Spare the Lambs Read Free

of town that no tourists are meant to see when they come for the beach.  I first saw the others when I walked past an old school or office building.  A large grey concrete block with twenty or thirty glassless windows on all five floors. 
    The hot, damp summers and harsh winters of Charlesville hadn’ t been kind to the building.  I could see the sky through some of the windows on the upper floor.  Large cracks deformed its face at random places.  A few of the cracks started at the ground level and went all the to the roof.  I thought it was a miracle that more of the building hadn’ t fallen down.  The walls were dark, nearly black , at the base.  It reminded me of the way blood stained my teeth when I got popped in the mouth.  The far side of the building’s face was covered in dead vines.  The building was like so many others on the outside of the city .  Built, used, and abandoned.  No one worries about the ruins.
    The motion of her hair, caught in a light breeze, drew my attention to the second floor.  Her hair was a deep red.  It looked like a small fire had started in the window as the breeze played with the strands.  She wore a simple black coat that contrasted wonderfully with her milky skin.  I had stopped walking, stood in the center of the road, and simply stared at her.  She caught me looking and stared back.  Her brightly painted lips moved.  I couldn’ t tell what she was saying or to who she was saying it to.  I felt a burning desire to get closer to her, even if she shunned or laughed at me.
    An older boy, almost a man, came to the window and spoke to her.  The redhead nodded towards me without looking away.  They both stared at me as they spoke to each other.  The man had blond hair that looked spiked.  He had a blue coat with some red design on it that looked to be well made and probably expensive.  I thought he had to be her boyfriend.  A girl that pretty wouldn’ t stay single for too long.
    I walked straight home, staring at my feet the whole way.  That night, I dreamt of the redhead.  Her lips were full and bright red, her skin glowed white, and her hair was fire.  She giggled at all my jokes and smiled at me when I looked at her.  Before the dream ended, she kissed me and I woke up still feeling her lips on mine.
    The next day, I wasn’ t able to pay attention in school.  All I could do was think about her.  I didn’ t even worry about the boys that felt they were on a mission from God to make my life hell.  I took the same path home, in hopes that I would see her again.  She wasn’ t in any of the windows as I walked by the front of the building.  I passed the office with a deflated heart but when I neared a tree along my path, the blond man stepped out from behind it.  Terror brought me to a halt.  The redhead’s boyfriend had ambushed me.
    His hair was spiked and the red design on the coat I could see was a howling wolf.  Deep blue eyes looked into me.  I don’ t know if I can describe those eyes.  With just a moment’s gaze, those eyes cut through all my layers and stared at the very core of me.  He was clean-shaved and later I discovered he never had a 5 o’clock shadow at the end of the night.  I never asked if he needed to shave or not.  He was a few inches taller than me and had some muscle to him. 
    I wanted to run but his eyes kept me rooted to the spot.  I have known many boys who would kick your ass if you looked at their girls, as if I could have stolen them.  Those guys were the same as the ones on the mission from God, but their image required some excuse to beat on the freak.  The blond boy asked my name and stared at me until I answered.
    My bladder tightened with fear as I told him my name.  He gave me a smile and told me that his name was Gerald and that he was seventeen.  He even made a joke about how gay his name sounded.  A great healthy laugh boomed out at his own joke.  I couldn’ t stop myself from laughing with