Glimpse: The Broken

Chapter 3: Heart to Heart

No sooner had the door just shut behind Maxwell, that Jaxon, Faelynn, and Luna began conversing about his surprise party. “He is going to be eighteen, this is going to have to be big,” Faelynn said. “Trust me, he doesn’t like big parties love, hes a bit of an introvert,” Jaxon responded, looking to Luna for guidance. She smiled warmly to her friends, “Well I say we break him out of his shell a little bit,” she suggested.

“Careful what ya wish for,” Jaxon replied, “break him out of his shell and he might just find a way to break into yours,” He said with a wink. Luna giggled, but couldn’t help but blush and turn away. “We’ll see, weirdo.” Faelynn looked between the two of them, obviously knowing the least about the young man they were planning the party for. “What does he like anyway?” She inquired. “Pirates, videogames, conspiracy theories, weightlifting, cigars, playing pool, and drinking,” Jaxon listed. “Oh, and reading, dude loves to learn.” Faelynn laughed, “Geez, is there anything you don’t know about him? You could write his biography, and you can barely remember my favorite color, dweeb.”

“There is tons that I don’t know about him,” Jaxon stated. “Guy’s an enigma I tell ya, just when you think you’ve got him figured out and BAM! He says some shit I never would have expected. I’ve known him for a lot of years and I am still trying to understand him. The man definitely knows something about everything,” Jaxon continued. “You know if we can’t think of anything we can just dress Luna up with a bow, and nothing else. I am sure that would put a smile on his face,” He suggested. Luna punched Jaxon’s arm playfully before replying. “Well I say we get a couple of his friends from work together, play some pool during the daytime. Then when it gets dark, we can set something on fire, drink whiskey and talk about aliens all night,” Luna bemused bluntly.

“Welp, I’m done planning, clearly you're better at this than I am,” Jaxon suggested, admitting defeat. The group quickly got to work and began calling Maxwell’s friends from work. All but two said they would definitely be there. Maxwell worked in a twenty-four hour operating company’s IT department, so some of them unfortunately had to work. Jaxon having just turned twenty-one drove the group to the liquor store and bought a couple fifths of cheap cinnamon whiskey. He even splurged and got a nice bottle of some aged butterscotch something or other. The kind of alcohol on the top shelf that comes with its own bag and bottle opener to give to Maxwell for his birthday. And of course he grabbed a pack of his smooth and sweet cigars that he loves.

The trio finally finished by calling up Jaxon’s brother Derek in Virginia and asked if they could have his old couch he left at Jaxon’s mom’s place. “I’ll buy it from you, fifty bucks and a big bear hug the next time I see you,” Jaxon said into the phone while he paced around the parking lot of the liquor store. “Forty bucks if you promise you WON’T give me a hug.” Derek replied. “What the hell do you need it for anyway? The springs are busted and it doesn’t even recline anymore. I swear if this is some kinky thing you got going on and you and this new girl are going to…”

“We have our own bed and live together moron,” Jaxon declared, irritated. “We don’t need some old couch to bang on. Besides, what’s it matter what we need it for, lets just say if you give it to us, you will go down in a blaze of glory,” he snickered. “Seriously Jax,” Derek began, “I don’t want my couch being the scene of some video on the internet somewhere. Can you just promise me that?” Jaxon laughed under his breath. “What a burning question! No need to get blazing mad brother, you should try to extinguish your rage, stop drop and roll one up, and chill out a bit,” Jaxon said loudly as he tried to hide the amusement in his voice from the lame puns.

“You’re a bastard,” Derek said jokingly, “Sure you can have the couch. Don’t burn it anywhere near mom’s house or I’ll kick your ass,” the brother said, hanging up. “That last dad joke was complete garbage,” Luna announced. “Stop, drop, and roll? Come on dude, be more original.” Faelynn shook her head, laughing. “You think THAT’s what gave it away?” Jaxon looked between the two girls mocking him. “I don’t hear you coming up with anything better,” he replied. “Don’t get all hot-headed with me sir, just because my puns are fire,” Luna said, crossing her arms, and raising her eyebrow, then looked to Faelynn. Faelynn and Luna both burst out another round of laughter, giggling out of control while Jaxon shuffled his feet back to the car.

“Listen ladies, if you don’t feel like taking the shoe leather express, I’d suggest getting in,” Jaxon said as he started the engine. The trio drove out into the street, as snow fell down lazily drifting to their car. “You know, I don’t know what it is with you Luna,” Jaxon said as he looked into the review mirror, catching Luna staring wistfully at the snow passing the car out the window. “All that wit, and not going to college, hell, you don’t even know what you want to do with your life do you?” Faelynn slapped at Jaxon’s arm. “Leave her alone asshole, far be it from you to judge someone else on how they live their life, you just wasted forty dollars on a couch you are literally going to set on fire!” Faelynn said in an outburst.

“Thanks but it’s fine Faelynn,” Luna replied. “He’s right, I don’t. To be fair, I never really knew who I was for your information, sir. I grew up around three sisters, and I was the only tomboy out of the lot. I didn’t relate to the whole playing with barbies thing, and had a rough childhood growing up. Not to mention, we moved around a lot when I was little… I’m not so sure we stayed in one town for more than a year until we moved here when I was fifteen. It’s kind of hard to figure out who you are when that person is forced to change with every new town you move to.” Luna gazed out the window with a glass like expression across her face. Her eyes glazed over, refusing to focus on any one object, almost as if she was looking through the world into another dimension.

“It’s a hard knock life for us!” Jaxon began singing cheerfully, mocking the young girl in the back. Faelynn slapped him once more, harder this time. “Look Jaxon, if you can’t pay attention to the road and your only going to berate the poor girl with questions and ridicule her answers than you’ll be watching the movie alone tonight,” Faelynn chastised. Jaxon frowned and looked out the window. “I’m just saying! We all have problems,” he defended with a shrug. “Besides, a night without your mouth? Don’t tease me with a good time miss.” Faelynn startled with shock, crossing her arms and looked out her own window.

There was a long moment of silence that filled the car, the only sound being the soft wind outside. “I don’t know, I guess I like animals,” Luna suggested, finally breaking the silence. “I always related more to my brother, him and I used to play out in the woods for hours when we were growing up. Mom and dad had to call us inside when it got dark out on most nights. Sometimes they’d even send a search party out and find us sleeping under a tree somewhere.” Luna said with a smile, thinking back to the memories of her youth. Jaxon looked confused “Why animals?” He inquired.

“They’re real, I suppose,” Luna replied. Every town I have been in, people wear different faces, and speak in different tongues. Sometimes they talk behind your back, sometimes they are rude right up front. Animals aren’t like that.” Jaxon looked at her, confused. “What do you mean?” Luna thought to herself several moments before answering. “Think about it, a bunny is a bunny anywhere in the world you go. Animals are raw, and their emotions are apparent right from the start. They don’t worry about the time, they don’t stress over money. They aren’t proud, and they have no shame. A deer doesn’t care if your socks match, or what kind of car you drive. A fox doesn’t make fun of the other foxes, because their ears aren’t as pointy or their tails aren’t as soft. Not to mention they are esoteric.”

“Esa- what’s it?” Jaxon asked. Luna giggled “Esoteric, only truly understood by people who study them,” she stated. “We learn new stuff about animals everyday, just like you said earlier about Maxwell. We discover new species of animals all the time. Hell, there are new animals being discovered at the bottom of the ocean, or deep in some jungle cave every year.” Luna saw the two nodding their understanding. “Can I tell you guys a story and Jaxon not make fun of me if I do?” Luna inquired. “Well, I can’t speak for both of us, but I can promise I will knock his lights out if he does,” Faelynn said, smiling towards the back seat.

“When I was little, my brother and I were off the in the woods one time, when we lived in Colorado. We were playing our own version of hide and seek, where one person runs off and hides, and the other person has to find them. If they can’t find them the hider has to make random animal noises to help the seeker,” Luna said to the couple. “Okay... Why would I make fun of you for playing hide and seek with your brother?” Jaxon asked. “Would you let her finish the story you big lug,” Faelynn said, her voice stricken with irritation.

“Thanks Faelynn, Luna laughed. “Well, he hid and I was looking for him for what felt like hours. The sun was just going down between the trees, bu I was afraid to go home a loser for the night. I screamed out to him. Zane! Zane! There was no response, but I started hearing this weird chirping… almost like a bird. I knew that had to be him, but I could barely make out the direction it was coming from. I covered my left ear and then my right and determined it was definitely coming from the east.” I started walking that way and noticed the chirping getting louder.”

“Did you find him?” Faelynn asked, eyes wide with astonishment as she listened to the story. “Who’s interrupting now miss impatient!” Jaxon said smiling cheekily. “That’s what was weird,” Luna answered. “As I got closer I started to get doubts that this was him at all. This chirping was guttural, coming from the chest of an animal. Almost as if a mammal was trying to chirp like a bird, and don’t get me wrong, Zane was good at making animal calls, but not THAT good. I kept walking, looking under rocks, in hollow logs, and I found nothing. The noise kept getting louder and louder, it sounded as if it were intermingled with a dog whining now the closer I got. I had never heard anything like it.” Jaxon slowed the car, he and Faelynn listening to the story intently.

“So I kept walking,” Luna went on, passionately recalling the tale. “I walked through the forest for twenty minutes, and was about to give up hope and just go home for the night and go out looking for my brother with my mom and dad, telling him that he won. I didn’t want to be defeated so easily though. It was almost completely dark now so it was hard to make out what I was stepping on and I had to watch my footing really carefully. I didn’t want to step on any branches or leaves to scare whatever was making this noise away.” Jaxon couldn't help his bulging eyes. “This is some paranormal shit” he said.

“Shhhhh!” Faelynn hushed him violently. Luna continued “My feet were started to get blisters at this point from all the walking and I didn’t want to go too far from home with the sun down. Suddenly I heard a swish and a rustle in the branches above me. It scared me so bad I turned to run and tripped over a rock and smacked my head on a log,” Luna explained. “Ouch,” Jaxon uttered. “Oh it hurt all right,” Luna responded. “Though, just as I laid there, I turned on my back and looked up into the tree canopy and into the night sky, and as I looked up at the night stars I could have sworn I saw a fox fly right past the clearing in the trees.

“A fox?” Faelynn questioned. “Crazy right?” Replied Luna. “Passing right in between me and the moon was a fox just like any other but with the wings of a bird, chirping and snickering playfully as it flew right above me and off into the night. It was the weirdest thing I have ever seen,” Luna stated. “I told Zane about it and he didn’t believe me. I didn’t want to tell mom and dad about it because they would think I am crazy. I don’t know… maybe I am. Maybe it was just because I banged my head so hard and was seeing things, but that’s what I mean though. I love animals, what if that thing is truly out there and there are countless other things that we have never seen just waiting to be discovered?”

“I definitely think it’s possible!” Jaxon said. “Really, you think there could be other things out there?” Luna wondered aloud. “Hell no, I definitely think it’s possible that you are crazy,” Jaxon chuckled. Another slap from Faelynn. “I am not sure what is out there, or what you saw, Faelynn began. “But I think that if you believe you saw it, you should keep believing it Luna. For the record I could absolutely see you becoming a vet, or an animal breeder, or even one of those people who go into the rain forest and look for new species of bugs and stuff!” Luna smiled, “Thanks Faelynn.” Jaxon pulled up to Luna’s house. Her roommate and bestfriend Lacey was waiting for her, arms crossed in the doorway. “She looks mad,” Faelynn stated. “Probably pissed because I left the door unlocked again. I really gotta stop doing that,” Luna said as she turned to Faelynn. “Maybe its a metaphor, the universe is trying to tell you that you want to let someone in your life,” Faelyn smirked and said.

“Listen Madame von Faelynn the magnificent, instead of trying to read Luna’s life like a tarot card maybe you should just help her carry this couch inside eh?” Jaxon said loudly to his girlfriend. “And just what are you going to be doing, you big strong man you?” Faelynn asked while she fluttered her eyelashes at him. “Someone’s gotta stay in the warm, running car to keep it from blowing away,” He said with a toothy smile. Faelynn lost her look of amusement, exchanging it for a look of scorn. “Alright, alright, geesh,” Jaxon said stepping out of the car. He untied the couch from the roof and got the cushions out of the trunk. He and Luna began carrying the couch inside.

“Hey, do me a favor and don’t tell anyone what I told you today Jax,” Luna pleaded. I don’t want anyone thinking I have completely lost it.” Jaxon knew what she was getting at, “You mean Maxwell, you don’t want Maxwell thinking you are crazy,” was Jaxon’s reply. “But you shouldn’t worry you guys have more in common than you think. Quite the conundrum, both of your minds are, and the way they work,” Jaxon said as he slowly walked carrying the couch up the last step to Luna’s porch. “How so?” Luna asked. Jaxon placed his half of the couch down on Luna’s porch. His face quickly changed to a more puzzling complexion.

“...You mean… Maxwell never told you about his nightmares?”