Free Unconventional Scars by Allie Gail Page B

his. Taking things as they came was his preference. He supposed it was ironic for someone with such a complacent personality to have a career where he had to be extensively organized. Why analyze it, though? As far as he was concerned, when life was good, you didn’t rock the boat.
    ****
    Anna was waiting in the front porch swing when Karen and Dalton pulled into the driveway Friday night. She had selected for the evening a lacy white tank top, long black gypsy skirt complete with fringe and rhinestones, and black sneakers, and was satisfied with the effect. Even if the weather got cool, she figured the dancing and the bonfire would keep her warm. Hopping excitedly into the back seat of Dalton ’s car , she and Karen each surveyed the other’s choice of outfit. Karen looked amazing in a daring red minidress. She also wore sneakers, but hers were red to match her dress.
    The Graveyard, as it turned out, was at the top of a small mountain. Dalton followed a paved road that dead-ended at a wide trail which snaked further up the mountain and into the dark woods. Lines of vehicles were already parked on either side of the road, and Dalton pulled in behind a huge Hummer . Turning t o face Anna, he asked, “Will you hand me that lantern and those flashlights please?”
    Anna handed him the items from the floorboard of the car. She hadn’t stopped to consider that it would be pitch dark in the woods. The idea of traipsing up the spooky trail in the black of night was thrilling.
    Karen was already out of the car, bouncing with eagerness and ready to go. Already they could faintly hear the bass of music coming from somewhere in the darkness. Dalton handed each of the girls a flashlight and switched on his own lantern. “Chill out, spazoid ,” he teased Karen. “The night is young.” From the trunk of his car, he pulled out a small cooler and then said, “All right ladies, let’s go. Watch your step , though. Some chick sprained her ankle on this trail last time. I don’t feel like having to carry either one of you back down to the car.”
    Other people were arriving at the same time, so they weren’t the only ones on the trail. Nevertheless, it was deliciously creepy. The hazy light from the flashlights illuminat ed the trees surrounding them , providing an eerie atmosphere . The path went uphill, but it wasn’t terribly steep so Anna had no problem keeping up with Dalton and Karen, who made it perfectly clear that if she walked into a spider’s web she was going to scream. Nobody doubted she would.
    The trail ended in a huge level clearing in the middle of the woods. Anna was entranced by the sight. Paper lanterns were strung from trees surrounding the circle of the clearing and t hey gave off a pale glow, creating a romantic effect. Scattered about the very edges were at least two dozen coolers that obviously belonged to various partygoers. At one side, out of the way, a table had been set up and bottles of liquor, juice, punch, soda and other items covered it. A couple of seniors she recognized stood there mixing drinks with battery powered mixers. In the dead center of the clearing was the area for the bonfire, piled high with wood that hadn’t yet been lit.
    There were probably a hundred people there already, mingling and laughing and some even dancing already. There were quite a few people she knew from school . Karen leaned close so Anna could hear her over the loud blar e of Korn’s Another Brick in the Wall and said loudly, “I don’t think Josh and Erica are coming until later. They were going out to dinner first.”
    Dalton left to put his cooler with the others. Something suddenly occurred to Anna, and she put her head near Karen’s again . “Hey, what do we do if we have to go to the bathroom?”
    Karen giggled. “You take a flashlight and go way out in the woods. I stuck some tissue in Dalton ’s pocket if you need any.”
    Anna laughed. “ Are you serious ? All this drinking going on and no