The Crossing Moon

 

          The pink sky lied stretched out in the damp Carolina evening. Dewey stood on his dirt road awaiting his cousin Elli’s arrival with his head tilted looking up at the summer masterpiece that stood before him. Such a big sky over such a small town.

“Hey, Dew.” Elli was coming from next door. For the entirety of their lives they had lived approximately forty feet away from each other. Elli, short for Elizabeth, was just over a year older than Dewey, and she had always lived the role of big sister. This made sense because Elli’s father was the older brother of Dewey’s mother.

“Hey, you ready?” Dewey asked.

“I don’t know, Dew. This seems kind of silly. School starts tomorrow. Maybe we just go home and worry about getting a good night’s sleep.”

“I should have known you would back out.”

“I’m not backing out. I’m just making a suggestion, that’s all. Come on-lets go see this ghost truck of yours.”

“I never said it was a ghost truck. I just said that every night it starts up at the same time and runs for the same amount of time before it cuts off for no reason.” The truck belonged to their reclusive neighbor that had moved in beside Dewey’s house the summer before. It stayed parked under a shed in the back yard and no one had seen it move since it had arrived. But, Dewey was convinced that every night at around nine thirty the truck would crank itself up and run in place for about five minutes and then shut off.

“I just don’t think it’s a good idea getting so close to his house. The guy’s strange. He’s been here for over a year and we don’t even know his name.” Elli said. She peered down the dirt road with a vague look on her face.

“We don’t have to get too close. I just want to get close enough to see if anyone is in the truck when it turns on.” Dewey said.

“All right then. Let’s go.”

          They walked down to the old brick house that stood in a yard of tall grass with black, sun-faded shutters hanging crookedly from beside each window. They sat on the other side of the dirt road behind some thick bushes and attempted to shield their presence from their odd neighbor.

           The sky had turned from pink to a smoke grey color. The night would be in full dark at about nine o clock.

“Are you ready for school?” Elli asked. Over the past year she had grown into one of the most popular girls in school. Dewey knew that the fact that she was now a very beautiful and buxom blonde, whereas a few short years ago she was a skinny tomboy had something to do with it. Still there wasn’t a lot of change in the relationship between the two, but with new friends, new boyfriends, and girlfriends all on the horizon Dewey knew it would only be a matter of time.

“As ready as I’m going to be I guess.”

“You know, Dew, I think you would enjoy school a lot more if you tried a little harder. You’re so smart. I wish you used it to your advantage a little more.”

“I hate school. It just isn’t in me to enjoy it. I’ve always hated it and I will until I’m done with it.”

“With that attitude you will,” Elli said. She hung her head in frustration.

Dewey put his hand on her shoulder as if to console her. “It’s a hatred that’s bigger than the both of us. Nothing can be done.” He smiled and she began to laugh as well.

          They sat and talked about things that seemed much more important then than they would only a little while later. The night had filled the desolate dirt road with a black darkness that had gone unnoticed by them. Thin clouds swept across the face of the bright full moon threatening rain. The same clouds filled with small bursts of light as if they were hiding the secret of lightning.

“So, is Herb still in the picture?” Dewey asked.

“Yeah. I think I may go out with him. He seems like a nice enough guy.” Herb was the latest in a long line of callers that were vying for a date with Elli. He was about two years older and Dewey had not really been able to force himself to like him.

“That guy just---” he started

“I know. He rubs you the wrong way. Just give him a chance. You may like him if you try.”

Dewey gave no reply. “Will you do it for me?” Elli asked with a doe eyed look.

“If that’s what you want.” he said at last.

          Elli looked at her watch. “What time is it?” Dewey asked. She tilted her arm to where he could see it. As he squinted he saw that it was nine twenty-five. He then stood up hunching over and creeping a little closer to the house.

“What are you doing? Elli asked.

“Shhh. I’m just making sure that I have a good view of the truck,” he whispered.

“Dew, you’re almost in his yard,” she said, following on his heels.

          All of a sudden the porch light of the house turned on and a slim silhouette walked from the squealing screen door with a flashlight in hand. “What are you kids doing here?” the dark shape yelled flashing the light into the eyes of the two trespassers. “You’d better get out of my yard!”

          Dewey turned to run only to feel Elli’s hand on his shoulder pulling him to catch up with her. They crossed over the dirt road and ran with the dust chasing their each step under the guidance of the bright moon. In mere seconds they were standing in Dewey’s yard. They ducked behind the large pump house that stood at the corner of yard and looked over across the field at their neighbor’s house.

          For a few seconds they saw the thin beam of his flashlight scanning the dirt road and the knee high grass on his property. Then as the light continued to scan the road Elli heard it. She grabbed Dewey’s arm and in a stunned silence pointed to the shed in the back yard.

          The lights of the old truck were not on but the sound of the engine running was unmistakable. Dewey looked again at the front yard and at the back where the truck was. The man was in the front yard, but the truck was still somehow going. The big old truck rocked on its worn shocks as it revved louder. Then, in an instant it shut off.

          They sat in silence behind the pump house until they saw the thin beam of light go out and heard the slam of the screen door echo across the field. They both turned and took deep breaths of relief. Then they looked at each other and laughed. It was a laugh that needed no explanation between the two.

“Well, it looks like you were right. I guess we do have a ghost truck in our neighborhood.”

“Yeah. It looks that way.” Dewey paused for a moment then continued. “Listen, don’t tell anyone about this.”

“Why not?” Elli asked. “I think it makes a funny story.”

“Yeah, but I just don’t want anyone to know about it.”

“OK. If that’s what you want.” she looked over at her house next door. “I guess I need to go. I have to figure out what I’m gonna wear tomorrow. I‘ll see you at school.” They waved at each other and she was gone.

          As Dewey lay awake in his bed that night he thought about the truck and the neighbor next door. For a moment he became frustrated that he might never know the reason why that truck seemed to crank on its own. The thought crossed his mind to go back and get closer next time, but he dismissed it. It wasn’t worth it. He was going to leave it alone.

          He thought about school and how this may be the year that everything changes for him and Elli. As he drifted off to sleep he was comforted by knowing that no matter what happened the memory of tonight would never be shared with anyone else.  It was between only the two of them and the vast soundless sky.

 

 THE END