Esper Chapter 2: Directionless

Part 1

Buzz…buzz…buzz…click!

“Hello, 911. What’s your emergency?” An older woman inquired from beyond the payphone’s speaker.

“Y…*Cough*…” A cough to clear one’s throat surprised the operator! The young man on the other end of the line spoke again; noticeably deepening his voice. “Yes…t-there’s an officer at Newtonville rock - err…the ridge on the outside of Newtonville. I’m not sure, but I think he may be seriously hurt! I don’t know what happened! There were some gun shots and…something just threw him from on top of the ridge!”

“Please calm down, sir! We’ll send some cars out immediately! Sir, what is your name…?”

“…”

“Sir…?”

“…”

“Are you there? Hello?”

Click…buzz…buzz…buzz…

Part 2

Harper Wolf rushed back to the ridge as fast as his chubby, short legs could carry him! What he returned to could only be described as a bloodbath. Red-haired waitress, Katie Vang, desperately wiped pieces of the formerly living cop, Niles, off her person! She’d tossed aside her jacket, despite the cold, attempting to remove the gore which had seeped into every nook and cranny of her body.

Vernon Marino stormed up to Harper and gripped the boy tightly by his shoulders, locking eyes! “Did you do what I told you, kid?”

“Yeah…I mean, I didn’t know what I was supposed to tell them though.” Sweating bullets, Harper replied while trying to avoid eye contact with Vernon’s intense gaze.

“Hey, hey! Up here, look me in the eye and tell me you followed my instructions!”

“Yes! I did, okay?! I called the police, I used a fake voice, I didn’t leave a name, I used my jacket to avoid getting fingerprints on the phone, and then walked on the rocky path to avoid leaving tracks! Are you fucking happy, man?!”

“Ecs-fucking-tatic, kid!”

“Enough!” Nicolaus Thompson yelled at his two hysterical peers! Trying to regain the minimum level of composure, Nicolaus knelt on the ground taking deep breaths. Only an unbearably, countable, fifteen minutes had passed since he possibly committed a murder, blasting that officer off the side of Newtonville Rock with a strange azure haze! “Look…I just…we just need to do something.”

“I think I’ve got it covered. All of you need to work with me. Understand?” Vernon pulled a knife from his jacket pocket. As the cool headed Italian-American man made his way into the woods, he stopped and called back to the others. “Nick’o, you come with me! I need your help! Harper, Vergil get the ladies back to my car and wait for us there! Get a move on, Nick’o!” A swift smack, from Harper, to the back of Vergil Trask’s head snapped him out of a daze! Overwhelmed by the horror of possibly that she’d obliterated a person’s body, Amala had fainted. With her unconscious on the ground, both boys decided to carry the small woman down toward Vernon’s car.

Carefully taking light steps and walking only surfaces that wouldn’t leave footprints, Nicolaus and Vernon skulked through the woods. “Vernon, what are we doing?”

“There isn’t much time, so we’re going to mess with this area as much as possible! Break branches, turn up dirt, throw rocks around…whatever! We need to get the police off our trail.”

“We’re really not going to turn ourselves in?”

“Turn ourselves in? Are you kidding me? We’re done for if we get caught with all the laws we’ve broken! Probably won’t even go to trial! Bet they’d just throw the book at us.”

“We killed people, man! We need to…do something…”

“WE shouldn’t even be here in the first fucking place! What do you think the jury will say when they hear our side of the story, huh? That we came up to this deserted mountain ridge for answers about the voices we’re hearing in our heads? If I were them, I’d think we were a weird cult, or something. Not to mention, if you happen to forget, it was whatever the hell you and Amala did! I’m just trying to help you here!”

“I…I don’t even know what I did.” Nicolaus trembled, hardly able to stave off a panic attack. (I killed a man…right? I didn't mean to.)

“Quit standing around Nick’o, no time!” Snapping branches and slashing at tree bark with his knife, Vernon rampaged through the forest doing everything he could to destroy the trail! Nicolaus joined in and the two wrecked the path that ran around the ridge. They finished and hurried back towards their vehicles. Both an unconscious Amala and stunned Katie sat in Vernon’s waiting car. Pale skin stained red and shivering, Katie hugged herself, shocked, wrapped in bewilderment and surrounded by the winter cold. Harper and Vergil were in Nicolaus’s sister’s car, calling out for the others. The men returned to their cars and sped off, leaving just dirt clouds behind as they zoomed away!

Part 3

Apart from Katie, everyone laid around Vernon’s front room devitalized. The fiery redhead vigorously scrubbed in the shower until her normally pale and freckled skin reddened like a tomato. Vernon turned on the TV to break up the dead silence that’d engulfed the room. Some time passed and Katie meekly rejoined the group without a word. Once everyone sat down Vernon stood to call their attention.

“Alright, let’s get this started; we all need to talk about what just happened! We’re all freaked out, I get that, but we can’t just sit here.” No one responded, causing Vernon to pace back and forth across the soft white rug underfoot. He placed his hands over his face and unleashed a muffled scream into his palms. “Okay, you know what?! I’m not asking anymore! I’m telling you; Amala, Nicolaus, explain what the fuck happened!”

“What makes you think we know?!” Nicolaus exploded in his retort! He looked over to Amala who’d awoken from her fainting spell, lifelessly staring at the floor.

“What about you, Amala?” No physical or verbal response was given. “Amala!” Amala cut her eyes to Vernon, then back to the floor without a word. “None of you understand how serious this is! This isn’t a joke! We need to get our stories straight before the police get here!”

“Get our stories straight? That’s what’s on your mind?” Massaging his temples, Nicolaus pressed his back against the arm of the sofa. Katie sat grasping her knees tightly whilst rocking back and forth. Vergil was pulling at his long white hair making strands fall to the floor. Amala catatonically looked off into space. Harper, with his back turned to the group, seemed to be typing things into his phone nonchalantly.

“Harper, what are you doing? Give me whatever you’re playing with over there.” Vernon called out to Harper nearly making the boy drop his device.

“Will you just chill out?!” Harper snapped back, then showed Vernon his phone! It displayed a website with accounts of paranormal activities ranging from possession to spirits attacking people.

“Let me see that.” Vernon snatched the phone. “…This also lists aliens and stuff. This is nonsense.”

“Coming from you? That’s funny.” Taking umbrage with the snarky and ill-advised rib from his spiky haired pessimistic co-worker, Vernon set his sights on Nicolaus.

“Okay then, how about it, Nick’o?”

“What?”

“How about you tell us what you think?”

“Well…I...”

“Wow, funny! It’s almost like you’ve been opening your mouth all this time and nothing, except for blind cynicism. Some things never change!”

“Okay, fine then…um…”

“What? ‘Um’, what?”

“Give me a second! It’s…” Nicolaus took a minute to gather his thoughts. “I don’t know if I can convey this the right way, but it was definitely me. My hand… there was some weight when that blue misty stuff came out of me. …I don’t know. Never mind, it’s dumb.”

“…Do you think you could do it again?” Quizzically, Nicolaus tilted his head at the proposal made by his typically detested peer.

“…Maybe…”

Both men made their way towards the front door. “Wait up, guys!” Harper got up and quickly followed suit. Awkward silence returning to the front room compelled Vergil to stand up and shuffle in behind his male contemporaries on their way to the wooded area around Vernon’s abode. Said homeowner eyes locked onto a tree roughly twenty feet away.

“Alright Nick’o, try and…I don’t know, blast that tree over.” Indeed, it was a rather sizeable tree, however it leaned significantly. If a car were to collide with the tilted sapling it would have been easily uprooted.

Nicolaus sat focusing for a few seconds, trying to imagine the tree moving. Nothing happened. “Agh!” He began fussing with his hair in frustration!

“H-how about recalling your feeling from before?” That was the first time that Vergil had chimed in, surprising the guys who didn’t even notice he was outside! “You know, when A-Amala was about to get shot…”

“I’ll give it a try.” Nicolaus focused on that lingering feeling. He closed his eyes, extended his hand, and tried to move the tree! Once again, nothing. “Hang on…wait…” Deeply concentrating, bubbling frustration pushed the exasperated young man’s furrowed eyebrow tips to nearly meeting in the middle of his forehead! Unfortunately, the tree remained motionless.

“*Sigh*…maybe I should get a gun and point it at Amala to see if that gets a reaction.” A joke, all be it in bad taste came from Vernon. “What, not funny?” Nicolaus gave Vernon a disapproving glare and tried again. “Look…it’s not working.”

“Stop it, will you? I need to focus.”

After a couple of minutes and a few more tries, Vernon gave up completely on the experiment. “Alright boys, let’s pack it in for the night. You kids called your folks and told them you were staying over a friends’ house, right?” The others seemed done with the test, nevertheless Nicolaus remained steadfast. His belief that whatever the phenomenon from before may have been, it was controlled by him.

“Wait!” Trying to make even a single leaf around him move while clenching every muscle in his body, Nicolaus did all he could! “Well?”

“No way…”

“D-Did anything move…?”

“…” Vernon let out a gasp! Nicolaus turned to face the group. “…nothing moved. Alright, let’s go!” They left Nicolaus outside, dejected and annoyed.

(Asshole.) Even though Nicolaus thought of punching Vernon in his smug face, knowing it wouldn’t change a thing stopped the surly young man. “*Sigh*…”

Part 4

Powerful silence remained, blanketing that group of anxious young people no matter how long the night stretched on for. Only inappropriately timed laughter resounding throughout the home from Vernon’s television managed to pierce the dead air. Be it from fear of nightmares or what may transpire while they slept defenselessly, not one participant of the impromptu sleepover could drift off. As the clock’s hands ticked past midnight, Vernon got up and grabbed some blankets for the others and then sat back on the couch.

(Even he can show some compassion, I guess.) Nicolaus thought; then took notice of Katie laying within ear shot. Her bright red hair spilled out across the carpet like a drop of paint, and apathetic eyes watched the ceiling. “Hey, Katie, you feeling any better?” Nicolaus whispered as to not disturb the others. She rolled over, gloomy expression basically answering Nicolaus.

“…I…” She started to say something but stopped before getting the thought out, shuttering slightly. Nicolaus reached out and grabbed her hand, softly. His hand easily eclipsed hers, wrapping it in a secure net of warmth. The young red-haired waitress stopped shivering, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Sorry, I just…you know…”

“…Thanks, Spike.” Katie pulled her hand away. “You’re pretty cheesy, you know?”

“Yeah?” Nicolaus chuckled.

“…I just can’t forget that sensation. His body…it was all over me.”

“…”

“Spike…Nicolaus, what’s going to happen to us…?”

“I don’t know.”

“Could you lie to me…and tell me everything’s going to be okay?”

“…No, sorry.”

“Hehehe…you really know how to spoil a girl.”

“Glass half empty is kind of my thing.”

“I can tell. Thanks, all the same. I may actually be able to sleep now.”

“Cool, you should. I think the others have all nodded off too.”

“Seems like it. Night, Nicolaus.”

“Good night, Katie.” Katie shut her eyes and almost immediately drifted off to sleep. (…I wish I had a clue what’s going on. How am I even supposed to look myself in the mirror? I killed someone…and just left the body there. I haven’t felt this hopeless since…high school.) Despite being able to provide Katie with some solace after the night’s events, Nicolaus was still anxious. He didn’t sleep much that night. Instead, his mind was filled with thoughts of the officers, death, and days from long ago.

Part 5

Vernon was the first to awaken. The sun’s powerful rays broke through his curtains almost pinpointing his eyelids, forcing him up. Taking special care to avoid stepping on the others sprawled out across his floor, Vernon made his way to the kitchen. Coffee was his objective, and he was determined to get some. With the coffee pot starting up, an alarm sounded waking the sleeping freeloaders! The alarm originated from Katie’s cell phone, who hastily shut it off!

The others angerly shoot glares toward her, upset at the rude awakening. “Uh…” She started. “It’s so that I don’t oversleep and miss my shift.”

“Geez…is that all?” Vernon went returned to his seat on the couch beside Amala. “Okay, so what are we going to do now? Come on, people! We can’t just sit around all day!”

“Will you shut up?!” The jarring roar that erupted from Amala surprised everyone! She’d not spoken throughout the whole escapade until that point so no one was expecting it. “I…I mean, please, my head hurts. So, can you stop yelling?”

“O-Okay.” Vernon was visibly shaken eliciting a stifled chuckle from Nicolaus.

“I guess we should return to our own houses for now. I’ve still got to drop off my sis…” Nicolaus halted halfway through his sentence, forgetting Katie was in the room. (I’d rather not look like more of a dork in front of her. She doesn’t need to know that I’m driving my sister’s car around.) He restarted that explanation. “I’ve still got to drop off my sister at her job.”

“I’m still concerned about what happened yesterday. Honestly, I didn’t expect the police to just show up in the middle of the night and arrest us. With that said, we still need to stay on our toes.” Nicolaus already associated that calm demeanor with Vernon’s character; yet seeing him unfazed by their situation was unnerving.

Harper held up his phone screen to show Vernon something. “I’ve been looking at all the news sites and they haven’t said anything yet. You think, maybe they haven’t found the bodies?”

“Impossible. That ridge was covered in gore!”

The room returned to it’s all too familiar uncomfortable silence. Suddenly, Katie’s phone began to ring! Looking at the caller I.D. caused her to jump up and exit the room in a hurry! A light tapping on the shoulder then caught Nicolaus’s attention.

Amala leaned in close to whisper. “You’re dropping me off at home, right?”

“Huh?” Even though Nicolaus acted surprised, he knew that was coming. He’d given her a ride to Vernon’s house in the first place, so taking her home was an obvious part of the informal agreement.

“Don’t, ‘huh’! I need to get home and you brought me here, so take me back home.”

“You’re really freakin’ bossy, you know that?” He said whilst running fingers through his quill like spiky hair.

Katie returned to the room, distressed. “I’ve got to go. …Someone’s looking for me. Can we maybe talk some other time?”

“Alright. I see everyone has to get back to their normal lives now. But just remember, we need to stay in contact. If something else happens, like the police contact you, or even more so if that mist stuff comes out of anyone else, reach out! Let’s exchange numbers, people!” They started exchanging phone numbers, then gathered their things and headed for the cars.

“We can actually walk from here.” Harper spoke up for himself and Vergil, who’d remained totally silent the entire morning.

“Nah. Hop in; I’ll drive you kids home. Yo, Katie, what about you? Need a lift?”

“N-No… I’ve got to run. I’ll see you guys later!” She quickly sped off on foot despite Vernon’s offer.

“Okay…Amala?”

“No. Nicolaus will drive me home. He doesn’t live too far from me, so it shouldn’t be a hassle on his end. Also, I’d hate to impose on you any further, considering how accommodating you’ve been thus far.” Politeness so thick Nicolaus gagged on; annoying Amala who elbowed the overly dramatic man’s ribs.

“Gotcha’! Well, if you’ll excuse us! Come on, kids, let’s go!” Vernon was blushing a bit. It was clear Amala struck a chord with him, though the confident man tried to play it off coolly.

Nicolaus started up his sister’s car, and with Amala in tow, drove off. They made their way to the highway without a single word exchanged between them. Silently, Amala slouched down in her seat and closed her eyes.

“…Uh…” Nicolaus took notice of his passenger and began to worry. “Hey, are you okay?” He reached his arm over and touched her on the shoulder; that elicited a reaction he wasn’t prepared for!

“Stop! Stop!” Amala began flailing her arms causing one of her fingernails to cut across Nicolaus’s face, just below the eye! It caused the young driver to temporarily lose control of the vehicle, just barely being able to pull over to the side of the highway!

Other drivers drove by honking their car horns and cursing, as Amala and Nicolaus sat on the side of the road catching their breath.

“Ugh…” The cut on Nicolaus’s cheek was deep, spilling blood down onto the young man’s shirt! “What the fuck was that for?!”

“I’m…” Nicolaus demanded an explanation! “I-I just…” Backing away like a frightened animal, Amala scrambled for the door handle! The second her fingers found it, she bolted from the car!

“Wait! Amala!” After putting his flashers on and setting the car in park, Nicolaus got up and ran after her! “I said wait!” Once he caught up to her, he grabbed the small woman by the wrist!

“Get off!” Again, Amala backed away in terror, falling to the ground with a feral look in her eyes as she shielded herself!

“Sorry…I didn’t mean to…”

“No…just…” A car slowed down behind them and an older, large woman got out!

“What are you doing to that poor girl?!” The woman came up pointing her finger, positively livid! “You get away from her, right now!”

“I didn’t do anything, I swear!” Nicolaus and the woman bickered for a few minutes until Amala got back to her feet.

“I’m fine, ma’am. Hey, come on.” Amala shuffled back towards the car and Nicolaus followed suit.

“You better watch yourself, boy!” The woman yelled as she got back into her own car.

Nicolaus and Amala sat in their seats watching the one woman from before drive by, gesturing that she was watching him. The two remained totally silent for a few minutes without so much as making eye contact. Nicolaus pulled a napkin out of the glovebox and pressed it over the profusely bleeding wound on his face.

“Sorry.” Amala sincerely said as she lowered her head.

“It’s okay. Do you want to explain why you freaked out like that?”

“Should be pretty obvious…”

“…Yeah, I guess. You didn’t freak out this morning though…”

“Probably because, I didn’t sleep yesterday. Every time I got ready to close my eyes…I kept seeing, you-know-what, happen repeatedly.”

“Wait, are you saying you didn’t sleep at all last night?”

“Nothing more than for a few minutes. I was starting to fall asleep in the car before…then when you reached across…” Amala covered her eyes and started panting. “I-I’m sorry…I don’t…I don’t think I can take it…”

“…” Nicolaus sank down into his chair. “I don’t know what to tell you. I did the same thing…kind of.” He said while reaching for a new napkin to help his cut. “Seems like the both of us spent last night trying to figure out what we’d done. Ouch!” The gash on his face continuing to hurt abruptly cut short any attempted expression of empathy. “I need to get something for this cut.”

“I think there’s a gas station just up the road.” Nicolaus noted, and drove to their new destination.

The two arrived but before Nicolaus could exit the car Amala stopped him! She got out herself and ran into the store as the young man waited, nursing his wound. Amala returned, and through the window handed Nicolaus some medical supplies. “Thanks.”

“Pop the gas cap. I…owe you gas money too.” He obliged and waited for Amala to finish filling the tank while tending to the cut on his face. She finished and rejoined Nicolaus, who then drove the car to a nearby lot. “What’s the matter? Just drop me off at home.”

“Hang on…” Nicolaus started fussing with his hair.

“I’m sorry. I know it hurts, ok?”

“It’s not that…what I’m trying to say is…”

“…Out with it, Nicolaus!”

“Ok, ok, ok! I was going to say…” Nicolaus took a deep breath, discomforting Amala and making her recoil slightly. “…We…meaning you and I…went through a lot last night. I was thinking about it while you were in the gas station and realized that even though we did two different things, they were kind of similar! We’d probably not be able to talk to anyone of the others about it – or anyone else for that matter! What I’m trying to say…that if you need to talk to somebody about the way you’re feeling, about…you know, stuff, you can talk to me.”

“…”

“Or you don’t have to…whatever.”

Amala snickered. “You’re really a rare type of person, Nicolaus Thompson.”

“…Is that a good thing…?”

Amala smiled, not like her previous smiles Nicolaus had seen before. Even with prominent bags under her eyes and hair out of place, the goofy and wide smile was genuine. “Thanks. Maybe another time though. I’m hardly keeping my eyes open right now.” With both lacking sleep and barely able to put together a truly coherent thought, Nicolaus conceded that maybe it would be best just to end things.

“Right! Well, let’s get you home then.”

Part 6

Finally, they arrived at Amala’s apartment complex. Amala got out of the car and prepared to wave goodbye but stopped and leaned into the window signaling that she had a question.

“I forgot to ask; do you remember that…chubby kid from earlier?”

“Uh…yeah. What was his name again?”

“Harper Wolf…right?”

“Yeah, that’s it! You know him?”

“Oh, no. I had a…friend with that last name years ago. Just thought maybe he was a cousin…or son…maybe.”

“Ask him next time we meet up. I’m sure that Vernon will make us all have another meeting.”

“Yeah. Probably will. Anyway, thanks…d-dude…” She said, recoiling slightly.

“Chill out, ok? I’m not mad. See ya’!”

Nicolaus drove off, leaving Amala shrinking in the rearview mirror until she was out of sight. A sudden ring on the young man’s cellphone startled him! It was Dani, Nicolaus’s younger sister. The pessimistic young man audibly groaned as he expected to be chastised for not returning home the night before.

“Sup, Dani?” Rustling came from the phone speaker. Nicolaus could make out what sounded like his sister talking to an unknown man with a heavy Spanish accent.

“Dani, come on. I don’t see why…” The voice of the man sounded distraught.

“Just not yet, okay? My mother would flip. But since you’re here, I’ll introduce you to Nick…whenever the hell he gets back here with my car! You know what? Let me give him another call…” The rustling came again, then prolonged silence.

“What’s up, Dani?”

“…Hi, Nick.” Dani’s voice trembled.

“Something you want to tell me?” Sarcasm oozed through the phone.

“W-When’ll you be home?”

“Soon.”

“I’ll…tell you when you get here?”

“Sounds good. See you then.” Nicolaus hung up the phone. (Whatever this is, it can’t be good.) Another call came in! Nicolaus pulled over to the side of the road and prepared to answer, scoffing when he noticed it was Vernon. “Yeah…?”

Vernon started off sounding troubled. “Listen up Nick’O, I just got a call from the cops, so you’ll probably be getting one soon too. They’re most likely going to want you to come down to the station.” Nicolaus’s heart jumped in his chest! Thoughts of blowing that officer off the side of the ridge resurfaced, bringing anxiety…and guilt! Nausea swelled in his stomach due to the sudden overwhelming panic setting in! “Hey, you still there? I need you to listen! Remain calm and don’t…”

“I know, okay! I’m headed home for now. If they call me…and only if they call me, I’ll go.”

“Fine. Keep in contact. I’ll let you know if anything changes.” The phone call ended.

Nicolaus sat in the car off to the side of the road. Since the radio was turned off, only the cars whizzing by filled the silence. He placed his head on the wheel, undid his seat belt and cranked the car seat back to stare up at the ceiling. (And I’d almost gotten that crap out of my head. I’m saying that was ‘crap’ now…what’s wrong with me?! How can people live with themselves after killing someone? I should just turn myself in. No, I can’t! If I did, then…everyone else would get in trouble too. It’s not like we meant for that to happen! I…I just…I’m making this worse. The longer we wait, the worse it’s going to get. Dammit! I don’t know what I’m supposed to do! If only I had an answer or…knew what the hell I was supposed to do! That Vernon, he stayed calm the entire time, it’s so…screwed up! The more I’m around that guy…the more he confuses me. At work, he’s the type to come up with the plan; the others would rely on him for answers. Years later, and I still don’t trust people like that…people who can always remain calm and try to maintain control. It’s so unnatural…)

Nicolaus peered at his phone once more, noticing he’d spent nearly an hour just staring off into space. With a twenty-minute drive still ahead, and after taking a few deep breaths, he resumed his trip home.

End of Chapter 2