Chapter 2: Chapter 1- 1988 – Elksberg

Saturday - August 19th.

Elksberg was a typical small town. Rows of neat houses. There was a small school, a church, a diner and a movie house. The grocery store was always busy with folk and there was a local market that opened once a week. The type of small town where most people knew everyone else’s business.

It was around 8 in the morning. A perfect blue sky with the sun already high. It was going to be a nice day, with a gentle breeze.

On the corner of Elm and Sycamore were 3 young boys – Davy, Pete and Mikey. Straddling their BMXs, each was wearing a backpack. They chatted amongst themselves quietly. Their baseball caps shielding their faces from the sun.

Davy is 10 years old. He has dark hair and is a good looking kid. He’s wearing sunglasses, faded jeans with holes at the knees and a rock band t shirt. A blue bandana hangs out of his back pocket, his yellow Wn-b52 Sony Walkman headphones clinging around his neck.

Mikey is also 10. He has dark blonde hair and wears thick rimmed glasses. His grey t shirt looks slightly too big- like a hand me down from an older brother. He’s wearing shorts and neon socks. He has a large IC – H6 walkie talkie clipped to the top of his bag.

Pete is 10 with curly, ginger hair and freckles. He’s slightly tubby. His T shirt is a size too small for him and looks like it needs a wash. His red hair is tucked under a Red baseball cap and he is eating sweets.

Davy is talking to Pete and Mikey when suddenly, 2 more boys come around the corner on their bikes. Each has their own backpack and screech to a halt to join the group. Dust flicks up as they stop.

Tex – 11 and the eldest - is quick witted and annoying. But fun to have around as he’s so annoying. A skinny boy. New white sneakers - that are the envy of his friends – and a sports top and shorts. The boy who gets what he wants you might say.

Josh – younger than the rest at 9 years old. He loves sports and movies and quotes them all the time. His hair is longish but brown. A yellow bandana in the form of a headband keeps the hair from his eyes. Blue jeans and a tank top complete his outfit. His red tick Nikes are battered, the white leather chewed up over the toes and the heels worn down from using his feet as brakes on his bike. He is also carrying the same walkie talkie as Mikey, fixed to his belt using a clip.

“So, why are we doing this again??” said Davy looking around at the others.

“Because there’s nothing else to do, is there?” Mikey replied in an oh so obvious tone.

Pete was stuffing his face with sweets, not wanting to offer any of them out.

“Who’s got the chips?” he said as he felt the others staring at him. He scanned the other boys in the hope someone would have extra food.

Tex and Josh each opened their rucksacks, holding their bikes between their legs, as they carefully unzipped them.

“This enough?” asks Josh sarcastically, as he pulled open the backpack and angled it towards Pete so he could see the contents of it.

Pete’s eyes lit up when he saw the contents of the bag and immediately looked over at Tex’s bag which was also now open.

“Reckon that’ll do” Pete said happily as he chomped down on a bar of chocolate grinning, showing off the contents of his mouth.

“Jesus Pete, do you ever stop!?” Tex asked in disbelief as he zipped up his bag, disgusted at the chocolate mess covering Pete’s teeth.

Pete continued to eat, unperturbed by the look of horror on Tex’s face, mumbling through the thick chocolate mess in his mouth. “My mom says its glandular.”

“Your moms glandular” said Davy as he gestured his hands in front of him like two cups.

It got the desired laugh from the rest of the boys and Davy smirked to himself inside. Of course, it was good to get a joke in at the expense of one of your friends Moms.

Mikey tapped Pete on the back playfully. “What!?” Pete snapped.

“Right! Guys, I’ve made a list of what we agreed to bring”, Mikey stated efficiently, wanting to change the subject.

All the boys groaned and rolled their eyes. Mikey was the sensible one, the organised one, the one who always got his homework done as soon as he got it. It was annoying, but more because the others wished they were a bit more like him. It was no fun rushing the homework for Mr Peacock on a Sunday evening when they had had all week to do it.

Pete quickly fumbled through his pocket and produced a small, red penknife. He flicked the blade open and proudly showed it to the group.

“Check this bad boy out”, Pete said gleefully as he held the knife up.

Before he had had chance to bask in the glory of fetching a knife, Josh quickly rummaged through his still open rucksack and grabbed something.

“That’s not a knife” he said in an Australian accent as he looked at them with a mischievous glint in his eye...He pulled out a huge hunting knife and removed its sheaf, so the sunlight bounced off the long blade.

“That’s a knife!” he added.

It didn’t quite fit the sheaf correctly but it still impressed the rest of them. “Black dog” said Tex, grinning.

The boys chuckled. Pete quickly flicked his knife back in and put it in his pocket. He’d been black dogged and he knew it. There was always someone who had done something better, or had something nicer. The term had originated as follows - if someone were to say they had a black dog, someone could say their dog was “blacker”. Hence the name black dogging. There was of course those that continually black dogged everyone at every possible occasion. It was a fine line to not become known as a Black dogger but to have the skills to occasionally black dog to show someone up. No one wanted to be known as a Black dogger but it was always nice to have a black dog moment every now and again.

“Awesome” said Davy as he grabbed the knife from Josh and held it up, the sun glinting off its blade.

“That so cool!” added Tex, “Is it sharp?”

“NO!” shouted Josh as Davy ran the blade over his finger. He was too late. The skin immediately split, and then the blood came.

“Arrgh!” shouted Davy as he pulled his finger away.

“Jesus! What do you expect, I mean really! Running a knife over your finger, c’mon man!” said Josh, disappointed his knife had hurt Davy, but at the same time, frustrated anyone could be so stupid.

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“I know, I know” Davy said shaking his head as he passed the knife back to Josh. “Its not deep, just top layer is all” he said as he shook his hand.

“Think I’ve got a hanky, I’ll use that” he added whilst rummaging through his jean pockets before pulling out and old, white hanky. He carefully wrapped his finger up, and tucked in the loose end.

“There, sorted, no probs” Davy added holding his finger up, the blood flow stemmed.

Josh still held the knife in his hand.

“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea...” said Mikey, extremely worried, looking around to make sure no-one saw them with it. The last thing he needed was someone telling his Mom and Dad he had been seen with a knife.

Josh rolled his eyes as he passed the knife between the others.

“Careful” he said, “Thanks to Davy, we now know its razor sharp! Besides, it’s too late anyway, I had to sneak this out my Dads old fishing box last night...”

“So, did everyone bring what we agreed? Chips, chocolate, sandwiches and candy, soda....” Tex asked, quickly changing the subject.

Everyone knew that Josh’s dad had died a couple of years back. No-one ever really spoke about it mainly because Josh hardly ever mentioned him. He hadn’t been the same kid since. Yes, he still would hang out, but he had become very serious, very quiet, almost empty.

They all opened their rucksacks one by one showing what they had brought. Pete’s rucksack was particularly full – of sweets and candy bars. Tied to the bottom of the rucksacks were sleeping bags, coiled up in to the smallest shape possible.

“Right, come on, let’s get going ladies!” Tex said.

The rucksacks were thrown around onto their backs. The straps adjusted so they were as comfortable as possible.

Josh put the knife back in its sheaf and stuffed it in the back of his jeans before covering it with his top.

They were just about to set off when Pete looked puzzled, “Where exactly are we going!?”, he said as he unwrapped another sweet with such an efficient movement so as to not take his eyes off the others. Half of it went straight down and he didn’t even appear to chew it.

“Out passed the edge of town, by Lake Gilford, a couple of miles in and up to the ridge, there’s a clearing near Devils Gorge” replied Josh, getting more and more impatient. “We’ll need to leave the bikes near the lake – if we stash them no-one will find them as no-one ever goes over there anyways. It’s not too much of a walk from there” adds Josh

“Woah, Woah, Woaaah!! Wait a god damned minute! We have to walk!? And, Devils Gorge – we shouldn’t be going up there!” said Pete looked worried as he finished of the last piece of the candy bar. With his mouth full, he began to speak.

“Y’know why it’s called Devils Gorge, don’t ya? How far do we have to walk? Have you felt the weight of this rucksack? And, it’s give over 90 this afternoon and I don’t operate well in the Sun...AND, I thought no-one was allowed up there, and...” Pete soon realised no-one was paying any attention to him and they had all set off on their bikes

“Shit...hang on, I’m coming!” With a final swallow, the candy was gone. Pete continued to whine as they all cycled off.

Davy, who was near the back of the group snapped back, “Pete! I’m not listening to this shit! Chill out!”

“What! What did I say? Huh?” said Pete innocently as he tugged on his cap to shade his eyes more.

The 5 boys weaved through the streets, passing parked cars. They cut through the town centre, passing the old movie house. A large Mac and Me poster was hanging on the wall.

“Anyone seen it?” asked Davy, nodding to the poster.

“Looks shit” said Josh. “I think Earth Girls Are Easy is out next month though?” he added.

“What is it?” asked Tex, intrigued by the title.

“Whatever it is, it sounds good” said Davy, grinning.

They carried on and soon left the town centre behind them. Rows of small houses lined the sides of the road. Flags fluttered in the breeze. Everyone seemed to be cutting their lawn or washing their car. There was the unmistakable humming sound of lawn mowers drifting through the air. People going about the Saturday morning jobs, like robots, classic suburbia.

Josh waved to a man cutting his lawn, slowing down on his bike. The man flicked a lever and stopped his petrol mower.

“Hey Mr Peterson” Josh said.

“Hi Josh, how you doing?” said Mr Peterson, a tall man, in his mid-forties. His brown moustache and hair showing hints of grey.

“I’m good, thanks” replied Josh.

“What you boys up to?” asked Mr Peterson as he scanned the 5 of them on their bikes.

“Nothin much” Pete said, struggling for breath, grateful the pace had slowed slightly.

“Nah, were just headed up to the Lake. Maybe do some fishin” added Josh as he stooped around to finish the conversation without stopping his bike.

“The Lake?” said Mr Peterson. His tone notably different and a more serious look had come over him. “You boys don’t be going past the Lake now, ya hear? Your mom knows you’re going, right?”

“Yes sir, we won’t” hollered Josh behind him as they continued onwards.

Mr Peterson stood still. He watched as the boys rode on. Josh’s shirt flicked up in the breeze and Mr Peterson was sure he caught a glimpse of something tucked in his jeans. As the group disappeared around the corner, his gaze drifted off upwards to the distance where there stood a large hilly area covered in trees reaching towards the sky. He walked back to his mower, bent down and was about to pull off the starter cord. As he held it in his hand he cocked his head and looked back towards the hilly area. He paused, closing his eyes, remembering.

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