Deceit in the Summer Dusk

May 14th, 2006 11:51 PM

         Liam backed against the brick wall of the old Sayes pharmacy off Main and Jones attempting, with no avail, to dodge the sudden downpour that had quickly rolled off the mountains to the northwest. A bolt of lightning lit up the night sky, for a moment revealing a stray grey cat crouching within an old and soaked cardboard box in the alley to the left of Liam. As the thunder clapped the cat dispersed into oblivion, running somewhere out from Main. Now sitting in the ponding water, Liam—as well as his new tuxedo—was drenched and no longer cared about the rain’s pounding nature. After a few moments, the rain stopped and the thunder subsided. The only sound left was the slow, midnight traffic of downtown Fountain Inn, the dripping of water into puddles, and nearby sirens. Liam quietly surveyed the area, noticed stars forming to the northwest near Greenville, and flashes of lightning towards Gray Court. 



April 10, 2003 4:55 PM

         The late afternoon sun stung the right side of Liam’s body, casting the shadow of a fit runner. He was making his rounds across campus, passing the history and philosophy departmental building. To him, this was the most interesting building he has seen as its gothic style intrigued his artistic side. He found it especially beautiful in the late afternoon as the sun had its chance to illuminate the massive towers that sprung from the earth seemingly sprawling into the heavens above. Running at a slower pace to observe the antiquity of his building, he seemed to be absorbed in contemplation. The next thought Liam had been one of unexpected pain and the presence of a female voice.

“Oh my god I am sorry” Liam managed to spit out as he quickly jumped to his feet.

“It’s…it’s alright.” The blonde muttered as she stammered to her feet, leaving behind her backpack to the sun-beaten grass. Liam noticed the vibrancy in her green eyes as she began to summon a modest smile as she chuckled lightly.

“Sorry for, well, getting in your way,” Liam said with some level of shakiness in his usually controlled voice. “My name is Liam and I guess I was caught up in looking at Tornghert” He said with a series of chuckles rolling off his tongue.

The girl wiped her brow for sweat and warmly and confidently said “Really, encounters like this are bound to happen. And to be frank, I find Tornghert to be a somewhat arrogant venture into the gothic style.”  She then let out a grand laugh and continued with “I’m Rachel, and I just realized how pretentious that must have sounded.”

Rachel grabbed her bag and brushed off her shorts a T-shirt with the coloring mirroring her eyes. “Well I really must be going to Humanities now, maybe I’ll bump into you later” she said with a laugh that reflected Liam’s own nerves.

“Well, wait for just a sec” Liam said quickly as she began to trudge towards Ramsey. “Would you by chance want to grab a cup of coffee with me say, tonight?” Liam could feel his heart beat slightly faster.

“Interesting way of meeting girls, Mr. Liam” Rachel said with a sly grin, “but that sounds great. I live in Founders. 310. I’ll be there all evening procrastinating over a philosophy paper about the Girardian theory of religion’s origin” she said nonchalantly.

“Ha-ha” Liam laughed, “I’ll be by after I take a shower; I’m just now realizing how disgusting I must look.” Liam waved goodbye as Rachel smiled and watched him saunter into a sea of transitory faces.



May 15th, 2006 2:26 AM

A gentle breeze meandered through the foothills from the mountains and caressed Liam’s face and matted hair. He gently strolled up Main Street to highway 418 as a few isolated vehicles drove slowly through the puddles of muddy standing water. The full moon illuminated First Baptist’s steeple behind him, and beckoned him to walk endlessly towards its source. Liam peered above himself and quietly cursed the powers-at-be while ripping off his bowtie and throwing his coat to the mud alongside the train tracks that followed Main Street. In the distance he heard the uprising of hounds howling towards space, mimicking his own internal cries. Dusk was hours away as a single airplane soared miles overhead.



January 12th, 2004 9:21 PM

A frigid air mass poured into central Tennessee while the waxing moon caused a glistening effect on the landscape. The snow from the day before stubbornly held onto trees and the sides of buildings. Liam and Rachel marched through the ankle-deep snow, laughing vociferously as they trudged along.

“Well tonight was fun,” Rachel said as she took Liam’s hands and spun around as gracefully as she sashays, and almost dances, around campus and anywhere else she may tread. Her smile created a certain sparkle in her deep green eyes. “I didn’t know how moving the symphony could be, I kind of wish I took strings in school.”

Liam smiled and let out a small chuckle as he swung Rachel back towards him. “Did you really like it? I mean all of this was for you,” he said with a level of nervousness.

         Rachel’s smile softened and held Liam in a tight embrace, kissing him avidly before muttering “I love you.”



May 15th, 2006 4:00 AM

Darkness pervaded the air as fog began to develop; concealing road signs and diminishing shops and homes to obscure sources of faded light. Liam had by this point walked up highway 418, passing his parent’s house—his old home—on Garrett Street. From a distance he could see the beaming lights of the Sav-Way gas station where he once would ride his bicycle to in order to buy a coke or a hot dog. His childhood—right on up to his college days—was filled with joviality and carelessness, aspects that his contemporary life obviously missed somehow. He walked through the murky sea that the fog had become, and entered the convenience store like he had a million times before.

“Camel Frost, please,” Liam solemnly asked to the clerk. The clerk seemed to send a judgmental glance Liam’s way, probably wondering why he had been dressed so ornately and why he ruined his suit in the rain; and for that matter, why he was in the pouring rain in the first place. 

“Looks like you’ve had a long night.” Said—nearly asked—the clerk with a quizzical look, somehow dripping with condescension.

“Yeah…no kidding. How much is it?” asked Liam slowly.

“Three dollars and seventy cents,” read the clerk with little emotion emitted from her wrinkled face.

Upon exiting the aging store with practically no aesthetic appeal, Liam took the cigarettes and pulled out a soggy lighter from his pants pocket, praying that his trusty lighter would still work, and lit a cigarette. He took in the long, deep drag from his cigarette, pondered why anyone would desire to smoke anything other than menthol, and let out a grey plume of smoke that quickly dispersed into the fog which hung like an undesired blanket. Liam had picked up smoking during high school in secret, but had dropped the habit after his freshman year at Vanderbilt, deeming smoking as disgusting and for the disgusting. This night, however, Liam surveyed his actions and decided he was well fit for a smoke by his very own definition.



May 9th, 2005 3:19 PM

         Purple robes, hats, and a myriad of stoles of varying color covered the entire east side of the campus as the sound of clicking cameras and cheerful laughter permeated the air. Liam and Rachel had walked across the stage, both summa cum laude, and were now communing with friends and family. Liam, however, teetered around aimlessly among his cohorts, anxiously waiting for his opportune moment to beckon him.

         “Rachel, come with me.” Liam said attempting to sound nonchalant and calm as Rachel gave him a warm and boisterous smile that had the words ‘we did it’ all over it.

         “Ah I can’t believe we finally graduated, now we’ll see what else is in store” she gleefully stated with a smile that turned Liam’s legs into jelly.

         Liam grabbed her hand, smiled back, and attempted to filter the bright sunshine from his eyes with his right hand.

         “What are we doing, babe, our families are probably gonna wonder where we ran off to,” she said with a chuckle and a slight sense of innuendo.

         The quad was almost desolate, save for the few underclassmen that filtered out of the dormitories that line the far side of the quad. “you’ll see”, he said with some of his confidence returning while still holding on to her hand and walking briskly, almost dragging Rachel along. The two trekked over the bright grass, turned green from recent heavy rains, towards Tornghert. “Now what is so special about this exact spot” Liam asked with a wide grin.

         Rachel smiled modestly while her cheeks mildly blushed. “This,” She paused, “This is where we met.” Her face was now aglow with red as she sheepishly grinned.

         Liam examined Rachel’s face as she looked up to him and knew that now was the moment he was searching for. “Well I was just wondering something,” Liam casually offered.

         Rachel smiled but let a solitary tear roll down her cheek. “I love you” she said quietly, almost inaudibly, despite being forced. 

         “Well, see, I just wanted to ask something,” Liam paused, “will you marry me Rachel Caroline Weir,” pronouncing each name independently and coolly.

         “Yes!” Rachel exclaimed, being completely unaware of the volume of her voice while tears flooded her eyes and slowly cascaded towards her grin. “Yes of course I will marry you William Michael Copeland.” Her voice was now unsteady and full of enthusiasm.

         The two embraced on the edge of the quad, kissing fervently, not caring who witnessed the passionate scene. Liam reached under his graduation gown for the diamond ring that he had bought using his internship money from the previous summer. He took the ring from the box and gingerly slid it on her finger.



May 15th, 2006 6:37 PM

         Morning light had begun to make an appearance in the eastern horizon in an array of purples, blues, greens, and yellows; dissipating the fog into nothingness and reminding him of his college all-nighters when he would stay up past sunrise. This night however, wasn’t spent cramming for his abnormal psychology exam; it was spent meandering through downtown Fountain Inn after an evening that would surely be equated to hellacious in his mind in the not-so-distant future. He had finally decided to go to his former home and face his parents, both of whom must feel a mixture of anxiety and anger over his recent decision-making skills. He walked up to the 1950’s ranch-style home with the morning light illuminating the front of the house. He recalled his time living here when the morning sunshine would crawl through his bedroom window, casting light that pierced his blue eyes, waking him far before, of course, he desired. He had always wondered why his wealthy parents had chosen to stay in this house of moderate income status.

May 14th, 2006 11:46 AM

         Rachel could never have been as stunning as the day of her wedding. Her silk white dress conformed to meet her figure while spreading out from her waist to the ground behind her like some sacred shroud. Her hair was dressed up and partially covered by a veil of white with red and crème-coloured roses. Her skin was aglow with vivaciousness and attractiveness as she did nothing but smile while her mother and her bridesmaids helped dress her like a princess. Her made-of-honour, Becca, was a childhood friend who eventually grew up with her at Vanderbilt while baring a striking resemblance to Rachel’s beauty. All of Rachel’s friends had traveled from her hometown of Memphis and her college town of Nashville to this small town of Fountain Inn. The wedding was to be held at Liam’s Family’s church after Rachel became enamored with First Baptist Fountain Inn for its quaint small town feel and beautiful stain-glass windows. The church itself was nothing spectacular to an outside eye; a patterned brick building with additions as young as the 2000’s to the old chapel built sometime in the early 1900’s. The steeple rose higher than anything else in Fountain Inn, and could be seen from anywhere in town. 

         Liam wore a simple black tuxedo with a red-rose boutonnière in the left breast pocket. His face, compared to that of Rachel’s, was pale and seemed anxiety-ridden as he mercilessly paced around his old bedroom. His bedroom glistened with the successes and glories of a high-school student. Trophies and plaques from four years of basketball and cross-country running reflected his letterman jacket hanging in his closet and awards for academics and student government. Liam then sat upon his squeaky old bed, which he somehow adored, and pondered the life that he and Rachel had shared for the past three years and wondered how he could now be feeling this way. How he could possibly have done what he had.



May 13th, 2006 11:02 PM



         “Hey, I was just wondering if you wanted to go on a little swim at your dad’s new gym, it looks nice.” The overtly attractive brunette asked Liam in a slightly seductive tone.

         Liam released a light chuckle and said with a smile “Now I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”

         “Now how could this be so, the great Liam Copeland not wanting to do something that requires any bit of athleticism?” She joked with piercing grey eyes that intruded on Liam’s consciousness.

         “OK, fine, fine. I’ll go for a swim,” Liam joked back, thinking to himself that he cannot be seen doing such things, especially with one of the bridesmaids. “Twenty bucks says I beat you in laps,” he continued to scoff.

         “We’ll see about that Mr. Copeland,” she jeered back while heading towards Liam’s Acura TL with his keys. “You get shotgun, I wanna see what this expensive little baby can do,” she voluminously chattered. Liam’s car had been a gift from his parents for graduation. He always thought the gift was a little excessive in price, but was nonetheless thankful.

         The pool was closed to the general public this late at night, but because Liam’s father owned the local Sportsclub, Liam had special privileges due to his knowledge of security codes and access to keys. The two shuffled in as Liam yanked off his t-shirt, wondering what he would do if caught with Becca. She walked up to the edge of the pool, tested the water with her perfectly groomed foot while ripping off her green blouse and khaki shorts, leaving her entirely exposed apart from her satin panties and laced bra.

         “What’s wrong, ever seen a girl in a bra,” Becca replied to the shocked look Liam sent her way.

         “No, it’s just we really should not be,” He paused as Becca put her hands behind her neck and removed the bra.

         “What? We’re friends, right?”

         Liam stammered for words for a moment before Becca came across the pool and undid his brown belt and khakis.

May 14th, 2006 3:48 PM

         Rachel had forgotten, if not chosen not to, to eat before the wedding. The rest of the bridal party was at a luncheon, but she insisted on staying behind and no one dare question her. She had been violently sick for a time this morning, but she kept this secret in fears that the wedding would be deferred and, thus, passed the sickness off to anxiety. She was also fretting over several pounds that she had gained recently, in her mind due to the stress of finding the right graduate school for herself, and, naturally, the wedding. Though her rankings and GRE scores were exemplary, the search for a graduate program went on hold due to the upcoming wedding and the tension therein. But for now, with the wedding ceremony merely hours away, she found herself pacing and brooding over the possible imperfections that may befall the ceremony. Suddenly there was a loud and persistent knock on her hotel room door. Knowing of her maid-of-honour’s forgetfulness, Rachel assumed Becca was simply locked out.

         “Coming!” Rachel yelled as she picked up her flowing dress and squirmed towards the door. She thought to herself that walking in her dress was more problematic than she expected and began to worry about walking down the aisle. 

         Upon opening the door, she became flabbergasted at the sight of Liam, dressed in his tux, with anxiety and sleep-deprivation written across his face and in the dark circles beneath his eyes. Some wetness also appeared near the corners of his eyes.

         “Liam, what in hell are you doing here? You’re not even supposed to see me in my dress,” she screeched before pausing. She continued “what has happened?”

         “I…I don’t know how to say this.” She said as tears began to develop in his darkening eyes. Rachel looked at him intently with the excitement in her face now turned to helplessness. She knew that something terrible had occurred, fearing the death of someone dear. “Last night…I slept with Becca last night,” he choked on the words and diverted his gaze away from the shock that quickly developed on her face.

         Rachel brought her hands to her eyes as dark mascara began to roll down her cheek. She huffed and held her head up and screamed violently “GET OUT!” The power beneath the words surprised even her.

         “But…But I love you,” Liam managed to squeak out of his contorted face.

Rachel walked vigorously towards him and screamed “NOW!” while Liam dropped his head and walked out of the door before hearing it slam behind him.

May 15th, 2006 7:06 AM

Liam sat on his parent’s antique rocking chair that had been in the same spot for the past twenty years on their covered front porch. No one ever actually sat in the chair, fearing that Liam’s father would have a stroke over his “priceless” chair breaking. To Liam, the chair was just another chair that was meant to be sat in and so, Liam waited for the voices to stir in the inside of the house. After several minutes of not hearing anything, and knowing his parents were early rousers, Liam began to grow concerned. His initial thought was that they must be out looking for him, but quickly dropped that notion thinking that people do not physically look for people unless death is involved. Liam walked towards the oak-coloured door and peered through the crystal glass that lines the outside of the door frame. The door, Liam thought, had more worth and appeal than the antique chair due to its inventive appearance. Instead of knocking, he carefully slid into the house through the unlocked-door hoping not to awaken anyone. To some surprise, Liam immediately saw his parents in the living room that accessed the front door.

Liam immediately piqued his parent’s interests. The two were obviously sleep deprived as their pallor faces and their dark circles beneath their eyes painfully illustrated. His parents could easily have passed for people ten years older than they usually appear by their unkempt looks alone.

“Where have you been?” exclaimed his mother with an uncontrollable shrieking in her voice, “We have been worried sick since yesterday afternoon when we found your car, but no sign of you”. Her face was enmeshed with anxiety and concern, like a mother duck attempting to guide her flock.

“Now, Jean, he must of heard what had happened and simply hid for the night, right William?” his father protested against a mother whose anxiety was transforming into enmity.

“Wait,” Liam took a momentary pause, “I cheated on Rachel, that’s all.” He said with worry that something more sinister occurred. “What…What happened?” he said with an obvious shake to his voice.

“Oh my God,” replied his mother with tears flowing from her eyes like two rivers converging.

His father continued, “last evening,” he pause to swallow, “last night Rachel apparently murdered Becca after being enraged at her for some unknown reason, then hung herself,” he paused again, and attempted to sound professional to distance himself from the gruesome image. Liam’s jaw completely dropped to the floor, followed by the rest of his body, but he could not gather any tears. Instead the world seemed like a distant and merciless place that he was simply watching on the television. His father continued “with her veil…” his voice drifted off into the distance as Liam seemed t sail away into another world. The words entered his ears, but did not seem to penetrate his mind. “…the doctors say she was 6 weeks pregnant,” his father continued. To that remark Liam let out a yelp before sitting up and he began to think of ways to meet his own demise.