Nightmare into Fantasy- Part 7

“Ain’t that some bullshit.” Jacob reflected in bewilderment upon seeing the river. “I see history has a way of repeating itself. You cost me a lot of money back in the day… I can’t believe I took the bounty off your ass. Must have been a moment of pity.” Jacob derided.

“Wait… You had a bounty on me?!” Parker remarked, stunned.

“Oh don’t shit your pants big baby. I was only going to take a hand. Like you took from me that game. You don’t even use yours to their fullest potential,” Jacob alleged, ignoring Parker’s apprehension.

“What would you suggest the best use of his hands are?” Anthony asked sarcastically. “Obviously the dozens of daily activities don’t quite measure up to your standards.”

“Killing,” Jacob responded matter of factly, like Anthony’s sarcasm was foolishly misplaced.

“Killing,” Parker skeptically repeated.

“Well… yeah,” Jacob shrugged. “All the other stuff, the eating, the work, the driving, the picking stuff up, masterbation. We have two hands for a reason. And you my friends are underutilizing yours.

Anthony and Parker exchanged a perplexed glance. Their old friend from university was too casual with his admission of execution for their comfort. Anthony decided it was best to move things along. Time was running out to save Parker’s family. “Jacob, as much as we would love to continue reminiscing about your butchery, you made a bet and we are running out of time to collect.”

Jacob’s mood immediately soured. How often did he get to reconnect with his old university friends… never! They were always too afraid of his reputation. You gore some people in the chest a few times and you’re automatically branded an animal. He growled, “Is that all I’m good for? Information and a custom suit? Maybe I just keep what I know to myself as well as your fucking hand!” He threatened, snatching Parker’s arm with astonishing quickness for a man his size.

Desperation and anxiety had become constant through this ordeal for Parker. Now was no different with his arm in the crushing grasp of the bull, “Jacob,” he grunted with discomfort. “We don’t have time for this! All I want is to see my family!” He fought hard to hold back tears.

The Bull’s grip softened along with his voice. “Parker, you have more time than you realize.” he released Parker’s arm and reached into his jacket pocket to retrieve a small folded note. He handed it to Parker and gestured for a handshake. His hands were like baseball gloves, as the Bull’s giant palms engulfed Parker’s. He pulled Parker roughly in towards him for a hug. Leaning into Parker’s ear, he whispered, “Good luck my friend.” The Bull released the embrace and directed Fox to guide Anthony and Parker to the street.

Parker still had the note clutched in his hand when he and Anthony arrived at the car. “So where to?” Anthony asked, curious about their next destination. Parker unfolded the note and studied the location. He didn’t have to study much. This was a place he was intimately familiar with. For a long time it held a special place in his heart, until that grey winter morning.

Puppy Love

It was a promising start to his university studies. Parker returned to the ranch for Christmas holidays after successfully navigating campus life in his first foray away from his parents supervision. He would call his parents to check in but he was mainly concerned with how she was handling life with him away. He missed her terribly and whenever he found himself missing home, it was always her he thought of.

They met during his freshman year of high school. Not great at sports or academics, Parker often found himself wondering where he belonged in the social hierarchy. Not super popular and a bit of a lone wolf, Parker made friends with ease even if the friendships never went deeper than surface level. It was when he began volunteering at the animal shelter when he found her.

Dakota was a beautiful Siberian Husky pup who had recently been rescued from an abusive puppy mill breeder. Parker still remembers the day they brought her in. He adopted her soon after and they became partners in crime, terrorizing his parents and the local wildlife around the ranch.

They explored everything nature had to offer them. The pond, located in a forest just off his parent’s land, was an oasis of solitude. During the summers, he and Dakota would camp, swim, and fish in the area. In the winter, the pond would freeze over and Parker would lace up his skates, grab a hockey stick and skate around for hours until darkness sent him home.

Cracks in the Ice

There was a chill in the air that morning. A steel grey sky evinced signs of an approaching winter storm. “Are you sure you want to go out today Parker?” His mother asked, expressing worry familiar to parents. “Why don’t you and Dakota stay in today and cozy up by the fire with your dad and I?”

“Oh come on mom. We haven’t seen each other for months. We’re dying to get out and exercise.” Dakota barked happily in agreement and strode toward the door indicating very little room for argument.

“Well ok you two, but if it starts to snow, we want you back immediately. They are calling for whiteout conditions. I trust Dakota being able to find her way back, you… not so much.”

“Thanks mom,” Parker mumbled as he slung his skates over his shoulder to head to the pond. It was a half hour slog through the snow that had already accumulated that winter. It had been unusually warm to that point in the season until about two weeks prior when everything began to freeze.

The moment he saw the pond he hesitated. While winter had certainly taken hold of the land, uncertainty nagged Parker, as Dakota breezily sauntered past him onto the ice. He monitored her for a few moments before finding a seat to begin lacing up his skates. Dakota was out near the middle of the pond, curiously sniffing around when a stiff breeze hit Parker on the back of his neck.

He called for Dakota to come when they were both startled by a thunderous crack. Both immediately sensed the impending danger as Dakota joyful barks became yelps of fear. The ice was breaking. Winter had arrived too late leaving the sure frozen surface too weak to bear Dakota’s frame. She frantically sprinted toward Parker as the ice around her continued to crack and shift.

Ten metres. Five metres. Parker was standing on the shore desperately urging her on to safety, to him. He began inching out onto the ice to meet her when the ice gave out and sucked her under. “NOOOOOOOOO!!! DAKOTA!!! Throwing caution aside, Parker sprinted out to the spot Dakota had fallen in only to fall through the ice himself. Parker was now in a desperate race against hypothermia. Every attempt he made to crawl onto the ice, it would collapse under his weight.

In Parker’s panic he broke through the ice freeing Dakota from the icy water’s grasp. Both were losing the fight as the frigid temperatures caromed through their bodies. Parker’s grip on life was slipping away. Dakota sensed this. She bit down on the neck of Parker’s jacket and used all the force she could muster to propel him onto a solid patch of ice and out of danger. She wanted to follow but the glacial temperatures had exacted a cruel toll. Her kicking slowed as she was dragged toward the pond’s depths.

Parker was found an hour later by his father who dragged him the half hour back to the ranch. He slept for two days until he physically recovered. They didn’t find Dakota until Parker had returned from school in the spring after the rape allegations had been dismissed.

With everything that happened during the past six months it was Tanya, Evy, Anthony, and a few others who kept Parker on track in school. He was one email away from dropping out but fate had other plans that morning and a coconut milk latte with honey would set him on a different path.

Hangman’s Noose

When Parker and Anthony arrived at the pond it was deserted. “Why would they send me here if there was nothing here for us?” He pleaded to Anthony. Anthony was not so certain there wasn’t another clue.

His eyes scoured the scene until he saw it. Had the sun not hit it at the right time, he would have missed it entirely. It was a mobile phone. It was Tanya’s phone and it was unlocked. Together, he and Parker opened the screen. It opened to a video of the pear tree. The distorted voice spoke.

“Our little game is almost over Parker.” The video cut out and then reemerged to three hooded figures with their hands behind their backs. Ropes were fastened around their necks and the chairs beneath them were the only thing preventing them from a dangling death. The video cut out again and a timer appeared. “You have 30 minutes before they die. Tick tock Parker.”