Storm Lake Iowa
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Gus walked out of the hospital and into his car. The drive back to Storm Lake, Iowa was going to be long. He needed a few days off work to think about everything that had happened. It didn’t help that he had no one in this town to talk to about what had happened.
After all, everyone knew each other here. He might as well have been from Mars for the way they looked at him when they heard the news. They were concerned and wanted to make sure he was okay but there wasn’t much else they could say because they couldn’t relate to it.
Hell, none of them knew what it felt like to kill someone. And the thought of doing that again made Gus sick to his stomach.
He pulled up outside of the house he shared with his parents and sighed. He turned the key in the ignition and started to drive away. As soon as he did, his phone rang. On impulse, he answered it. “Hello?”
“Hey Gus,” said Alex’s voice over the phone.
“Hey yourself.”
“How are you holding up? I know how hard this is on you.”
Gus glanced down at the steering wheel. “I’m not sure if I can do it again. You know that.”
Alex sighed. “Yeah.” His words were quiet.
“You want to come over later? We’ve got some beers. Maybe we’ll watch a movie or something. Just hang out.”
“That sounds good,” Alex replied. “What time?”
“Whenever you’re free. My dad probably won’t be home until around nine.”
“Perfect. See you then.”
The line went dead. Gus hung up and put the car in gear before turning right onto Main Street. He passed by the fire station where he’d spent many nights after his shift watching movies and playing video games with the guys. The memories brought a smile to his face.
He slowed down as he approached the end of the street and found himself staring at the familiar red brick building that housed his father’s law office. Gus turned left and drove past the courthouse. Several people were walking along the sidewalk. One guy waved to Gus.
It was nice seeing people. It made him feel normal. Normal and alone.
He parked the car in the driveway and climbed out, stretching his legs. The warm summer air brushed against his skin. He closed the door behind him and headed inside. A tiny bell jingled as he pushed open the front door. Gus stepped into the foyer and looked around.
Nothing had changed since he’d lived here as a kid. Same brown carpet, same plastic flowers on the small table near the entrance. Even though he hadn’t been here in years, there was something comforting about being home.
His mother’s voice called from the kitchen. “Gus! Come on in!”
He followed her voice down a short hallway and into the kitchen. She was standing at the stove stirring a pot of macaroni and cheese. His mom had always loved cooking, even though she never really ate any of it. Gus smiled. He loved coming home to see his mother working in the kitchen.
“Hi, Mom,” he said, walking over and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
“Hey, sweetie,” she said, returning the gesture.
“Did you hear about Alex? He’s doing okay, I guess.”
“Oh yeah, I heard,” his mother replied. “What happened?”
Gus shrugged. He didn’t need to go into details with her. Not now. “I’m just glad he’s safe,” he added.
“So am I.” There was a hint of sadness in her eyes. “Are you hungry? Your dad’s already eaten.”
“No. Thanks, Mom.”
She nodded and turned away, heading towards the sink. Gus watched her walk away. Her hips swayed as she went. He remembered being young and running his hands across those hips while he kissed her neck, his cock growing hard in his pants.
He shook his head and turned to look through the window into the backyard. In the distance, he saw a man sitting on the back porch of the house next door. He was smoking a cigarette, his arms crossed over his chest.
Gus rubbed his temples. Why was his neighbor always hanging around? It was weird.
“Your dad wanted me to tell you that he’s leaving for the day. He said he has an early morning tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Gus said. “Thanks, Mom.”
“Sure thing.”
Gus turned away and headed upstairs. He entered his old bedroom and sat down on the edge of his bed. He stared at the ceiling, lost in thought, wondering how he was going to get out of this mess. He could only hope that he would find a way.
***
Gus woke to the sound of his phone ringing. He groaned and rolled over, trying to ignore the noise. Eventually, he gave up and reached for the device. “Hello?”
“Hey, Gus,” said Alex’s voice.
“Hey,” Gus replied. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. How are you feeling?”
Gus glanced at his alarm clock. 2:30 AM. He hadn’t meant to sleep so late. “I’m okay. I guess.”
“Listen, I know what we talked about earlier wasn’t easy, but I really want to help.”
“It’s fine. You don’t have to worry about me, Alex. And I can’t ask you to do anything else like that. It’s too dangerous.”
“Whoa, whoa. I’m not talking about something illegal or anything like that. It’s just a simple favor, and nothing more. I promise you won’t regret it.”
“I…I don’t know, Alex. It all feels kind of rushed. What if I need more time to think about it?”
“Please, Gus. I need your help. Please say yes.”
“All right. Fine. But I still don’t know if it’s such a great idea.”
“It will be. Trust me, please. Just one little favor is all I’m asking. That’s it. Won’t take long. I’ll text you my address. Meet me at a coffee shop in town in an hour. If you’re not there, then forget it. We can try again another day.”
Gus sighed. He hated being put on the spot like this. “I’m coming.”
“Great. See you soon.”
The line went dead. Gus glanced at his watch. 3:00 AM. He groaned and tried to push himself up. His body felt heavy and sore. He rolled out of bed and headed toward the bathroom to wash his face. He looked at his reflection in the mirror.
Gus had always been skinny, but since he’d come back from Afghanistan, he hadn’t been able to lose any weight. The military had changed him, made him stronger than he ever thought possible. But it also left him with aches and pains that he couldn’t seem to shake.
Gus took a deep breath and splashed some cold water on his face. He let it run over his mouth and down his throat. He tasted dirt and blood. When he wiped his chin, he found flecks of dried blood. He sighed and looked back into the mirror. He ran his fingers along his cheeks. They were smooth and unbroken, unlike his lips.
He leaned forward, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against the glass. He felt better for a moment. Then, without warning, he started crying. He closed his eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks. He had never cried in front of anyone before. Not even his mom. He felt embarrassed, ashamed. He didn’t want people to see him like this.
Gus opened his eyes, wiping away his tears. He looked at his reflection, surprised by the man staring back at him. He was handsome, Gus realized. Maybe not as good-looking as Alex, but he had potential. A lot of it. He stood there, staring at himself in the mirror, lost in thought.
Gus stepped backward and turned to leave the bathroom. He stopped when he heard a sound behind him. Gus spun around. His heart lurched in his chest. There was a figure standing on the other side of the door to his bathroom. He held a knife.
***
Gus froze, unable to move. He stared at the stranger. The man slowly pulled the blade out, exposing the glinting, deadly tip. Gus swallowed hard. He didn’t know why, but he knew that this person was dangerous. He could feel it in his gut.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Gus said, trying to keep his voice steady.
“Oh, trust me, I know.”
The man pushed past Gus and walked into his room. Gus followed, keeping close behind the stranger. The man stopped in front of his window. He raised his knife and looked outside. Gus saw the silhouette of a large dog curled up on the grass below. He watched as the man smiled. “They’re waiting for us,” he said, turning back to Gus.
Gus backed away from him. “What? Who?”
The man laughed. “Friends. Friends of mine.”
“My friends?”
“Yes. I’ve told them about you. About our little arrangement.”
“Arrangement?”
“Yes,” the man replied. “That’s why I came to you tonight. To make sure you were ready. Are you ready?”
“No! No, I’m not!”
“Relax. There’s no hurry. But I want you to be prepared, understand? This is going to happen tonight.”
“But…why?”
“Because I want it to.”
“Why?” Gus repeated. He shook his head. “This is crazy.”
The man shrugged. “I get asked that a lot. People ask me, ‘Why did you do it?’ But I don’t really have an answer for them. It just seemed like the right thing to do.”
“Like what?” Gus asked.
“Just stuff. Stuff that I felt like doing. Like I wanted to kill someone. And I figured, well, what better way than to make it look like the work of a serial killer?”
Gus frowned. “So, this isn’t real?”
“Of course not. It’s all pretend. I’m just having fun. You should too. Why don’t we go out and have a few drinks?”
“Drinks?”
“Yeah. What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing, I guess,” Gus said. “Just that I haven’t had anything to drink in a while.”
“Well, you’re gonna need it if you want to survive tonight. Just follow my lead. Okay?”
Gus nodded.
“Good. Now, this is the part where I get to kill you. I hope you’re ready.”
“Huh?”
The man threw open the window. Gus reached for the handle, but he was too slow. The stranger grabbed Gus by the collar and yanked him through the window. Gus fell to the ground below. He landed painfully on his right leg, gasping in pain. He looked up and saw the man standing in the window, watching him.
“Nice try,” the man shouted, walking away.
Gus crawled to his knees. He examined his wound. A small cut ran across the back of his calf. It wasn’t deep enough to require stitches, but it was painful. He pulled off his shirt to apply pressure to the bleeding gash. The man returned and knelt down beside him. He removed his jacket and placed it over Gus’s wound.
“Thanks,” Gus said.
The man smiled. “Anytime.
The End