Available Darkness Season 1

reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone to listen to her message again. He dialed the number, but just as Julia’s voice lit him from beyond the grave, the phone beeped and went dead. Caleb pressed the ON button of the phone desperately. The phone returned to life just long enough to display a low battery icon, before going dead again.
    “Fuck!” Caleb screamed as he fell back on his bed, clutching the phone in his hand, too far from the charger he’d left at home.
    He stood and went to his window, staring at the night outside. Lightning spread across the sky like a spiderweb as a thick roll of thunder rumbled in the distance. The first few fat raindrops fell against his glass and he returned to his bed, holding the bottle, rolling it back and forth in his hand, doing his best not to open it.
    He had to stay clear and focused in case he was called into action.
    His back was aching and he had a crushing headache, however. The pain, real or imagined, would keep him awake. The pills were the only thing which could rescue him now.
    He opened the bottle, poured three into his hand and downed them with a bottle of Heineken from the minibar.
    He got back into bed, closed his eyes, and waited for relief to soothe his mind and body.

    * * * *

CHAPTER 7 — John

    Tiny and Larry sat in the front of the van while John and Abigail sat in back, the door between slid open so they could all sit together eating Abigail’s choice of possible “last meal.” They were in a busy McDonald’s parking lot, unlikely to draw much attention.
    “This is soooo good,” Abigail said sipping down on a chocolate shake and closing her eyes.
    “You should try fries in it,” Tiny said from up front.
    “What?” she said, pinching her face. “Fries in a shake?”
    “You never did that?” he said, shocked. “Oh, that shit is awesome. Try it.”
    John shook his head, “I’m with her. Sounds gross.”
    “Oh no,” Larry said, patting his gut, “Tiny’s right on the money with this. I’ve had many a fries dipped in shakes. Awesome.”
    Abigail laughed as she peeled the lid off of her milkshake and dipped a fry inside, hesitantly, then put it in her mouth, laughing.
    She chewed the fry and swallowed, eyes widening. “He’s right, this is good!”
    She grabbed two more fries, dipped them in her shake, then lifted them to John’s mouth, “Here, try!”
    John sealed his mouth shut, “Um, no.”
    “Don’t be so lame, John,” Larry said.
    “Fine,” John said, opening his mouth and taking a bite, surprised by how good the blend of sweet chocolate and fried salty potato tasted. He smiled as he chewed it down.
    “You see?” Tiny said, “Shit, now I wanna go back through the drive-thru and get a shake. You know, being the last meal and all.”
    Abigail laughed. “You realize this is the closest to a family meal I’ve had in, like, forever.”
    Silence stretched the cabin as the gravity of her statement weighed on them all.
    Larry stripped a few pounds from the moment: “Well, let me apologize, because this is one freaky family.”
    They burst out laughing. Tiny’s laugh was loudest of all, which caused Abigail to laugh even harder.
    After they hit the drive-thru to get another milkshake for Tiny, and one for Larry as well, they headed to a gas station to fill up. While Tiny gassed up the tank, Larry sat up front reading a newspaper. Abigail leaned against John’s shoulder, tired. John peeked through the front window of the van and saw straight into the station’s convenience store, which had a large, well-lit window stretching its entire length. John’s eyes narrowed on something and he leaned over to Larry, “Hey, do you have some cash?”
    “Sure thing,” Larry said, “whatchya’ need?”
    John pointed at the item in the window that he wanted and asked Larry if he’d go inside and buy it.
    Tiny hung up the gas pump with a thunk and hopped in the van. Larry followed a moment later and handed John a large plastic bag, which John then handed to Abigail.
    Inside was a large brown teddy bear with a pink heart on its stomach.
    “His name is Teddy,” John said, immediately cursing himself for such an unoriginal name, but going on anyway, “and he’s gonna look out for you while I’m on this mission.”
    Abigail looked down at the bear, “Teddy, huh? He looks a bit too cute to protect me.”
    “Cute can be deceptive,” John said, “under that sweet smile hides a strong bear jaw full of giant bear