Last week Delia met up with two classmates at a local ice cream hangout. Her plan so far has worked relatively well to find some friends to hang out with. Sadly she had left all her friends behind in Massachusetts when they moved to be with her father. Would Alaina and Charles remain interested as friends after hiking to the well? We shall see!
Here’s Part 5 of “The Wishing Well”:
Alaina pulled her keys out of her leather bag, decorated with blings studded with sparkly cats. She motioned for her friends to follow her into the large and shady front porch of a large cedar-shingled house. A stiff breeze blew as the late afternoon began turning to twilight as she turned the lock and allowed Delia and Charles into the foyer, the latter now munching on a piece of gum after the ice cream cone.
“Take the gum off. My mom doesn’t like gum chewing thugs.”
Charles gives a look of exaggerated shock. “Well, exxxcuuse meee!” He takes the gum from his mouth and plasters it by the door jamb, giving a look as if he was daring her.
Delia laughs, unable to control herself. She covers her mouth as Alaina shoots her back a dirty look.
Alaina pulls the gum off the door jamb and sticks it on Charles’ arm. “You’re disgusting.”
“Mom! I’m here!” Alaina announces to the house at large.
Charles glances at the large living room with cushioned furniture. He unceremoniously plunges himself onto a flower-patterned love seat closest to him as he waits for the mother to materialize.
He punches the seat next to him, eyeing Delia. The gesture earns him a jealous look from Alaina.
“Mom! You home?” Again, Alaina yells, walking up a few steps to the second floor.
Delia ignores Charles gesture and saunters down the hall instead, entering the kitchen. It had a huge island. “Nice. No one home.”
“No shit.” Alaina replies. “I’m always alone. Help yourself to some soda in the fridge.”
Delia opens the refrigerator which was recessed into a handsome walnut cabinet. She gasps. A dead fish, eyes still glossy, stare back at her from the shelf. Alaina looks over her shoulder, chuckling as Charles looks between their shoulders.
“Yay, dinner!” Charles laughs, appearing disgusted. He reaches over her and grabs a cold can of Sprite from the door. Alaina grabs a root beer and pops it. Delia grabs another can of root beer and follows Charles out of the kitchen as Alaina shuts the refrigerator door, quickly surveying the kitchen.
“My mom likes fish.” Alaina explains as she darts past the two and heads towards the stairs. “I’ll be right down. I wanna get my pack.”
Charles places a finger to his lips to signal silence and follows Alaina up the steps, Delia right behind him.
The bedroom was in a state of disarray. Clothes covered part of the floor in a heap, text books open on a large desk, with colored pens and pencils scattered on the floor nearby. A green-shaded pharmacy lamp stood out in an otherwise feminine room with blue curtains and white lace bedspreads and shams. Delia enters, sits at the edge of the bed, taking in the room while Alaina reaches for her backpack in a corner of the room, unaware of the two.
Framed photos of Alaina and her father were displayed around the room in all manner of dress. One showed Alaina as a small child on her father’s lap. No photo of her mother, from what Delia could see.
Charles grabbed a framed photo of Alaina with a group of girls, which seemed familiar: It was a middle school gym with Alaina holding on to a trophy while her classmates posed around her. There was a red splotch on the glass of the framed photo. He touched it, seconds before Alaina grabbed it from him.
“Hey!”
“I thought I told you both to wait downstairs!”
Alaina took away the framed photo and hastily placed it on her desk, face down. Quickly, she surveyed the room. Delia’s eyes fluttered, puzzled at her reaction. She looked at the closet nearby which had double doors.
“Your room’s so big you’ve got a walk-in closet?”
Alaina dashed to the closet as Charles walked towards it, curious. She quickly shut the doors which were ajar, facing him. “That’s just my stuff.”
Charles backed away, hands up in surrender. “Touchy, touchy. You got a dead body in there?”
“Let’s go.” Alaina commanded.
“Leading the way.” Replied Delia, quickly leaving the room.
Delia darted out to the hallway, noting the lush Persian carpet under her feet and the double doors leading to what appeared to be the master bedroom. She sensed Alaina right behind her, watching. She wanted to peer, as the doors were ajar to see what it was like to live so well. She was going to ask for a tour of the house, but perhaps the time wasn’t right. Dimly, she wondered why her new friend was so private. The house seemed spotless, but Delia sensed a distinct discomfort coming from Alaina.
The leaves blew in whispers as the group exited the house and onto the pavement.
Just a mile to her house, Delia thought. She led the way, listening to Charles banter with Alaina. She seemed more relaxed after the change in tone while at the house.
As they got closer, Delia observed a large bird fly over the roof from the back of their house. It was carrying something. Perhaps a small hapless animal: A possum, a squirrel, another smaller bird? The driveway was empty, her mother’s Ford Escort and her father’s truck nowhere in sight. Then, another large bird flew over. It was a turkey vulture. This time, she heard a distinct screech like she heard a few nights ago when she was hatching her plan to snare some friends using the well as bait.
Then, the bird, mid-flight, swooped down yards in front of her and landed on the road. The dark-feathered bird, huge and ugly, began consuming what it had been clutching with its claws. Whatever it had, was a huge piece of something she couldn’t identify.
“Gross!” Charles exclaimed from behind Delia. The bird turned their way, hovering over the carcass, watching.
“Don’t scare it. I don’t want it to leave that dead thing in front of my house!”
Alaina stood silently watching, arms akimbo. Then, she sharply turned towards the backyard, passing the side of Delia’s house. “Coming?”
Delia and Charles followed quietly, watching the bird continue to consume the roadkill, or whatever it was. Soon, the bird was out of sight. Large trees canopied Delia’s backyard, framing an open area where a picnic table sat near a fire pit and a stone barbecue grill. Logs and charcoal pieces smoked under the grating of the grill. Nearby, two beach chairs sat side by side, a cooler by it.
“Looks like someone’s been barbecuing last night.” Charles indicated.
“Over the weekend. Dad had some venison steaks.”
“Your dad hunts?” Asked Alaina.
“He does.” Delia replied, leading the way deeper into the wood. Now familiar with the terrain, she pointed out the path she had reclaimed since they had moved there. Eventually, they reached a small hill and began climbing. Delia sensed Alaina right behind her as the day grew long and the shadows took over. A flashlight came on, lighting the deeper wooded area behind the hill. Delia glanced behind her to find Charles with a large flashlight.
“Always ready.” He replied.
A meadow, then the trees were around them again. Then, a clearing. A stone well stood forlorn close to the center.
“Woweeee….” Charles darted towards the well, past Alaina. “We should’ve brought a rope!”
“Why, you got plans to go down there?” Chuckled Alaina, swinging her pack off her shoulders. She sat on the ground, unzipping her pack, digging. A bottle of water, some gum and a Hostess Twinkie.
“Want some?”
“Aren’t you even curious?” Delia stood, looking down, perplexed. Charles was already peering into the well, excited.
“Hellllooooo?!” Charles yelled, hearing an echo.
“I’m taking a break. I’m hot.” Alaina munched, sipping from the bottle.
“It’s only been a mile. You’re such a…” Charles approached appearing miffed.
Then, a loud screech.
Delia locked eyes with Charles and turned to simultaneously look towards the well.
NEXT WEEK: THE WELL reveals its contents.
