The Husk

Before the shadows felt hostile, Nathan found a comfort in them; like a breath of fresh air before a dicey dive. Rotor, New Jersey, wasn’t so different from the port town Silverhill. Looking at it one way, the street sounded like a metallic ocean, the neon lights imitated boardwalk activities; hardly a difference in the sky. Hidden inside, the world sounded like a robotic version of his hometown.

Days went on uneventfully in Rotor for years, until Keria called. Nathan answered, assuming it was another recorded message from some cable company. “Hello?”

“Nathan? God I haven’t heard your voice in a long time.”

“Keira? Why are you-

“I found an opening for that job you’ve always wanted. As soon as I heard our winery was officially running, you came to mind.”

“How was your mother able to afford the land?”

“Not sure. But who cares?! Are you coming back? It has to be soon.”

To work at a winery was Nathan’s dream job, well, to own one, but he could have the next best thing. But to return to Silverhill…

“I…I don’t know…”

“…It’s okay. Just let me know by the end of the week. How are you by the way?”

Nathan peered at the empty bottles beside him and said, “Okay.”

“Well that’s good. I hope to see you soon.”

The conversation was brief. Nathan felt guilty. He stared at the old-fashion phone, only to return to his recliner. Over the television’s yammering Nathan reheard Keria’s voice, as if his mind could not believe the Miles had their own winery.

It’s official.

There was no going back. No. Not even for a dream. For now the closest thing to Keria was a phone number tacked to the kitchen wall. Nathan took a shot of Four Roses and sat his head against the red fabric of his recliner. But even still, with that choice of no return, Keria’s voice echoed through the night. Past the preaching of late night programing and city noise. As if it were its own voice.

___________________________

Two days passed since the phone call, making tomorrow the deadline for an answer. The sun was coated in storm clouds, but to waste gas for Net Smart, Nathan’s job, a place just down the street? Wasn’t worth it. He would walk rain or no rain.

Nathan threw on old work clothes and dragged himself out into the hallway where Doge, the near homeless guy who lived in the room beside the staircase, was lurking. He hollered “Hey Nathan, where ya’ goin?!”

“Work!” Nathan replied, irritated.

Outside two basketball players cavorted in their poorly chalked basketball court. They were too loud and active for the time of day in Nathan’s opinion, but the two fools were always there. Being bothered by these junkies had subsided…a little. Besides, they sold him painkillers real cheap and the prescription matched.

“Hey, hey! It’s warehouse boy!” The tallest of these clowns hollered. Nathan raised one hand and said, “Yeah and he’s on his way to help make the world a better place.” The tallest, Deon Howard, was also the brightest of the two. Ironically Deon’s sidekick, Klevon Dixon, handled the drugs. “Nice dawg, nice. I like that. You funny ha ha!”

What Nathan couldn’t understand most about the two basketball players was how ecstatic they were. From what Nathan knew, Deon’s mother was murdered during a home invasion and though Klevon wasn’t nearly as outgoing, he too had a more positive outlook on life than, to Nathan, should exist. Klevon’s father was shot and killed by a policeman during an armed robbery, and his mother’s death was never explained, something Nathan could relate to.

It started raining when Nathan made it half way through the alley. The storm only made the dark atmosphere drearier, soaking the city’s unclean materials. Smoke from dryer vents puffed into his face. Smelled good, like sniffing a clean bed. Better than the actual alley’s scents.

As Nathan approached Net Smart he glared at its neon letters, flashing in the hazy mist not far ahead. He was nearly hit by a slick red Honda that zoomed down the street. The driver wasn’t distracted by lights, oh no. In this city, if a car like that was in sight, odds were you were a target. The Honda clearly belonged to a rich kid, in Rotor to show off.

Net Smart sold computer parts, and Nathan was the man who sorted out the shipments. But like usual, the boss, Maxwell, wasn’t in today. The guy practically lived on a Caribbean beach. “Maxwell left for his beach house,” said Amber, a curvy young woman with blonde hair. Easy on the eyes.

“Is that why no one’s here?” Nathan asked.

“Yeah,” said Chris, a large guy who towered over every worker. Preferably Chris enjoyed towering over Amber’s breasts. The nerdy guy, Donny, was here too. He stood by the coffee machine.

Nathan lollygagged to the machine, planning on socializing with the only Maxwell he cared about. “Mr. Ruiz,” Donny said in a proper manner. “You’re not looking well.”

“Care to explain why?” Nathan remarked, pulling out a plastic cup with one hand and the coffee pot with the other. Donny kept quiet, realizing any gesture would lead to an argument.

Working in the back required no uniform and being alone felt roomy. The usual shift of lifting heavy computer parts carried on for a minor ten minutes before muffled shouting came from the office. At first, Nathan thought nothing of the shouting, but once the gun shots went off that idea he had about Amber starting fights again migrated to something darker. Nathan hide behind a dumpster beneath the loading dock, listening to the rain hammer the tin roof above.

The source of the gun shots came into view. Three overly tan, rich Jersey kids (in their early 20’s) wearing black pea coats stood beneath the tin roof. They had heavy Jersey accents.

“I think we got em’ all,” said the guy with the golden ring that practically cloaked his pinky finger.

“You think so?” the man wearing black leather gloves said, gesturing like a child hyped up on candy; all three of them moved with jittery anticipation.

“Eeeyeah…I think,” replied the one nearest to the dumpster. Nathan was most concerned with him. “All right, all right, let’s get back inside. We gotta remove the bodies, burn the place, and get back home.”

Burn the place? Nathan thought. Why even bother coming here?