On the Island…
Through gnarled branches, Dale watched a young couple drag their canoe on shore and spread a blanket across the sand. Who invited them to the island? The boy had loads of muscles, blond hair, dark tan, the type girls fawned over. Mom said men like that were stupid, that they lured women with their looks, and then broke their heart. That’s not a very nice thing to do. Maybe he should warn her.
“Wait,” said Duke. “Not yet.”
Lowering his voice, he whispered, “But what if he tries to … ya know, touch her private areas?” Heat assaulted Dale’s cheeks. “We can’t let that happen. Look how pretty she is. I bet he forced her to come to the island, alone, at night, just the two of them.”
“Trust me, little brother. She wants it. She wants it bad. Look at the way she’s kissing him. She can’t keep her hands off him. Whoops. There go the clothes. Well, will ya look at that.”
Every inch of Dale screamed this was wrong, but he couldn’t tear his gaze away from the stunning beauty with full, round breasts, golden tan—no swimsuit lines, even—and long, auburn curls tumbling down her sculptured back. As though no one else existed on the island, Dale’s focus intensified. This girl … the perfect specimen lying before him like an offering … God’s most precious creation transcended all sense of right and wrong, and he stayed. Riveted. Transfixed. Enchanted.
Under the moonlight the couple kissed more and more passionately, their bodies synchronized in unison. Soft whimpers escaped the girl’s lips as the boy kissed down her stomach and slid his arms under her toned thighs, his hands curling, fingernails biting her skin. Almost robotically, his lips parted and he leaned in, burying his face in her mound.
“Oh, my God.” A shake of the head snapped Dale out of the spell that held him captive. “What’s he doing?” With both hands, he shielded his eyes. “I can’t watch.”
“It’s amazing you’ve made it this far in life, shit for brains. Open your eyes, dammit. You can’t turn away from this. We’re just getting to the good part. Wait till he thrusts that huge cock into her. Ooh, I bet she screams, too.”
“Ya mean, he’s not eating her alive?”
“Well, in a manner of speaking he is, but not in the way you think. See? It’s a good thing we’re here tonight. Consider this a life lesson, little bro. Because honestly, you haven’t got the first clue what to do with a woman.”
“That’s not true.” Dale grimaced. “Mom taught me.”
“Shhh … hear that? He’s devouring her. Ooh, I bet she tastes sweet. Watch and learn, kid. Time for me to take the reins for a while.”
“But, Duke—”
“Shhh … keep your voice down. We don’t want to disturb them till we’re ready.”
“Oh, no. My penis, it’s growing.”
“Shhh … it’s all good. Don’t fight it.”
“But it hurts, it throbs.”
“Watch and learn, kid. School is now in session.”
* * *
Hours later …
When Dale snapped out of the haze—time loss happened sometimes—Dory was sobbing. “Are you okay?”
“Duke scares me.”
“He acts out sometimes, but he loves us. Look at all the toys he makes us.”
“You didn’t see what he did last night.”
Still hidden behind the bush, Dale rose from the grass and brushed pine needles off his knees and the seat of his denim shorts. On tippy-toes he peeked to where he last saw the couple.
Blood.
Everywhere.
Spattered across the sand, the side of the canoe; the beach appeared as though it doubled as a slaughterhouse. The man no longer had that stepped-from-the-pages-of-Playgirl-magazine look. Blood saturated his blond hair. The beating to his face made him almost unrecognizable, especially in the early morning dimness.
“Where’s Duke now?” he asked Dory.
“I think he’s sleeping. I don’t hear him. Do you?”
“No, but I need your help, Dory. If anyone sees this mess, Duke will get in big trouble. We can’t let that happen.”
“He should get in trouble! Look what he did!”
“Please don’t yell at me.” Head wagging, his palms flattened over both ears. “I don’t like yelling, and you know it.”
“Wake up, Dale! Kline is dead! And God only knows what he did to Donna. Last I saw he had her slung over one shoulder, heading toward the cabin with a crazed look in his eye.”
“Who?”
“Kline and Donna, the couple you watched last night. Yeah, that’s right. I saw you two hiding in the bushes like a couple of filthy peeping Toms. Mom would be so disappointed.”
“You watched us?” Dale hung his head, shame consuming him from the inside out. A few moments passed before an intriguing question crossed his mind. “How did you see us? Were you on the beach last night? I’m telling. Duke told you not to leave the cabin after dark.”
“Never mind that. We need to leave the island, Dale. Please. I’m begging you. Let’s go before Duke wakes up.”
“No.” He stomped his foot into the soil-like sand. “We stick together. That’s the rule. Now, we need to clean this mess.” As he stormed away, Dory demanded his full attention.
“You best start listening to me, little man. Mom told me to keep an eye on you. Duke will only get you thrown in prison. Or worse, back in that hospital. Is that what you want?”
“Oh, I see what’s going on. Marco finally noticed you, so you think you’re the boss now. Dory and Marco sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Dory with a baby carriage.”
“Ugh! You are so infantile sometimes.”
“Please don’t call me names. I don’t call you names.”
“For chrissakes, Dale!”
“Dory!” He gasped. “You used the Lord’s name in vain. You better make sure you do seven decades of the rosary. It’s a sin.”
“What do you think murder is, Dale? Trust me, we have bigger problems than trying to save my soul from eternal damnation. Maybe you should take another peek at the mayhem Duke incited last night.”
In the well-worn Birkenstocks Duke surprised him with last week, Dale rose to his toes. The sand crystals slurped the blood like catfish on aquarium glass, the crimson pool growing wider, longer. “Do you want me to clean the beach myself? If you can’t handle it this time, I will. Girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice, so maybe it’s for the best. You might cry again, and that would make me sad.”
“You’re an imbecile, you know that?”
“And you’re a meanie, so there.” Dale twirled on his heels and strolled down to the water’s edge. On his knees, he tossed handfuls of bloody sand on to the blanket—piled high like a sand castle—till no traces of blood remained. Except for under Kline’s body. Duke really bashed his face in. He must have been mad at him. See? Mom was right about the blond-haired, blue-eyed boys. Heartbreakers, the whole lot of ‘em. Good thing Duke saved Donna. What Kline did to her last night was disgusting.
“Hey, little bro.”
“Oh, hi, Duke.”
“Sorry about the mess. I was hoping to surprise you when you woke up.”
Like a toddler who spots their birthday cake early, Dale’s eyes flashed wide. “With a new toy?”
“Yep. Two, in fact.”
“Wow. Where are they?”
“One’s in the cabin. Wanna see?”
“Oh, boy, do I.”
“Come on then. I’ll give you a quick peek before we scrub the beach.”
Without conscience effort, Dale’s hands shot above his head. “Yay! Oh, wait.” He hesitated. “What about Dory?”
“What about her?”
“I think she’s mad at us. Maybe we should invite her to come. I wouldn’t feel right, leaving her out.”
“Screw, Dory. She’s probably curled up in a ball somewhere, crying.”
“That’s not a very nice thing to say. She’s family.”
“It’s getting lighter out, Dale. Now or never? You’ve got ten seconds to decide.”
“Now, please.” A wide grin spread across his face.
“Then get moving.”
In a flash, Dale took off, leaping logs, zigzagging around pine trees. An overwhelming force pushed him to run faster, his arms pumping to increase momentum. Before entering the cabin, he hesitated, the doorknob cradled in his right hand. “Hey, Duke?”
“Yeah, buddy?”
“Is Donna okay?”
“Better than ever. See for yourself.”
With a twist of the knob, he swung open the front door. In the living room area, long auburn curls flowed over the back of the futon. Donna’s hair. Her tanned arm rested across the top of the wooden frame, manicured nails dangling off the end. Mom said French manicures made women’s hands more ladylike. Dale agreed.
Before he approached her, he whispered to Duke, “You’re the best brother in the whole, wide world.”
“Go get ‘er, tiger. Time to break your cherry.”
“My what?”
“Never mind. Just go. She won’t resist.”
Eyebrows drawn together, he squinted at Duke. “Resist what?”
Loudly Duke exhaled. “It means, you can do whatever you want to her.”
“Do you think she’ll dance with me if I make sure to mind my manners?”
“Yep.”
Dale inched closer, his heart ready to explode. In front of Donna, he extended a stiff hand. “Hi, Donna. I’m Dale. It’s so nice to make your acquaintance.”
A bluish fog clouded her chestnut eyes, her milky complexion pallid, ashen, sallow. When he first met Denise she also had the same surprised look, as if she’d witnessed a brilliant rainbow, her mouth opened in a perfect O. The wan coloring and muddled eye-film wasn’t unusual on the island.
Some people must be allergic to the lake. It didn’t matter much. After he and Denise broke up—Duke said she got so upset she fled the island—Dale reckoned he’d never find love again. Especially so soon. Surely heaven sent Donna, a gift from God for being such a good boy.
To assist Donna—Mom said chivalry was dead, but it didn’t have to be that way—he slid her hand into his. Rubbing his thumb across the top of her rigid fingers, he caressed her soft skin. “You’re so cold. Must be drafty in here. Hang on. I’ll get you a blanket.” He hustled toward the linen closet. Dragged one of Mom’s handmade quilts from the shelf, returned to Donna, and draped the cottony material over her lap.
“Ah, don’t get too carried away, kid. We still need to clean the beach.”
“Oh, right. Will you excuse us for a few minutes, Donna? I won’t be long. Don’t go anywhere, okay?”
Donna didn’t answer. She must be shy. How cute.