Horizon Highway

By J.D. Walthall

Richie, Todd, Angello, and Kevin do everything together; they believe they’ll be friends forever. One summer, they come up with what seems to be a great idea—they’ll build a clubhouse, a hidden one! It would be the highlight of their summer vacation. Unfortunately something goes wrong—seriously wrong—and one of the boys loses his life.

The rest of the boys are forced to make a decision that will ultimately cost them more than just their friendship; their souls are at stake. They cover up the accident and its terrible aftermath, trying to move on with their lives. But the very thing that drives them apart brings them back together to face each other as adults, to confront the terrible secret that they have all been forced to keep.

There’s no running away this time; they must face the ramifications of their actions of long ago. Before they can move on with their lives, they must accept responsibility for their actions and find the forgiveness that they need.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jul 14, 2010
• ISBN: 9781450236478

J.D. Walthall

J. D. Walthall, currently a resident of Albany, New York, is a writer because it allows him to express his thoughts. He was born and raised in West Babylon, New York. His life journey has taken him to some unexpected places, but those experiences have made him the man he is today. This is his first novel.

Book preview

Copyright © 2010 J.D. Walthall.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

iUniverse

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.iuniverse.com

1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-4502-3646-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4502-3648-5 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4502-3647-8 (e)

iUniverse rev. date: 11/13/2019

CONTENTS

Prologue

Part I

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Part II

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Prologue

The woods seemed strange to Todd somehow as he stood looking them over, armed with a shovel. They had always been a place where he and his three closest friends played. The woods had been inviting, a secret hideout, but not today. A storm was moving in fast, bringing with it the bruised look of a sky that meant business. As he stood beneath overhanging branches with Angello, one of his longtime friends, he felt increasingly uneasy.

Todd glanced over at Angello, and he could tell by the look on his friend’s face that he was uneasy too. The birds went quiet. All he could hear was the faint sound of traffic on the nearby highway, like surf gently breaking on a sandy beach. The woods were an oasis of sorts, a solitary stretch of pathetic green space along the highway in a run-down outlier of the west end of Long Island, New York.

Come on, Todd said. Let’s get it over with.

If we have to, Angello said.

Yeah, we do.

Todd and Angello slowly made their way down the trail. It felt odd, as though this was the first time they had set foot on it in their lives. As they moved on, Todd felt increasingly nervous. His heart began to race. Sweat trickled down his back. He dreaded what he might see when they got to their secret underground clubhouse and what the future might hold once the deed was done. Now that Kevin was dead. Now that they’d gotten in so deep that they couldn’t get out of the hole they had so nicely dug for themselves. All he knew was that he wanted to go through with the plan, get it over with as fast as possible, and leave the woods forever.

From a distance, Todd was the first to spot the opening to the structure. Nothing suggested that there had been a fire at the scene only hours before. It wasn’t as he’d expected it would be. He’d thought the ground surrounding the structure would be black and charred and the nearby trees singed from the inferno. He had also thought the roof to the clubhouse would be caved in from the intense heat and flames. But there was no real indication that there had been a fire at all. Just the faintest trace of smoke lingering in the air.

Todd put his hands on his hips and shook his head. Turning to Angello, he said, Looks like nothin’ happened here at all.

Yeah, Angello said, but we both know somethin’ did happen here. Somethin’ real bad happened.

Somethin’ we can’t change now. Kevin is never coming back. Not ever, Todd added.

He sighed, thinking about the group of friends that would be one member short following the night’s horrific episode. Todd was big for his age and mature beyond his years, but he was merely a ten-year-old boy. He didn’t have all the answers, and he hid his insecurities under a mask of bravado. He was the tough guy of the group.

Angello couldn’t have been more different, both in personality and stature. Of the entire group, he was the shortest. He was also the least athletic and least likely to fight. The rest of the fellas considered him the pretty boy of the group because of his gray eyes, light skin, and soft curly hair. Unfortunately for him, he was also a little chubby, so they called him Gello for short. Angello was skittish by nature, and of all of them, he was the most sensitive. He didn’t have a brave bone in his body.

As they stood before the remains of the clubhouse, Todd gave Angello credit for coming with him. After all, even he had envisioned a horrible scene right out of a gory horror film: scraps of the clubhouse scattered about, some still on fire, and Kevin’s half-burned body lying exposed with crows pecking away at its brown flesh. He’d imagined the worst part would be the expression frozen on Kevin’s face, his normally peaceful eyes wide open, filled with pure terror and agony at being burned alive.

Go ahead, Angello said to Todd, giving him a little nudge in the center of his back, pushing him in the direction of the clubhouse.

Todd forced himself backward against Angello’s stiff arm and came to a halt. I’m not going by myself. You’re coming too.

Angello hesitated for a moment and then said, Okay, okay, but let’s hurry up.

You damn right we gonna hurry up, Todd said. We shouldn’t even be here.

He slowly approached the charred ruins of the clubhouse. He wanted to see inside, but at the same time, he was scared out of his wits to see Kevin.

Look in there, Todd said to Angello.

Are you crazy? I ain’t looking in there. You look.

Hell no! Let’s just throw this dirt over it and get out of here! Todd snapped.

He kicked the brick that was holding up the front part of the roof, which had been their temporary door. The brick dislodged and went flying. He heard a soft thump and wondered if it had hit Kevin’s body down below. He was tempted to look inside, to satisfy the intense urge to know for certain that Kevin was in fact in there and dead, but he just couldn’t do it. He didn’t want that image haunting him for the rest of his life. He decided to just go through with the plan: cover up the clubhouse and hide all traces of them being there. They needed to work fast.

He began shoveling dirt into the trench leading to the doorway of the subterranean clubhouse. He filled it in to make it level with the surrounding ground. Then he started layering fresh earth around the entire area to blend it all in. A few minutes later, their mission was complete. The entire area of the structure blended right in with its surroundings. No one would ever know what lay under their feet, even if they stood right over it.

The construction of the dwelling was solid. It was deep, with walls thick and durable enough to keep animals from digging it up or getting inside of it. It was practically an underground vault. Now it was also a grave, a crematorium, a place of death and darkness that Todd would just as soon forget.

That’s it, Todd said as he wiped beads of sweat from his brow with his sleeve. He looked over the area, admiring his work. Let’s go.

Wait! Let’s say a prayer for Kevin before we leave, Angello said.

What?

Come on. It won’t take long. Just a few words.

I don’t know what to say.

Don’t worry. I’ll say the prayer. You just fold your hands and bow your head in silence.

Okay, Todd said. It sounded easy enough.

Angello walked around to where Todd stood and grabbed a handful of dirt. He sprinkled it over the top of the hidden structure, folded his hands in front of him, bowed his head, and closed his eyes. Todd followed Angello’s lead. He felt uncomfortable. Religion was very foreign to him.

Lord, save our friend Kevin’s soul and open up your kingdom of heaven for him to live with you for eternity. And forgive us for what we did and any sin we may have committed. Amen.

Amen, Todd said. He was surprised to feel a little moved by Angello’s few words. He was never introduced to religion, and he didn’t really believe in God, but for some reason he was glad Angello had said what he said, especially the part about forgiving them for their sins. He felt like a load had been lifted off his shoulders.

You ready to go? Todd asked.

Yeah. Let’s get out of here.

Todd took one last look around at their former playground. It was gone for good, along with Kevin. Memories were all any of them would have left. Todd knew that most would be cherished, but those would likely be overshadowed by Kevin’s fiery death.

Without another word, Todd turned his back on the clubhouse and began walking off toward Cherry Lane, feeling drained, empty, scared, sad, and angry all at the same time. He didn’t look back; it was too painful.

Richie paced in front of the window, his nerves on edge. Angello and Todd were taking too long. He wondered if they had gotten caught or if they’d chickened out and run home to tell somebody.

Where are they? They shouldn’t be taking this long. What the heck! Come on, he said.

Suddenly, he spotted them cutting across the side of his yard, heading for the rear of the house. He quickly looked around to see if anyone was watching them. He knew his neighbors were very nosy and suspicious of anyone who didn’t live in the area. They wouldn’t hesitate to call the police if they saw two black boys sneaking around with a shovel.

He ran out to the back deck to meet them. He couldn’t resist. He had to know everything that had happened. Todd and Angello were already on the deck and just about to go inside as he opened the back door.

Come in, Richie said eagerly. He was still looking around for nosy neighbors as he pulled them inside. What happened? Did you do it? Well?

Yeah, we did it, Todd said for them both. Didn’t we say we was gonna do it?

All right. Well, good. What’s wrong with you? Richie asked sincerely. Did something happen out there?

You wouldn’t know, Todd said.

Now Richie knew where the attitude was coming from. Todd was still upset that he hadn’t gone along with them. Richie couldn’t care less so long as the mission was accomplished. That was all that mattered. Todd could have an attitude. Richie immediately turned his attention to Angello for more information. He knew he wouldn’t be temperamental like Todd. Even if Angello didn’t want to talk, Richie knew he could get him to start talking.

Did everything go good? he asked.

I guess, Angello said.

We did it if that’s what you mean, Todd said.

What’s wrong with you two?

Nothing! Todd said.

Well, listen—what are you two going to do now?

We’re gonna do what we said, Todd said. We ain’t sayin’ nothin’ about Kevin to nobody. We get it, Richie. We ain’t stupid, you know.

Just so you stick to the plan. Don’t go talking to anybody.

We won’t, Angello said.

Richie wasn’t so sure, but he had to trust his friends. They were all in it together now. There was no turning back. It was too late for that. They had to act normal, but at the same time, they were supposed to be shaken by the disappearance of a close friend, so acting a little outside the box was a good thing. A mother could easily detect when something was wrong with her child. If any of their mothers got suspicious and started questioning them, especially Angello, the truth could be revealed.

Now you two have to listen carefully, Richie said, looking back and forth between them. He tried to make eye contact to make certain they were paying attention to him, but both had their heads down, avoiding his gaze. Richie was no older than them, but he was mature and smart for his age. He was very pressing and determined in everything he did, so he was intense. He usually got what he wanted one way or another. This time was no different.

After you leave here, you have to go on like everything’s normal. Nothing happened. You slept over here last night, and we did the same things we always do when you stay over. We played video games, watched TV, and ate junk food. The only difference is Kevin was not here this time. Kevin was not here. Richie paused to let his words sink in. He spoke to them as though they were small children, incapable of understanding simple things.

We don’t know where Kevin was last night. He said he had to go back to his house for something and he never came back. The last time we saw him was about six o’clock yesterday. That was Sunday. Remember that! You have to remember those details. Our stories have to match. If everybody says the same thing and we all stick to playing our roles, then we’ll be in the clear and it will all be over with.

I hope so, Angello said.

Me too, Todd said.

Me three, Richie said. They’ll believe us. We’re just kids to them who aren’t even capable of doing what we just did. But if for any reason they think one of us is lying, they will not let up until they find out the truth. Once one goes down, we all go down. I can’t have that happen.

How are we gonna say we stayed over here when your mother didn’t say we could? Angello said. If the cops think we stayed over here, they’re gonna ask questions about it. What if your mother is there when they ask?

Richie smiled. Angello was a little smarter than he gave him credit for. At least he was thinking ahead and showing some signs that his head was in the right place.

That’s a good question, but I got it all taken care of already. Just stick to the story I gave you. As far as everybody knows, we were all here last night, just us three. We don’t know where Kevin is, and we haven’t seen him since around six o’clock yesterday. Now, are there any more questions?

Nope, Todd said.

Angello just shook his head.

That satisfied Richie, to a point. He could tell that Angello had concerns about the whole idea and that he obviously had decided to keep quiet about it and go along with the plan. It was no secret that Angello had wanted to go straight to the police from the beginning, but he was smart enough to know not to challenge Richie. Richie knew Todd would never back Angello when it came to anything involving the police. Todd lived strictly by the code of the streets. His older brother, Craig, had ingrained that in him. The police were only there to throw people into jail, point-blank.

Good. Richie wasn’t worried about Todd. He wouldn’t let the police—or anyone else, for that matter—entrap him into telling the truth, which would ultimately put them all in jeopardy. Richie had faith in him. You two just go home and do what you normally do. Act natural. Got it?

They both nodded.

Okay, I’ll probably be punished for a week after my mother gets home from work, so I’ll see you guys sometime after that.

Why are you gonna get punished? Angello asked.

After I explain my story to her, she won’t be too happy about it. But don’t worry. It’s all part of my plan.

Richie didn’t think either of them would intentionally say or do something to unravel the plan, but he did question their intelligence. Todd’s quick temper and lack of judgment made him a threat to himself and everyone around him. Angello’s good-natured spirit and conscience made him vulnerable. If the right person put him under enough pressure, he would break. Richie was sure of that. But he couldn’t control everything at all times. All he could do was hope they didn’t screw up.

He watched as they headed out the door and walked down his driveway. They were on their way home like so many times before, but this time felt different. He had a feeling they wouldn’t be returning ever again.

PART I

Chapter 1

July 1983

It was well after ten in the morning when Todd woke up. He knew he’d overslept, but he just didn’t want to get up. His sheets hung halfway off his bed, down by his feet. His pillow was all scrunched up. His mouth tasted like the inside of an old sneaker thanks to another late night with Craig, his older brother. They’d had an opportunity to party all night because their mom, Shirley, had worked the late shift at the hospital again.

Todd knew that Craig eagerly anticipated their mother working late-night shifts, and it wasn’t because he enjoyed babysitting his little brother or the fact that his mother was entrusting him with the authority to handle the household affairs in her absence. He saw it as an opportunity to beat on Todd and get away with it and, more importantly, to invite his friends over to drink alcohol and smoke marijuana. He had even been fortunate enough to get his girlfriend over a few times and spend some intimate sessions with her on the living room couch, which Todd thought was a bit gross.

Craig didn’t realize the pain and fear he was inflicting upon his little brother, of that Todd was certain. Craig beat on him merely to make him tough so he wouldn’t be a punk. Todd knew his bro liked it when he tried to fight back. He had eventually caught on to his brother’s methodology after countless painful encounters. When he had finally fought back out of pure frustration and desperation, despite knowing he was in a no-win situation and was just going to get hit harder, Craig had surprisingly eased up on him. Though he still beat on Todd, it was no longer as hard or as fierce, and he smiled at him with a look of pride in his eyes like a father would have for his son.

Todd groaned and buried his face in the pillow. He cursed himself for drinking too much beer. He heard footsteps and knew it was Craig.

Git up, boy! You gonna sleep all day. Mommy’s about to git up soon and you know she’s gonna know you was up all night if you still sleeping this late.

My head hurts, though.

Nobody told you to try and hang with the big boys. I told you to go to bed, but no! You wanna stay up and act grown. Now git up, boy. Now!

But I don’t feel good, Craig. My head hurts bad.

As Todd spoke, tears began to well in the corners of his eyes. He covered his face with his hands in an attempt to hide them, but Craig caught a glimpse.

"I know you ain’t crying? You little bitch! I swear, if you tell Mommy you was drinking last night, I’ma kill you! Now git your punk ass out that bed and get