Birthday Surprises
Like all children, Jessica knew that unkempt lawns held hidden treasures. She wandered the backyard with eyes of an intrepid explorer, spotting an uncommon mushroom here and a creeping creature there. She savored these moments; it was rare to embark on such a mission. Her father liked things exact. His shoes at the door, beer cold, and lawn cropped military short. A boy down the block was paid to tend the yard, but he hadn’t shown up all week. It was of little concern to Jessica. The boy, Paul, was 15, just old enough to disregard her existence. That would change soon, she thought with a smile. Her birthday was just days away, and this year was double digits.
A crisp breeze rustled her sandy hair and carried the first dropped leaves of Autumn past her feet. Brilliant reds and yellows swirling across the greens of a lush lawn. Jessica barely noticed goosebumps dancing along her skin in response to the first hints of winter. It was exploration time, and the smell of beer inside held no adventure for a girl of nine, almost ten.
Quick eyes spotted a monarch butterfly cavorting on the breeze. With delight, she chased it across the lawn. Stopping when the lithe creature came to rest on the side of her father’s shed. She shot a nervous look back at the house. Dark windows held no gaze. The shed was a place forbidden. The refuge of her father, his cave of solitude. Even her mother had never gained permission to bridge those walls. Jessica didn’t like to dwell on the time before her mother left, sadness and anger so mixed she didn’t know one from the other.
Today she had extra reason to be wary of snooping. Her father had explicitly warned not to be poking about. He was spending more time lately, locked inside. Jessica knew it was to prepare for her birthday. A gift hidden inside those secret confines.
Her small feet, cramped inside shoes a touch too small, crept closer. She kept a keen eye towards the house, ready to run at the smallest sign of detection. Her fingers met the thick wooden door. The monarch, forgotten, had long since flown away, but new butterflies twittered in her stomach. Bravery had carried her this far, but here, courage died. She shoved chilled fingers deep into her pockets, turning away.
Had a car drove by out front, or even the wind blew a little harder, Jessica would have missed the faint sound coming from the shed. A tiny whine followed by a scuffle. Thrill coursed through her body, hair flying she whipped back around. A puppy! She had begged and wheedled for as long as she remembered to have a pet. She could already smell hot puppy breath. The door rattled against its frame, held fast in place by lock and chain. The frown furrowing her face didn’t last long. Like most children, Jessica knew more than her parents thought. Mere moments passed before she had a retrieved a key from a hook in the garage.
Fingers shaking, she freed the door and pushed it open, allowing sunlight inside. No puppy tumbled out to greet her, nothing but dust motes catching the light. Disappointed, she leaned inside. The room was plain. An old bed, lumpy and pungent, pushed against one wall. Counters overrun with odds and ends. Jessica was considering exploring further when her keen ears caught the sound of a scuffle once more.
A grin split her face as she dropped to the dirty floor. Eyes searching, she crawled towards the bed. Jessica reached a hand forward, beckoning. A rat, bloated from feasting, darted past and scampered out the door. Breath loud in her ears, Jessica longed to run, but fear kept her frozen. A stench ignored in her enthusiasm assailed her. She begged herself to close her eyes, shut out the body just beginning to bloat under the bed. The face of the neighbor boy, damaged and rotting.
Jessica felt the door close behind her. Mind and body disconnected, she turned, noting insignificant details, ignoring the shrieking inside. Oddly, her mother’s purse lay on the workbench among the dead beer bottles. Blocking the door, she saw her father’s work boots. Stains on his jeans, clenched fists. Everything went cold when her eyes met his.
The noise didn’t last long. The only ones to hear the sounds were the butterflies still fluttering about the lawn.