for the moment Felicia would make fun of him.
“I think that’d be awesome. I mean, you were invited, so I guess she may want you there. She doesn’t invite everyone.”
Jimmy smiled. His gaze never left the sky that night, a rather large, lovesick smile took shape where his mouth was. Felicia didn’t look over to him, she knew he was happy, and she’d keep him that way.
The moon illuminated the sky in a sickly white glow. The sloping field beneath alight with three bonfires amongst an overcrowded forest of green trees. In the distance, figures danced, their cloaks flapping in the breeze and Jimmy could hear the giggles and cries of the party. Jimmy stood on the balcony of the Kell Estate, watching the party below.
Several people surrounded him, dressed not unlike the party-goers below; black cloaks and golden masks with rather phallic noses and slit eyes.
Jimmy rubbed his arms as a breeze blew through his cloak. Felicia was somewhere, to that he was certain. He could not see her amongst the crowd in her garish green cloak and silver mask, but he could be sure she was around.
“Having fun,” a pleasant voice said from behind him. Jimmy turned around and was greeted with astounding blue eyes behind a simple white face mask. Her face looked frozen in time; emotionless. Long, curly blonde hair flowed out behind the mask.
“Uh-yeah, I guess,” he spoke softly.
“You guess? You’re at one of the biggest parties of the year, and you guess you’re having fun?” She smiled; Jimmy couldn’t see her mouth but the way her eyes thinned into slits he could tell she was.
“Well, maybe someone should show me what fun is, at these parties.” He had no control over what left his mouth, just felt the immediate regret that he had said such a forward thing to a probable complete stranger.
She stepped closer, still smiling. The people around them left for the party below and they stood alone. “What exactly is fun to you?” Jimmy quivered, he felt a pull in his gut and his loins, but felt the shame equally. Jimmy stammered and then said, “I don’t know.” He didn’t know, that was the damnable thing about it.
The girl in the white mask laughed, she raised a hand to his cheek and touched him. Her touch was warm and inviting. His head spun at that instant, feeling a girl’s hand against his skin was more than he ever handled before. “Well, let me show you,” she whispered.
Jimmy’s body tingled, but he looked around to see who was watching him. His eyes scanned for Felicia, but again, she was nowhere to be found.
The party had moved downstairs, people dancing amidst the fire’s glow.
Their shadows dancing against the trees. “What about Stacey?” The girl looked at him, unblinking. “What about Stacey?”
“I kinda came here to see her.” Jimmy sighed, feeling foolish.
“Oh. I’m sorry, then.” The girl dropped her chin and curtsied. “I’m sorry to bother you.”
She had gotten a few steps away from him, when he grabbed her hand. He had no idea what he was doing or why he was doing it, other than he was at the mercy of the moment. She turned back and locked eyes with him.
“Plans change.” He smiled.
She smiled too, “So they do.”
Felicia danced around the fire, whipping her long green cloak. The flames licked at the flinging cloth. She whooped as her hips moved with the music, swinging her hair around as well. To everyone there, she looked like a dancing fire nymph, slinging flames as she moved. Many of the men watched this dance, her eyes meeting with many of them. She flung her cloak again, this time revealing she was wearing very little underneath. Her breasts and sex were covered by a thin layer of leather underwear. She had her intentions for the night, and was set on getting it. A few of the other female party-goers groan in disgust at the sight, shouting obscenities at the dancing nymph. A few others joined her in a rather seductive dance. The ladies danced against the flames, casting exaggerated shadows upon the illuminated ground. Many men tried to hide their interest, but it was impossible, they drew ever closer.
Jimmy walked through the party with the girl at his wrist; she was leading him into the woods. His face burned from a mixture of embarrassment and the intense heat of the pyres. The girl walked quickly, determined.
“Where are we going?”
The girl stopped long enough to turn around, move her mask up a little and kiss Jimmy.
Jimmy’s head spun as if he were intoxicated. The askewed faces of the party-goers, the flickering flames, all spun into a kaleidoscope of images.
His feet were moving again before he snapped back to reality. Again they were moving, now further from the party. The air became crisp and cool as they stepped closer into the darkness.
“I-I don’t even know your name.”
“Anna.” She came to a stop just behind another line of trees. She stepped over to a stump and sat down.
The party could still be seen not far off. Women were dancing provocatively and Jimmy couldn’t care less. He turned his attention to the sitting maiden. “Anna? I like that. I’m-”
“Jimmy,” Anna said. “I know your name, I know you in fact.”
“How?”
“Does it matter? Or does it matter more that I want you?” Jimmy’s eyes widened as she said she wanted him. He felt his body quivering in anticipation.
“Do you want me?” Anna said, leaning back a little against the stump.
“Yes.” Jimmy rasped.
Anna giggled. “Why did you really come out here, Jimmy?”
“What? What do you mean?”
“Your real reason for coming out here with me; did you think you were going to get laid?”