Carve: Bad Boogeymen, #3

By Erik Handy

MAN IS THE WORST BOOGEYMAN

 

D and Leigh, the heroes of Apocalypse and Blood, go on a vacation, leaving the bad boogeymen of Orchid City behind, but not forgotten.

 

Their destination is Mount Flora, a small town that prides itself on its beauty and serenity.

 

However, all is not peaceful.

 

D and Leigh are going to discover the hard way that the wicked never rest!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Erik Handy
• Release date: Jun 22, 2022
• ISBN: 9798215247570

Erik Handy

Erik Handy grew up on a steady diet of professional wrestling, bad horror movies that went straight to video, and comic books. There were also a lot of video games thrown in the mix. He currently absorbs silence and fish tacos.

Book preview

One

The light was too bright.

Bryan?

His aunt.

She’d probably been at his side the entire time.

She leaned in too close and smiled. She was happy he was awake. Bryan knew that.

He closed his eyes again and pretended to fall back asleep.

***

We’ll run some more tests.

He must have dozed.

The front of his head started to hurt.

His aunt must have grabbed a doctor. She was too excited.

Bryan? the doctor said, peering down at the young man, keeping his distance, unlike dear old Auntie. My name is Doctor Pearson. Do you know where you are?

Bryan nodded. The pain in the front of his head shot back along both sides of his skull.

I’ll have a nurse administer more pain medication. The doctor turned to the pudgy, panting woman. Like I said. We’ll run some more tests to see if there’s any brain damage.

Will he be able to walk? his aunt asked. Would she still smile if he couldn’t?

Bryan closed his eyes but still heard them talk.

It’s too early to tell, Doctor Pearson said. It’s possible. The main thing I’m worried about is the damage to his mind.

***

He drifted in his bed. The sheets that covered him were solid, but he was not. He knew the pain meds were doing what they were supposed to.

It was night. The room was half-dark. He had gotten used to all the beeps and bustle of the hospital. They wavered in and out of his hearing.

He thought he’d float off his bed and away toward the window lining the far wall. Out into the starry sky. So vast. So empty. No background noise there. Heaven.

Through his haze, he felt eyes on him. That tell-tale pressure.

From the doorway.

He couldn’t pull himself back into the moment. He was just a passive audience member in this night scene. The pain meds were stronger than his will.

The presence came closer.

He heard their footfalls tapping on the floor.

The presence was a person. Real. Tap tap.

He slowly closed his eyes. No one would harm someone in such a vulnerable position. Stoned and asleep. No one in their right mind, anyway.

I know you’re awake, the person said. Their voice was at the far end of an echo chamber. By the time the voice hit his ears, it lost gender, but not tone. There was malice on this person’s tongue. Bryan.

This stranger knew his name.

Bryan’s mind rolled backward like a Ferris wheel in reverse.

Bryan, the stranger repeated.

Bryan turned to face the person. He tried to open his eyes, but the meds took hold. He softly moaned to his visitor.

You’ll be on your feet soon, the stranger said. I know you will. You’re strong. That’s why I like you.

Bryan tried too hard to open his eyes, but he allowed himself to drift too far. He was still in the room with this shadow and he was falling into himself and never landing.

I’ll see you soon, the stranger said from far away. You and I – we still have games to play.

Two

Five weeks out of the hospital.

Bryan kept to himself up in his bedroom. To his aunt’s delight, he could walk on his own. Tests revealed no permanent brain injuries. He would heal.

His aunt urged him to get in touch with Jessica.

Jessica.

Never Jess.

Oh, no, he tried calling her that when they first met and that nearly ruined their budding friendship. He didn’t know she had a problem with that. Once Jessica realized it was an honest mistake, all was forgiven and the two grew together – to the point where a romantic relationship blossomed.

The phone rang.

He heard his aunt pick it up from downstairs.

Hello? came her voice to Bryan’s sensitive ears. Jessica! No. I don’t think he’s awake yet. Hold on. I’ll check, ‘kay?

Bryan rolled away from the bedroom door and brought his legs up in a fetal position.

The door softly clicked open.

Bryan? his aunt whispered.

He breathed deeply and slowly.

The door clicked close.

Jessica, Bryan heard. He’s still sleeping. I’ll tell him you called.

***

His aunt was sitting at the dining table when Bryan went to the kitchen. He could feel her round eyes on him.

Can I get you anything? she asked.

Bryan went into the fridge and pulled out a bottle of orange juice. No. Thanks.

The gap of silence that followed usually meant the woman was about to say something he didn’t want to hear.

Bryan, I know you’ve been through a lot in the past month. I’m glad you survived the accident. But you have to pick up the pieces of your life. You have to get on with it. You need to see Jessica. She cares about you a lot.

Bryan nodded but didn’t make eye contact with the woman.

I will, he said. Soon.

Bryan went back up to his room.

***

His aunt went out later that evening to do whatever people her age did. Bingo? Bridge? He was glad he had the house to himself. Even so, he stayed in his room, on his bed, looking over the ceiling. It was so flat and white and smooth. He couldn’t see any imperfections from the bed. He didn’t want to stand up and see that the ceiling wasn’t so flawless.

A door downstairs clicked open.

He wasn’t sure if it was the front or back.

His aunt usually stayed out late whenever she went out.

Bryan almost cracked himself up at the thought of his aunt partying with her old and fat friends. He’d have to find out what she did, but without asking her.

Soft thuds on the stairs.

His bedroom door was already cracked open.

Whoever it was knew exactly where he was and how to go straight there. Still, Bryan felt an icy chill when that person came into the room.

Three

Jessica, he said, swinging his legs out of bed and sitting up.

I tried calling you, the young woman said. Her hair was up in a bun and Bryan thought she put some mascara on. Like, a thousand times.

412. I counted.

She smiled, which made him smile.

She sat next to him and they embraced.

I can’t believe you broke into my house, Bryan said.

I know where your aunt hides the spare key.

You’re always breaking into people’s houses.

Jessica pinched him. I’m glad you’re all right. I don’t know how – if I could . . . .

Bryan pulled his girl close to him. Don’t get so serious. I got lucky.

You got rear-ended by that bitch –

Hey, hey. I’m over it.

I’m not.

Jessica, I survived. In a few weeks, I’ll be one hundred percent. I just need to rest.

I don’t know if I can wait that long.

Bryan felt blood rush to his face. For what?

***

It was getting late, but they stayed by each other’s side on the bed. He held her as he’d done before.

I came to see you, Jessica said, her voice louder in the stark silence of the house. No heart monitors beeping here. I was so scared. I thought I was going to lose you.

You came to see me? How sweet.

Jerk. You were always asleep.

Not always.

What do you mean?

I’d fake it whenever my aunt visited.

I don’t blame you.

Sometimes, I’d be so fucked up on meds that I’d be aware of what was going on, but not able to do anything.

I know.

How do you know? Bryan asked.

Before you and I met, I had to have an appendectomy. Best drugs ever.

Yeah.

After a few seconds, Jessica said, I was scared. That’s the most scared I’ve ever been.

And that’s saying something.

Yeah. Jessica rolled out of bed and to her feet. She started dressing. Did you have, like, anything weird happen while you were out of it?

Like a near-death experience?

Jessica nodded.

No. Nothing. Well, maybe . . . one night, someone came into my room. I couldn’t tell who it was or if I knew them.

Jessica paused mid-sock.

And? she reluctantly said.

And they said something about a game. I don’t really remember.

Jessica picked up the pace and slipped on her sneakers.

Do you have to go? Bryan asked.

Your aunt will be here any minute now.

So?

You’re nineteen and I’m sixteen.

You think she’d turn her own nephew in? Her poor, orphaned nephew who just faced off with the Grim Reaper and won?

Remember the last time she caught us?

I’m just saying that you don’t have to leave. We can pretend we’re good little children and do whatever good little children do – Bryan looked at his alarm clock on the bedside table. – past their bedtime.

Jessica was already dressed and half out the door. I’ll see you tomorrow.

Jesus, at least, let me walk you to the door.

It’s okay. I know the way out.

And then she was gone.

Four

Bryan didn’t know why Jessica acted so strange when she left. She couldn’t have been that afraid of his aunt. He wasn’t. Wasn’t he owed one freebie under his aunt’s roof? The old lady was lucky he was alive.

No, there was something else that agitated Jessica.

He couldn’t pinpoint what. It kept him up all night. He tossed and turned. He tried to watch TV. Finally, just after four in