Dead Beginnings | Vol. 3, page 1
part #3 of Dead Beginnings Series
Dead Beginnings
Volume 3
Text Copyright © 2021 by Alex Apostol
Cover Design Copyright © 2021 Alex Apostol
writeralexapostol.com
Cover Image Copyright © 2015 IStock by Getty Images www.istockphoto.com
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means- electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other- except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of Alex Apostol.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental
For my tough as nails daughter, Charlotte
I
It was the bottom of the seventh. The Trojans were down by one run. Luckily, Olivia Darling was next up to bat. Not a single girl on the softball team worried when they saw her dig her heels into the sand and dirt. They all knew they were about to win.
Olivia stepped up to the plate, her bat gripped tightly in her gloved hands. She swirled it through the air, anticipating the swing that would send the ball soaring over the fence. The bat had been her mother’s from when she played high school softball back in the seventies. Olivia only pulled it out for important games, like this one.
The ball of her foot ground slowly, deliberately into the sand and clay. It was as if time had slowed to a crawl, but Olivia didn’t mind. She wanted to remember each second of it. She didn’t want to miss a single cue, a single subtle nod of the head from the pitcher or twitch of the eye that might give something away. Mistakes could not be afforded in this game. She had to get a home run. They had to win.
Scouts from multiple Indiana colleges were watching; Ball State, Purdue, St. Mary’s, and a few Olivia had never even heard of came just to see her. Beads of sweat popped out from her hairline. She took a deep breath in through her nose and released it slowly from between her lips. Fear was not allowed. Only strength and determination.
On instinct her eyes wanted to shift to the stands to see if her dad had shown up like he said he might, or if her mom was even paying attention. Before she even sat down she said she might have to leave early if she got called into work, which was almost always the case during a game. Before she could scan the crowd, though, she stopped herself. No distractions. Focus. Concentrate.
The pitcher threw the ball under hand at top speed, whipping it across home plate at perfect level. Olivia put all her force into her narrow hips as she swung, her long brown ponytail whipping round like a lasso. With an echoing crack the bat made contact and sent the ball rocketing up and through the air.
Olivia didn’t have to wait and watch. She knew it was out of the park before it ever cleared the fence. With the biggest smile on her blushed lips she jogged around the plates, her two teammates ahead crossing the home plate and cheering her on as she approached.
Olivia slammed into them as they threw their arms around her, jumping up and down.
“You did it!” Maddie shouted, her blonde curls bouncing against her back.
“We did it!” Olivia corrected her best friend.
She was pulled this way and that by her teammates in the midst of all the excitement. This was it. They had won the second to last game of the season. Better late than never was the only bitterness she allowed herself. With the new strand of flu on the loose, knocking people down left and right before the country ever knew what hit it, it was a wonder the game ever happened, it got delayed so many times. But it did and Olivia was the star.
After a few minutes the excitement tapered. The Trojans shook hands with the Vikings in good sport and headed out. Olivia, Maddie, and Jennifer walked together to Maddie’s mom’s van as they always did after a game. Olivia didn’t even bother looking for her mother to ride with her. She knew she was gone before her bat ever made contact with the ball on that last one. Typical, she thought and then pushed her anger aside. It was too great a moment to be marred by her mother’s indifference.
In hushed tones, Jennifer leaned into the two girls. “We’re having a celebratory Dune’s sledding night down Devil’s Slide. You in?” The question was meant for both Olivia and Maddie but her eyes glared intently at Olivia.
Olivia thought for a moment as she walked, her duffel bag of equipment slung over her shoulder. Did she dare ask her mom permission? The last time she asked her to go out and do something fun in the middle of the night she was turned down quicker than she could get the words out. Why, she still had no idea. It was like her mom enjoyed ruining her fun and telling her no when there was absolutely no reason to.
“I can try. I mean, I’ll probably have to sneak out, but sure.”
Jennifer’s blue eyes lit up, crinkling in the corners from her smile. “And will you be inviting that boyfriend of yours, too?” she ask, conspiratorially.
Olivia narrowed her brown eyes and furrowed her thick brow. “Maybe…” she answered slowly. “Why?”
Jennifer and Maddie giggled together.
Maddie’s cheeks blushed when Jennifer didn’t say anything. “We were thinking maybe you could ask him to invite some of his karate friends along.”
“Ohhh,” Olivia threw her head back in amusement as she exclaimed. “I see. Use me for my hookups.” But really it came as no surprise to her. Jennifer and Maddie had been hinting at wanting to meet Axel’s friends for the entire three months she’d been seeing him.
“No, it’s just that—” Maddie started to say in her defense, not wanting her friend to feel used, but Olivia cut her off with a raise of her bronzed hand.
“Maddie, it’s fine. I’m kidding. Of course I’ll ask him. It’ll be fun. I need to get out anyway.”
“And celebrate!” Jennifer shouted with her fist raised in the air. This elicited cheers from random fan goers and teammates alike in the parking lot.
“It’s so cool that you’re dating an older guy. I wish I could find an older guy. The ones our age are so immature,” Jennifer complained as they climbed into the van, without a care for her mom overhearing from the driver’s seat.
Jennifer’s mom was the type of mom that did anything to make her daughter happy. If her daughter wanted a new shirt, poof there it was the next day. If she wanted to stay out until one in the morning hanging out with whatever new boy she was dating, no problem. She wouldn’t even call to check on her. So, of course, she had nothing to say about her sixteen-year-old daughter’s wish to date older men.
“We’re gonna have such a wild time tonight!” she squealed as the van lurched into motion.
They talked, laughed, and conspired how to get Olivia out of the house the whole way home.
II.
That night, Olivia waited until her mom went back to work for her second shift at the diner before she made any kind of move. She was always the one to contend with if Olivia wanted to do anything outside the home. Her dad had no problem letting her run wild in the streets so long as she didn’t disturb him napping on her way out.
“I want you to unload the clean dishes from the dishwasher and put the dirty ones in,” Miriam said quickly as she rushed to collect her keys and purse and put her shoes on.
“Can’t I just do it in the morning? I kind of just want to relax tonight.”
“I would love to relax, Liv,” her mother said, irritated. “But not only do I have to try to keep up with cleaning up after you and your father, I also have to work sixteen hours at the diner because Stephanie decided to call off again at the last minute and—”
“OK, OK,” Olivia cut her off. “I’ll do it. No problem.”
“Thank you.” Her mother said it but there was no sincerity behind it. She was irritated, again. Olivia often wondered how someone could go through life always on edge like her mother did, always bitter and in a bad mood. It just didn’t seem worth it. She almost said something but Miriam shut the door before Olivia could formulate what to say.
She stood there staring at the closed door for a moment. Even though her mother got under her skin and seemed to want to keep her from doing anything fun, a part of Olivia missed her and wished she didn’t have to go to work so much. Maybe if they had time to let loose and do something fun together without being rushed to go to work or get chores done around the house they would actually enjoy their time together instead of arguing. But Olivia shrugged off the thought. There was no point in wishing for things that would never come true. Her mother would always be rushed and stressed, at home and at work and everywhere else life took her. That was just her nature. And Olivia was tired of being disappointed in hoping it could ever be any different. She turned from the door and went to her room.
Sneaking out wasn’t as hard as it should have been. Even though it was only eight at night her dad was already passed out snoring in his recliner in front of the TV. An old episode of MASH was on, providing soft background noises that prevented him from being woken up by the clicking of Olivia closing the door as she left. She exhaled a little huff of laughter over how easy that was. It was less like sneaking out and more just like leaving, like any other teenage girl who wanted to go out at eight at night would. She stood out on the porch and took a deep breath in through her nose and let it out through her lips.
If it was so easy then why was she disappointed? It wasn’t like she wanted to get caught or be in trouble with her parents. But then again sh
Like a shot, she took off jogging down the sidewalk to a parked car sitting down the road with its lights off. She opened the door, cringing at the echoing creak it made. She shut the door with a slam and turned to the driver smiling.
“Took you long enough,” Axel said, though she could tell he was teasing her and not upset.
“Like you care. You’re not even looking forward to going,” she responded as she leaned over the center console to give him a quick kiss on his soft lips.
As she was about to pull away he reached up to cradle her chin gently between his thumb and forefinger, brushing his lips against her one more time. “This is true, but I am happy to see you.”
She stared into his beautiful blue eyes that matched his tall black-to-blue Mohawk and was lost in them for just a moment. Across his nose was a splash of faded freckles that made her chest fill with warmth. Realizing she was getting lost, she leaned back and laughed. “Cheeseball. Let’s get going. I don’t want to hear Jennifer complaining that we’re late.”
“Aye Aye, Cap’n,” he said with a playful wink and a smile that could have charmed the coldest heart.
Olivia’s house was a short drive from the Dunes State Park. Maddie and Jennifer both lived only a few houses down from her, but neither wanted Axel to pick them up since they were going to try to get ahold of Jennifer’s older cousin to see if he would buy them booze. Every time she asked he always said no, but she never lost hope. She was one determined girl.
Since it was dark and the park was closed, Axel drove along a winding side road that led to a beach with no guarded gate to pay at. He parked his 1992 Accord in the driveway of a large beachfront home and turned off the engine.
Olivia turned to him, her face pinched together in confusion. “We can’t park here. This is someone’s house! What if they call the cops?”
Axel laughed and then pointed out his window. “Look. All the lights are off. The grass is overgrown. The gravel hasn’t been driven on in a long time before I pulled up. This is someone’s summer home and they haven’t come back this year yet”
Olivia huffed out her nose and rolled her eyes, ready to argue. “And what if they come back tonight, smart guy?”
“I’m guessing these are Illinois folk, and they are on a way stricter lockdown than we are with this whole crazy new flu thing. They’re not coming. It’s June. They would have come already.”
“Whatever. It’s your car that’s getting towed.”
Axel rolled his eyes but playfully in a way that said he loved the spark inside his girlfriend about as loud as eyes could speak.
The two stepped outside and shut their doors quietly. Olivia took a cleansing breath, though it wasn’t as refreshing as breathing in the salty air of the ocean. It was hotter than she expected with very little breeze and there was the faint smell of expired fish that clung to the moisture in the air. She took off her lightweight zip up hoodie and tied it around her waist.
“Good idea,” Axel said, following suit. He tossed his on the hood of his car without a care.
Olivia took a sidelong glance at him, admiring the tattoos that peeked out from underneath his black tank top. Already she had run her hands over his bare skin, tracing their outlines a dozen times; the two kamas, sharpened like the scythe of the grim reaper, crossed over his left breast, guarding his heart. The ninja star on his right wrist. The words Is e glòir duais luach across his upper back. He had told her the last was his family’s motto in Gaelic; glory is the reward of valor. He took those words very seriously. As her eyes lingered a thrill crept through her body. Axel was oblivious as he stretched his toned arms high over his head and let out a deep sigh.
“We should get moving. I bet they’re already there. Jennifer was pretty excited. You told your friends, right?” Olivia started down the driveway and then down the road without looking to see if her boyfriend was following her; she knew he was.
“Yeah, I told them. They said they were going to make a stop at a party first so who knows when they’ll actually get here, but they said they were coming.”
“So, there’s like a fifty-fifty chance they’re coming then,” she jested.
He laughed and slipped his hand into hers, interlocking their fingers. “Right.” Under his other arm he had a round metal sled tucked tight. “Somehow I knew when you invited me to go sand sledding you wouldn’t actually bring a sled. We can share this one if you want.”
She shoved her shoulder into his playfully. “Kinda hard to sneak out of your house with a giant sled.”
They reached the beach and both slipped off their tongs to carry them in their hands. The sand felt cool on Olivia’s feet as she wiggled her toes back and forth. The rest of their walk was spent in comfortable silence, staring at the black water lapping at the shoreline in hushed white noise. Olivia felt her soul was at peace in that moment, that there was nothing immediate she wanted or needed, that she was exactly where she was meant to be with who she was meant to be with. She’d never felt that before.
Quickly, she let go of Axel’s hand as she pretended to drop her sandals. He bent down at the same time to get them for her but she was quicker.
“Race you!” she shouted and took off into the dark.
It was a tie when they both reached the Devil’s Slide by the main parking lot of the park. Axel interlocked his fingers behind his head, trying to catch his breath.
“You are quick, girl,” he huffed.
Olivia chuckled, invigorated. “Too quick for you.”
Just then, Jennifer and Maddie walked up. Jennifer had her arms folded over her chest while Maddie carried both their sleds. Olivia thought about asking what was wrong but she already knew; she was disappointed about not getting the booze.
“Well, it’s going to be another lame night in Northwest Indiana,” she said with a sigh, but then her eyes landed on Axel and her spirits lifted visibly. Her eyes sparkled and she stood a little straighter, her arms unfolding so her fingers could writhe together in excitement. “Hi, Axel,” she said in a breathy girlish voice as the blood rushed to her cheeks.
Olivia rolled her eyes. It was pathetic is what it was. Axel was her boyfriend. She was standing right there. And yet there was her supposed friend Jennifer gawking at him like a schoolgirl. But then Olivia softened and smiled. Could she really blame Jennifer? He was gorgeous.
“Convince any of your friends to come out tonight?” Her voice came out in anticipatory squeaks.
Axel cocked his head and stared directly into Jennifer’s eyes, knowing it made her not only excited but uncomfortable. “They’ll be here. They just had to make a quick stop at a party first.” he said coolly.
She giggled nervously. “Oh, good!”
Axel had a reputation in their small town that even the kids years apart from him in school knew. He was a black belt in karate, lean and mean looking when he wanted to be, and not especially chatty. Rumors flew about how bad he was and all the outlandish things he’d done, all of which weren’t true but he never once spoke up against them. When Olivia asked him about it he said he didn’t care what people thought. He said there was no point in arguing with ignorant people because he knew exactly who he was.
Before a moment of silence could fall between the friends Maddie stood up straight and spoke up with assurance. “So, Axel, tell me, why did you graduate so late? Were you held back?”
“Maddie!” Olivia hissed at her best friend, nudging her with her shoulder for good measure.
“What?” her friend barked back with a shrug. “I want to know.”
Axel shoved his hands into the pockets of his black athletic pants and looked at the ground just a second longer than he should have. He sniffed abruptly and shook his head. “No, it’s OK,” he assured Olivia, knowing she was only trying to protect him because she knew the truth of his history, one he didn’t tell often. “When I was three I was diagnosed with cancer, lymphoma. I went through a lot of treatment for the next two years and wasn’t able to start school like everyone else. Nothing nefarious.”
