36 Ashley – Aftermath (1/2)

Our house was a typical bungalow; white clapboard siding, a shake roof that overhung the building, a huge covered porch and the ever-present white picket fence.You could still see brown leaves under the skiff of snow that had recently fallen, and the garden trellis had dead vegetation climbing towards the sky.

Around the back, I could stand on the garden toolbox and work my bedroom window up enough to slide in.I quietly and quickly changed into my nightgown and slipped into bed as if I had been there all night. Yes, I had been granted permission to have a late night at the malt shop with Barbara my friend and next door neighbor, but coming home at dawn probably was a bit later than a 'late night' at the Malt Shop. Dad considered that Barbara was a good influence on me as we both were in competition for graduating summa cum laude, so he did not wait up for me like most parents. Besides if I looked up at dad with my best puppy dog eyes, he could not say no.

I was not tired in the least even though last night was beyond my imagination. What was that saying?Truth is stranger than fiction? I got the cold chills just thinking back on what could have happened to Barb and me last night. We had been walking to the malt shop just down from the high school, at that we were lucky as there were not much more than a thousand people in the whole town, so to be in walking distance to school and have a malt shop close by?Anyway, those bikers did not give us much choice. Either hop on and go for a ride or else. I was never very clear on what or else meant, but I was confident that Barb and I together would be safe.

Had I ever been so wrong? We pulled into that clearing and had no sooner hopped off the bike when I saw a practically naked girl lying bloodied on the ground with a group of bikers moaning in pain laying on the grass surrounding her. The sight of the girls almost naked form, her clothing having been obviously torn literately from her body—well I started to panic. Panic, what a pitiful word for my feelings right then.

Then this dark foreboding statue formed out the dust of the ground, and my first thought was Lewis Wilson as the batman in a movie that I had seen a few years ago at the local theater.It had taken a lot of clean dishes to earn that 30 cents so I could go see it. And if Hollywood could create the Batman in real life, this was it.He just stood there while the guy who I had ridden behind suddenly spit rocks from under his wheels, his tailpipes roaring, and tried to run this guy down.

Fire blasted from the back of whoever it was that was standing there in that dark suit. I really doubted that any man could have muscles like he appeared to have, but when that Harley slammed into that fiery apparition, the bike stopped as if hitting a brick wall.Then when that heroic figure picked the Harley up and folded it in two with his bare hands well, I knew it was Superman, not Batman who was standing there. I'd spent many a Saturday afternoon at the drug store reading their comic books while sipping a cherry phosphate or a lime rickey. So the concept of real-life superheroes was something I was sure existed somewhere.

Then that woman! Did anyone really have a rack like that? And her muscles were on an equally heroic scale as his.Seeing sanctuary, I grabbed Barb's hand, and we ran towards that female version of Batman.When I turned to look back, it was if every move I had ever seen in those comic books came to life. Those Bikers were trashed and on the ground almost faster than I could follow.It was when I looked at the two girls lying bloodied and naked that my fuzes finally blew. They could have been me, and the rainfall started as if I was still a baby blubbering.

But that ship, it was a real honest to god flying saucer, and suddenly my Batman heroes turned out to be bug-eyed monsters who wanted me to go to Mars with them? Thinking back on my mental replay I knew it had to have been a bad dream.And just as I was deciding that I was going to give up Astounding Science Fiction Magazine, I heard Barbara's voice as clear as a bell as she said, ”Ashley does this thing really work?”

I was grateful that I was lying down otherwise I would have fallen to the floor with surprise. It was not a dream!

”Barb?” I whispered.

”Yes, it is me. Was last night real?” Barbara responded.

”I was wondering the same thing until I heard your voice. What do you say to breakfast and we can talk about it?”

”Can you give me thirty minutes to clean up?”

”I need to grab a quick bath myself. I'll head over to your place as soon as I am dressed.”

”Ok, hurry!”

I started the water running, then ran back to my room to select an appropriate dress.Mom called out to me as I passed her bedroom, ”Ashley, weren't you out late last night?”

”Yes, Mom. But Barbara wants to go to the diner for breakfast.”

”Ok, dear. We can talk when you get back.”

”Love you, mom.” And I jumped in and out the tub so fast that I am not sure all of me got wet; slipped on my dress and shoes, and was out the door almost before you could have unscrambled your eyes from watching me.

The food was excellent as always, but as we ate, I noticed some guys that I had never seen before walking the sidewalks.”Bit?” I whispered.

”Yes, Ashley? How may I help you?”

”Can you let me talk to Lance?”