Sheep's Clothing by Gary Lewis (dark books to read TXT) 📗

of the park. "You know," she said. "I can't count how many photos I've done at this very spot." She waited for his thoughts to form words, only to be met with a slight nod. "This would make the perfect shot, Janice," she said as she air-quoted with her fingers.

"I'm sorry, babe. I've just got all this on my mind." He stood and reached for her hand as she rose beside him without his help.

"It's times like these," David said. "I wish Tony was here." She reached to grasp his still open fingers within her grip as she looked up into his eyes.

"He is here, David." The sunlight blanketed their skin with a warmth that incinerated every dark shadow that stood between them and she opened herself up to him. "I can still feel him right here with us." With her hand, she pulled his to press just below her chest.

David's other arm firmly wrapped around her lower back as he pulled her in. She let him take her as she drifted into his embrace and felt his lips squeeze between hers. When they slowly backed apart, still locked in each other's arms, David spoke up, looking intently into her eyes. "We need to find somewhere safe to go, Jan."

#Sarah#

The sun hung low above the fire tower by the time Sarah managed the hike from the lake. The scent of burnt wood filled the slight breeze as she strolled closer at a casual pace. When she approached the place they previously camped, wisps of white smoke rose from the blackened pile of wood. A fresh pile of sticks laid mere feet from where she once slept.

Sarah paused to scan her surroundings, listening closely for the slightest sign of life. Only the occasional snap from the crackling embers could be heard. Large, heavy boot prints circled the camp where thick branches had been snapped in half next to the fire pit. "Big guy, huh?" she said as she slowly circled the area. "These are definitely recent." Drops of blood, still red, sprinkled the ground around the tracks as she followed them to the tower where red smears decorated the steel ladder holds. She jogged back to the camp where she could see the top of the fire tower. Sarah used her hand to block the setting sun while she focused her eyes on the top platform. "No sign of anyone up there now."

She sat down on the thick, rotten log that was once Terry's bench and stared across the woodline for motion. "This was our place. Nobody comes up here." Sarah cuffed her hands around her mouth with a deep inhale. "Hello!" she shouted in every direction. There was no reply from the dense forest.

The sky dimmed as the outline of Bluff Mountain glowed a bright red. The sun dropped further below its peak by the minute. Sarah rose to her feet, striding past the smoldering wood until a gleam caught her eye from a large, flat rock on the ground. A silver watch laid beside a crinkled plastic water bottle. "It couldn't be," she said, stepping slowly to it. She lifted the familiar piece as she saw the inscription reverse of its face. "Tony G." it read. Her eyes opened wide as she clasped it tightly and began the hike back to her car.

The clouds above Bluff Mountain shined with a deep pink while the sky became dark blue. A few stars were now visible. As the trail narrowed, surrounded by tall brush, visibility disappeared. The air was now getting humid and the sounds of insects grew louder. Sarah neared a familiar bend with a shear drop to her left, offering a perfect view of town. "Almost back to the lake," she said. A wall of hesitation stopped her in place as the forest grew quiet. A calm strength grew deep within her chest as she turned for a final look.

More stars were now visible in the dusk sky where the moon was once again almost full. A bright cluster of lights twinkled from the isolated town of Pine Bluff. Tiny headlights sparkled between little houses and the yellow sign of the sunset diner glowed alone in a stretch of dim buildings. Her eyes set deeply into the center of town. "Just go about life like usual," she said. "Taking for granted everything you've been given until it's gone."

#Janice#

David walked Janice up the carport steps. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay over?"

"I'll be fine, David," she said, offering a soft smile. She wrapped her arms around him and he squeezed back, pulling her tightly against his chest. Time froze into a snapshot of what might have been while she rested her ear against his beating heart, savoring the moment they would inevitably lose.

"I love you, Jan." His words echoed deep inside her as she looked up at his face. "I love you, David. Please be careful." She turned to the door as he walked back to his car.

In the kitchen, Janice kicked off her shoes and let her hair down as she watched David's taillights fade into the darkness down her street. A scurry from just beyond the backdoor caught her attention. She drifted slowly across the room and gave the knob a gradual turn. Silently, she opened the door and stepped onto the wooden deck. A few white clouds smeared across the starlit sky where the nearly full moon shined down upon them.

One step after another, she made her way down the stairs onto the cool, dark earth. She could feel every cold stone beneath the soles of her feet. With a deep, refreshing breath, she strolled closer to the open pastures. A small mound of disturbed dirt brought her to a halt. It was packed tightly around its circumference. Janice's arm stretched down while she dropped to a kneel where she pressed her right hand firmly against the smooth ground. "Peetie." The sound of her soft voice couldn't have carried far in the breeze.

The crack