Secrets, Lies and Dragonflies

Chapter 10

Since the sheriff and his posse won't be guarding the narrow highway connecting Elliot and Landry against random reckless drivers, we opt to cut through the mountain range on one of the hiking trails behind the Supernova. 

After an intense ride up, I sometimes veer off at the crown of the climb.  It's the perfect place to break.  I have no proof, but I'm convinced it's where the two states meet.  My secret ritual (when no one else is around) is to stand straddling the imaginary line.  Eyes closed, I let a cleansing breeze wash over—half of me in North Carolina and the other half in South.  For a brief moment, I forget everything.  I'm free to imagine how my life could have been. 

This place talks back in its own way, if you pay attention.  Last week, a bear was hanging awkwardly on a tree branch that was certain to snap. The poor guy appeared miserable. He caught me staring and instead of being frightened or thinking I'm food, he merely looked right back as if to say, "I know it seems hardly strong enough to sustain me, but I'm not letting go." 

The curtain of foliage disappears and unveils the valley toward the north.  Ethan and Vincent blow past the peak. In the months when the trees are stripped of their leaves, a waterfall tucked neatly between the folds of rocks is clearly on display.  But not today, unless you know where to stand. When the wind blows just right, I can hear the faint sound of water rushing over the cliffs.

The descent, though exhilarating, scares me.  Staying far behind the guys, I'm content to watch them hit the small pockets and ruts in the dirt that launch their bikes into the air.  This seems to temporarily satisfy Vincent's insatiable appetite for constant movement.

Hitting the last turn in the trail, we're almost out of the woods and about to land onto Main Street in Landry.  Someone up ahead is jogging down the path, her back to us.

As we grow closer, Vincent looks behind at us, puts his index finger to his lips and gives the "shush" signal.  He slows.

My stomach starts to knot. 

The petite woman, with her hair tucked in a ponytail under a white hat, has no idea he's right behind her.

"Hey, ugly!" he yells at the top of his lungs as he races by.

The woman lets out a frightening scream, jumping into the air with arms flailing every which way. Crashing down on a tree stump at least a foot off the path, she lays on her side.  She's not moving.

I'm still far behind, watching the perpetrator peddling at maximum speeds with Ethan at his heals. In an instant, they're out of sight.  

Thankfully I see movement.  Rolling into a seated position, moss and leaves cover the woman's head. 

I break and stop. "Are you okay?" my voice crackles.

The woman, whose eyes lock in on mine like a fighter pilot whose radar missiles are pulsing red, indicating they are ready for launch, says nothing. 

"I'm so sorry, ma'am," is all I can squeak out.

She rises to her feet, brushing the sticks and debris off her clothes, and waves me along.  I know her face, but I can't place her.

Flush with shame, I mount my bike.  Anger rapidly takes over, forcing me to skip the back roads.  I fly straight onto Main Street, a much more direct route toward my target's house. The streets are congested, one of the many reasons Aunt Amy wants me to avoid this area.  I navigate between the sidewalk and traffic, fueled by wrath. Cutting the corner two blocks away from Aunt Amy's place, I head toward the park of familiar trailers. Vincent's metallic green paneled home has two bikes laying in the yard.

"What was that, Vincent Saunders?" I yell.  "You are one of the meanest....EVER.  What in the world is wrong with you?  You could have seriously hurt her!" I'm certain the veins in my neck look like supersized drinking straws.

Appearing amused, Vincent is sitting on the stoop of the stairwell at his front door, an Orange Crush in hand, avoiding eye contact.  He flicks the cap of his soda can off into the yard.

"Yeah, Vince.  That was seriously uncool," says Ethan scowling and shaking his head. "You shouldn't do that kind of stuff to old people.  It just ain't right, man."

"And who exactly are you calling old, young man?"

My heart stops the moment I realize her radar missiles found us.