Chapter 4

Chapter 4
June 1984
Morgan, or Morgo, as his friends called him, walked down the street with a green and white basketball in
his hands. As he walked, not particularly in any hurry,he looked from house to house and wondered where everyone
was. It was after all, a Saturday afternoon in the middle of the summer and he was alone.
Back when he was younger he remembered these streets being full of kids. The Baker kids, would all be
dressed up in their street hockey uniforms, blocking traffic. Timmy Baker would usually end up breaking one bone
or another before the summer ended, leaving him as the automatic goalie as his two brothers used him as target
practice.
Then there were the girls playing hopscotch on the sidewalk, or jumping rope, or doing whatever girls did.
He really never paid attention to them, nor did they pay any attention back.
Younger, is a relative term. Seeing as Morgan was only 14 years old, he really couldnt call himself young.
To him, he was old. But when you start thinking back to a time, say 8 or 9 years ago, and youre only 7 or 8
yourself, then it kind of makes sense.
Morgan was lucky enough to have his own, beit small, group of friends, and he prefered it that way.
Teds house the very first house on the corner of Lafayette Rd. It stuck out like a sore thumb, in a
neighborhood of well manicured lawns and fresh painted facades, Teds house was, decidedly not. It stood atop a
large hill with a craggy lawn that held patches of long, dead grass. Teds house was the place youd skip when youd
be out trick or treating. Not because you realized that they probably didnt have any candy but the fact you were to
afraid to find out.
Morgan had been here before though. He didnt like being there, but Ted wasnt exactly easy to get a hold
of either.
Ted lived with his mother and his Aunt Judy. The home was split into two sections like a townhouse, only,
it wasnt a town house. The first time hed ever been inside, he couldnt help notice that it looked like someone had
just built a wall randomly in the middle of it. It was as if whoever had built it, woke up one morning, pointed to one
end of the house and said, this side has to go. It was all very strange but if there was one thing that Morgans
parents had told him, that actually stuck, was to mind his own business, so thats what he did. He didnt ask about
the wall that split the house in half. He ignored the fact that Ted, seemed to now not have a kitchen, or a bathroom
on the first level anymore. What he did have was a living room. When you walked into the house, you now needed
to come in through the front, which immediately put you into the living room. The wall,which had been hastily built,
with random pieces of mismatched lumber and particle board cut off access to the stairs leading up to the second
floor.
How do you get to your bedroom he remembered asking Ted one day.
I have to go around to the side door. Ted answered. So they walked outside, around the house and into the
side door. This now led you into the kitchen, the dining room and the small bathroom next to the oven. The stairs
were on the opposite end, next to the dining room table.
Morgan stopped at the bottom of the hill, looking up at Teds house. There was always this nervous ball of
energy when he went to Teds house. Part of that nervousness though was directly related to Teds Mother.
He remembered the first time he had ever seen her. He had knocked on the front door several times and
waited. No one answered. There was a soft hum in the background from the living room he could not see. He

knocked again, this time louder and with more force than before. Again, there was nothing. He shuffled his feet on
the front steps, wondering if he should just go inside.
What a shrill voice announced in front of him. Morgan nearly fell off the steps when he saw her through
the screen. A gray haired lady, no more than 52, with a shriveled wrinkled and pockmarked face droopy face stood
in front of him and eyed him coldly.
Is Is Ted home? She stared at him harder, squinting her eyes as if Morgan were no longer there.
Who are you? She began.
Im Morg
Why are you here? Morgan didnt answer. He was scared. He couldnt remember another time that he
had ever been that scared. Teds mother stared at him coldly, looking at him, looking through him. It felt as if she
knew everything that he had ever done, good or bad and she was concentrating on the bad. He tried closing his eyes,
to get away from it all. His eyes though, they stayed open, wide open. He could feel them begin burn due to to the
lack of moisture, which in turn made him panic even more.
Dont bother she said when he tried to run. Only she wasnt saying it, he was hearing it, her lips never
moved. Her hair moved with a wind that was not blowing, her words filled his brain without speaking. Ted doesnt
need friends Her eyes had gone from a dull and empty gray to a fiery death stare which pierced Morgans soul.
Morgan? Teds voice came from behind him. In an instant his mother was gone and he could move, blink
and think on his own.
Morgan ran. He ran and ran and ran some more. It wasnt until Ted had caught up with him, that he calmed
down.
Wha, what, what the hell happened Ted he asked, shaking, looking everywhere, wondering if his mom
was somehow around the corner.
Listen, listen to me Morgan Ted put his arms on Morgans shoulders as if to hold him in place. Ted
looked into his eyes,but it wasnt the same evil look his mother had given him. It was reassuring and calming, saying
everythings going to be alright without actually saying it.
My mom Ted continued. She cant hurt you. He paused, and saw that Morgan wasnt convinced. Its all
a trick Morgan, its not real. She cant hurt you. Trust me
Just like that, Morgan felt a lot better. It was like his mother had messed with his head and Ted came along
to put it right again. It wasnt as if hed completely forgotten about the whole episode though. He refused to go to
the house if he knew Teds mom was even close. He had to call Ted before he came over to make sure she wasnt
every single time. It was okay though, it wasnt like they hung out at his house anyways.
An old beat up 2 door red Dodge Colt was parked in the driveway up on the hill, which meant that the aunt
was most likely home. He had met his aunt several times and had begun to think that she was the one taking care of
Ted, seeing as his mom was never around.
Ted met him at the front door like they had discussed.. Hey Morgo, whered you get that? he asked
pointing to the basketball.
I got it for my birthday. Lets go down to Crabtree and shoot around.
Crabtree Rd was where everyone in the neighborhood played basketball.. Nick Stiles had got a hoop about
2 years ago, set up on the sidewalk. It was the perfect place to play, not much car traffic and seeing as the road had
recently been paved, they had a smooth court.

Hang tight, I got something to show you. He opened the door and led Morgan around to the kitchen. The
entire kitchen smelled like someone had been chain smoking cigarettes for days. He held his breath to wanting to be
rude. Morgans parents had smoked for years, but it wasnt a smell really noticed. Teds house though, it smelled like
the smoke stuck to the carpet, walls and anything else it could burrow into. Ted led the way again and they walked
upstairs into his bedroom.
What do you want to show me?
Ted had a nervous look on his face and seemed to struggle to say what it was he wanted to say. After a bit,
Ted went over to his closet, grabbed a rather large duffle bag out of it and carefully placed the bag on the bed.
It honestly looked like any ordinary duffle bag. There was nothing special about it besides it being a bright yellow
color, you could probably find the same bag in any department store.
The first thing Morgan thought, was that
there was hockey gear inside of it.
What's in there? he asked going to open the zippered top. Ted quickly grabbed his hand and pushed it
away from the bag.
Dont open it he said sternly, then grabbing the handle and moving it closer to him in a very protective
manner.
Jesus Ted, wrong with you? Why are you acting all crazy. Ted sighed and seemed to relax a little.
Sorry, its just, just, Ive never talked to anyone about this before. He walked to the window and moved
aside the curtain, glaring out to the driveway below. After a moment he said.
My mother will be home soon. We should probably go. He took the bag and put it back into the closet,
throwing some old, dirty clothes on top of it, as if to hide it.
What?, Youre not going to show me now? Really?
Another time. He said, leaving the room. Like his parents had told him time and time again, dont ask
questions. Morgan followed quickly behind him.