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

darkening mass of cloud and shadows. A deafening boom flashed, echoing through the wooded hills and all fell silent. David turned to look at Sarah as she smiled, letting out a gasp that settled into a long sigh of relief. He stared into her blue eyes as they shimmered to the rising flames nearby. "And just to be sure," Vance said. Another loud boom flashed from the dark haze where the orange glow of flames was now beginning to flicker and crackle below the cars.

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A slow, repetitive swoosh sounded from beyond the wooden planks at the boating docks. The forest was now singing with crickets and an owl hooted in the distance. "That should do it," Sarah said, tightening the bandage around David's outstretched leg as he raised to sit up. She slowly sat down beside him on the grassy hill near the rock building restroom where Vance was exiting to walk toward them.

"Oh," she said. "I almost forgot." She crammed her hand into her tight blue jean pocket. Sarah pulled out a familiar, shiny watch and handed it to David. He turned it around in his hand as it gleamed in the moonlight.

"Found it at the base of the mountain," Vance said. "After I managed to climb out of the well." David silently turned his face toward the stoic figure that stood over them, donned in bandages, shotgun propped over his shoulder. "It was in a pile of..." Vance looked at David's face before lowering his eyes and turning back toward the lake. "...leftovers... with a bunch of other stuff." He tilted his head to the side as he glanced away toward the black lake surface that sparkled with the moonlight. "Figured it would mean something to you."

David looked back at Sarah as she raised her eyebrows with a grin and held out her hands. "Well?"

"Well, what?" David asked.

"You're not going to ask anything at all?" She rolled her eyes as her smile stretched further.

David tilted his head back, looked at the stars and eased a smile of relief. Even his back pain had already subsided. "Not really." He casually shrugged his shoulders.

"Well..." she said. "I suppose I'll tell you, since you insist and all." She swung her arm toward Vance. "I finally got ahold of this guy while he was on his way to Janice's house." Her smile dropped a bit as she looked at the ground before raising her eyes again. "He found her mom."

"Think it had been a couple days," Vance said. "Must have come back from vacation unexpectedly or something."

"Anyway," Sarah turned back to David as she continued. "Janice must've taken Tony's phone. We-"

"Used Tony's location to find us," David interrupted with a light smile. "Guess he saved me after all."

He stared at his lower limb. A burning sensation tingled its way from his wound with a strangely pleasurable sting. It itched at his skin with an unusual rush. Sarah rolled her eyes and looked at him. "Yeah. Me too." She held up her wrapped arm.

Vance motioned his hand toward them. "Should probably get that checked out." His eyes rose to the bright full moon. "Might turn into something nasty."

The worry was written in Sarah's eyes as David watched her face turn slowly toward the lake. He reached to slide his palm up her shoulder around to her back as she leaned against him and scooted closer.

“Listen, Sarah,” he said as she leaned her head against the side of his shoulder and they faced the sparkling reflection of the moon on the blackened surface of Moss Lake. “I’m sorry that I was too distracted to help you with your yard all this time. It’s something I don’t have a lot of experience with and the truth is…” David took a deep breath, unsure if Sarah was still listening. “The truth is, I’ve always thought you were the best in the world at that sort of thing.” Her face turned slowly back to his while her silent mouth opened slightly with her widening blue eyes. “Sarah, if you give me another chance, I’ll do everything I can to help you with your yard… because it’s always been my yard too and I was too blind to see that until now.”

Sarah’s eyes glistened with water and her face flushed red above her smiling, tightly held lips that quivered slightly. As she started to turn her face, David clasped the bottom of her chin, bringing her tear covered smile back to him. David wrapped his hand around the back of her neck, pulling her closer and squeezed her soft, moist lips between his.

Far sirens accompanied the flashing lights of firetrucks and police cruisers speeding across the bridge on the other side of the lake. "Vance," David said as he and Sarah turned their heads. "We have to figure out some way to clear your-" The now vacant spot where Vance stood still held the odor of blood and smoke until it vanished in the breeze along the trail of crushed grass that led into the woods.