Three Boys

The three boys watched the car speed past them. None minded that the cold February night mist kicked up in its wake further dampened their clothing, or that the car came within a very few meters of hitting them. They simply turned and observed it as it passed with varying degrees of awe.

Robert Alexander, 15, known to the others as Boff was the first to speak. "Next year's model, boys. 220 horsepower. Power to spare."

"How do you know?" asked Flip, AKA Michael Larson, also 15. "It went by too fast."

"Easy. You just need the eyes of a master, like me."

Flip snorted. "You got eyes of a granny. And brains of a jellyfish."

"Hey!" Boff shouted.

"Hey! Hey!" Flip shouted back.

Peanut, known as Adam Riley to his teachers and parents, turned and started to walk along the road. He could just see the lights of downtown over the trees as he walked along the feeder route out of Southdale and into the city. "You guy's coming?" he asked.

"Only if Flip takes it back."

"Piss off. Let's go."

The two boys caught up to Peanut as they walked along. It was perhaps the hundredth time they had ventured out into the night. They never followed the same route, and almost never encountered other people. It was one of their "nights out" which had progressively come later and lasted longer with each successive journey. They walked past rows of suburban houses, long lines of strip malls, and countless streets in search of nothing. Perhaps in future years they would look back at these excursions as good times. Maybe even cathartic in some way. For now each merely desired the others' company in a quiet time and place, unhindered by the presence of adults. It was a time to walk, look, and talk.

Boff turned his head to look at Peanut. "Are you gonna take Shop 11 next year?"

Peanut frowned. "My dad says he'll think about it. I want to, but . . ."

"My dad says he doesn't care, as long as I take regular math, and not Math 11C"

"You guys actually want to take shop?" Flip asked. "You should take something like Foods 11. That's where the girls are."

"And what would you do if you found one?" Boff retorted.

"I'd know what to do."

"You'd hafta ask me what to do. That's what."

"No."

"I'll tell you, guys. Once you've done it, life just ain't the same."

"With who?"

"Elena Howell, that's who."

"No way!"

"Yeh!"

"NO WAY!"

"I don't care if you believe me or not."

"She won't even talk to you. You're lying."

"I did all the talking. Ya just gotta say the right things."

"Crap."

All three turned in unison and continued down another road. They did it without thinking, without any cue. Peanut walked slightly ahead of the other two, listening with some interest to their discussion.

"Elena Howell is a tight-ass," Flip said.

"She's fantastic in bed," Boff replied.

"Okay, okay. Where'd you do it?"

"At her house. Her parents were out."

"And what'd you say?"

"That's my secret weapon. I'm not giving up my secrets to you!"

Flip considered this for a moment. He scratched his nose and sniffed. Then he finally said, "I don't believe it. You're lying."

Boff grunted and said, "I don't care what you think."

Peanut spoke up at this point. "There's the Tiny Mart. I want a Slushee."

They crossed the road and walked into the all-night store. Each bought a Slushee, walked outside, and sat on the curb outside the door. They quietly watched the office buildings across the street until a page of a newspaper blew by them. Flip stretched out his leg and stamped on it, catching it under his foot. He kicked it up into the air and Boff grabbed it. He briefly looked at the headline and the story beneath it:


POLICE ISSUE WARNING

Southdale RCMP issued a warning today for all women to avoid walking alone or in the dark. This warning comes on the heels of the discovery of the third female murder victim in less than a month. All three victims were women in their twenties walking alone at night. Investigators have not yet released the name of the third victim, although she was believed to have been abducted somewhere in the business district . . .


Flip grabbed the paper out of Boff's hands and tossed it into the wind. It fluttered away, out of reach.

"I was reading that!" Boff yelled.

"Didn't know you could read." Flip sucked on his Slurpee, making gurgling noises.

Boff shook his head. "You sound like my old man."


Susan Curtis walked out of the door and turned to lock it. She sighed. It was very late and she would have just enough time to get home for a short sleep and get back to work. The lost sleep wasn't what bothered her so much as the way Keith, her boss, had told her at 4:00 in the afternoon what numbers still had to be compiled and faxed before she left, and then the way he had breezed out the door, stopping once only to remind her to lock up when she left. It was unexpected and all the more unpleasant. He seemed to have little or no regard for her personal life (if, indeed, he ever stopped to consider whether or not she had one).

What further incensed her was the fact that she had to phone Kevin and cancel their evening together. She was disappointed in cancelling, and disappointed in his reaction, which somehow made her feel as if it were all her fault. She nearly gave him a piece of her mind until he insisted that she be careful. He urged her to lock the door right then, and further firmly requested that she be alert as she walked to her car, despite her comment that it was only twenty feet from the door. He was so sweet and concerned, she immediately began to miss him and felt sorry for being mad at him.

And now, as she walked to her car, she decided she would call him from work the next morning and ask him over after work. She unlocked the car door and sat down. She inserted the key into the ignition and turned it. The engine turned, but would not catch. Frustrated, she tried again. Then several times more for much longer each time. The engine would not start.

She started to think. Who could she call? Kevin wouldn't appreciate having to get up this late to come down to her office. Besides, he would probably make her feel small. She could phone her boss, but he lived way out in Buford. It would take forever for him to get here. Her parents certainly lived closer. She would have to phone her dad and get him to come down and help her. He wouldn't mind; she may be an adult now (28), but she was his only child and there was probably nothing he wouldn't do for her. Susan just resented having to ask him for help.


Peanut, Boff, and Flip had heard the car trying to start as they walked along the side of the road. They stopped and stood across the street watching the woman as she repeatedly tried to start the car.

"Maybe we should help?" Boff asked.

"No," Peanut said quietly.

"I think we should, too," Flip said.

"C'mon, we can just ask."

Peanut looked at the car carefully. He could just make out the shadow of the head inside. Long hair. "I don't know, guys . . . what can we do? It's probably something we can't fix, like the computer's busted, or maybe it's just flooded. Let's just keep going."

"C'mon!" Boff said, "We'll just ask."

The three boys crossed the street and approached the car from behind just as Susan was getting out. Susan was thinking about Kevin's warnings when Boff called out, "Hey, lady! Need some help?"

Susan spun around and gasped when she saw the three boys. She dropped her keys and put her hands to her face. She couldn't move.

"Lady?"

She stood still as the three boys advanced toward her. She could feel her heart pounding and her whole body trembling. The boys continued their approach until they reached the back of her car at which time Flip stepped over the cement block. Suddenly Susan turned and ran as fast as she could. She ran past the door of her office, and across the parking lot.

The boys stopped and all involuntarily took a few steps backwards.

Susan ran blindly past the empty parking stalls, and around the corner into a short alley. She was terrified of the boys, and wanted only to get away from them. As she ran, she turned her back to look back, but they hadn't followed her around the corner. Then her heel caught something on the ground and she fell.


"Strange woman," Flip said.

"Yeh," agreed Boff, "but pretty."

They said nothing for a moment until Boff looked down at the ground. "Look! She left her keys."

"Okay," Peanut said. "We've gotta give the keys back to her."

"No way," Flip said. "We should just get the hell out of here."

Boff looked over to Flip. "Um, yeh. That's a good idea. Let's go."

Boff and Flip started to step back onto the street, but Peanut hesitated. "Guys? That woman might need help or something."

"You didn't want to help her a minute ago!"

"Well now I do."

"No way! C'mon let's go."

Peanut slowly turned and walked to the road. "She could be in trouble," he muttered.

Neither of the other boys said anything as they walked. They reached the end of the block and stopped at the intersection. Indecisively, they finally settled on continuing straight through. Nobody spoke until they had travelled another block, when Peanut said, "There's this murder guy, you know, the Southdale Psycho or whatever. We really should make sure she's alright."

Boff thought about this for a few moments, then said, "I think he's right, Flip."

Flip said nothing, he just stood there.


The first thing Susan realised was that her ears were ringing. The second thing was that her right arm was hurting. Finally, she remembered how she got here, and involuntarily jerked in fright. The pain exploded into agony in her arm. She lay still and began to cry. She couldn't think of anything to do; her arm hurt too much to move, she didn't dare cry for help in case those boys were still around.


When the boys arrived back at the parking lot, the car was still there and the keys were still on the ground beside it. Flip bent over to get the keys. They were in a little leather case, and it smelled faintly of perfume.

"Did anyone see where she went?" Boff asked.

"Just that way," Flip said. He vaguely indicated the direction that she ran. "Here's her keys." He held them up and dangled them in front of Boff's face.

Boff sniffed and said, "Ooh, smells nice!"

"Let's go that way," Peanut said.

They walked along the parking lot to the corner. Then Boff said, "Sshh! Listen!"

They stopped and heard weeping.

"That's her," Boff said. "Let's go."

They started down the alley until they saw her lying on the ground. They stopped. Peanut could see that she was lying on her arm and turned to Boff. "Here's a quarter. You gotta phone 911. She's hurt."

"Can't we just phone and leave?"

"It's our fault she's hurt. We can't just leave her."

The weeping had stopped. Susan, hearing the boys, lay still unable even to breathe.

Boff ran up the street toward a pay phone several blocks away, while Peanut and Flip walked toward the woman.

Again Susan was petrified with terror. She heard the boys walking up behind her, but could do nothing for a moment. Then she screamed. Peanut couldn't believe how long and loud it was. And after stopping for breath she let out another piercing shriek.

Paralysed for a few seconds, Flip was finally able to yell, "Hey lady! We're just trying to help. Hey! Lady!"

Peanut walked past her as she began her third scream, but her voice was starting to crack. He turned and faced her a few meters away and tried to talk to her. "We want to help you. An ambulance is on the way. Hello?"

Susan, her voice almost gone, had to croak, "Please don't hurt me! Take my money, take my car, just leave me alone! Please! Please don't hurt me."

"We don't wanna hurt you. We're helping."

"Oh, please, please . . ." she moaned.

Peanut raised his voice. "We want to help!"

"Ohhhh, noooo. Don't hurt me. Please go away."

Peanut looked at Flip. Flip was tapping his temple. She was crazy.

Susan's voice was now very quiet and appealing. "Please . . . no . . ."

Peanut took two steps back and turned away from her. He decided that anyone who came down the alley would have to go through him first to get to the woman. He curled his hands into fists and watched and waited, standing vigil. Flip, understanding, turned and did the same.

Susan, lying in pain and becoming more and more hoarse, could only stay still and moan quietly to herself. "No . . . no . . ."

This continued for a few minutes. Boff returned to the alley. He was running until he reached Flip, slowed to a walk, passed Susan, and stood against the wall away from her. He was panting from running, and said nothing. He looked up and down the alley, but could only spot Peanut and Flip. All the time Susan continued to moan, "No . . . please . . . no . . ."

The three boys said nothing, continuing their vigil until they heard the wail of two sirens. A police car and an ambulance. Peanut turned and looked at Flip and Boff. Both looked scared. He nodded and the three boys instantly broke into flight down the alley and out the other side. Two of the boys turned the corner and were gone.

But Flip stopped and turned to face Susan. He yelled out, "What'd we ever do to you, lady? Huh?" He hurled her car keys back down the alley at her. The keys hit Susan in the back and she started. "Hey, lady? What'd we do?"

Then he turned and ran out of sight, moments before the headlights of the police car swung into view and lit up the lying figure of Susan, who continued to murmur quietly, "No . . . no . . ."


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