Tommy kicked a hardened lump of mud as he walked along the trail through the woods. It broke into tiny pieces and flew in all different directions. He didn’t pay any attention to this and continued to walk, kicking a discarded Coke can instead. His head stayed drooped between his shoulders and his eyes stayed fixed on the ground, although his focus was elsewhere. His thoughts were still in school. How could one day have gotten so bad so quickly?
***
He’d been having a good day. Tommy and his friend, Alex, had been planning their weekend. Alex was to come to Tommy’s house, and then it would be a night of Pepsi, pizza and Splatterhouse on the NES. Tommy did have a PS4, but he wasn’t the biggest fan of modern games, they were all graphics and no content. He had a love for retro gaming, a love that Alex shared. Friday night NES gaming at Tommy’s house had become a regular thing. If they were able to convince their parents enough to let them, then they’d make it last the whole weekend. This weekend was supposed to be one of those times. Alex had gotten permission to stay over and Tommy’s mother had informed him that she was fine with it, as long as they looked after themselves. She didn’t want to have to worry about cooking for them as she had her own plans.
At fifteen, this was no big deal. Tommy could cook—well, pizza at least. And they had more than enough cereal, so they’d live on pizza, cereal and snacks for the weekend. It sounded like heaven.
Over recent weekends they’d worked their way through quite a lot of the classic titles: Super Mario Bros, the Legend of Zelda, Mega Man, Castlevania, the list went on and on. The joy that those pixelated games gave those boys was unmatched by anything else. They’d never been great with girls, so they chose to ignore that quest for now, perhaps give it another shot when they reached college. Right now, games were the answer.
Alex had never heard of Splatterhouse. Tommy couldn’t believe it. How could someone who loved games as much as Alex not know about that game? Tommy got far too excited while explaining the basics of the game.
“You look like Jason, right?” he said as he climbed onto the bench in the school yard. “And you get different weapons. It could be a machete, or a plank of wood, or an axe and then you . . . ”
And that’s when it happened. It was at that moment that Tommy’s day took a drastic change in course. Tommy was demonstrating the game action to Alex. He stood on the bench and cupped his hands together, as though he were holding a baseball bat or something like that. In his excitement, he swung his clubbed hands and took a spin anti-clockwise. He hadn’t seen anyone coming in his direction. He didn’t know there was anyone there at all, until his double fist connected with the nose of Zak Marlow.
Zak was a monster of a boy. Still only fifteen, he towered over Tommy, Alex, and every other boy at the school. In fact, the only person who was taller than him was Mr. Davies, the P.E. teacher. Zak was around six foot five, and weighed the equivalent of a rugby team. At least that’s the joke that was told when he wasn’t around to hear it. No one would dare say anything like that to his face, or else they’d be facing severe repercussions. Repercussions that Tommy was about to face himself.
Zak’s face was an explosion of red. Tommy looked down at his hands in a daze. They matched the color of Zak’s face. Tommy stood slack-jawed and in shock, his eyes flitting back and forth between the two red patches. Blood continued to pour from the giant kid’s nose. He cupped his hands over his face in a failed attempt to catch the bleeding. It just trickled through his fingers and dripped to the floor. His eyes widened with rage and he glared at Tommy.
“I’m going to fucking kill you.” It came out muffled.
“Z-Z-Zak, I-I-I . . . ” Tommy stuttered.
“You are dead.” Zak stormed off towards the bathroom to clean himself up.
Tommy looked to his friend, his eyes almost filled with tears from the dread which bubbled inside him. His knees were shaking. He struggled to climb down from the bench and then sat, putting his head in his hands.
“Dude, why did you do that?” Alex asked.
“I didn’t fucking mean it!” Tommy screamed. “He’s going to kill me.”
“It’ll be okay, man. I mean, at least it’s Friday. He’s got the weekend to cool down.”
“Are you kidding me? It’s Zak fucking Marlow. He doesn’t cool down.” The tears were now running down Tommy’s cheeks. He had given up trying to fight them back.
“Dude, don’t let everyone see you cry.” Alex’s eyes darted around hoping that no one could see. “Don’t make it worse.”
“I don’t see how it could get worse.” Tommy wiped his tears away.
“I’ll meet you at yours later, okay?”
“You’re not walking home with me now?”
“Erm, no.” Alex bit his lip. “I need to go to my house to grab some things first. I’ll see you there.”
“Thanks, friend,” Tommy spat.
***
He continued to kick the can along the mud trail through the woods. He just hoped that Alex was right. They could enjoy the weekend and fingers crossed by Monday, Zak would be over it, or at least calm enough for Tommy to explain it was an accident. No one in their right mind would take that guy on.
Tommy’s gaze remained on the can as it rolled along the floor. He hadn’t even noticed Zak waiting for him at the clearing on the edge of the woods. He hadn’t seen the sinister smile that Zak wore, or the thick branch he held in his hand.
The can made a clank and rattled as it rolled along the ground, the bits of mud and stone inside jumping around and clattering on the tinny sides. Tommy kicked the can again, watching it roll along the dirt path until it came to a stop against a large black Dr. Martens boot. Tommy’s eyes slowly began to rise from the boot, up along the blue denim jeans, past the faded Metallica print T-shirt, until he reached Zak’s face. His nose was bright purple and still had specks of dried blood scattered around it. His smile grew until teeth showed, transforming it into a snarl.
“Hey there, tough guy.”
“Zak, I swear I didn’t mean to hit you,” Tommy begged.
“Well, you did.” Zak swung the branch from one hand to the other.
“I . . . ” Tommy faltered. “Please, Zak.”
“Shut the fuck up, you little shit. Come here and get what’s coming to you.”
Tommy turned on his heels and started running. Zak knew that he couldn’t catch him, speed had never been his forte. Instead, he planted his feet and launched the heavy branch as hard as he could. It flew through the air, turning top over bottom, until it made impact with Tommy’s back, causing him to fall to the floor. The impact was so hard that Tommy actually flew forward a little bit, like a scene from an action movie when one of the guys gets shot in the back. His arms and legs spread like a starfish, his back goes in and his chest goes out, his face holding a grimace as he flies through the air. If someone had taken a picture of Tommy when he reacted to the impact of that branch, he would’ve been suitable for a movie poster. Tommy: Death in the Woods.
He landed on the floor with a thud, his face connecting with the dirt. Mud and dust rushed into his mouth. He lay on the floor for a moment, feeling where his cheek had grazed the hardened, soil path. He spat sand from his mouth and tried to get back to his feet. He pushed himself up, realizing at that moment, he must’ve cut his hands as well, because they were stinging when he pressed them into the dirt.
Before he was able to get to his feet, a boot connected with his back and pushed him down to the floor.
“Where’d you think you’re going?”
Tommy rolled to his back and faced the looming threat above him.
“Not nice being hit, is it?” Zak smirked.
“It was an accident,” Tommy screamed, his voice breaking with fear.
“Woah, why are you shouting?” Zak looked around. “There’s no one who can hear you here.”
“Leave me alone.”
“Fuck you.”
Zak raised his boot and attempted to stomp on Tommy’s stomach. Tommy raised his knees and managed to block it, but the impact on his legs still hurt badly. The block made Zak lose his balance. He didn’t fall, but he did teeter to one side, giving just enough time for Tommy to get to his feet.
Tommy turned and ran off the path and into the trees. Zak started his pursuit, but Tommy was much quicker than him. Both boys knew that.
“You know you’re gonna get it eventually, Tommy. So you may as well quit now,” Zak panted.
Tommy turned to look at the giant who bounded behind him. Zak’s face had turned crimson, Tommy didn’t know if that was due to his anger or his lack of fitness. Regardless, he wasn’t going to wait and find out. He pushed his legs harder, harder than he’d ever pushed before and somehow drove himself to increase his speed. He managed to see a glimpse of the dark brown trunk as he turned around—just a quick flash of bark before his face and chest felt the impact of it.
Feeling dizzy from the blow to the head and unable to breathe properly due to being winded, Tommy stumbled backward. His arms reached out in front of him, trying to grab something, trying to grab anything, but there was nothing there. He fell and landed on his back. Luckily the ground had been smothered by leaves from the trees and it managed to cushion his fall just a little bit. He didn’t notice the sharp, jagged rock right next to his head. He had no idea how lucky he’d been not to land on that.
As Tommy’s vision began to clear, a large shadow loomed over him.
“I hope that fucking hurt,” Zak laughed.
The shadow slowly transformed into the image of Tommy’s fearless predator. Zak sat atop the smaller boy, hammering his large fist into the nose of his prey.
Tommy’s head bounced off the floor beneath him. He tried to fight back, but he was too weak. It was like Zak couldn’t even feel his punches. He tried to roll away, but his attacker was too large, Tommy was pinned. He wasn’t going anywhere.
Another fist connected with his face. He heard something crack. Possibly his jaw, he didn’t know, but he was pretty sure that something had just broken. Tommy lay on the floor and wailed in pain. He thrashed from side to side, trying to get free, but it didn’t do a thing. If anything it seemed to make Zak’s hold on him even stronger.
“Help.” Tommy screamed a horrific, howling scream.
“Shut the fuck up.” Zak slammed his knuckles into Tommy’s cheek.
“Please. He’s going to kill me.” His were the guttural cries of a trapped animal.
Zak punched again and Tommy’s head felt as if it were filling with air. His vision pixelated. It wouldn’t be long until he passed out. He flung his arms around, trying to find some way to get out of the death hold the giant teenager had on him.
His hand touched something cold and hard. It was a rock. Tommy wrapped his fingers around it and then with the last bit of strength he had left in him, he swung his arm around and walloped the rock into the side of his attackers head.
A blanket of confusion covered Zak’s face. His eyes widened with shock. Slowly, he slumped to the side like an unbalanced rucksack. Tommy rolled out from underneath him and managed to climb to his feet.
“Fuck you!” Tommy screamed.
Zak lay on the floor. He didn’t respond. His eyes still held the shocked expression, not looking at anything, staring straight ahead. Suddenly the large body began to shake and convulse. Red, foamy liquid began to bubble and erupt from his lips.
“What are you doing?” Tommy cried.
Zak continued to jerk on the floor.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
Suddenly the shaking stopped. It was then Tommy noticed the growing red circle on the side of Zak’s head. It continued to widen as he watched. He looked to the rock he still clenched tight in his hand. The sharp, jagged edge was covered in blood. A droplet fell from the tip, Tommy’s eyes watched as it fell to the ground, everything slowing down. That tiny red blob slowly dropped lower until it eventually landed on one of the brown leaves below. The splash was miniscule, but the impact was infinite.
“Oh shit.” The weapon fell from his hand and Tommy lowered to the floor and knelt next to Zak.
“Wake up.” His eyes began to leak tears. “Wake up. I can’t be a murderer.”
Zak answered him with nothing but the stare of dead eyes.
“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.”
Tommy circled the spot as if looking for some kind of answer to his problem. He faced the body again.
“Shit!” His voice filled the woods.
With nothing else left inside him but panic, he ran home.
***
When Tommy arrived home his mother was in the kitchen. He scurried up the stairs quickly taking them two at a time and rushed straight into the bathroom, slamming and locking the door behind him. He climbed into the tub and took a shower in a panicked attempt to scrub this nightmare away.
The water was hot, which stung his face, but soothed his body. After attempting to scald the experience away, he inspected his wounds in the mirror. Already he had signs of two black eyes coming through. His mouth was split and bloodied, his cheek swollen so much on one side that it looked like he had a golf ball embedded underneath the skin.
He knew he should really go to the hospital, as he felt pretty sure his cheekbone was broken. That would’ve been what the cracking sound was before. Luckily, he was still able to open and shut his mouth without too much pain, so he felt sure his jaw wasn’t broken. Although he was such a mess that it wouldn’t surprise him. He was surprised he was still alive at all, not like Zak. Oh God, Zak.
Tears began to stream down his bruised and swollen cheeks. His lip quivered and his body shook as he tried his best to not give an audible cry. He ran the tap from the faucet, repeatedly throwing water onto his face, as though it would somehow make him feel better, and wash those memories away.
“Tommy, is that you?” his mother called from downstairs.
“Hey. I just took a quick shower and getting ready to head down to the basement. Alex is due over soon.”
“Okay, and have you organized dinner like we discussed?”
“Yeah, we’re ordering pizza.” He shouted from the bathroom.
“Okay then. Well I’m going out for a bit. Keep the place tidy, please.”
“Will do. Bye.”
“Love you, bye.” His mother left and shut the front door behind her.
He didn’t reply. For the first time ever when his mother had told him that she loved him, he didn’t say it back. He couldn’t, feeling that when she discovered what he’d done, she wouldn’t even want to know him anymore, let alone love him. He had destroyed his life, and hers. He had killed someone. Self-defense, sure you could argue that, but who would believe it, really? Even if found innocent, there would always be that doubt in the back of people’s mind. No one would look at him in the same way again. He dropped to the floor and curled into a fetal position on the cold bathroom tiles where he lay, hugging himself, crying.
Eventually, when the tears dried up, he put on some fresh clothes and stashed his torn and dirty clothes in the back of his wardrobe. He then went down to the basement and turned on the NES, holding a vain hope it would somehow distract him from the situation.
After around half an hour of attempted play, Tommy’s phone buzzed and made a ping sound. He looked at the display. A text from Alex.
I’M HERE. OPEN THE DOOR, DUDE.
Tommy sighed, placed the controller on the couch and slowly rose to his feet. Everything in his body hurt. His knees felt like they would snap if he tried to bend them any further. Gradually, he made his way to the front door. When he answered with his back arched over, he resembled an old man.
“Holy shit,” Alex’s mouth gaped open. “What happened to your face?”
“Don’t ask.” Tommy left the door open and walked away.
Alex followed his friend into the house and downstairs to the basement. He just stared as Tommy struggled to get down to the couch.
“Seriously, you get hit by a car or something?”
“Yeah, a 2001 Zak Marlow.” Tommy smiled with cracked, bloody lips.
“Shit. Zak did that to you?”
“Yep. That’s not the worst of it though.” Tommy could feel his eyes filling again.
“How could it be worse?” Alex leaned down now, inspecting his friend’s face like it were a puzzle box or something. Tommy flinched away when Alex attempted to poke his swollen cheek. “What did your mum say?”
“She hasn’t seen me yet.”
“So how could it be worse? You look lucky to be alive if I’m being honest.”
“I killed him,” Tommy said, bursting into tears.
What he said next was unintelligible. Alex didn’t say anything and simply stared as Tommy broke down before him. After a while, not knowing what else to do, he wrapped his arms around his friend and held him in a hug.
“It’ll be okay, dude. We’ll sort this,” Alex whispered.
“Huh, how?”
“You’re not fucking with me, right?”
“Are you serious?” Tommy screamed. “Do I look like I’m fucking making this up?”
“Okay, okay. Calm down.” Alex stood up and paced back and forth in front of the TV. “Listen, Zak was a dick. Everyone knows that. It was self-defense, right?”
“Right. I thought he was gonna kill me.”
“Right, and let’s be honest. This guy has had it coming for years.”
“Are you fucking serious?”
“Just hear me out.”
“Alex, I killed him. I fucking killed him,” Tommy bawled. “I don’t want to go to jail.”
“Okay first thing we’ll do. We gotta hide that body.”
“What?”
“Stay with me. Next thing. You’re not gonna like it. We’re gonna steal my dad’s car and crash it. That’ll explain your wounds.”
“You’re joking, right? Who the hell will believe that?” Tommy almost laughed for a split second, until he started blubbering again.
“Why would anyone question it? Two stupid kids go on a joy ride?”
“And why do only I have injuries?”
“Hey, I’m gonna be in the car when it crashes.” Alex smiled. “I’ll probably get something too, might even get off school for a bit.”
“You’re fucking crazy.”
“You already knew that, dude. First things first. Put your shoes on. We need to sort out this body.”
“Okay, enough fun and games, Alex.”
“I’m fucking serious, Tommy,” Alex screamed. “You wanna go to prison? You’re young, and small. You wanna be someone’s bitch?”
“Alex, I . . . ”
“Put your fucking shoes on.”
***
The walk to the woods took a lot longer than usual. Tommy struggled to keep pace, every step sending excruciating pain through his body. Alex had to help him along the way. It was dusk when they finally reached the tree line. As they walked farther into the woods, the blanket above from the trees started to block out what little light was left. Alex turned on the flashlight app on his phone and used that to guide them.
“Okay which way?” Alex asked.
“Just over there.” Tommy pointed. “It wasn’t far from the path. I was running and hit a tree and that’s when he. . .”
“It’s okay.” Alex stopped his friend. He didn't want to start crying again. “Come on.”
They crept along through the fluffy pile of leaves, invading the woods with a rustling sound as the debris moved around their feet. Alex flashed the light from right to left, the beam catching something.
“There,” Tommy said.
“What?”
“That’s the rock.”
Alex shined the light at the sharp-looking rock. About two inches on the end of the rock looked darker, but it wasn’t very clear in this light.
“Oh shit,” Alex gasped.
“I know,” Tommy blubbered.
“Okay so where is he?”
“Huh?”
“Where is he?” Alex pointed the light at his friend.
“He should be here.” Tommy looked dazed. He turned on the spot, looking for the body.
“Where is he, Tommy? Are you sure he was dead?”
“Yes I’m sure he’s dead!” Tommy screamed. “I watched him fucking die.”
“Where the hell is he then?”
“I don’t know. I left the rock right next to . . . ”
Tommy’s phone started to ring in his pocket. He retrieved it and looked at the display.
MUM
He pressed the green “answer” button and put the phone to his ear.
“Tommy?” she asked.
“Hey,” he replied, trying to sound like he hadn’t been crying.
“Where are you?”
“Um. Me and Alex have gone for a walk. I thought you were out.”
“Well I was. I just got back and one of your friends is here waiting for you.”
“Huh?” Tommy gestured to Alex that he had no idea what she was talking about. “Who is it?”
“What’s your name, dear,” he heard his mother asking on the other end of the line.
“Mum?”
“Zak,” she said. “Zak is here waiting for you.”