The Weight of Blood (77)

Her pulse slowed, lungs hardening. A thread, thick as a rope, tugged at her wrist, trying to pull her off stage, pull her away.

If only she’d listened to that gnawing at her spine, she would have known to look up.

Before a tidal wave came crashing down.





Twenty-One


May 31, 2014

JULES’S EYES SPARKLED as she watched the carnage unfold. Her grin nearly split her face in two as a collective gasp took over the room. She slapped a hand over her mouth to hold back a giggling yelp.

Brady’s drone landed by her heels. He snatched it up, along with the bag.

“Come on,” he whispered. “Baby, come on.”

He grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the door. She couldn’t take her eyes off the back of Maddy’s hair.

Outside, Brady eased the door closed and headed for the car.

“No,” she gasped with a dizzy smile, yanking her arm away. “Wait! I wanna see.”

“I thought you said—”

“She must look fucking ridiculous,” she giggled. “Did you see everyone’s faces? Fucking priceless!”

“Shhh. Babe, we gotta go before someone comes back here looking.”

“Hold on! Just listen. We can probably hear them from here.”

Jules stood still, holding her breath, the night air filled with shrieking cicadas, until they suddenly stopped their song. She stepped closer to the door, tipping her head, then frowned.

“I don’t hear anything. No one’s laughing.” She spun to Brady. “Why aren’t they laughing?”

“I don’t know, but we need to get out of here. Now come on!” He grabbed her hand and took off running.

Wendy stopped at the entrance of the Barn’s packed parking lot, cursing under her breath. She would have to drive around both lots to park behind the building. Her shoes would be covered with mud. Not exactly how she wanted to make an entrance. She had already put more makeup on than necessary for her little surprise inspection.

Not because of Maddy, she told herself. She just felt like dolling up.

She rolled down her window to examine the mud. To her right, protestors’ chants mixed with music pumping out of the country club across the tracks. But the Barn was silent. Where was the DJ? They’d paid him enough.

Suddenly, Jules and Brady flew through her headlights like passing deer, her dress shimmering.

“Jules?” she muttered, and hopped out of the car. “Jules!”

Jules spun around in shock, a ghostly apparition. But then she recognized Wendy, and her face morphed into a devilish smirk.

“Now Maddy’s the white girl she always wanted to be!” she shouted.

“What? What are you talking about?”

Brady tugged at her arm. Jules strutted backward, grinning. Then they jumped in the car and sped off.

Wendy turned to the Barn with sickening dread.

Oh God, what did she do?

She hopped back into the car and threw it in reverse, driving through the grass to the side of the Barn. Headlights connected with a large rock hidden by tall weeds. Wendy screamed as she swerved, rolling into the thick mud. The back wheel sank into a deep hole and sputtered.

The car was stuck.

From the Buzzfeed article “What I Remember” by Nicole Rhinebeck

The paint came down like a giant splash, splattering everywhere. We all jumped back from the stage, trying to get out of the line of fire. But poor Maddy was just covered in it.

She stood there, her arms held out away from herself, trying to wipe the paint out of her eyes. She looked like one of those mute mimes.

Kayleigh started laughing. You knew it was her. She had a very distinct laugh. But no one else was laughing. It was too f*cked up.

Kenny started yelling at everybody. I told my boyfriend to go up there and help her, but his suit was rented. He couldn’t get it dirty, or he’d lose his deposit. Same went for everybody else.

The white kids started to leave, some of them at least. I tried to take pictures, but my phone wouldn’t turn on. That’s when we noticed none of our phones were working. I should have known right then and there, something was up.

May 31, 2014

Charlotte gaped at the stage in sheer horror. The royal chairs were covered in paint, and for an insane moment, she thought about Wendy freaking out over the security deposit. The music hissed to an abrupt stop, like a plug had been yanked. Above them, a light flickered, popped, and kids dodged the raining glass. Then . . . silence, everyone just staring at Maddy. Until behind them, Kayleigh’s cackling echoed and bounced off the walls. Charlotte had almost forgotten she was there. A door slammed shut, the hall quieted once more.

“My phone ain’t working,” a girl mumbled behind her. A hush of confused mumbling peppered the air. How could anyone worry about their phone at a time like this?

“Yo, what the fuck!” Kenny barked and the crowed cringed. The whites of Maddy’s wide eyes blended with the paint. Who would do something so heinous? It wasn’t even funny. Just sickeningly sadistic.

Charlotte felt the slight tug of her hand and turned.

Chris. “Come on,” he whispered, not taking his eyes off the stage. “Let’s go.”

“What?”

“We have to get out of here.”

“What?” she gasped, trying to yank herself free. “We can’t just leave.”