Honors in Creative Writing
An excerpt from The Underground Dwellers of Hoagie, Illinois
Part 1: I’m In Your Mind
Chapter 1
Isaac Barlow nestled himself comfortably into the backseat corner of the Plymouth sedan and laid his head on the window, his mind fuzz dwelling in the void between slumber and lucidity.
Don’t cave in, he thought. If you fall under, it’ll bite you. He crossed his arms and dug his hands into his armpits. Don’t do it, he told himself. Do not close your eyes. Fight it. Isaac tensed his eyelids and stared at the car’s fabric ceiling. Two seconds. Close them for two seconds, then open them right away. He let go of his eyelids, counted one Mississippi, two Mississippi, and opened his eyes. All right. Good self control, he told himself. Now try for three.
Isaac shut his eyes, slipped away from time, and fell backwards through the greased, leather seat cushion into a velvet warmth that weighed heavy on his skin and seeped into the folds of his brain. Isaac jumped across four and a half micro-narratives, one of which involved him swimming through liquid cement and winning bronze. In another, he utilized the fireman’s lift to stack all forty-nine members of the Barlow family on his broad shoulders and rescue them from the raging fire at the yearly reunion.
The car lurched forward, and the shuddering of the window against his temple ripped him out of the cushion and back into the Plymouth. Isaac removed his hand from its holster and rubbed his eyes. You blew it, he told himself. How long was I out for? The gray, miserable, permanent bags sitting on his face felt heavy and bulbous. He yawned but was quick to cover his mouth and prevent the spread of drowsiness. Stop making it obvious. Maybe they didn’t notice. The car approached a four-way stop and waited its turn. Isaac avoided looking at them and instead attended to the world outside the window. Swimming in elegant, oval laps above the water line in a puddle by the curb was the infinitely colored fish. The points of its dorsal spines glistened in the morning sunshine, and its scales changed color as they fluttered in waves along its body. As the car pulled away, the infinitely colored fish sunk head first into the puddle. Isaac clenched his jaw and rubbed his eyes, harder now to get rid of his tiredness. Come back to reality, he thought. We’re in the real world now.
… and that was your news roundup for the hour on this lovely Sunday morning. It is April 19th, nineteen hundred and fifty-three, and it’s time for us to jump back into the tunes, starting with…
A hand reached across the glossy, wooden dashboard and cranked the radio off. “Not enough sleep?” Lachlan Nolan asked. He sat in the front passenger seat and craned his head to look at the sliver of Isaac’s image in the side view mirror. At Lachlan’s inquiry, the others turned towards Isaac. Filling out the rest of the seats in the back were Faye Stanton and her husband Rhys. The couple sat arm in arm, Faye seated in the middle wearing a polka dot dress and Rhys layered up in a sweater and suede jacket. She had a soft bob hairdo with curly ends, and he wore thin frames that were a car bump away from falling off his nose. They stared at him curiously, causing Isaac to tense up, and he turned to Mickey Cordona in the driver’s seat who kept shooting glances over his shoulder. He grinned with his shiny pearly whites, a shocking brightness that contrasted with his inky, steel wool mustache. Mickey’s hair was slicked back, his sleeves rolled up to his armpits, and his skin was tanned like bullhide leather. Lachlan turned around, and his head hovered over the back of the seat.
“Did you get the recommended amount of sleep last night?” Lachlan asked. “At the meeting we mentioned getting at least nine hours as a precaution. Were you able to get that amount?” Beads of perspiration lay limp on his forehead, just below his silver comb over, and he wore a short sleeve plaid shirt with a tie featuring notable American landmarks such as the Lincoln Memorial and Liberty Bell.
Isaac sat up in his seat, his eyes skipping around to avoid looking directly at Lachlan. You can’t lie, he told himself. He was watching. He was testing you. Just couldn’t hold it together, huh? Ten minutes into the drive and you’re napping and drooling on yourself. Any impressions you made at the meeting? Gone. Probably wondering why they chose to bring you along. You said, you promised, you’d get nine. You got half, so where’s the rest? To think you walked home patting yourself on the back. You had to ruin this. You ruined this. Say something.
“No. No, I wasn’t able to get much shut eye last night. I’m sorry, Lachlan,” he said as he looked down at his work boots. “I’ve botched the plans, haven’t I?”
The other three turned to Lachlan and awaited his verdict. “Well… not necessarily,” Lachlan said. “I wanted to see how well you could prepare for an outing. But it’s fine. Let’s deem this a trial run for now. Really, there’s nothing to worry about.” Isaac looked up and met his eyes for a moment. “In fact, let’s consider today an observational day for you. That takes the pressure off not getting your full hours.”
Isaac grimaced and shook his head. “It just feels like I’ve thrown a wrench into the gears.”
Lachlan blew a raspberry at Isaac’s suggestion. “So you didn’t get nine hours. Big whoop. To tell you the truth, I think I got around seven and a half myself.”
“I got eight,” Rhys told him.
“Seven flat,” Mickey said, raising his hand.
Faye put her hand on Isaac’s knee. “Isaac, it’s fine. Believe me.” She waited for him to look up and smiled once she caught his eyes. “We’re not piranhas, Isaac. We’re not going to devour you for such a minor mistake. Plus,” she said, tipping her head to Rhys, “I don’t think you’re the only one who’s come to their first outing not in tip-top shape. Isn’t that right, honey?”
“Tell me about it,” Rhys said as he leaned in. “I had to spay and neuter a couple cats that day, and it was taking longer than usual. So not only did I end up running late, but by the time I caught up with the others, I realized I had a handful of doggie treats in my front pocket instead of the gloves I was asked to bring. This was back when we used to use gloves. I must’ve forgotten to swap them back at the office. But man, you should have seen the looks on their faces when I pulled out those Jerky Bits,” he chuckled. “On the bright side, that’s when we learned we didn’t need to use gloves anymore.” Rhys pat Mickey on the shoulder. “You’re welcome, by the way.”
Lachlan snorted and rolled his eyes. “This story again, I tell you.”
“How’d the outing go? Did it work out?” Isaac asked.
“It was smooth like butter, Isaac, especially after I turned that negative into a positive. I offered everyone some snacks to crunch on.” Rhys burst into a cackly, contagious laugh, and the others joined in. Isaac sat expressionless, looking from one laugher to the next.
“Sorry. That one’s a bit of an inside joke between us,” Rhys said as he gestured at the others. “Just so it’s on the record, I never gave anyone any doggie treats,” he assured Isaac. “I wish I did, though. I bet Mickey would’ve chomped down on them, no problem.”
Mickey sneered and spoke to Rhys’ reflection in the rearview mirror. “For your information, Rhys, us Cordonas are natural carnivores. I would’ve eaten those treats and gladly asked for more. Believe me.”
The group laughed, and Isaac carefully added his own.
“See? This is what I like to see,” Lachlan commended. “No animosity towards our new friend, even if he did make a rookie blunder.” Lachlan leaned over and slapped Isaac on the knee. “I kid, of course. What was it? A long night out?”
Isaac curled up and rubbed his elbow. “No, nothing like that. I was in bed. I tried, you know, really hard to get those nine hours. But I have this thing where I can’t stop overthinking everything. So, instead of counting sheep, all I thought about was work. They say not to do that, right? You’re not supposed to take work home with you? Ended up lying in bed for hours.”
“Well, you’re a dedicated, hardworking man, Isaac,” Lachlan said. “Not everyone is suited for the construction industry. I’m not surprised you can’t escape it. Even in the comfort of your own home, you must be fretting about projects and blueprints. Plus, I bet you’ve nearly lost a finger or two on the job, maybe even the whole hand, so that probably keeps you jittery. But someone’s got to build our community, and for that, we thank you. In fact, I think it’s marvelous, and it more than makes up for your lack of sleep. You’re forgiven, son.” Mickey snorted as he checked his blind spot and switched lanes. “Something you’d like to add, Mickey? Some positive words, I hope,” Lachlan grumbled.
Mickey scoffed and ran his fingers through his hair. “I mean, you love to see it. A group like this working together? What can beat that?” The hum of the engine occupied the air. “I just think it’s worth mentioning I came prepared my first time, is all.” He looked in the rearview mirror and winked at Isaac.
Rhys leaned over Faye and spoke to Isaac. “Don’t mind him, kid. He always gets cocky right before an outing.”
“No, no, no,” Mickey said, raising a finger. He looked at Rhys’ reflection in the rearview mirror. “I am cocky at my usual, but I become unbearable before an outing. Don’t steer the boy in the wrong direction now.”
Rhys shook his head. “My point exactly.” He put a hand on Faye’s lap and pulled himself closer. “My advice? Try to hit the hay a few hours earlier than usual. Works like a charm for me.”
Isaac nodded and smiled. “I appreciate it, but I’ve just never had luck with getting sleep. Apparently, it’s a family trait. I try my best to stay awake during the day, but if I can find a good spot, I try to squeeze in a nap. Man, I probably sound like a toddler right about now.”
Mickey nudged Lachlan. “And you said I got ripped off for upgrading the seats. These are good seats, Lachlan, soft enough to put a grown man to sleep.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Lachlan said. “I think the boy must be so tired he doesn’t even feel the springs digging into his thighs. Isn’t that right, Isaac?”
Before he could answer, Faye butted in. “So, Isaac, is this a daily occurrence? You made it sound like you’re never well rested.”
Isaac shrugged his shoulders. “That’s pretty much how it is. I usually get around five hours of sleep a night if you can believe it. Six at best if a long shift tired me out.” The others went stern and quiet. For a moment, all anyone heard was the running engine, the squeaking of the seat cushions, the rattling dashboard, and feet shifting against the carpeted floor. “Was that the wrong answer?” Isaac asked under his breath.
“Oh, Isaac,” Faye said, quietly.
“Is this a problem?” Rhys asked Lachlan. “Can he make it with us, even with the sleep problems?”
“And why wasn’t this brought up at the meeting?” Mickey asked, raising his voice. “Something this important should’ve been mentioned at the meeting, don’t you think, Lachlan?” Lachlan furrowed his brow and looked off to the side. “No one bothered to ask how well he sleeps?” Mickey asked.
“Calm down, damn it,” Lachlan said. “Fine. Maybe we should have asked, but who knew that was something worth asking?” Lachlan rubbed his jaw. “Isaac is a good man and a good fit for our group. There’s a reason he’s here with us so soon. We are not piranhas. We do not devour others, especially our own. Remember? And come on. We’ve dealt with problems before. Remember Tomahawk Grill? Meredith Clark? How about our first glove-less outing?” he said, pointing a wry smile at Rhys. “We know how to adapt and overcome. There is nothing to fret about, so let’s all take a deep breath, relax, and not get too worked up before the outing. Come on, let’s all take a deep breath.” They followed Lachlan’s lead as he inhaled and exhaled. “I apologize for what just occurred, Isaac. It won’t happen again.” The others nodded their agreement.
“So am I,” Isaac said before clearing his throat, “am I still part of the group?”
“Of course, Isaac, of course. You’re family now. Please, relax your shoulders. Make yourself comfortable. This was just a bump in the road, but did you see how quickly we got over it?”
“You’re right. I just need to take it easy.” Isaac smiled at the others and leaned back in his seat. Before he went gazing out the window, he caught Lachlan eyeing him in the side view mirror. Lachlan noticed, cleared his throat, and turned to look at the road ahead.
*****