Party Bound

Editor's Note:

I'm moving up North to the mountains with my buddy Keith and his girlfriend Jesse. Now both, as people are decent. What I mean is, I wouldn't mind their company the whole winter. Though I just fucking know, that I'm going to be subjected to their wanting to fuck at a very loud rate in the wee hours of the night. Keith knows this cabin, but then again, cabins aren't really cabins anymore, they more or less look like motels with their sickening display of pale oranges and bolted down metal palm trees. We are on the East Coast, so you can see why this is weird. The house is not totally isolated in the mountains, in fact the area in which the house is located just outside some hick town, which gets business throughout the summer. Winter up there is a very dead winter. As for Keith, I met him just out of 9th grade. I'm not a total groupie but it pays to have friends who know friends. I'm not going to dwell on my High School years. What's to say? A lot of my life experiences came from within that time period.

With rejected came my will to move on, with love came my ability to hate, hate into control, focus and time. I never really came into my own until I found a certain few I could relate with. I was quiet most of my freshmen year. By 11th, I was comfortable with my friends and my situations. Often girls I came into contact with, I befriended and I admit, if it wasn't for them, I would have never developed a skill for listening to someone, like really listen to someone and not stand there nodding my head, ya, ya, ya. I was there with them, from that, I got too close and fell in love with maybe one or two of them. Things never worked out on my side of the moon. I've grown from that. Anyways, I met Keith after working on some class assignment about things you have in common with other people. Our thing was violence in movies. For me horror was in writing and thinking, Keith was violent in reality, he just loved to fight. If the kid was 12 and said something like, shut up, the poor bastard was done in for. So that was Keith, all brawn.

My name is Josh, 28 and living in Philly. I write for the Inquire, Arts and Entertainment. Also, I have a lot of side projects going, new books and scripts. I'm good at what I do. Things have changed slightly since my High School years, I'm more independent, happy for once, I'm single and I like it that way. No hindrance of another. Life is good. Things are getting chaotic. Being in my current situation to get away for some time, I agreed to go with Keith and Jesse for the winter. Keith thinks it a good idea to start a new book.

I get call from my mother Saturday morning, telling me, my brother is joining the Marines and all I can say is. "Ya?"

"Wow". What is the point of telling me this is what I want to know as I fix myself a breakfast shake.

"People are afraid to merge in Philly," My mother says out of nowhere. I love my mom but she's a little off in the head on certain subjects. 11Am, I'm gone.

Driving down I-95, I'm listening to the Radio and for some reason the words People are afraid to merge, make me uneasy or somewhat haunted, then again, the breakfast shake did suck. Too thick.

I get to Keith's house some time later. I knock on the door and wait a few, nothing. I knock again but louder. A minute later, Keith answers the door, looking like hell. "Ready to go or what." I think I come off a little edgy. Oh well. "Uh, what? Oh ya. Want to come in?" Says Keith, rubbing the sleepers out of his eyes. Naturally, the house is a mess and nothing is packed. "Today, we're going to the mountains, right? Like, is this the wrong day or something? What's the deal?" Slightly annoyed. "Nah man, Jesse was up all night on a bad acid trip, she was flipping out, she was giving me head then in the middle she stops and started screaming out, The snake bit me!" Pointing to an open door where Jesse is passed out, laying over the side of the bed. "Can I get you anything, like a beer or something?"

"I'm cool, can we get a move on? Traffic is going to kill us."

It takes an hour and a half for Keith to find his suitcases, pack clothes, wake up Jesse and locate the car keys. On I-95, the traffic isn't half bad but the music helps to pass time. In an instant or maybe a moment, something strange happens that doesn't sit right with me. I'm in the back seat, Keith and Jesses up front. I'm going through some maps and notice Jesse staring at me through the windshield mirror, something tells me; she's been staring at me since we left the house. I try to disregard it with a smile and return to the maps. I can almost feel her reflected stare. 20 minutes pass and nothing is spoken between us, then Jesses blurts out. "OH Keith, check out the yard sale!" She's pointing to some garage trash sale run by a family of Mexicans, that has nothing but furniture and lampshades. In the drive way is a polished black Hemi-cuda. "I wonder if it's for sale," Jesse mutters as we pass the sale by.

People are afraid to merge, wonder if it's for sale.

The climate changes as you go up North, not so much that it gets colder, it's just that the atmosphere shifts seasons as you go up, it's towards the end of November and winter is giving off it's presence. The cold, gloomy high you get when walking down a street in late January. The more we see lifeless trees, the more mountains take their place along side the road. Around 2 in the afternoon we get to town and it's pretty much desolate. Men outside talking with their buddies, fishing poles in hand. Most of the stores have already closed for the winter. Keith stops anyway to buy some items, snack food mostly, chips and dip, a six-pack and some condoms.

The house is located at the end of the road that runs along side of the lake. From what I know about the house, it's been renovated in the hopes of selling it off as a summer lodge. It's only one floor but has 4 rooms and 1 bathroom. A nice place to stay if you were on vacation with a big family. From the outside, its pretty big, an Indian red coating, a screened in patio. The chimney stands out for me, which is fluming smoke. "Keith, is someone in the house?" I say, praying that the house isn't on fire. "I don't know man, maybe," He says with a grin and I know something's going on. "Oh God, I'm not even going to ask"

"Grab your stuff, I want to show you the place"

Walking up to the house, I get the feeling of regret. I miss my apartment already. The drive up has given way to knots in my legs, walking and stretching at the same time. I get in the house and to my surprise, there's incense burning. The living room is big enough to sit latest 6, all the walls are finished in that Indian red, pictures and wicker baskets, pots and plants, a book shelf that covers one wall, with doors on each end. There are 2 couches and an oak coffee table. The wall walking in has a fireplace and big palm plant in the corner. The windows on one side of the room light up the place and on the windowsills are the cinnamon stick burning in its holder. A real authentic look, I think Mexican when I realize the whole place together.

"Nice, isn't it?" Keith says, putting down his bags. Jesse walks in and lets out a big sigh. "I missed this place, with all the comforts of home." She throws herself on the couch. From someplace in the house, a shower is going and abruptly shuts off.

"Who else did you invite Keith?" Not really caring but equally concerned. "It's a surprise, open door number two" Pointing the left door of the bookshelf. Before I can open it, a chick in a towel walks out, wet hair and shinny. Beautiful actually. "Hi josh, long time" She speaks with some accent that I can't figure out. "Um, Hi, Do I know you?"

"Cyndee Norsfield? 12th grade buddies, lovers?"

"Holy shit, Cyndee?"

"Good to see, you going to give me a hug or not?"

"Um ya, sure, just a little surprised" She's still wet when I hug her, when she presses up against me, I suddenly realize I have a massive hard on, I think she notices it too, she gives me a wink and lets go.

"That's ok, we have all winter long to get talk about things." She stresses the word long in a flirtatious manner. I feel uncomfortable but I force a smile.

Cyndee shows me to my room, by passing down a narrow hallway, I got the last room. Cyndee, now dressed in tight jeans and a tank top, also two sizes too tight, shows me the view from the window. My room is at the back of the house, where the lake and mountains meet. It's still early in the afternoon. So the sun shimmers of the lake but the wind howling reminds us that it's the coming of winter. "Well, I got to go into town for some goodies, I'm the cook of this crew"

"I thought Keith got all the goodies we need."

"Chips and dip my dear boy is not a balanced meal"

"Want me to go with you? You could show me around or just to talk"

"No, no, you unpack and when I get back, you'll help me with dinner, deal?"

"Ok, see you later then"

Cyndee smiles and walks out the room in a kind of skip. She's so fucking hot is all that runs through my mind. I'm sitting on the bed, which is big, even for me. There's a ceiling fan that is blowing cold air on me. I get up and turn it off. The closet is large, there's big chest at the base of the bed, a desk and nightstand. There's a note I discover when I open the chest, it's from Keith:

Thank me later. You'll need these.

Enclosed is set of condoms. I set my clothes in the chest and move on out to get a look at the grounds surrounding the house. Keith is placing beer in the fridge and Jesse is sleeping where she fell. "Hey, I'm going out to scope the place."

"Wait up, I'll come with you."

Outside is a lot warmer then it was inside and the sun is blaring between trees. The crisp, fresh air hits you, and you're relaxed. Keith cracks open a beer. "What is she doing up here man, did you fix this or something, I'm not complaining, just slightly baffled."

"Of course, I'm your buddy and you need some action," Taking some swigs of beer. ", The truth is, I ran into her a week ago and she mentioned a cabin she now owned in the mountains, and I suggested we all get together sometime. Hey man, she invited us. It's kosher."

"It's just strange seeing her after all this time. She looks so different."

"Just have fun, come on, I want to show you something."

We walk around for a while and I take it all in. Living in a city really makes you forget anything else exists, you know steel and concrete and that's all you know.

The sun has set and the woods come to life, it's eerie. It's gets darker and much colder. Inside is this party feeling. All the lights are on and Cyndee is cooking dinner. Dinner is fun and I actually find myself laughing. Then I notice the ceiling fans are on.

"Why are the ceiling fans on?" I ask. "I don't know. Does it bother you?" Keith involved in full eating force. "Not really, I was just wondering."

"So, Josh, what have you been up to for the past 8 years?"

"Mostly writing for the Philadelphia paper, little writing projects and so fourth, Keith thought this would be a great opportunity to start a book, which makes me ask, do you have a computer at all In this house?"

"No computer, but a pretty nifty type writer I found in the storage shed outside last week, if that would do anything for you" Cyndee says in between sipping some wine. Cyndee made some chicken noodle soup that took her 2 hours to make, fresh veggies and chicken, she made Keith cut up. It's a friendly mood, which I think the wine helped with, so we carry out conversations with no meaning at all. …A man in the chicken suit told me so…It's flying that makes me horny…the birds are not ok.

The night ends and we all crash. I'm left in my bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking, thoughts running around, I can't sleep, words and phrases, signs and warnings, visions that haunt, my heart is pounding. Merging, for sale, chicken suit told me so, horny, birds are not ok. Does it bother you?

I slept the first night very restlessly; I would have sleeping intervals of 2 hours to an hour. I kept waking to the sound of motor engines and large clanking sounds. At one point in the night, I thought I saw Cyndee come in my room. Then again, I would drift asleep and wake back up to the sounds of silence. My dreams were black and silent. Through out the night, my blanket kept falling off and the ceiling fan was on full blast. Somehow, I manage to sleep till morning.

I wake up at 8am and lay there, staring out the window with the curtains open. The curtains were closed all night; Cyndee was in my room, during the night. I'm not sure why but it seems to be the case. After 15 minutes of gazing like a stoner out the window, I pull myself together. My clothes are also gone, in my boxers, I walk out into the hallway. It's freezing and I wonder if a window is open someplace. The bathroom is very clean and tiled with a bright white that hurts my eyes when they're reflected by the sun through the skylight. The toilet has bloody pieces of tissue in it, I let loose a monstrous piss and flush. The mirror has a crack in the upper right corner, my reflection, a week's growth of beard, bags under my eyes, hair sticking up. I open the towel closet and grab a white robe. I yawn and stumble out of the bathroom.

The kitchen is filled with the smell of bacon and eggs. Cyndee is the only one up and she's cooking breakfast in a silky red robe. It's odd seeing her after all these years, by now; she's a stunning, fully developed and equipped woman. Short red hair, full lips, beautiful brown eyes and a perfect body that you can't help but lust after. Here she is, cooking breakfast in the same house as me. I can't help but smile. I approach her at the counter in the kitchen, her back to me, frying eggs in a pan.

"Morning." I take a seat and pour myself some coffee that was also freshly made by Cyndee. "Hey, you're up early" She turns and flashes a smile and goes back to cooking eggs. "Couldn't fall back to sleep, it's fucking freezing in this house." The coffee offers some warmth. "So you say, are you eating?"

"All I need is my coffee, by the way, my clothes are gone, was somebody in my room last night"

"Oh, that was me, we had to move your stuff to another room."

"What for? Something wrong?"

Cyndee plops two eggs out onto a plate with great care. She grabs her cup and sits down with me at the counter.

"Keith thinks it's a good idea you don't stay in the room next to his, something about you needing concentration on your book."

"Ya, but I'm not going to start that till at least next week, you didn't have to bother with it, the first day."

"That's what I said, but he insisted." She shrugs and takes a sip of coffee. "We really didn't get a chance to talk, what the hell have you been doing for the past 8 years. Miss Cyndee 12th grade?"

"I've been doing some dancing," She laughs light heartedly, "Some videos, stuff like that."

"Videos? Like?" Not fully grasping what she's trying to tell me. "Adult videos, Josh. Fuck films as we like to put it." A tad red in the face from the blunt answer. "Whoa," Almost choking on my own coffee, "When did you get into that?"

"Remember Greg Mathus?"

"The gay kid?" I point out. "He wasn't gay! Why did everybody say that?"

"He did try and fuck your brother on Christmas Eve"

"Shut up, he was drunk, anyway, we went out for some time after we broke up, so one night, we were in his house all alone, and he says, "Let's fuck". You know me, so we were getting it on and half way through, his little brother; Tommy jumps out of the closet with a camcorder, screaming, "Cum shot! Cum Shot!" It was horrible"

"I think I heard about that."

"Everyone in school saw that video, on some level, It got me off, the attention and what not, and years later, I was fuck queen of Philly!"

"You're fuck Queen? Sad to say, I know your work. You wear masks and shit"

"Out of respect for my overly religious parents. What about you? What career did you pursue?"

"Just a writer, Ok, I'm going to hop in the shower, what room am I in?" I'm getting a bad chill again. So I get up off my stool. "First door past mine on the left. You sure you don't want anything to eat?"

"I'm cool, not to worry!" I flash thumbs up and walk away.

The room is much like that other, but there's a dresser and the window is right above the bed. There's also a weird smell that soon goes away but also leaves me curious. I'm gathering clothes for today out of the dresser, which to my surprise are folded neatly. Then there's a knock on the door, in walks Cyndee.

"Um, Do you need something?" I ask. "I think you forgot these." A pack of condoms is thrown down on the bed. I'm embarrassed and laugh nervously. "I don't need those, give them to Keith or something." I'm trying not to look into her eyes because I know she's smiling. "You never know" And she walks out of the room with the condoms still on my bed. I stare at the small red box for a couple of seconds and then toss them back in the dresser.

Due to the age of the house and the water pipes beneath, the water pressure is reduced to a mist that kind of sputters out at you. Standing in the shower, I began to daydream about Cyndee and what sex would be like with her. By the time I snap out of the trance, I realize, I'm fully erect. I stare at myself and wonder if my penis compares or even holds up to the huge cocks Cyndee has probably had before. For a moment, I look past my erection and into the water running off my feet. There are tiny specs of red all over the bottom of the tub. I stir my foot around and try to wash it down. I get down and dab my finger in it, it's blood, and it's also slimly. Probably going on instinct or stupidity, I taste it. It's takes awhile for me to realize its blood and semen. I gag but gain control of myself. For the first time, I feel uncomfortable being in the house, something isn't right.

The first 2 weeks is a blur, I remember a lot of late night drinking and conversations. An incident when Keith got shocked trying to plug in the word processor, Cyndee fighting with Jesse over something stupid. Jesse going into a coke binge that nearly ended with us taking her to hospital. The thing that stands out to me, now that I think about it was a Thursday afternoon. I went to bed late the night before because I wasn't feeling good. I wake up late the next day to the sound of thumbing noises against my wall. I hear Cyndee moaning, and then to my surprise I hear Keith muttering something. Keith and Jesse grew apart and didn't talk to each other for sometime.

I'm alone in my room, when the first of a bad blizzard starts up. By this time, I'm well into my book writing. The trees outside were blowing in the wind, the snow was setting ice on the lake, and the howls were freaking me out, so I had to close my curtains. For some reason, I can't concentrate. Distractions kept me from getting out even a few lines. Why am I even writing this? Where is it going? What the fuck?

Suddenly, Cyndee knocks on my door and enters. "Can I come in here and hang with you? Keith and Jesses are fighting again" Before I can answer she sits down on the bed. "Ya, sure, I can't seem to focus anyway." She looks like she's about to cry, I can see the tears begin to swell up. "Hey, relax, everything's cool." I lean over and hold her. She starts to cry in small gasps and holds me really tight. Then the cries stop and I feel her un-zippering my pants. I don't know why I don't stop her, she moves down on me. She begins to suck, for that moment, while lying on my back; visions begin to play in my head. Pornography and fire. She's a pro and I give no resistance, then the image of her doing the same thing to Keith hits me hard and I jerk away from her. "What's wrong baby?" She says while licking her lips. "This isn't a great idea, you better go."