Page 76 of Spooks & Specters

And with that comforting thought, he drifted into a deep sleep where monsters were friends and guardians rather than creatures to fear.

FOR THE next few days, Travis seemed to avoid Austin, and he was beginning to wonder if maybe Travis was finally going to back off and leave him alone.

That Friday night they had a game out of town and were playing their fiercest rivals. Ordinarily away games were a nightmare because he was trapped on a bus with Travis and his crew for hours, both coming and going.

Maybe this time would be different.

They arrived at the other high school on schedule, went through the pregame routine, then got ready for the game. It quickly became obvious that Austin’s hope that Travis was done harassing him had been in vain. The sneering looks, thewhispers, the sheer hatred in Travis’s eyes made Austin sick to his stomach.

And to top things off, their team lost.

The mood on the bus back home was absolutely miserable. Tempers flared between teammates over a horrible play at the end of the game. Austin thanked all the gods that he hadn’t even been on the field whenthathappened.

They arrived back at school, the buses unloading as usual. After a quick shower and a team meeting, they were cut loose. Austin made his way to the parking lot, where he expected his chauffeur to be waiting. Of course his grandparents wouldn’t be there. They never went to away games. In fact, they never went to home games, unlike some parents.

Even though the parking lot was dark, there were car lights everywhere as guys milled around talking.

Austin frantically looked for his chauffeur. He didn’t like being there all alone, especially with the anger he had seen in Travis’s eyes earlier. Just as he turned to go back to the field house and make a phone call, hands grabbed him, dragging him deeper into the shadows.

There were some woods at the edge of their school, and even though he fought, he was dragged that way.

As soon as they were away from the lights, he was pushed down. Looking up, he saw Travis and his crew circling him. Austin’s heart raced, panic clawing at his throat as he scrambled backwards on the leaf-strewn ground. The outlines of Travis and his friends loomed over him like dark specters under the faint moonlight filtering through the trees.

“What do you want, Travis?” Austin managed to choke out, trying to keep his voice steady despite the fear.

Travis sneered, stepping closer, his face twisted in a cruel smirk. “Just wanted to have a little chat, Austin. I saw the way you looked at me at the Harding charity event a few nights ago.”

Travis then called him a bunch of names that had to do with his sexuality.

“I did not do that!” Austin yelled.

“Oh? What are you insinuating? Are you saying—”

“Did he just call you a fag, Travis? Man, you ought to kick his ass for that!”

The others laughed, their menacing chuckles echoing eerily among the trees. Austin swallowed hard, his mind racing for options. He knew he couldn’t fight them all. His only hope was to outsmart them or run.

“I didn’t say that,” Austin said cautiously, keeping his eyes on Travis while also being acutely aware of the others surrounding him. “Look, I just want to be left alone. Why can’t you do that?”

“Because it’s fun seeing you squirm,” one of Travis’s friends piped up, grinning maliciously.

Travis nodded, stepping even closer. “You know what else would be fun? Teaching you a lesson about insinuating things.”

Austin’s thoughts flashed to the monster under his bed—the friend who listened and offered advice when he felt most alone. How he wished for that monstrous strength now.

Just as Travis reached down to grab him, Austin acted swiftly. With a surge of adrenaline-fueled determination, he kicked at Travis’s knee with all his might. The impact earned him a cry of pain from Travis and a moment of stunned surprise from the others.

Using their momentary shock to his advantage, Austin bolted upright and darted through the woods, branches whipping against his face as he sprinted back towards the lights of the parking lot. His breath came in sharp gasps, his heart pounding furiously against his ribs.

Behind him, Austin could hear the sounds of pursuit as the Travis and his gang crashed through the underbrush. Fearpropelled him forward even as his mind screamed at him to go faster.

The lights of the parking lot seemed agonizingly far away yet painfully close. Just as he thought he was going to make it, someone grabbed his arm and jerked him to the ground. Covering his head, Austin did the best he could to protect himself as the kicks started.

Just as he braced for another blow, headlights flooded the area and the sound of a car horn blared through the night. The kicks stopped abruptly. Austin dared to lift his head and saw his chauffeur sprinting toward them.

Travis and his crew hesitated, their faces twisted in fury and confusion under the harsh light. With a curse, Travis kicked at the dirt before signaling to his friends, and they all fled, disappearing as quickly as they could.

Austin lay on the ground for a moment longer, shaking uncontrollably from both adrenaline and fear. Everything hurt. His chauffeur reached him then, kneeling beside him with a worried expression.

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