Wild Confines
by Shauna Checkley
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Table of Contents parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
part 3
“Come on, you silly gooses!” Owen called to the little girls who trailed behind him and their mother.
They broke into laughter.
“Come on and catch up, Ketchup bottles.”
They erupted into peals of laughter. Then holding hands, the girls raced to the adults.
Spilling into Owen’s house as they did every day, the quartet entered laughing, breath heavy. Calvin and Cordelia met them at the door as ever. Meow! Meow!
“Cartoon channel!” Emerald and Jewel demanded in unison, with that spooky twin voice of one.
“Cartoon channel please,” Paris Jade corrected.
“Please!” the girls added.
Owen strode straight to his big screen TV and turned it onto the retro cartoon channel. The truth was that he found the station comforting because it reminded him of his own childhood viewing days: Looney Tunes. Daffy Duck. Everything.
Clapping, the girls fell onto the sofa. They watched, transfixed.
Warming up the chili on the stove, Owen started to prep for supper. Paris Jade set the table. Then they had a coffee while waiting for it to be ready. It was their usual late afternoon pattern.
“How was your day?” Owen queried.
“Same same. How was work?” Paris Jade asked.
“Same same.” They both laughed.
After supper and the cleanup therein, they all settled in quietly to their own devices. The twins returned to the cartoons. Owen went on his smart phone while Paris Jade played on his iPad.
Having always been fascinated by the fairy rings in Ireland and Iceland, Paris Jade scrolled through online images of them. She felt a shiver of delight as she perused them.
Stroking his beard as he sat transfixed on his phone, Owen obliged his nervous habit.
Looking up from the iPad, Paris Jade asked, “You said you moved in here a couple of years ago? Where were you before that? Regina?”
“Yeah... I only moved out here after I inherited this place from my Great Uncle Tobias.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, he was a real head case that one. Thought he might be a werewolf, so he just holed up here like a hermit. Every family’s got one I guess.” His voice trailed off into cackles of laughter.
Paris Jade froze. Her finger slipped off the touch screen as if she had brushed with fire. She stared hard at him.
Owen licked his cracked lips and tugged on the scraggly strands of his Van Dijk.
“Well, was he a werewolf?” she queried.
“What do you think?” Owen answered, the sarcasm evident in his tone.
Paris Jade frowned.
They returned to their respective devices.
Yet all the while Paris Jade felt a disquieting sense, like she had somehow felt her bearings slip, compass points shifting and lifting away.
Calvin chased Cordelia through the kitchen and beyond. Their nails skittered on the tiles.
Owen and Paris Jade laughed, as if the cartoons had spilled into real life. It had lightened the darkening mood enough for all to return to their respective technology unawares. They surfed and searched, relaxed.
In the background they could hear the Coyote and Roadrunner going at it with impunity, the theme song lilting in the distance. There was sporadic laughter and clapping from the little girls.
Seeing Paris Jade absorbed in the iPad, Owen asked, “Whatcha looking at?”
“I was looking at fairy rings, but now I’m looking at Antarctica.”
“Too cold,” Owen replied.
“What are you always reading?” For as long as she had known Owen, he had been preoccupied with his phone.
“Big Daddy Illuminati.”
“What’s that?”
“Uhh, sorta like an exposé of the Lizard People on earth.”
Paris Jade threw him a dark look. Her legs went weak. She thought she could hear her breath as it came out in rattling gulps. Or was that her heart about to explode, grenade-like? And for the second time that evening, she felt like she was stuck to the spot. Frozen. Aflame.
“Yeah, interesting stuff alright,” Owen added, stroking his beard.
He noticed that she gave him the strangest and most brutal look imaginable. Her fear was visceral even, in a body and an expression that had tightened reflexively.
“Girls! Girls! Come!” Paris Jade called, the naked urgency could be heard in her tone.
They shot into the kitchen and stood by their mother.
“We gotta go. It’s getting late.” She hurried them to the door and left abruptly.
All the while Owen was calling to her, “Are you okay, Paris? Was it something that I said? I didn’t mean anything y’know.”
* * *
Tossing and turning in bed that night, Paris Jade was in the stranglehold of paranoia. Between her usual too much caffeine and the events and twists of the evening, she stared wide-eyed into the blackness of that tiny camper. Should we just make a run for it? I could drive away right now! We could go back to the city where it’s probably safer. No reptiles!
She could still hear Owen’s voice recounting his werewolf great uncle. What was that about anyway? Something’s not right there! Yet it went further than just that.
Owen is actually into the reptiles! Lizard people. All of that... How could I have not seen the signs before? The serpents have been in hiding these days. Just waiting their turn. Then he starts up about Lizard people. Could he be one?
She pictured an innocent looking Owen in her mind’s eye. That shining angel man. But doesn’t it say in Corinthians that Satan himself can appear as an angel of light? That’s very telling.
Owen hardly resembled such reptilian creatures and yet she knew the guile and the way of the serpent. Doesn’t the holy Bible say as much? Why would he be so interested if he wasn’t involved?
Huddling underneath the covers, her mind moved at warp speed. She recalled the farmer who had kicked them off of his land. Wasn’t his skin pink and splotchy, almost scaly-looking? What if he was one of the reptiles, too, a lizard person like Owen. They could all be involved. Owen and the farmer could be in on it together. Even those damn snakes that hide under the floorboards! All of them!
She shivered involuntarily. Her terror was so palpable it was almost like it had shape, form, smell. She was spooked by the branches rattling, creaks in the night.
Jewel woke and sat up and sighed. Then she lay back down and returned to sleep. But it unnerved her mother completely. Paris Jade whimpered into her pillow, so as not to awaken them.
What now? How could I have gotten mixed up in all of this? How? Should I just make a run for it? Should I? I gotta get outta Jurgenmeister Flats! What a creepy name!
She felt too frightened to move a muscle, to do anything. Finally, though, she devised a plan: “I’ll just try and wait it out until the morning. Then as soon as it’s light out, we’ll leave. First thing! Very first thing! It will be better travelling by light of day anyhow. I’m night blind for driving plus I think we may be low on gas. I’ll just rest right now. That’s all. I don’t want to upset the girls with all of this.”
So, she continued to stare into the mouth of blackness all about. She wasn’t even aware when she slipped down the throat of sleep, an undigested lump in the quivering dark.
* * *
Circling around the outside of the camper the next morning, Paris Jade checked the tires. Gotta make sure they aren’t low or anything before we take off. A blowout would be a bummer.
As she rounded the corner, she jumped with fright. Shook all over.
Owen was standing there. “Good morning. Oh, did I scare you?”
Hurrying past him, she made a beeline for the camper door.
“Hey. what’s a matter?!” He grabbed her by the wrist.
She fought to break loose. Bared her fangs.
“Hey, hey, c’mon!”
“Lemme go! You lizard fucker!”
“What?!” He released her and stared at her in disbelief.
Her expression had darkened. She kicked him hard. And again.
“Wh-What is going on?” he sputtered
“You’re one of them... those lizard fuckers. Don’t lie!” Pushing past him, she made a break for the camper and got in.
He planted his boot inside the door.
She screamed. The little girls woke up crying. Though she fought to close the door on him, Owen bulldozed his way in. Then he tackled her and held her tight on the loveseat. “What the hell?!” he asked
By now, the twins were wailing beside them.
“Just go back to bed, girls. Owen and I are talking, that’s all.”
The twins crumpled to the floor.
“Go! Now!” Paris Jade yelled.
The little girls hurried to the bedroom.
Propping herself up on one elbow, Paris Jade stared at him with a look of fear and loathing. He saw her chest heaving.
“What ‘lizard fuckers’? Do you mean when I told you about that blog?” he queried.
She nodded slowly. Eyeing him suspiciously, her face was tight, lined.
“It’s just a website. That’s all. I like to read up on that stuff. I’m not a lizard person if that’s what you think.”
She looked at him warily.
“Paris, for God’s sake... What has gotten into you?!”
Relaxing in his grip, she exhaled. Her face returned to normal.
He released her. They sat side by side on the love seat.
Looking at her wide-eyed, he said in a tone of genuine concern, “Listen, are you okay? I’m going to call into work today. I’m going to stick around and make sure of things here.”
“You don’t have to,” she mumbled
Using her hand, she began wiping away the sweat running down the side of her face.
“I think I’d better.” Immediately, he phoned work. “This is Owen Jurgenmeister. I won’t be into work today for personal reasons. Thanks, bye.”
Paris Jade rose and checked on the little girls. She soothed them back to sleep, rubbed their backs.
Re-emerging into the living area, she smiled weakly. “Wanna throw on some coffee?”
“Sure,” Owen said. He quickly rose and put on a pot.
While the old coffee maker gurgled, like someone being slowly choked, they sat in a strained silence.
Finally, Owen spoke, “Look, it’s okay that you got spooked. That lizard stuff is pretty out there. A lot of people are freaked by the whole thing.”
She shielded her eyes with one hand. Whimpered.
“Hey, it’s okay, really.” he reassured. He smiled. Then he got up and poured them each a coffee.
“Thanks,” she said, “sorry about that whole thing.”
He shrugged. “No worries.”
They sipped their coffee. They exchanged faint smiles. As when a secret has been spilled or when the contents of character have been exposed, the mood was expectant, confessional.
Paris Jade was torn. Should I tell him about the damn serpents? she thought. Should I? Though she considered him a friend, a sympathetic ear, she just couldn’t break her promise to herself to never reveal her snake conundrum.
Look what happened when I told my welfare worker! She seized my kids. And Mom didn’t react much better, either. Those were the days, my friend... Sometimes secrets just need to be kept, not spilled. Screw it! I’ll just let it be. Let sleeping dogs lie or, in this case, reptiles. Ha.
Stroking his beard and nursing his coffee, Owen gave her a searching look. “The truth is all that stuff freaks me out, too. But I’ve gotten into researching it... Maybe I should just give it a rest, though. Who knows? But there’s not a whole helluva lot of else to do out here in the boonies all alone, y’know.”
She nodded. I get it! That makes sense. It seems like he’s telling the truth.
“Guess I’ve been at loose ends out here... Y’know, grasping at straws,” he added in a somewhat sheepish tone.
Like a light turned on, Paris Jade felt her faith in Owen restored. I’m glad that I’ve got him for a friend. I’m so grateful that it’s all been straightened out. Owen is nearly as good as Walt Disney and Hugh Hefner, my beloved godfathers. She smiled warmly at him.
Draining his cup in one big gulp, Owen set the mug down. It clattered on the Formica tabletop. “Hey, maybe we’re all going a little stir crazy out here. Maybe we just need to get out.” Excitement danced across his face. His sky-blue eyes seemed even brighter than usual, electric even. Leaning forward, he offered, “Let’s go to Regina and we’ll hit Chuck E Cheese and Excalipurr Cat Café and a few fun places like that! My treat!”
Paris Jade squealed with delight.
* * *
Later that same day, Paris Jade and Owen crowded around the pink plastic merry-go-round ride that Emerald and Jewel were riding in. The girls were laughing, waving.
Chuck E Cheese was a madhouse that afternoon. It was Friday, and all was aglow with neon lights, noise and action. The parking lot was full. The place was operating near to capacity. All smelled of farts and greasy food and running shoes. The rat mascot was schmoozing amongst the crowd. Paris Jade was reminded of her old Princess Emporium days, even recognizing a few faces from back then. Those were the days, my friend...
As they moved from station to station, from one gaudy attraction to the next, Paris Jade exulted in it all. She was so glad to see the girls nearly hysterical with glee. She, too, was happy to get out, even if it just meant exchanging one surreal playground for another.
Most of all, it helped Paris Jade to forget herself and her fears. She moved beyond her usual radius of confinement and conspiracy, distress and deceit. She even found herself humming aloud to the music overheard, something she hadn’t done in ages.
Briefly, she considered the serpents. But they wouldn’t dare surface so publicly. Not here. Not now.
Besides, it seemed like somehow, she had forged peace with them lately. Can it really be? she thought. They have been quiet for so long. Maybe they could all coexist peacefully together without the drama of earlier that day? Just maybe? I’ll pray to God for just that even, outright dismissal of the snakes or at least happy co-existence.
Then Paris Jade grinned her big, creepy, junky grin as the rat mascot high-fived the girls, first Emerald, then Jewel. They sprinted to the adults.
* * *
Copyright © 2024 by Shauna Checkley
