THE BASEMENT

Chris W. Martinez Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 by Chris W. Martinez All rights reser ed.

!"#$S %A&"' $S ()$*( ") +E E%$C, really one to remember,- +rad said to his three roommates as he s.r eyed the basement o/ their rented, o//01amp.s ho.se. A single beam o/ waning a/ternoon light shone thro.gh the s2.at window near the 1eiling, ill.minating a re1tangle o/ the grimy, 1on1rete /loor. )din and Morrison, their two medi.m0sized m.tts, roamed the .n/.rnished spa1e, sni//ing at the gro.nd. !So, +irdman,- said (abe, !yo.r band is going to play down here, right3- Slightly 1h.bby, (abe had so/t, bl.e eyes and a thi14 beard. !"otally,- replied +irdman. #is words t.mbled o.t in a loopy r.sh, !We5ll probably set .p in that 1orner, so we 1an broad1ast ibes thro.gh the whole ho.se /rom its bottom root 1ha4ra, 6.st e7plode .p /rom deep in the ho.se5s s.b1ons1io.s and in/e1t the whole pla1e with 1osmi1 energy.- #e demonstrated with his hands, p.tting them together and raising them .p abo e his head in a s.nb.rst. Casey nodded her head. !Awesome8(abe 1o.ldn5t ta4e his eyes o// Casey. She dressed li4e the boys9sloppy "0shirt, /lip0 /lops, 1ord.roy pants9and had thi14, brown hair. With her /re14led /a1e and smiling oi1e, she radiated nat.ral bea.ty and 1harisma. +rad p.shed his long, bla14 hair /rom his eyes and wal4ed toward a 1losed metal door on the opposite wall. !We sho.ld p.t the 4egs o er here, by the boiler room. E eryone 1ongregates by the beer, so this way there will always be a good 1rowd in /ront o/ the band.!"hat5s /ine, $ g.ess,- (abe said, eyeing the boiler room door. !As long as we lea e that sh.t.+irdman tittered an7io.sly. A tentati e grin appeared on +rad5s /a1e. !Why do yo. say that3!#a e yo. seen that room lately3!*o, what5s wrong with it3(abe opened the metal door and o.t po.red a 1lammy, ran1id tide o/ air. "he dogs approa1hed the doorway, sni//ed at it, and 2.i14ly ba14ed away, ner o.sly li14ing their 1hops. !:es.s Christ, what5s that smell3- said +rad, his /a1e b.n1hing .p. !;id something die in there3Casey tried the swit1h 6.st inside the doorway b.t no light 1ame on. "he /o.r o/ them s2.inted and loo4ed inside, none o/ them daring to enter. At the /ar end sat an old /.rna1e and r.st0spotted water heater. Abo e, strings o/ torn spider webs stret1hed a1ross a maze o/ metal pipes. "he .nsettling m.mble o/ 1o.ntless /lies /illed the room. :.st behind the water heater and the /.rna1e, down near the /loor, a dar4 pat1h stained the wall. "he pat1h was the swarm o/ /lies9li4ely h.ndreds o/ them, 1rawling o er ea1h other in /ilthy wa es. !"hat5s some sinister shit,- said +irdman. +rad wa ed a /ly away /rom his /a1e. !(ood thing we 1ame down here. Someone5s going to ha e to 1lean that .p, whate er it is.+irdman swallowed. !$5 e got the bathrooms. "hey need to be 1leaned be/ore the party.!<it1hen,- said Casey. !=i ing room,- +rad so.nded o//. #e t.rned to (abe, !Sorry, b.ddy, that lea es yo. with the basement.(abe blin4ed hard. !"here5s no way $5m getting near that. We5ll 6.st lea e the door 1losed. *obody will see it.!$ don5t thin4 so,- said +rad, his oi1e /irm. !We5re not lea ing it li4e that. $t5s got to be 1leaned o.t be/ore the party.(abe 1rossed his arms, his eyes narrowing. !)h, that5s 6.st ri1h /or yo. to de1ide it had to be me, +rad.-

(abe5s dog, Morrison, growled beside him. !$ didn5t de1ide, (abe,- +rad said, stepping 1loser to him. !E eryone else 1alled a di//erent part o/ the ho.se, so yo.5re the only one le/t to do the basement. $s that hard to .nderstand3+rad5s dog, )din, bar4ed at Morrison. !)h, $ .nderstand per/e1tly well. :.st pile the nasty shit onto the one who doesn5t immediately 6.mp .p and 1all a di//erent room. "hat5s really, really /air.- (abe 1o.ld /eel his /a1e getting hot, his heartbeat po.nding in his temples. "he dogs5 growling grew lo.der. +rad shoo4 his head and /lashed (abe a 1arni oro.s sneer. #e raised his oi1e, !=i/e isn5t /air, (abe, that5s 6.st how it is. 'o.5re a big boy, so do yo.r part and stop being s.1h a goddamn baby, o43!What did yo. 6.st 1all me, yo. /.14ing pri143!A goddamn baby, yo. goddamn baby.!>.14 yo.8- (abe sho.ted, his /a1e p.rple. )din and Morrison s.ddenly 1ollided, snarling and snapping, their on1e0pla1id /a1es 1ontorted in hideo.s, wet0toothed rage. !Shit8- Casey yelled, stepping ba14 /rom the t.mbling 1anines. "he dogs /o.ght on, sa agely biting ea1h others5 ne14s and yelping with grotes2.e desperation. Spinning into a /renzied 1lima7, they shot .p on their hind legs and twisted aro.nd ea1h other in the air, seemingly in slow motion, li4e two sna4es 1limbing an in isible 1ord. :.st as 2.i14ly as they had beg.n, )din and Morrison stopped /ighting. S2.ea4ing with .nease, they glan1ed at the open boiler room door and retreated to the opposite side o/ the basement. !What the hell was that, yo. g.ys3- Casey said. !)din and Morrison get along so well, and yo.r st.pid ti// made them almost 4ill ea1h other.(abe and +rad stood spee1hless. !#oly 1rap that was trippy,- said +irdman, his eyes b.lging. !What 4ind o/ otherworldly shit did we 6.st witness right there3 "hat was li4e, $ don5t 4now, li4e some 4ind o/? dog do.ble0heli7 in/inity e ent.*obody la.ghed or smiled. +rad inhaled lo.dly thro.gh his nose. %ointing at the boiler room, he said to (abe, !@se the strongest 1leaning prod.1t yo. 1an /ind. ;ren1h it in blea1h i/ yo. ha e to. "hat shit has to go."he ne7t day, (abe bo.ght two bags o/ 1leaning s.pplies /rom the dr.g store. #e h.rried thro.gh town, .nsmiling and gra e, .nmo ed by the 1risp, s.nny weather. When he ret.rned, the ho.se was deserted, his roommates o.t en6oying the bea.ti/.l /all a/ternoon. (abe 1arried his bags down the basement stairs. E en with the boiler room door sh.t, he 1o.ld hear the .nsleeping swarm o/ /lies inside. #e steeled himsel/ and opened the door. "he damp, si14ly0sweet sten1h o/ de1ay washed o er him. A wa e o/ dizziness and na.sea hit him all at on1e and he staggered ba14, nearly /ainting. $ntense anger and bitterness9stronger than his dread o/ 1leaning the boiler room9/looded his mind. Another swell o/ si14ness hit him. =ightheaded, (abe sat down on the 1on1rete /loor and p.t his head in his hands. "he dar4 room lay open be/ore him li4e a rotten mo.th, its air too thi14 to penetrate.

#e didn5t ha e the will to 1lean it, at least not now. #olding his breath, he stood .p, tossed the bags o/ 1leaning s.pplies inside, and slammed sh.t the metal door. +irdman5s slender /ingers /l.ttered o er the 4eys, his long hair tossing in his /a1e as he ro14ed to the meandering m.si1. "he dr.mmer writhed behind his 4it, the g.itarist bobbed his head, and the bassist groo ed with her eyes sh.t. $n /ront, the wiry lead singer moaned into his mi1rophone /rom a low, serpentine 1ro.1h, s.rro.nded by a throng o/ people 6er4ing to the beat. (abe and Casey dan1ed in the middle o/ the 1rowd, 1lose b.t not to.1hing, o11asionally opening their eyes to steal /.rti e glan1es at ea1h other. At the ba14 o/ the basement, by the 1losed boiler room door, a se1ond gro.p o/ people 1l.stered aro.nd the 4eg. A tall, m.s1.lar 4id in a baseball 1ap per/ormed the bartender role, ser ing 1.p a/ter 1.p o/ beer thro.gho.t the night. @pstairs, on the li ing room 1o.1h, +rad 1hatted .p the 1.te girl /rom psy1hology 1lass whom he had in ited to the party a /ew days earlier. She blin4ed at him with bewilderment, the roar o/ the band below booming thro.gh the /loor and the walls, rattling the /loor lamp beside the 1o.1h. ).t in the hall, a stream o/ wastrels and dr.n4s sh.//led by, some wandering into the li ing room and ba14 o.t, hal/0aware o/ their s.rro.ndings. )n the li ing room wall to +rad5s le/t, a mad1ap, gra//iti0li4e m.ral s1reamed in bright 1olors9mania1al 1ari1at.res, s.rreal renditions o/ /lowers and trees, random words in 4aleidos1opi1 te7t. <neeling at the bottom o/ the m.ral, a yo.ng man with dirty blond braids painted additional shapes onto the patterns, ea1h stro4e timed to the beat o/ the basement band. +rad was 6.st abo.t to say something 1ool and edgy to the girl /rom psy1hology 1lass when a 4id ran into the li ing room. !+rad8 +rad8- the 4id said, o.t o/ breath, !Come .pstairs, 2.i148!What3!:.st 1ome on, h.rry8!;amn it,- +rad gr.mbled, his e1stasy high 1ollapsing. !$5ll be ba14,- he said to the girl and got .p. "he 4id led +rad .pstairs and into +irdman5s room. A 1rowd o/ people /ollowed them. A yo.ng woman in a "0shirt and 6eans stood on the roo/ 6.st o.tside the open window, her ba14 t.rned. !:ohn, $5m serio.s, don5t8- she 1ried. +rad 6oined her on the roo/. Standing at the edge, /a1ing o.t, was the g.y who had been ser ing beer all night in the basement. !'o. 4now him3- +rad as4ed the yo.ng woman. !#e5s my boy/riend,- she said, her pretty /a1e 1ontorted with worry. !#e 4eeps saying he wants to 6.mp.+rad loo4ed at her boy/riend. !$t5s not that /ar down,- he said to her. !;.mb idea, b.t he5ll be o4 i/ he lands right.!*o,- she said in a hal/0whisper, !he wants to h.rt himsel/.!What3 Why3!$ don5t 4now.- She shoo4 her head, !#e5s ne er been li4e this be/ore. $ tho.ght he was 6o4ing aro.nd at /irst, b.t he5s totally serio.s.!$s he dr.n43!*o8 #e5s not drin4ing at all this wee4 be1a.se he5s trying to ma4e weight /or a wrestling mat1h. $ don5t 4now why he5s a1ting this way.!#ey, :ohn,- +rad 1alled o.t, !what5s going on, b.d3"he girl too4 a step /orward, !:ohn3 Can yo. please 6.st9!Stop8- :ohn bellowed o er his sho.lder. !$ 1an5t,- he said, his oi1e trembling with ang.ish. !$ 6.st 1an5t take it.-

!'o. 1an5t ta4e what3- his girl/riend said. !What5s wrong3 Why are yo. doing this3:ohn shi ered in the night, his silho.ette glowing in the dim, yellow light o/ the street lamp. !"he dar4ness?- he m.ttered. !$ 1an5t? $ 6.st 1an5t.!:ohn, please.- She too4 another step. #e tilted /orward. +rad gasped and l.nged toward him, b.t it was too late. :ohn pl.mmeted, head /irst. #e hit the gro.nd with an a.dible th.mp. "he yo.ng woman s1reamed. +rad h.rried to the edge and loo4ed o er, saw :ohn lying in a motionless heap on the lawn. "wo 4ids ran o.t /rom the /ront por1h and 1ro.1hed ne7t to him. !#e5s not breathing,one yelled. !Call A11.+rad pani14ed, his /a1e gone white as the dr.gs 1h.rned his tho.ghts into a s1ree1hing typhoon o/ horror. #e s1rambled thro.gh the window, his breathing rapid and shallow. (abe and Casey were standing inside with the other d.mbstr.14 onloo4ers. !#oly shit,(abe said as +rad p.shed by, !did $ really 6.st see that3+rad ignored him and r.shed to the stairs. !+rad3(abe and Casey /ollowed him down the steps. +rad loo4ed ba14, saw them, and started r.nning, thro.gh the 4it1hen and o.t the ba14 door. !+rad, where are yo. going3- (abe 1alled. !'o. 1an5t 6.st ta4e o//, man. #ey8- ;r.n4, s1ared, and .ns.re what to do, he 1hased +rad a1ross the ba14yard. Casey /ollowed. +rad led them down alleys, a1ross streets, and thro.gh yards, re/.sing to slow down or respond to their sho.ts. When he made it to the .ni ersity gol/ 1o.rse, he dashed a1ross the green li4e an es1aped 1on i1t, disappearing into the woods on the other side. (abe and Casey stopped on the /airway, o.t o/ breath. #e loo4ed at her, his brain whirling with into7i1ation and sho14. !;id yo. see that3- (abe said thro.gh gasps o/ air. !#ow that g.y 6.st?!$ 4now,- she said, sha4ing her head. !Crazy.#e stood .p straight and p.t his hands on his /a1e. #is eyes /elt li4e the empty so14ets o/ a s4.ll. !#e /ell head0/irst. #e 1o.ld be dead, Casey. )h god.!$t5s gonna be o4. $t5s gonna be o4.!Serio.sly, what are we going to do3!$ don5t 4now. $ don5t 4now. =et5s 6.st 1hill /or a min.te.- She sat down on the 1arpet0 li4e green. (abe sad down too. !Sho.ldn5t we get ba14 to the ho.se3- he babbled. !Aren5t the poli1e going to want to tal4 to .s3#er oi1e dropped down to a near whisper. !Shhh. =et5s 6.st thin4 /or a se1ond.- >or a moment, she held the silen1e in the per/e1t 1alm o/ the gol/ 1o.rse. !We don5t ha e to go ba14 right now, (abe,- she said /inally. !We 1an tal4 to them later. +irdman sho.ld still be there, and a b.n1h o/ other people saw what happened, too. $5ll bet there5s already an amb.lan1e. #e5ll be o4. $5m s.re he5ll be o4.!We5re in s.1h deep shit, Casey,- (abe moaned, r.nning his hands thro.gh his hair. !$t5s going to be in the paper, /or s.re. "hey5ll want to hit .s hard. E erything they 1an possibly 1harge .s /or.!;id yo. hear what that girl told +rad, tho.gh3 She said the g.y hadn5t e en been drin4ing.!"hat5s what she said3!'es, $ heard her, (abe. Serio.sly,- Casey p.t her hand on (abe5s 4nee, !it5s not o.r /a.lt.- She released a sigh. !$t5s not o.r /a.lt.(abe lay ba14. "he world sp.n aro.nd him li4e an o.t0o/01ontrol am.sement par4 ride.

Casey glan1ed o er her sho.lder at the light emerging on the horizon. !)h, loo48- she gasped, standing .p. (abe sat .p. "here, on the glistening stage o/ dewy grass, the dawn bro4e thro.gh the /og. $t .nleashed an amber tide and bronzed the wispy 1lo.ds abo e. Casey 4i14ed o// her /lip0/lops and s4ipped o.t to the 1enter o/ the p.tting green. (abe wat1hed her twirl as the growing warmth o/ the morning s.n settled onto his s4in. $n per/e1t silen1e, she 1ontin.ed the per/orman1e thro.gh the /.ll .n/.rling o/ morning, dan1ing with total abandon9as m.1h /or hersel/ as /or him. (abe5s adrenaline /inally ebbed and the /atig.e bro4e thro.gh. #e p.t his elbows on his 1rossed legs and his head in his hands, letting his eyelids slowly 1lose to the most bea.ti/.l thing he had e er seen. >rom the stillness and 2.iet, he awo4e to a light to.1h on his /a1e. "he so/test s4in, gliding against his, made its way /rom his right 1hee4bone, a1ross his lips, to his other 1hee4bone, and ba14 again. #e opened his eyes. Casey 4nelt be/ore him, leaning in. (abe /roze, paralyzed by the wa e o/ tingles 1as1ading /rom his s1alp down the ba14 o/ his ne14. She passed her lips a1ross his /a1e on1e more. "his was it9/or so long, he had lo ed her /rom his sti/ling 1o1oon o/ sel/0do.bt, and now it wo.ld /inally happen. "here, on the imma1.late grass, with nothing b.t the gentle s1ents and so.nds o/ September aro.nd them, he wo.ld embra1e her glan1ing to.1h and ignite their passion. !#oly 1rap, yo. g.ys are still here3- +rad bl.rted /rom o.t o/ nowhere. (abe5s eyes st.ttered open. Casey p.lled away. She loo4ed at (abe with astonishment. (abe rea1hed o.t to her. She stood .p. !+rad, what the hell3- she said, br.shing loose blades o/ grass /rom her pants. She win1ed in the /.ll morning s.n. !Where did yo. 1ome /rom3+rad wat1hed (abe /rom the 1orner o/ his eye. !$ was o er in those trees the whole time,he said, gest.ring o er his sho.lder. !$ 6.st had to be alone /or a bit to 1ome down, yo. 4now3(abe glared at him. "he slightest tra1e o/ a smir4 twit1hed on +rad5s mo.th. +rad t.rned to Casey, his e7pression instantly swit1hing to an attempt at solemnity. !$ 4ept thin4ing abo.t what that g.y did. "hin4 he5ll be o43Casey and (abe said nothing. !Well, we5d better get ba14,- +rad said. !We5re in deep eno.gh shit already.Casey sighed. She loo4ed e7ha.sted. !'eah, yo.5re probably right.+rad started wal4ing and she t.rned to /ollow. (abe remained sitting on the grass. !Coming, (abe3- Casey said. !(oing to stay here a little while,- he m.mbled. !S.re3!'eah.(abe wat1hed them 1ross the green together. E ery dozen steps or so, Casey loo4ed ba14 at him. As the two 1rossed the street at the edge o/ the gol/ 1o.rse, (abe saw +rad p.t his arm aro.nd her, la.ghing. As e7pe1ted, the poli1e ret.rned to the ho.se later that morning. :ohn, they told the roommates, had died in the amb.lan1e on the way to the hospital. #is girl/riend had told the 1ops the same thing she had told +rad, that :ohn hadn5t been drin4ing. "he other witnesses had also 1on/irmed he ne er dran4 /rom the 4eg, 6.st seemed to en6oy listening to the band and ser ing beer to others9at least .ntil he !got weird.-

Most o/ the attendees, espe1ially anyone .nderage or in possession o/ illegal dr.gs, had /led by the time the 1ops got there. @nable to do m.1h else, the o//i1ers s1olded the roommates and warned them the poli1e wo.ld be 4eeping a 1lose eye on the ho.se in the /.t.re. Morning sl.mped into the m.r4y hango er o/ an o er1ast a/ternoon. Casey and +rad had disappeared into their rooms. +irdman lay passed o.t on the li ing room 1o.1h, his long legs .p on the arm. A grim 2.iet /illed the ho.se. $t st.n4 o/ spilled beer and /ilth /rom 1o.ntless shoes. (abe stood alone in the li ing room, staring a1antly o.t the window as the rain 1ame down. "hro.gh the open /ront door, he 1o.ld hear the pick, pick, pick o/ the drops hitting the empty plasti1 1.ps s1attered a1ross the lawn. #e is.alized :ohn5s 1lean01.t /a1e slamming into the .n/orgi ing gro.nd, his ne14 snapping in an instant. "he sheer, abr.pt senselessness o/ the tragedy sent a shi er down (abe5s spine. :.st ho.rs earlier, :ohn had been /.ll o/ im and igor, nodding his head to the m.si1 as he ser ed beer to legions o/ partiers in the basement. "he basement. A damp wind blew in thro.gh the ho.se. $t swept past (abe, down the hall, toward the 4it1hen. #e /ollowed it. (abe des1ended the basement steps and went to the 1losed boiler room door. =i4e an ele1tri1 1harge, something in the air seemed to p.ll at the hairs on his arms. #e ne er did 1lean that room. +rad, o/ 1o.rse, wo.ld be in1ensed when he /o.nd o.t. #e wo.ld rant that e eryone else did their part and (abe totally blew o// doing his. And +rad wo.ld be right. So disg.stingly right. "he tho.ght o/ +rad5s /a1e9that snide, 1o14y /a1e9lit a ra eno.s br.sh/ire o/ wrath in (abe. #e /i7ated on the 1orroding, metal door, .nable to 1ontrol his tho.ghts. Morning 1ame. (abe hadn5t slept a single min.te. #e lay in his bed and listened /or Casey and +irdman to lea e /or their early 1lasses. )n1e they were gone, he went downstairs and sat at the 4it1hen table. "here he waited. Some time later, /ootsteps des1ended the stairs. +rad 1ame into the 4it1hen, a ba14pa14 sl.ng o er his sho.lder. *ot noti1ing (abe at /irst, he got a glass /rom the 1.pboard and went to the sin4 to /ill it with water. +rad t.rned aro.nd and 6.mped at the sight o/ (abe brooding in the 1orner. !:es.s, (abe, yo. startled me. What are yo. doing3 ;on5t yo. ha e 1lass3!Can1elled,- (abe replied, still staring down at the table. !@m, o4. 'o. all right3!+rad, g.ess what.!What.(abe loo4ed .p at +rad /or the /irst time. !=ast night $ 1leaned the boiler room.!(ood. Wo.ld ha e been ni1e i/ yo. had done it before the party, b.t whate er.!Want to see it3+rad g.lped down his water and p.t the glass in the sin4. !*ah, $ gotta get to 1lass. &.nning late as it is.!*o, really. 'o. need to see what $ did. $t5s amazing how di//erent it loo4s.!*o, d.de. $5ll see it later. (otta go.(abe /or1ed anger thro.gh his sleepless daze. !=oo4, man, yo. made me 1lean that god/orsa4en hole, the least yo. 1o.ld do is ta4e one measly min.te to see what $ did.+rad gaw4ed at (abe. !)4, /ine. Whate er.-

"hey went downstairs. (abe opened the boiler room door. !$ 1hanged the lightb.lb, b.t $ thin4 there5s a blown /.se. 'o. 1an see what $ did i/ yo. ta4e a 1loser loo4.+rad stepped inside. !;amn, well it s.re doesn5t smell any better.- #e leaned /orward to inspe1t the spa1e behind the /.rna1e. !'o. lying bastard, yo. didn5t 1lean anything8- he snapped. When he t.rned aro.nd, his /a1e br.shed against the rope (abe had le/t dangling /rom the 1eiling pipes. !What9(abe slammed sh.t the metal door. #e too4 a padlo14 /rom his po14et and 2.i14ly se1.red it to the lat1h. !#ey8- +rad yelled, rattling the door. !)pen this goddamn door8 What the hell are yo. doing3(abe 1almly wal4ed .p the basement stairs. #e grabbed his a1o.sti1 g.itar /rom the li ing room on his way to the /ront door. "a4ing a seat on the por1h 1o.1h, he began to play, the sweet melody 1on1ealing +rad5s shrie4s. "he rain intensi/ied into a downpo.r. An older man 1arrying an .mbrella wal4ed by. (abe played lo.der. !*i1e weather we5re ha ing, h.h3- (abe 6o4ed o er his str.mming. "he man ga e him a polite smile and wal4ed on. ) er time, +rad5s s1reams wore down into sporadi1 sho.ts. "he sho.ts be1ame tormented sobs. S.ddenly, the weeping 1eased. (abe stopped playing his g.itar. #e listened 1are/.lly /or any tra1e o/ h.man so.nd, hearing only the steady babble o/ the rain. #e lo ed a ni1e, early0a.t.mn storm, the way it washed away all the dirt and debris and le/t the air smelling earthy and ali e. #e 1he14ed his wat1h. $t was 3BC2 p.m., abo.t 1D min.tes be/ore Casey .s.ally got home on Mondays. "he rain began to s.bside, and as the s.n pee4ed thro.gh the brea4ing 1lo.ds, (abe went ba14 inside to ta4e his padlo14 o// the boiler room door.