Chapter Eleven

I heard a shotgun blast from next door. Our neighbors were at it again. The Hansen sisters were shooting at doves. Dove season was in full swing and they were after the birds like crazy. We got used to hearing the rifle shots after a while but sometimes it could really get on our nerves.

Bang! Another rifle shot from next door rang through the air. Mom jumped and looked in the direction of the Hansen's property "Around six this afternoon, if we manage to live through this."

I raised the handset back to my ear, "Jason, she says six this evening." Silence.

"Hello?" I said loudly into the phone, "Jason, are you still there?"

Still no answer. The phone line was dead. I hung up the phone and lifted the receiver again. No dial tone at all.

I looked at Mom, "Well this will really make your day now, Mom, guess what?"

"What?" Mom looked irritably at me as she headed out the back deck door to feed the cats.

"The Hansen sisters have shot the phone lines down again."

"Oh no," Mom groaned, "Call the phone company, they know the address."

We were used to the Hansen sisters shooting the phone lines down when they were dove shooting. Actually it was becoming an annual ritual. The phone line repairman probably had our neighborhood memorized by now. He'd had a talk with the sisters before about not shooting at the telephone lines when they were shooting at the doves. I suppose if the birds were sitting on the lines then they probably made easier targets.

I hung up the phone disgustedly, "Well, that's just great, now I have to go all the way over to his house."

I sighed and grabbed my bike next to the steps of the deck. The air was getting cooler on this October morning. I had wanted to sleep in as usual but the rifle shots from next door had woken me an hour ago. I looked down at my watch, 9:00 a.m. Saturday morning cartoons had already started, too. I rode past Blackmon's pond and up the path leading to Jason's house. The dogs were running beside me, never lagging very far behind, only stopping occasionally to smell a suspicious clump of grass or chase the inevitable squirrels they spied.

I had almost passed the pond and was at the top of the hill when George suddenly bounded over the path and straight at my bike. I swerved to miss his huge form and my bike went into a ditch.

"George! Look what you did," Jason stopped his bike as he got closer and saw me picking up my bike and brushing off my pants.

"Stupid dog," Jason said crossly as we watched George and Goldie greet each other warmly. I silently agreed with Jason as I pulled a long weed out of my shirt pocket.

"The Hansens sisters blew the telephone line again," I informed him as we stood there, "They're at it again."

"I figured it must be something like that," Jason sighed, nodding, "My dad said that it should be against the law for someone to be so stupid."

We both laughed as the dogs headed for the pond. It didn't take long before all four dogs were wading and lapping at the brown water, keeping a close eye on the frogs that plopped around them. I knew that water had to be cold, the ground was still white from the morning's frost but the dogs didn't seem to care. George came bounding out of the water, shaking his golden coat and thousands of tiny drops flew around him and Goldie. Goldie pounced at him, spreading her paws in front of her and pretending to nip at his leg. She wanted to play after her short bath and George, she knew, would be the perfect playmate.

We watched the dog's antics and Jason said, "George reminds me of the monster that is supposed to live in that pond, do you suppose that's what it looks like when it comes out?" I laughed and looked at Jason, "Well, tonight's a full moon, we could find out."

Our parents had told us of the monster that supposedly lived in Blackmon's Pond. Dad had heard that the pond had been dragged once for the body of an old vagrant who'd been sighted there right before he disappeared forever. Someone had seen him in the water, but all that was left of him was his hat on the grass next to it. Searchers had never found a body, Dad said looking grimly at the still water as we walked by it a few months ago.

"You suppose the monster got him?" I asked Dad as I carefully surveyed the brown surface that day, a shiver running up my spine.

I don't remember Dad's answer but I knew that he didn't believe in the monster, just as most of the adults I'm sure who lived in the neighborhood didn't believe in it. Of course the neighborhood kids believed in the monster and Jason and I had spent many hours in our treehouse speculating on what it looked like and what it ate, probably snakes and frogs.

Jason and I walked to the edge of the pond and started skimming rocks over the surface, breaking the green mossy surface and causing a few more frogs to make an exit into the water.

"Tonight's the first full moon of the fall," I watched my rock hop over the water twice before it disappeared, "And you know what they say, "First full moon of October brings out Charlene. Legend says that if you stand on the dock on a full moonlit night at midnight and say three times, "'Charlene, Charlene, come out and be seen', while holding a sacrifice out to it then it will rise out of the water, taking your offering from you." Jason snorted, "Charlene! What a name for a pond monster! Where in the world would a monster get a name like that?" Jason's rock bounced over the water before George pounced on it, "If it came out of the water right now I'm sure George would make it sorry it ever chose this pond to live in."

I reflected on this last statement of Jason's remembering the last time I'd seen George scared. Our cat had been chased by the dogs into a tree next to the house and George and Goldie had been barking fiercely at it, just waiting to get their chance to have a grab at BW. The cat made the unfortunate choice of choosing a limb that wasn't very strong. When he put his full weight on it, the limb snapped and went down, carrying a startled cat with it. The cat unexpectedly landed full on George's back, claws digging in deep and making George yelp in pain. The cat made a horrible noise as it's claws stuck in even deeper and George tried to shake off his tormentor. The cat's wailing was a horrible noise and I watched as the cat suddenly leaped for our deck steps, with Goldie only a few feet behind it. George, on the other hand, raced for home, as Jason laughed uncontrollably, doubled over on the ground.

I reminded Jason of this event as we discussed his dog's bravado, "Yeah I know, but George was just caught off guard," Jason knew that was a weak defense, but he'd felt as though his dog's honor was at stake here. George, meanwhile, was busy with a squirrel that was looking down at it from a nearby tree. Occasionally the squirrel would drop a nutshell on George's head. I don't think George even felt the shells hitting his head as he studied the squirrel intently.

"So why don't we come out here tonight?" I looked at Jason, as I threw another pebble in the water.

"Tonight?" Jason looked at me, "I think I'm supposed to clean my room tonight."

"Chicken!"

"Who cares about a stupid monster anyway!"

Jason and I played the rest of that day at his house and mine till he had to go home and get ready for the fair.

"Hey, Kevin," Kristen's voice called out to us, "Hey Jason, what rides are you guys going on?"

Kristen Jorgenson waved at Jason and I from the end of the line, she'd just walked up to the ticket line for the fair with her parents. She was in a couple of my classes at school and I'd barely ever said two words to her.

"Is that your sweetie, Kevin?" Jake tauntingly nudged me, "She's kinda cute."

He'd mumbled those words in my ear and I blushed, "Stop it Jake, I barely know her, and no she's not my sweetie."

I'd said those words louder than I'd met to and people around me laughed and grinned and Kristen's waving hand slowly lowered.

Jason said he wanted to ride on the Octopus when we finally made it to the rides. My favorite was the bumper cars. I wanted to pound Jakes's bumper car over and over again. That thought alone brought a wicked smile to my face.

"I know what Mom's going to do all evening," Amy piped up, "She's probably got her quarters all ready."

We all laughed. Mom inevitably spent the evenings at the fair in front of the quarter bulldozers, just waiting for them to push the quarters she'd already lost down into the slots so she could win a fortune, if not at least what she'd invested into the machines.

"Well, I'm not doing that this year," Mom stated definitely as we made our way past all of the boring exhibitions booths. Jake got an election sticker from the last booth before we left the tent and stuck it on Jason's back, "Assell for School Board."

Jake and I laughed as Jason tried to see what had just gotten stuck on his back, he finally ripped it off and tried to paste it on Jake's mouth, "Somehow I think it would mean more if it went right here."

At that moment, Mom spied the bulldozer quarter machines, "Keep me away kids, don't let me see them," She moved her hands in front of her face in mock terror, "They're calling me, I can hear them."

We left Mom and Amy at the machines and walked further down, spying the Pig Races. The fair had been having Pig Races for years. The purpose of the Pig Races was to bet that your favorite pig would win a race as the pig raced around a oval track with fourteen other pigs, chasing a corn cob. If your pig won, you won whatever they happened to be handing out at that moment.

Fifteen fat bodies bounded around the small track, each set of eyes intent on winning the prize that was just barely out of snout reach.

Jason and I started to walk away when we saw Brian and Scott filling out forms in front of the pig races. The sign in front of it said "Put in a Dollar and Win a Hog From Our holler".

"Hey, Brian, still can't find a date for the dance?" Jason and I laughed but started running when we saw Brian and Scott heading for us.

We dodged in and out of trailers till we finally lost Brian and his cohort in crime.

I was very picky about the rides I went on. I hated high ones and fast ones. Jason had to go on a couple alone, including the ferris wheel. He didn't like having to do that at all.

Jason and I stood and watched the Swing Fling ride. We both watched the people laughing as they were flung forward and to the side on the long swings. Each time they went around they flew higher and higher.

Jason looked at me, "How about this ride?"

I shook my head, "No way, that one will definitely make me sick."

"Oh, geez," Jason sighed, "You're no fun."

He scowled and watched the ride a little more.

"I have an idea!" He said excitedly, "What if I promise to meet you tonight at Blackmon's Pond? Will you go on this ride with me if I agree to do it?"

I thought about it. Weighed the possiblities in my mind. I looked at the ride some more, it might be worth seeing if Jason would really come down to the pond in the middle of the night after all.

"Well, I guess so," I said doubtfully and we got in line, "We'll meet at midnight at Blackmon's Pond? You promise?"

I felt a hand on my shoulder then. It was Brian, "Hey, Kevin Grooney!" I groaned inwardly as the huge body blocked out the carnival lights and loomed over me, "You two babies are gonna go monster chasing? Hah! Yeah, right!"

"Brian," Jason said, "Don't you have some five year olds to pick on somewhere? I'm sure they'd be more entertaining then us."

Jason and I turned our backs on them and Brian snorted, "Aw, I hurt their feelings."

Brian stuck out a hand that held cotton candy in it to me, "Here, Kevin, no hard feelings."

I looked at Brian suspiciously, I knew better, I backed up, prepared for whatever he might be planning to do to me.

Brian looked hurt, "Geez Kevin, just a little peace offering," he looked down at the cotton candy, "But if you don't want any--"

At that moment, the man working the swing rides opened the gate and we hurriedly walked through past him. He looked suspiciously like the guy who runs the comic book stores that we go to all the time

"Hey, no food on the rides," The pony-tailed, bearded man glared at Brian, "You have to dump that somewhere."

I made the mistake of stopping to see what was happening behind me. I turned around and Brian was saying, "Well, ok, where shall I stick it?"

I looked at Brian and a pink mass was shoved hard into my face at that moment. I heard high pitched laughter that was unmistakably Brian's and I could see that Jason was probably trying to hold back his amusement at my sticky mess. I pulled the pink wads that were stuck to my mouth, eyes and nose away from my face and looked up. Everyone was pointing at me and laughing. I felt like crying but instead I laughed and said, "Well it's Brian's loss, yummy, must have been a good year for cotton candy," and munched on a wad that I pulled off my eyebrow.

The attendant shook his head and gestured me to a swing that was right behind the one where Jason was already settling himself into. As I sat down apprehensively the attendant came around and pulled a bar over each of us until it clicked. After he pulled mine down, I was sitting nervously waiting for the attendant to finish with everyone else. Brian came up behind me.

"Hey, Puney," He lifted pushed a lever and lifted up the bar with a quick twist till it locked on the upper part of the chain crookedly, "I think your not quite locked into your little swing right, maybe that will help you."

Brian cackled and walked out of the gate, I pulled at the bar but it wouldn't budge. Jason looked back at me, "What's wrong?"

"The bar's stuck," I pulled at it again and again, the attendant was already at his switch, getting ready to start the ride, "I can't get it to budge."

My hands were sticky from the cotton candy and little pieces of sugar kept getting into my eyes and stinging as I tried vainly to get the bar down. I could hardly see anything through the sticky mess of the cotton candy. The swings were starting to move already. The attendant wasn't paying any attention to the riders on the swings, he was engaged in a conversation with a blonde girl with a nose ring. I tried yelling at him but I was drowned out by the noises of the rides and the musical from the carousel next door.

The swing was moving faster and faster, picking up momentum. Jason looked back at me as I pulled again and again on the bar. The swings raised higher and higher as the music played louder and louder. I pulled down hard on the bar, nothing. The swings were pulling out to the sides now and my body was raising up higher, gravity was pulling me out. Since pulling on the bar didn't help I tried pushing up on it with one big jerk as the swings lifted a little higher and swung out a little wider. My hands flew up suddenly with the bar and I felt myself lift out and under the bar. The propulsion of the swing flung me out over the crowds of the fair.

The music of the carousel seemed to fade as I was lifted into the air. I could see several famliar faces below me as the cold night air stung my face. Kristen was looking up at me, mouth open, her arms around some big stuffed elephant she must have won at a game. Jake was standing not too far from her with some of his buddies, they were all pointing up at me as my body was being propelled right over them. I saw my ultimate landing spot not too far away. Oh, no. I was headed right for the Pig Races.

The porkers were in the middle of a race. They were intent on their corn cob and didn't notice at first as my body landed right on top of the thick sawdust and pig manure, in-between the pigs and their hopeful meal. Thousands of hooves felt like they were trampling over me, grunting and squealing their complaints at having me inconveniently drop down from the sky. One pig stopped and sniffed at me, obviously interested in my cotton candy aroma, and then grunted as he decided the corn cob was more promising and joined the others as they finished their race.

"Wow! Did you see that boy fly, Mommy?"

"Hey, get out of the pig's racing area, kid!"

"Should we call 911?"

"Maybe they're filming for that rescue program on TV and this is part of it."

"Is he dead?"

Many voices surrounded me as I struggled to sit up and spit out the sawdust. I had felt like a thousand elephants had trampled over me instead of 15 pigs. The wind had been knocked out of me and I struggled to catch my breath.

"Hey, kid, are you allright?"

"Did my pig win, Daddy?"

"I smell a lawsuit coming on."

Faces were close to me and very fuzzy. I shook my head and tried to clear my thoughts. Things smelled bad down on the ground where the pigs ran. I wanted to get out of this area badly but I wasn't sure if I was okay or not. I shook my head again. One big face loomed in front of me. It was the owner of the pig races. She was looking at me with concern.

"Are you ok little boy?" The pigs saw her and started coming back towards us, "Get back Squealer, move Hambone."

I wanted to tell her that I wasn't a little boy and to keep those porkers away from me, but I was too busy trying to get the loud buzzing in my ears to quit.

"Kevin? Are you ok?" Kristen came up to us just then, "I saw you fly right by Mom and me. That was amazing!"

"Yeah, it was awesome, Kevin," Jason had finished the ride and was right behind her, "I haven't ever seen anything like it before, it was like you were Superboy!"

"Mommy, that boy stinks."

"BaconBits, geeeet baaack, you'll eat later," The Pig Lady's voice was shrill as she pushed the pigs back, and looked down at me again, "Are you sure you're ok, little boy?"

I hadn't answered anyone yet, and no I wasn't sure I was ok as I struggled to stand, still spitting out sawdust as my hands pushed me up to my feet.

"Here you go, maybe this will help you feel better," She shoved one of the prizes that she handed out to the winners of the races, "This entitles the bearer to a buy one get one free dinner at Percy's Pork Barbecue Pit." I read on it. Oh great, I might just turn vegetarian after all of this was over.

"Hey, Stooney," Brian came up right then, "Nice flight. I heard NASA had a UFO reported to them just now, that couldn't have been you, could it?"

The sight of Brian enraged me and my feet got their strength back as I opened the pig gate and started to charge after him. Guess I wasn't injured after all, lucky me.

The Pig Lady followed me out the gate, obviously still concerned over me, probably worrying that I might sue, speaking of which half a dozen little porkers followed her and passed her. "Piggy Sue get back here," She raced after them, "Come here, sweetums," forgetting all about me.

Jason held me back from going after Brian, we both knew I'd end up in the hospital after all if I ever tried to fight him.

My head was spinning round and round. My knees and hands were scraped and cut. I limped slightly, not sure exactly of any one certain place that hurt. Everything was aching.

Jason and I walked slowly around the fair, trying to find Mom. As we walked I would occasionally hear someone say, "Hey isn't he the kid who flew into the Pig Races?"

Of course we finally found Mom at the bulldozer machines with Amy and Jake.

"Hey, Kevin," Jake hit me on the shoulder, "Nice flight you took this evening."

"Flight?" Mom and Amy looked puzzled at me, "What?"

I gave Jake a warning look and said, "I have no idea what he's talking about Mom, must have been some other kid."

Jake opened his mouth to say something when a couple of pigs came running up to us, split and went around our small group with the Pig Lady fast in pursuit, "Here Porkchop, heeere Piggy Sueeee!", she paused when she saw me, but continued her chase, "Come to Mommy."

"Looks like escapees from the Pig Races," Amy laughed, "Wonder who let them out?"

Everyone laughed except Jason and me. We were silent in the car except for one time when he whispered to me, "Are we still supposed to meet at midnight at the pond?"

I nodded my head, I wasn't going to let this opportunity pass, "Call me if you can't make it and I'll do the same."

Tonight we'd find out for sure if Charlene existed.

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