The Town of Fairley

Summer time in most towns are a happy time. There’s no school for most, cookouts, family reunions, outside birthday parties and swimming, all the swimming your heart can handle. Not in Fairley. In Fairley the Summer time is their time...

“Mom, I have to stop by the store on the way home today. I need one more bottle of body wash before the shut down.”

“No baby, I'll grab whatever you need on my lunch break, just send me a picture of the kind you want. I don’t want to risk you getting caught out there after sundown.”

“Oh right.” I say looking out the back window. “The lake has already started to freeze over. Remind me why you decided to move us into the direct path of the Moselle Sisters again.”

“We got a great deal on the house and most of the time the lake outback is a great amenity.”, she said into my hair before kissing me on the head.

“Yet it serves as a great warning before the mayhem starts.”

She shot me a ‘be good’ look before leaving the kitchen to head to work. I still have about twenty minutes before I need to head to school so I take my time with breakfast before I head out.

“Hey! Jared, wait!” without turning around I knew it was Chad. “Hey, man…” he begins once he’s caught up to me. “… why… didn’t you… wait?” he manages to huff out between gulps of air. I just look at him for a second, taking a beat to decided if I really want to entertain this today. Ultimately the angel on my shoulder wins out.

“I’ve told you million times man. My name is Malcolm. How am I suppose to know you are talking to me if you don’t say the right name.” With that I give him a slap on back just hard enough for him to know I’m not playing his token black guy games today.

“There he is, there he is.” John yells across the quad. Chad and I both throw up a hand in greeting before jogging across the town square the meet up with him. Reaching the middle we all exchange our customary hand shakes.

“Soooo, Malcolm. You check the lake today?” John says not breaking stride.

“Yeah, it almost frozen. My mom says it’ll completely froze by sundown today.” I say with a shrug.

“Well, it is the last day of school so, they are right on time.” Chad chimes in.

“I just wonder how do they know when to come? Our last day of school has been on different days almost every year. Or at least the years we all can remember. Like, is it a super power they have or is someone telling them?”

“There are supernatural witches that take over our town every summer. They suck the lives out of the people that leave their homes during that time and decorate our town square with statue replicas of the dead and the thing you’re wondering is how do they know when to come? Really bro?”

“No, no. I mean I wonder other stuff too but like… y’all can’t tell me y’all haven’t thought the same thing.”

Chad and I look at each other and in unison we say, “No.” We all laugh a little. It’s nice to break the tension, even if it’s just for a few seconds.

“So, everybody got their computers fixed and ready.” It’s now me and John’s turn to look at Chad.

“You spill soda on your computer one time and your friends just won’t let cha live it down.” We broke in laughter again just as we walk through the doors of our high school.