“Ok, Diablo, so what is it exactly?” Shadow asked as he bunched up the wrapper and leaned back in his chair.
“A place, a house, some rich pinchie gringo who is never there. Tazer said it would be smooth, in and out, some computers,
TV’s, DVD’s, maybe even an Xbox! Man it’s going to be ripe pickings!” Diablo’s his eyes grew to slits as he nodded in
pleasure before leaning back to release a puff of smoke.
“Oh! An Xbox, Diablo, I want it! Get me an Xbox!” Yolanda squealed at first, then cooed as she snuggled against her man.
“Anything for my chica,” Diablo smiled at his woman, then leaned in for a kiss. As they began to make out, Shadow sighed in
contentment.
An easy job, in and out, no problems and with some cash for the goods. Money was never an issue for Shadow, but
sometimes he liked to have the ready cash. It always gave him a sense of pleasure whenever his old man noticed him flashing
the wads yet knew that he had no job. Yes, pissing off his father is what gave Shadow immense pleasure, and something that
would not bring too much to risk to himself.
Later, when they walked together through the silent streets Shadow should have known better than to proceed with his plans.
When the sound of the lone owl hooted high in the trees, he should have told his friend that he’d rather go and bust his balls
against Melinda’s smooth opening, but he didn’t. Instead he followed through with the plans and on the surface it looked like
an easy job. Tazer was right, in and out, just like a good fuck, with no troubles.
While they were removing their haul from the dark empty house Shadow had time to look around the place. It was a
nondescript house, like the one he lived in. It was located in some middle class, white bread neighborhood and surrounded
by a large yard with trees nearby. The furniture was nice, better than the middle income variety, and all along the walls hung
framed pictures. Family photos showed the occupants to be the normal all American variety of 2.5 kids.
As Shadow glanced at the family photo he noticed the easy going smile of the father and the love in the teenager’s eyes. The
older man’s appearance was average and the smile was wide and inviting. For a moment, the teen wondered if this man was
as uptight as his own father. But as he remembered the stern lectures from his old man, Shadow knew that no one could be
as strict as his own father. With a shake of his head, he moved to the second floor and looked around the place as he picked
up things that might be worth selling later.
“Hey, menso, psst,” Diablo’s whisper was urgent. After leaning over the balcony, Shadow saw his friends arms loaded with
a CPU, a small television, and the wires of an Xbox. “Hey, loco, get down here and help!”
“Yeah,” was all Shadow said as he skipped down the steps, and then grabbed a lap top that was sitting by the door as well as
other equipment. One by one they carried the items out of the dark empty house to Tazer’s waiting van. When Shadow
turned to gather more items, he noticed his friend’s wallet on the sidewalk and picked it up. When Diablo returned from the
van, Shadow handed it to him.
“Man, you keep losing this,” he whispered with a shake of his head.
“Oh yeah, thanks Dude,” Diablo smiled as he waved the thin wallet, then put it back into his front pocket. “Wouldn’t want to
lose it now that I’m gonna get some cash to put into it,” he winked and ran into the open door in the back of the house.
Shadow grabbed more items and quickly ran out to the van. With each haul, they carried electronic equipment, silver,
jewelry, and coins until there wasn’t anymore room in the van. With a satisfied grin, Diablo climbed into the passenger seat
and leaned back as Shadow jumped into the back and closed the sliding door. As the old battered VW van rolled out of the
neighborhood, Diablo grabbed his seatbelt and buckled up, then glanced back at Shadow with a grin.
“Wouldn’t want to break any laws, would I?” the teen mocked as all boys broke out into hoots of laughter.
Everything had gone smoothly...too smoothly. But this didn’t concern any of the boys. Once Tazer took what he wanted and
paid his two accomplices, Shadow and Diablo sat in the basement of the old house that belonged to Diablo’s mother and
boyfriend. With their booty around them, they celebrated their good fortune. The bong in Shadow’s hands was filled with a
crystal meth that sent a sweet smell through the room. With a deep inhaling on the pipe, the teen closed his eyes and allowed
the smoky drug to consume him. In the corner of the room Melinda and Yolanda were busy playing a game on the Xbox that
they had just acquired, while Diablo fiddled with a camcorder.
“Hey man, there is some sick mother fuckin’ shit on here!” the older teen exclaimed as he quickly began to fumble through the
room searching for something.
“Wha?” Shadow felt his eyes growing heavy as he leaned back into the overstuffed chair.
From the window in the far corner he saw the first signs of the sun and knew that, once again, he would not make it into his
first class. Actually, when he was totally honest with himself he had to admit that he would not make it to school at all. At this
thought a fit of giggles escaped his control when he imagined the image of his father’s livid face. Maybe this would be the time
when he would push the old man over the edge. Perhaps this is what would finally make his father act on the threat of military
school. If this at all bothered Shadow, he did not show it. He only laughed as he watched his friend frantically moving to the
television the girls were using.
“Aye chingada, get out of my way, this is important!” Diablo screamed at the girls.
“Not as important as getting to level five!” Yolanda countered, her head bobbing back and forth as her body language dared
him to start a fight.
“Man, this mother is one sick bastard, look at this,” he said as he began to play the tape after the connections were hooked
up.
At first Shadow didn’t understand what he was watching. Through the drug induced haze of his vision, he watched the scene
unfold. Both girls began to squeal as they turned their heads in shock. A pallor covered their faces.
“Turn that sick movie off,” Melinda face held a look of disgust as she turned away from the hideous images on the screen.
“Yeah man, that is some sick stupid slasher movie! Turn it off so we can play our game,” Yolanda agreed.
“Loca’s, it’s not a movie!” Diablo shouted. “Man, this shit is real!” his voice grew low as he kneeled in front of the tube, his
eyes glued to the shadowy scene of a solitary man in front of the camera. The image was hazy and distorted and although
they could not see the face on the screen, what he was doing to his captive was clear.
“Dude, it’s just a fucking movie,” Shadow said with a slight chuckle.
“No man, no. Look, it’s real, it ain’t no slasher movie!” Diablo’s voice was barely a whisper as his gaze was transfixed on the
images that played out.
Shadow’s brain, still muddled from the drug, did not realize what he was watching at first. But as his friend began to shuffle
through storage media his mind slowly cleared. Somewhere during their previewing of the movies, their girlfriends left in
disgust as the images, sounds of screaming a gore became too much for them to handle. Even though Shadow found his
stomach lurching, he tried to convince himself that it was not real, that the images were just a clever film student’s indie
project. At one point, he convinced himself that he was dreaming, that he was safe in his home fast asleep under the heavy
comforter that kept him warm at night, and soon, at any minute, his father would knock on the door to wake him up. But
none of this was true and what they were seeing was something that he could not fathom clearly.
“It’s gotta be fake,” Shadow said as if to convince himself. When this failed, he softly whispered, “we need to tell someone.”
“Tell somebody? What are you loco?” the panic caused Diablo’s voice to crack as he slammed the television off. The screen
grew suddenly blank and the only sound that could be heard was the leaky water pipe and the distant voices of Diablo’s
family who lived upstairs.
“What are we gonna say, that we stole this stuff from this sick motherfucker?” Diablo turned on him, his eyes held terror.
“Man, they’re going to lock us up for sure. You’ve never been to juvi, but I have. And don’t forget, I’m eighteen now, they
wouldn’t send me to juvi but with the big guys. I ain’t going there, no fuckin’ way!”
“B-But…” Shadow shook his head in hopes of clearing the last remnants of his haze. “What are we going to do?”
“I don’t know, man, I don’t know,” Diablo began to pace the length of the room. His agitation grew with each second that
passed. “Gotta think, that’s all, I just gotta think,” he mumbled, then turned on Shadow.
“Listen, you go to school, you hear, you get your books and go finish out the rest of the day with the girls,” Diablo knelt in
front of Shadow, the dark-haired teen’s eyes were stern and intent.
“But we can’t just…” Shadow’s words were cut off by his friend’s touch. Firm hands took a hold of his shoulder and gently
shook him.
“Keep your head, man. Just keep your head. Let me think about it, ok?” Diablo’s voice grew deep.
“My father, we could tell him,” Shadow offered, but was quickly silenced by the bigger teen’s groan of frustration.
“No, not your old man!” Diablo shouted. “He’d go right to the FBI and I’d be locked up for sure!” The boy shouted, then
turned on Shadow, “listen, just do as I say and I promise to figure something out, ok? Just listen to your Pappi, ok? I
promise, I’ll figure something out.”
Shadow had a moment of doubt. A part of him felt like his father should know, but another part reminded him that his old
man was the enemy. Ever since their falling out when his mother died, he had never talked openly with his father. How could
he? The man was more interested in his work than he was in his family. As she lingered away in the hospital, his old man was
no where to be seen. In the end the boy was left alone to hold his mother’s hand until she finally died. The part in him that still
called himself Casey never forgot this moment, but the new person, Shadow, shrugged it off as just another part of life.
Despite his foreboding feelings, the blond youth listened to his best friend. Diablo was right, no one had stood by him except
his best friend. Confident that Diablo would find a way out, Shadow nodded acceptance and rose on wobbly legs. He would
go to school, sit through his classes and wait for his friend to contact him.
This was how Shadow spent his day. When he returned home he went through his usual routine. Although the disturbing
images were always in the back of his mind, he was able to forget them enough to go about his business. Only when he heard
his father enter the house late in the evening did he grab his coat. He hadn’t gotten what he wanted last night from Melinda, so
he decided to go to her tonight. With Diablo working on the problem, he could take his time to be with his girl and if he could
get her in the mood, which was not very hard to do, then he’d be able to get some satisfaction.
Shadow bounded down the steps two at a time. Before his father could even call out to him, he was out of the front door and
making his way through the dark city streets. With a slight smile, he passed through the suburban streets and made his way
toward his girlfriend’s house. As his mind wandered to the night ahead, he felt a familiar stirring begging for release. Soon he
