Eternal As The Night by John Patrick Robbins

“Dude are you sure about this?  I mean I don't want to get in any trouble,”

Jack said, as the guys were grabbing the cooler from the van.

“Tim, why do you hang with this dude? You lose a bet or something or you just got a soft spot for special needs cases?” 

“Shut the fuck up Freddie! And give me a hand, this bastard is heavy man.”

“Sorry dude I’m walking the girls down to the beach, I rather hang with actual women than you two pussies. Besides we aren't on the field so it’ll do you good to do some actual work there captain.”

Freddie replied as he took off before Tim could tell him to go fuck himself.

“Man why do you hang with that asshole?”

“Shit if it wasn't for that asshole on the field, I wouldn't be getting scouted let alone getting out of this damn place.”

“Yeah, I mean me doing half your work so you could at least appear literate, didn't help either I’m sure you jerk.”

Tim now shot Jack a shitty look.
“Look dude just help me lug this bastard to the beach.”

Jack went to grab the other handle of the enormous cooler and almost dropped his end as Tim went to take off toward the beach.

“Fuck man! What the hell you got in here a dead body?”

“Yeah I went to the morgue last night and figured I would pick you up a cold one. Being no chick with a pulse would get near your weird ass.”

Jack laughed at that one.

"Man I’m not that creepy."

“Says the guy that opted out of a sure thing, to go fucking ghost hunting so he could post it on his paranormal channel on you-tube.”

“Yeah a sure thing with a chick that ended up giving half the football team the clap, wow thanks but I’m pretty good with not having to visit the free clinic.”

“Fuck man, stop your pissing and moaning and walk faster I’d like to get there before sunrise asshole!”

By the time Tim and Jack got to the beach Freddie already had the fire going.

“Fuck I thought you two love birds maybe ditched us to go start a parade or some shit.”

The girls busted up laughing.

“Hey ghostbuster, think fast!”

Freddie threw the football like a damn rocket hitting Jack right in the crotch.

Jack instantly dropped to his knees coughing trying not to throw up.

“Goddamn Freddie! What the hell is your problem man!”

Tim shouted as he checked on Jack, at the same time trying to fight his urge to bust up laughing with everyone else.

Jack Norris was always going to be the odd man out when it came to anything in life and damn sure when it came to social gatherings.
But Tim was a friend from way back who was a rarity amongst jocks, being he had a soul. 

And honestly didn't hold as much passion for the game he played. 

As he did for leaving this nowhere town in Hatteras North Carolina.

After Jack finally could breath and feel his lower extremities were still intact. He joined the others round the fire.
And as he sat there sipping an ice cold beer. Saying little to nothing he had to question, why the fuck was he even here.

Freddie cut one annoying joke after the other as his brain dead girlfriend Heather Beasley laughed away.
Tim and Cindy just drank and cuddled as Freddie got further wasted and louder by the second.

“Hey Dude, sorry about that shit earlier I didn't mean to hit you that hard seriously. Want a beer?”

Freddie asked as he reached in the cooler pulling out two cans of Budweiser.

“Sure man.”

“Then go fetch bitch!”

Freddie replied laughing as he launched the beer into the darkness beyond the fire's light.

"Fuck this shit!"

Jack said as he got up to leave. He heard Tim call out but he was pissed off enough he didn't give a damn anymore.
Freddie Rhodes was a pure asshole and would remain one for the rest of his life in this shithole town.

Jack was so pissed he hadn’t even noticed someone heading from the dunes.
But as the wind blew he damn sure knew they were there from the stink.

Jack didn't know who, or what it was. 
But he damn sure wasn't about to find out by himself either.
He turned the other direction and started running back towards the others.

“I don’t get why you're friends with him to begin with.”
Cindy said to Tim.

“Jack’s alright he is super smart, just not very social is all. I mean once you get to know him he can talk about anything.”

“Yeah especially if it’s fucking invisible and doesn’t exist that dudes a total loser, he probably is going end up like Dahmer or some shit!”

As Freddie interrupted as usual whenever the attention wasn't on him.
Freddie was really pushing Tim’s buttons tonight. Of course he was always hard to deal with when he got drunk.

“Hey dude, look who's haulin ass and looks like he found a friend!”

Freddie said as he pointed, as heading toward them was Jack with a disheveled tall person not far behind.

“Fuck, that looks like old crazy ass Bunky, come on asshole! We got to help Jack out."

The boys took off as Heather looked puzzled at Cindy.
“What the fuck is a Bunky?”

Cindy didn't reply for only someone as stupid as Heather, wouldn't have heard about Bunky by now.
Bunky was a former sheriff whose wife had mysteriously vanished on this very same beach.

He went insane searching for her claiming something about some strange people taking her from the ocean.
He had lost everything and now, was simply a vagrant most people avoided.

Most the towns folks shunned him claiming he had murdered his wife.
He would be taken away to the state hospital. They would keep him for as long as they could. Then like always he would end up here scaring the shit out of tourists until they hauled him away again. 

Meanwhile as Tim and Freddie met up with Jack.
Who by now could barely breathe.

“Hey Jackie boy, who's your new friend?”

“Fuck you Freddie, this guy won't stop chasing me man!”

Bunky stood just staring like some odd character in a horror movie. He may have been old but he was still in good shape and standing six four he was far from a joke.
As the local cops had a hell of a time dealing with him the last time he flipped out at the Eagle market.

And knowing it took three strong and armed cops to get him under control.
And here Tim was stuck with just him and Freddie, didn't make him feel at ease.

“Hey man you alright.”

“You kids need to leave.”

Bunky replied with a tone that let Tim know he wasn't truly all there.

“Hey look sir, we're just having some drinks, we don't want to start no trouble.”

“You’re going to attract them with that fire, it draws them, you need to put out that damn fire!”

“What the fuck is this loon talking about? Hey fruitcake! Why don't you carry your stinking ass, before I get pissed and knock some sense  into you!”

Freddie was already too screwed up to say anything to.
Bunky acted like he didn't even hear Freddie as he started walking towards the fire.

“Guys we got to get the fuck out of here!”

“What the fuck are you two pussies scared of, afraid hobo Harry is going to put in his false teeth and bite you? Hey girls don’t worry he just said he wants a blow job and he will be on his way.”

Freddie shouted out as both Cindy and Heather were huddled together.

The crazy old man paid them no notice much like the boys, he just sat in front of the fire staring into it as if in a trance.
And as the boys followed Cindy shot Tim a look like, What the hell!

“Girls say hello to the loony of the coast and Jackie's new life partner. You have to ignore the stink, I’m not sure if it's father time or Jack here, who probably shit his pants running from him.”

The kids didn't have the slightest clue and the old man didn't seem to know they existed. As he pulled a beer from his jacket.

And Kicked it back, as if he was drinking water.

“Mister I don't mean anything, but this is kind of a private party. So if you could just drink your beer and be on your way I would appreciate it.”

Tim said trying to mask the fact he simply wanted to call it a loss and just leave the cooler with the old man.
And be anywhere but here.
The group all huddled together trying to speak softly as not to agitate the old man.

Freddie of course grew more and more annoyed with the idea of calling it a night. When he was getting buzzed, nothing pissed him off worse.
Than the idea of getting sober.

“Look guys we need to just leave, fuck the beer and this place. 
This guy is fucking dangerous! I mean they never found his wife's body and I rather not find out what happened to her, okay!”

Tim and everyone agreed except Freddie of course.

“Fuck this bullshit! You all can piss in your pampers, I’m getting rid of this freak. I don't give a shit if he killed his old lady or not!”

“Freddie shut the fuck-”

“I’m not crazy or deaf you little bastard!”

The old man spoke up cutting Freddie off mid sentence.

“The reason they never found her is they took her. And everyone rather point the finger at me, then face the truth about this place. It’s fucking cursed!”

“Hey screw you grandpa I’m tired of your shit!"

The old man stood up as Freddie approached him.
And backhanded the boy so hard he nearly knocked him on his ass.

“I told you, you need to leave now!”

The old man yelled as everyone grew silent and prepared to exit just as he had said.

Freddie spit blood on the sand from a busted lip.
He charged the old man tackling him to the ground as they both almost fell into the fire.

You could hear the wind leave Bunky's body, as Freddie sank his fists into the old man's ribs. The old man was hurt but fought like a wild animal as he bit into his much younger attacker's ear. 

Freddie yelled out in pain getting off Bunky as blood flowed down his neck.
But Freddie was far from done as he grabbed a plank from the wood pile striking Bunky across his face.

Freddie had snapped as he continued to hit Bunky repeatedly.
Each blow more savage than the next, Jack and Tim both struggled to get the plank from him.

“You’re going to fucking kill him dude!”

Tim yelled as Freddie just glared at his friend and teammate.

“You see! That's the difference between us motherfucker! You're the gloryhound and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win you Goddamn coward!”

And as Freddie launched into a tirade at Tim. The girls stood over the old man, who now didn't seem like such a monster.
But just a sad old broken man crying, struggling to breath as he spit up blood.

Jack knew he had to get help looking at the scene. Freddie had lost his mind and after he saw what he did to a man double his size. He knew he didn't stand a chance, if  Freddie turned his wrath upon him.

He went to run towards the van when he was stopped dead in his tracks.
He felt the claws enter his throat.

As he tried to yell out, his windpipe snapped as easily as a child snaps a twig.

And as he tried to crawl back towards the group. He felt his body being lifted as he was tossed into the fire.
The girls' screams were quickly silenced.
As was the boy whose rage had drawn them to the group. 

That old Charley tried to warn them about.

He laid there broken, as he listened to their screams. Helpless for nobody was a match for the demons of the ocean's abyss.
Charley just laid by the fire and prayed for death.

As the one they had called Freddy fell down beside him.

He looked at the old man differently now.

He struggled to say something as those same claws shot through the back of his head as the blood splattered Charlie's face.

He closed his eyes and listened to the sound of them feeding.

When finally he opened his eyes.
He was looking into the face of something he could not fully explain.
It’s eyes were deep and solid black it smelled of the depths. And by the fire's reflection he could see himself within its gaze.

It breathed in his scent and stared. He felt it’s icy touch.
As it rubbed his cheek Charlie felt his heart struggle to beat.
It stared at him in a way, only one other had before.

It was then at the precipice of our living world he said his farewell to the woman he had always loved. And who had been taken and transformed into something altogether different by the sea.

True love is eternal as the tides.

John Patrick Robbins, is the editor in chief of The Rye Whiskey Review  and Black Shamrock Magazine.  His work has been published here at Punk Noir Magazine, Fearless Poetry Zine,  The Dope Fiend Daily, Piker Press, 1870 Magazine, San Pedro River Review,  San Antonio Review,  Herion Love Songs, Romingos Porch and Schlock Magazine. 

His work is always unfiltered.