Savannah Burning

Chapter Fourteen

Needless to say, I was grounded. Dad would be driving me to school for the rest of the week and Mom would pick me up right after. I had to spend my lunch period in Mr. Benedict’s office, the school counselor for the remainder of the week.

I wasn’t excited about it, but I wasn’t dumb enough to argue. I knew I had gotten myself into this and at this point I knew that if I had gotten myself into it then it was necessary for me to check in with him.

“How are you doing today, Tyson?” He asked, running a bandana over his balding head. Benedict was pretty cool. We had gotten to know each other well over the course of the last four years. He told me about his hippie days, back when he lived for music and lived out of his van, traveling around the country with a ragtag group of guys he went to high school with. He was a pretty badass dude from my understanding. I suspected there was much more to his story than he was going to tell his high school aged patient, but I liked to picture him partying with Iggy Pop somewhere in Chicago.

“Oh, you know,” I sighed. “Wallowing in self-pity. Contemplating the end of human existence as we know it.” I shot him a smile. “The usual.”

“Funny,” he deadpanned, but even he couldn’t help but crack a grin. “Want to tell me why you skipped school yesterday?”

“Hey, did you know that The amount of C02 in the atmosphere has risen by twenty-five percent since 1958, and by about forty percent since the Industrial Revolution?”

“Did you learn that in class?”

“Nope, Twitter,” I said with a grin. Benedict raised an eyebrow at me. He waited. I sighed. “The lawyer called,” I admitted. “My biological father is up for parole. Something about good behavior and how he already served his minimum. As if that makes up for what he did to my mother.”

“And to you,” Benedict added gently.

My shoulder twitched in response. Benedict’s eyes briefly flickered to my arm. “I guess,” I mumbled. “They want me to testify.” Benedict sat all the way back in his seat, raising his eyebrows.

“Interesting.”

“Is that psycho-babble for bullshit? Because that’s what I think it is; bullshit.”

“It’s absolutely bullshit,” Benedict agreed, “that is, only if you want it to be bullshit.” I glared at him and he gave me a knowing smile.

“I do want it to be bullshit,” I insisted. “I don’t want to go.”

“So don’t.” Benedict shrugged, propping his foot against the desk so that he could bounce gently in his seat. “Nobody’s making you. You’ll be graduating high school soon and the minute you’re free from this place your entire future is in the palm of your hand. Soon you’ll be the one making all the decisions in your life. Not your mom, not your dad. You’re going to be an adult soon, Tyson. Unfortunately, you just have a couple of other responsibilities that you need to attend to, like the decision as to whether or not attend your biological father’s parole hearing or not. If you don’t want to do this nobody is going to make you do it.”

“What about all that talk about forgiveness?” I asked. “You’ve been preaching that s**t to me for years.”

Benedict laughed, shaking his head. “Tyson, buddy, forgiveness doesn’t have any guidelines or rules. Nobody can tell you which way or how to forgive. That’s the beauty of being human. It’s all up to you.”

#

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I don’t know how she did it, but Daisy managed to convince my parents to lift their ban on me a full three days earlier than expected.

“Halloween is this weekend,” she pleaded before school on Friday. She had showed up fifteen minutes early to talk to my parents before the day started. “I was hoping Robbie, Tyson and I could spend it together since it’s . . . you know . . . our last one together. For a while anyway.” Cue Daisy glancing up at my parents through her lashes with those big hazel eyes of hers with just a hint of tears behind them.

“Alright,” Dad said without even putting up a fight. “But you’re back by eleven the latest on Halloween. Got it?”

“Got it,” I nodded with a grin.

“You should get going,” Mom said, looking at the clock on the stove. “You’re going to be late and one of you can’t afford that.” Then, after a pause, “oh, who am I kidding, neither of you can. Stop surfing before school and making yourselves late.”

“Yes ma’am,” Daisy said, grabbing my arm and pulling me out the door before they could change their minds.

“How the hell do you do it?” I asked, shaking my head.

“Practice,” she grinned. “You’re riding in the back today, by the way.”

“What? Why?” I asked just before noticing a certain freckled blonde standing outside the Wagoneer, leaning against the passenger door, smoking a cigarette.

“Hey,” she said, immediately putting the cigarette out. My stomach flipped at the sound of her voice. I had hardly seen Savanna since she came over. “Do you always leave a girl hanging after dinner?”

“Only the lucky ones,” I joked, sliding into the backseat.

“Don’t be offended,” Daisy said, pulling out of my driveway. “Tyson forgot his last girlfriend’s birthday.”

“Yeesh,” Savanna shuddered, turning around in her seat. “Did she dump you?”

“I don’t think it would have lasted much longer anyway,” I shrugged, fighting off the embarrassment. “She lived two towns over and I didn’t have my license at the time so …” Out of the corner of my eye I saw the sign for Bayview Park. “Whoa, wait, slow down,” I said, rolling down my window. The sign welcoming us to the park had been vandalized since Savanna and I were there. Right underneath the WELCOME was a spray-painted stencil of a girl with tape stretched across her mouth, a question mark settling right between her eyebrows. “That wasn’t there the other day, was it?” I asked Savanna, who shrugged in response.

“I don’t know,” she replied. “Anyway,” Savanna said, switching subjects, “have you told him yet?”

“Told me what?”

“About our Halloween plans!” Savanna exclaimed. “Daisy, Robbie and I have been talking while you were in purgatory about what we should do. I saw this at the mall last week –“ she rummaged around in her backpack and pulled out a crumpled flyer and turned around to hand it to me. “Apparently there’s a haunted house in the next town or so over and they throw a killer – get it? Killer? – 16 and up party. We were talking about going.”

“Oh, I know this place,” I said after I had smoothed the flyer out as much as possible. “It used to be a theater. That’s cool that they turned it into this.”

“Does that mean you’re in?” Savanna asked, leaning towards me.

“I’m in,” I grinned, handing her the flyer back.

“Only if we get him home by eleven,” Daisy chimed in. “Tyson has a curfew.” She caught my eye in the rearview mirror and I scowled at her as Savanna laughed, rolling her window down to enjoy the late-fall breeze.

We pulled up to school and I spotted the Astrovan in its usual spot. Robbie had an early practice this morning – he had a wrestling meet after school and Coach Johnson had wanted them to get some extra training squeezed in.

“Will you be in lunch today?” Savanna asked as we stopped by at her homeroom.

“One more day of solitary confinement and then I’m out,” I said. She glanced down at her shoes with a frown and I wondered if she was as disappointed as I was that I wouldn’t be seeing her.

“Alright,” she sighed. “I’ll see you after school then?”

“Sounds good,” I nodded. She gave me a small smile and a wave of her hand before slipping into her classroom.

#

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When the day of the party rolled around neither Robbie nor I had made any attempt to even think about it. We managed to scrape together costumes for ourselves minutes before we were supposed to pick the girls up from Savanna’s house. We decided to take Robbie’s car this year. The younger kids in town were notorious for egging cars on Halloween and it honestly might make the Astrovan look better if she got egged. Street credit and all that nonsense. At least, that’s what we’ve convinced Robbie.

Robbie honked when we pulled up to Savanna’s house and the girls came out, wrapped in coats, with Mr. Skye right behind them. He walked the girls over to Robbie’s car and tapped on the passenger window.

“Hey, Tyson,” he said when I rolled the window down.

“Hey, Mr. Skye,” I replied.

“I just wanted to let you boys know, if anything should happen, feel free to call me, no questions asked. There will be absolutely no drinking and driving tonight, right, boys?”

“Right,” Robbie and I responded at the same time.

“Good,” Mr. Skye said with a nod, patting the Astrovan. The car groaned from the excess force of his hand. “Are you sure this car is safe?”

“Safe enough for me to drive,” Robbie said proudly.

Mr. Skye grimaced and backed away from the car. “Just be careful,” he warned, “and try to be back by eleven-thirty, okay?”

“Don’t worry, Mr. Skye,” Robbie said as Mr. Skye stepped aside for the girls. “Tyson has a curfew tonight.”

“Dude,” I groaned, covering my face with my hands. “Must everybody know?”

“Yep!” He replied smugly. “Open the door for the girls, Tyson. Where are your manners?” I rolled my eyes but leaned into the backseat and slid open the back door for Savanna and Daisy.

“Bye, Savanna,” Mr. Skye said, patting her awkwardly on the shoulder before shutting the door behind her.

“Your dad is scary,” Robbie commented.

“I know, right?” Savanna responded, eyes gleaming. “I didn’t grow up with a dad in New Mexico. It’s cool to have one of those shot-gun wielding over-protective dads. He’s surprisingly laid back, though. We actually have a lot of fun together. I won two-hundred bucks from him so far in blackjack.”

“Somehow associating the word fun to your dad isn’t working too well for me,” I laughed right as Robbie asked, “your dad owns a shot-gun?”

“Maybe,” Savanna laughed. I turned around in my seat and saw Savanna wiggling out of her coat. “Holy s**t,” I whispered.

Savanna was wearing an extremely mature Alice in Wonderland costume. Her black boots came up to her thighs, which only exaggerated her colt-like legs. I looked away, blushing.

“Do you like it?” she asked, nudging my seat with her foot.

My stomach flipped nervously and I smirked in her direction. “It’s okay,” I joked, turning around before Daisy could yell at me for staring too long.

“What are you two supposed to be?” Daisy asked, leaning forward in her seat. I held up the cardboard sign I had made seconds before we left to pick the girls up.

“Homeless bums,” I said with a laugh.

The girls rolled their eyes, but laughed. “You forgot, didn’t you?” Savanna asked.

“What? No, we totally remembered, right, Robbie?”

“Right. This took days to put together. Days.”

“Weeks, in fact.”

“You’re an i***t,” Savanna laughed, rolling her eyes. “God, I’m so excited! This is my first night out; you realize that, right? It’s the first time Karen and Brady are actually letting me out at night.”

“How did you convince them to let go of the leash?” I asked.

“I told them I was going with you,” she replied.

“Oh, good,” I said, faking enthusiasm, “even your parents think I’m lame.”

We were nearing the haunted house. Teens in costumes were flooding in through the farm’s gates. We drove past the entrance three time before finding parking around the corner.

“Daze you look kind of hot,” Robbie commented as Daisy got out of the car, revealing her Cat-Woman costume. She managed to keep her modest composure while looking like a total badass in black fake-leather pants and heeled, buckled boots that came up over her knee. She had Cat-Woman’s mask on and her eyes were done up in thick, dark makeup that made her golden eyes gleam unnaturally in the carnival lighting.

I braced myself for the verbal backlash that Daisy was bound to dish out, but instead of yelling Daisy blushed. “My idea,” Savanna beamed. “I would do unspeakable things for that petite figure.” By now we had reached the crowd, all pushing to get a ticket inside. “Head for the V.I.P. line!” Savanna yelled.

“Dude, I can’t afford V.I.P. tickets,” Robbie protested, but Savanna waved him off.

“I already bought us tickets. They’re waiting for us.”

“What? How?” I asked.

“What else am I going to do with my money? It’s not exactly like I’m spending it while locked away in my tower.” She did have a point. Robbie led us over to the V.I.P. tent and Savanna flashed her I.D. to the guy dressed like Where’s Waldo sitting at the booth. He patted us down before giving us all the bright orange bracelets and waved us through. On the other side of the gate were three other, shorter lines. Two of them were leading into separate entrances to the haunted house and the third was for the corn maze.

“This place is huge,” I said.

“I know,” Savanna agreed. “I think in order to get to the party we have to go through the house or through the corn maze. What do you guys want to do?”

“Let’s do the house,” Robbie suggested. “Corn mazes are just full of guys with fake chainsaws.”

Right on cue a chainsaw sounded from somewhere inside the corn maze and a chorus of screams followed it. I suppressed a shiver. I would never admit this out loud, but those guys scared the crap out of me. We turned our backs on the maze and headed towards the house. Where the two lines split was a scarecrow holding a sign that was made to look as though it was painted in blood. It read:

IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO BE TOUCHED, STEP TO THE LEFT.

IF YOU’RE BRAVE, STEP TO THE RIGHT.

“What do you say?” Savanna asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief. She lowered her voice and leaned in close to me and whispered, “Want to be touched?” I hoped that the fake beard covered my blush. Savanna grinned, slipping her arm through mine and pulling me to the right-hand line.

“I’m freaking out,” Robbie stated as someone screamed from the front of the line. “I’m too young to die.”

“Oh, please,” Daisy said, “you’ll be totally fine. I’m the one that should be worried. They always target the small ones.”

A witch with an employee badge handed us pens and waivers. I tried not to think about why we would need these waivers as I signed it, failing at blocking out the noises of those “fake” chainsaws.

“These notify the actors that you don’t mind being pushed, kidnapped, tortured or killed,” she joked, wrapping red bands around our wrist.

“Oh, good,” Savanna said as I unsuccessfully tried not to get my arm hair stuck in the glue. “I’ve always wanted to get kidnapped.”

I laughed, louder than I should have, unable to determine if I actually thought it was funny or if I was honestly just that nervous.

“Have fun, kiddies,” the witch cackled with laughter.

Beside me Robbie shivered. “s**t. I’m scared. I’m officially scared,” he said, hopping from one foot to the next.

“Ever since he saw The Wizard of Oz for the first time, Robbie has always been a bit weary of witches,” Daisy informed Savanna.

“It’s okay, boys,” Savanna said, wrapping her arm around Daisy’s shoulder, “we’ll protect you.”

“You might,” Daisy joked, “but I’m leaving Robbie for the zombies.”

The line moved faster than any of us were expecting, and before we knew it we were waiting to go next. The hunchbacked employee opened the door for us to enter and I motioned for Savanna to enter first.

“f**k no,” she said, jumping behind me.

“Not so tough now,” I laughed and Savanna shook her head vigorously, grabbing my hand. Behind her Daisy clung to Savanna’s other hand and Robbie took up the rear, fingers wrapped around Daisy’s cape. I took a deep breath and, giving Savanna’s hand a squeeze, stepped through the threshold and into the darkness.

#

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#

“That was the most terrifying experience I’ve ever had,” Savanna panted after we stumbled out of the house.

We all looked at each other, wide-eyed before bursting out laughing. All of us had fake blood on us from where the actors had grabbed and touched our skin. Daisy had a streak across her face from when she got too close to the guy with the chainsaw as he was pretending to cut up a body.

“I’m going to have nightmares,” Robbie said, raking his fingers through his hair. “Ugh,” he groaned. His hands came away covered in corn syrup. “This is going to be a b***h to get out.”

“Holy s**t,” Savanna said in awe, staring off behind me. There was another gate we had to go through, but beyond that was a haunted carnival. A gothic Ferris Wheel stood in the middle of the field, several fortune tellers had booth scattered across the field; there was a skeletal merry-go-round, bobbing for severed heads and magicians on stilts.

“Hello, ladies and gentlemen,” a vampire employee said as we floated through the gate, hypnotized by the celebration ahead of us. “Welcome to the party.” In a flash, he reached out and grabbed Savanna’s arm.

“Do I know you?” he asked, genuinely confused.

“Nope!” Savanna sang, slipping out of his grasp. She skipped back up to Daisy, linking her arm through hers, leaving the vampire to scratch his head.

We headed for the hotdog stand first at Robbie’s insistence. Fog machines littered the outskirts of the grounds, pouring fake fog throughout the field, so thick we couldn’t see our feet.

“Come on,” Savanna said, finishing her hotdog, “I want to go play.” We all finished our food and rushed to the Ferris Wheel. “This is so awesome,” Savanna said when we finally climbed aboard a carriage.

Just behind Robbie and Daisy, a light shot up from the ground. “Look,” I pointed, “fireworks.”

Daisy and Robbie both turned around as the firework exploded, followed by a series of more colorful explosions. I looked over at Savanna sitting next to me, watching the colors reflect off her eyes.

I should kiss her, I thought. This is romantic. I should kiss her. I took a breath. I should do it now. The carriage was starting its descent back to the ground. Hurry up, Ty. I leaned in a fraction of an inch and, as if her sixth sense were tingling, Daisy turned back around to smile at me, eyes bright with excitement.

Pussy.

#

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Halloween seemed to be working its magic; Robbie and Daisy weren’t arguing, a rarity that even Savanna had to compliment them on, and Savanna hadn’t left my side all night. I had just won Savanna a stuffed unicorn from the ring-toss game when she lifted up onto her toes and kissed my cheek.

“What a gent,” she giggled and I knew I was blushing.

“No big deal,” I tried to play off, but it was. Savanna Skye had kissed my cheek. It was the peak of my night. It couldn’t get much better than that.

And it didn’t.

It got worse.

I had noticed her after Savanna kissed me; a dark-haired woman in a sock-hop costume was staring at us. At first I disregarded the woman, forgetting about her entirely. The second time I saw her, near the porta-potties while we all got candy apples, I thought that might be a coincidence, too. When I saw her on line for the skeletal merry-go-round just a few people behind us, I knew it wasn’t an accident. I glanced back over my shoulder at the woman. Despite the glare on her fake pink glasses, it was obvious her focus was zeroed in on Savanna. Whenever Savanna moved, even the slightest bit, the woman’s head would move with her. A cold chill dripped down my spine and I suppressed a shiver. I looped my arm around Savanna’s waist, pulling her closer to me.

It’s nothing, I tried to convince myself, following my friends onto the merry-go-round. Savanna jumped onto a black, winged horse and I chose the one right behind her to keep an eye on her. I could feel the woman’s eyes piercing into the back of my skull.

A coincidence, I continued as we began to spin and Savanna tipped her head back and laughed. I forced myself not to look back at the woman whom was sitting on a vicious looking lion a few animals back, trying to convince myself to relax.

Ignore it, I ordered myself as the ride slowed to a stop. I hopped off my horse and helped first Savanna, then Daisy, off their animals.

“Now what?” Robbie asked as we stumbled off the ride.

“I have to pee,” Savanna said, hopping from one foot to the next, “Daisy, can you come with me?”

“I’ll go,” I jumped in, “I have to pee anyway.”

Behind Daisy the woman had sat down on a bench facing towards us and was watching, sitting as still as a cat. This was most definitely no longer a coincidence I could ignore. I wrapped my arm around Savanna’s shoulders and steered her towards the bathrooms. I peeked over my shoulder – the woman had gotten up and was following us. I stopped in my footsteps, yanking Savanna back under my arm.

“What’s wrong?” Savanna asked. I turned to face her, keeping her back towards the sock-hop woman.

I placed my hands on Savanna’s shoulders and looked down at her. “Um,” I said nervously, glancing behind her. Savanna titled her head at me, a puzzled smile playing at her lips. My heart pounded wildly in my chest. The woman was getting closer.

“Tyson?” Savanna asked, placing a hand on my arm, causing my heart to jump.

“I don’t want to scare you,” I said quietly.

Savanna shook her head with a laugh. “You’re not –“

I dipped my lips to her ear, cutting her off as I brushed a stray lock of hair away before whispering, “there’s someone following us.” Under my hands her shoulders tensed up, her fingers gripping into my arm.

“What?” She breathed.

“In the sock-hop costume. Behind you.” Savanna sucked in a breath. She swallowed, sneaking a look over her shoulder.

The woman was only a few feet away by now, closing in on us. When she saw Savanna facing her, she slipped her glasses on top of her head, her face lighting up in a warm smile. Savanna let out a strangled noise and she stepped backwards, stumbling over my foot.

“Mom?”