building to get high and relax.
"I don't think so," she said.
Kevin put his mouth to her ear and whispered, "Do some, dammit."
Usually grass made her cough, but this went down smoothly, massaging her throat like honey. By the time Kevin took the pipe from her, Mallory was feeling its effects. She'd only taken in a little, just to please Kevin, but even that little bit was too much. The darkness began to seem pleasant, almost comforting; the glow of candlelight became a balm to her eyes, and the shadows it cast became a visual sound—
I didn't take much, she thought.
—that filled her with a soothing, imperceptible, bone-deep thrum.
Just a little drag, not as much as the others.
When she looked at Mace, she thought he was glowing, but soon she realized it was only the light from the candle and lantern behind him. It framed his dark shape with a soft aura.
"Urn, here's the…" Kevin mumbled, offering the cassette to Mace.
Through the pleasant haze that clung to the inside of her skull, Mallory realized she'd never seen Kevin so ill at ease, so unsure of himself.
Mace took the tape, then watched them for a moment, silently, as if he were waiting for something.
"Oh, yeah," Trevor whispered, half to himself, "I almost forgot." He took a hand-sized tape player from one coat pocket and a small set of headphones from the other, handing them to Mace.
As Mace put on the headphones, Kevin said, "Uh, the songs on that tape were—"
"Let it speak for itself," Mace said, starting the tape.
Mallory could vaguely hear the music, like the whine of a mosquito flying around her ear.
"Hey," Mark whispered, "isn't he gonna tell us what he wants to—"
"Quiet," Kevin snapped.
Even in the darkness, Kevin's glare was strong enough to shut Mark up.
Mace leaned back a bit as he listened.
The others were silent, waiting.
The room was still.
Until Mallory heard another wet, sticky squeak and the gentle whisper of movement in the darkness….
When Jeff got to the parking lot, they were gone.
He stood at the corner of the building and stared at the motorcycle and Toyota parked side by side facing the wall of bushes. Turning to the building, Jeff squinted to see through the night.
They couldn't have gone inside; there were boards over all the windows and chains and locks on all the doors.
All but one.
The main rear entrance was unboarded and unchained. He approached slowly, setting his feet down softly, trying to be quiet, although he wasn't quite sure why; it was pretty obvious there was no one around to hear him.
When he tried the door, gently tugging on it, he found it securely locked.
He looked around again, turning a complete circle to see if he might have missed them the first time.
"Mallory?" His voice was little more than a breath.
He stood in the lot a few moments longer, then headed back the way he'd come, thinking it was none of his damned business what Mallory did anyway….
Just the grass, Mallory thought again. Sometimes marijuana made her ears ring. That's all it is.
But there was more movement in the darkness, closer than before.
"Kevin…"
"Shh."
Again. The squeak was louder, closer, but there was another that seemed farther away, and a third that came from behind her.
"Kevin, did you hear—"
"I said shut up!" he hissed.
Mallory closed her eyes tight. Rubbing them hard with her knuckles, she took a deep breath, trying to rise above the effect of the grass.
What if it wasn't grass?
Shaking her head with a jerk, she looked around at the others. They were hunched forward on their cushions watching Mace as if he were a television set, their lips slightly parted.
Mace had not moved. His head was still cocked back, his arms at his sides. The light shimmered brightly through his hair.
The first movement Mallory spotted was on the floor to Mace's left. It was so small that for an instant Mallory thought perhaps she hadn't seen it at all.
Until it happened again.
Mallory stiffened, and her hand found
"I don't think so," she said.
Kevin put his mouth to her ear and whispered, "Do some, dammit."
Usually grass made her cough, but this went down smoothly, massaging her throat like honey. By the time Kevin took the pipe from her, Mallory was feeling its effects. She'd only taken in a little, just to please Kevin, but even that little bit was too much. The darkness began to seem pleasant, almost comforting; the glow of candlelight became a balm to her eyes, and the shadows it cast became a visual sound—
I didn't take much, she thought.
—that filled her with a soothing, imperceptible, bone-deep thrum.
Just a little drag, not as much as the others.
When she looked at Mace, she thought he was glowing, but soon she realized it was only the light from the candle and lantern behind him. It framed his dark shape with a soft aura.
"Urn, here's the…" Kevin mumbled, offering the cassette to Mace.
Through the pleasant haze that clung to the inside of her skull, Mallory realized she'd never seen Kevin so ill at ease, so unsure of himself.
Mace took the tape, then watched them for a moment, silently, as if he were waiting for something.
"Oh, yeah," Trevor whispered, half to himself, "I almost forgot." He took a hand-sized tape player from one coat pocket and a small set of headphones from the other, handing them to Mace.
As Mace put on the headphones, Kevin said, "Uh, the songs on that tape were—"
"Let it speak for itself," Mace said, starting the tape.
Mallory could vaguely hear the music, like the whine of a mosquito flying around her ear.
"Hey," Mark whispered, "isn't he gonna tell us what he wants to—"
"Quiet," Kevin snapped.
Even in the darkness, Kevin's glare was strong enough to shut Mark up.
Mace leaned back a bit as he listened.
The others were silent, waiting.
The room was still.
Until Mallory heard another wet, sticky squeak and the gentle whisper of movement in the darkness….
When Jeff got to the parking lot, they were gone.
He stood at the corner of the building and stared at the motorcycle and Toyota parked side by side facing the wall of bushes. Turning to the building, Jeff squinted to see through the night.
They couldn't have gone inside; there were boards over all the windows and chains and locks on all the doors.
All but one.
The main rear entrance was unboarded and unchained. He approached slowly, setting his feet down softly, trying to be quiet, although he wasn't quite sure why; it was pretty obvious there was no one around to hear him.
When he tried the door, gently tugging on it, he found it securely locked.
He looked around again, turning a complete circle to see if he might have missed them the first time.
"Mallory?" His voice was little more than a breath.
He stood in the lot a few moments longer, then headed back the way he'd come, thinking it was none of his damned business what Mallory did anyway….
Just the grass, Mallory thought again. Sometimes marijuana made her ears ring. That's all it is.
But there was more movement in the darkness, closer than before.
"Kevin…"
"Shh."
Again. The squeak was louder, closer, but there was another that seemed farther away, and a third that came from behind her.
"Kevin, did you hear—"
"I said shut up!" he hissed.
Mallory closed her eyes tight. Rubbing them hard with her knuckles, she took a deep breath, trying to rise above the effect of the grass.
What if it wasn't grass?
Shaking her head with a jerk, she looked around at the others. They were hunched forward on their cushions watching Mace as if he were a television set, their lips slightly parted.
Mace had not moved. His head was still cocked back, his arms at his sides. The light shimmered brightly through his hair.
The first movement Mallory spotted was on the floor to Mace's left. It was so small that for an instant Mallory thought perhaps she hadn't seen it at all.
Until it happened again.
Mallory stiffened, and her hand found
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