novel – Serotonin with a side of fries, please

The Sleepless Journals

June 17, 2024June 17, 2024 Tara A. Lesko - Writer

It has been a while, but hopefully this new approach to my book will motivate me further to get it done, and done well, and in a more reasonable amount of time. I’ve decided to write character journals as I’m writing the book. It will have multiple functions – a promotion, a preview (but no spoilers), and it will give the reader (and the writer) a stronger sense of who these people are. This is a fantasy but it’s also very much a human story. Then maybe once the book finally gets finished and published, followers of the journals will be more compelled to read about the characters lives and experiences in more detail. There’s still going to be a lot of great story telling for fans of contemporary or urban fantasy and lovers of 80’s/90’s nostalgia. So may I present, The Sleepless Journals 🙂 This is in its infancy so bear with me. https://thesleeplessknights.blogspot.com/?m=1

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The Sleepless Knights – novel excerpt, with valuable info that will set the tone for the rest of the book.

November 12, 2023 Tara A. Lesko - Writer

Do I call them people? Maeve wondered. People don’t have the supernatural abilities kids read about in fairy tales and comic books. Even though they all possessed awe-inspiring skills, they did look, speak, and interact like regular people, like everyday youth found in a mall or skating rink.

They made their way out to the back patio, a wide open space that was almost the width of the house. Some people we’re playfully sparring. Others lounged around fire pits. Maeve stared at a few young men who made balls of fire rise from one of the pits. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, they morphed the fire balls into different shapes, one being a hand making a peace sign. Once Maeve could pull her eyes away from that magic, she noticed a luxurious swimming pool complete with a stone waterfall. Quinn, in his orange and blue trunks, used his hands to shoot thick cylindrical streams of water over the heads of a swarm of pretty girls jumping in attempts to catch them.

“As you can see, Quinn can manipulate water, but he’s a damn good fighter too. We all have telekinetic abilities but moving water is a rare find amongst our people.”

“So, I guess that’s how he gets the girls, huh?”

“He likes to think so. Personally, I think he can manipulate minds, but only if they’re wearing mini-skirts.”

“Stop it,” she laughed and pushed him playfully.

“Maevey!” Quinn yelled with his arms in the air. The water snakes he created splashed down on the girls who whined about their hair getting wet.

“Oops, sorry ladies,” Quinn pushed himself out of the water and sprinted towards her.

“Maeve, it’s awesome to see you up and about.” Quinn wrapped her in a big hug, forgetting he had just come out of the pool. “Welcome to our crazy world. I told you we weren’t lying.”

She wrapped her arms around herself to block the chill. “I’m trying to process everything. Slowly, you know. Make sure I’m still on Earth. That’s a cool water trick by the way.”

“Aww thanks. Yep, we all have our own little blessings and curses around here.”

“Curses?”

“Sure, most of who you see here are good folks, trying to play the hands they’ve been dealt. Others, well..” Quinn gestured toward the back of the property that went uphill. Massive, plateaued boulders served as platforms for fierce fighters. The men and women on the rocks separated themselves from the rest of the backyard camaraderie, and Maeve noticed how hard they fought, with little mercy towards each other. “Practice” or “training” didn’t seem to be in their vocabulary.

“They’re a little overzealous when it comes to the whole warrior thing. They have to play it up because they’re really not as powerful,” Quinn dried himself off with an E.T. towel.

“I see.”

“MAEVE!!!”

She looked up to find Kyler on the roof of the mansion waving down at her.

“Check this out!” He waved again before disappearing from view.

“What is he doing?” She waved back.

“Oh, I have a feeling he’s going to do something stupid, but it’s always fun to watch.” Quinn looked up in anticipation.

“Don’t encourage him,” Cayden pleaded.

“You’re the one who used to let him swing from tree to tree when we were kids.”

“He wanted to be in the Jungle Book and wouldn’t shut up about it.”

“Never say die!!!” Kyler jumped from the three story building and sprinted through the air. She watched and marveled at his ability to defy gravity, not just hang from ceilings. After what seemed like several long minutes of flailing and flight, Kyler made a running landing onto one of the rock platforms, plowing into two guys getting ready to spar. Quinn laughed hysterically.

“He does it all the time. No worries,” reassured Quinn.

“How am I not dreaming?” She whispered to herself.

Shouting and shoving ensued on Kyler’s landing spot. She didn’t get the sense a full on riot was about to happen, but Maeve could see the serious fighters were not happy about Kyler’s stunt.

“Great. How much do you want a bet Aodhan is going to throw a fit now?” Cayden asked Quinn.

“Well, a whole twenty minutes of peace has gone by. Can’t have anymore than that can we?”

“Cayden!!” A kind of gangly, platinum blonde gentleman, followed by Kyler and several other fighters trudged down the hill and stomped their way towards the eldest Knight. .

“Can’t wait to hear this,” Cayden whispered to Maeve.

“Why does he look so upset? Kyler didn’t mean any harm.”

“Aodhan likes to pretend he’s the drill sergeant from Full Metal Jacket.”

“Those are the best parts of that movie,” Maeve tried to lighten his darkening mood.

“Only that guy was funny. This guy is just a pure douchebag,” Cayden added.

“Donnelly, tell this flying skidmark you call your brother to stop interrupting our training sessions!”

“Kyler, stop interrupting Aodhan’s training sessions,” Cayden replied flatly, without looking at his younger brother.

“I thought they were dick measuring parties?” asked Quinn. Cayden looked annoyed at first but then had to stifle a laugh.

“No one asked for you to chime in, shit for brains,” Aodhan approached Quinn, trying to look intimidating but the loud mouth Knight didn’t budge.

“Why don’t you and your pals go back to playing Ninja Turtles. I promise I won’t interrupt again,” Kyler cut in.

“One of these days you’re not going to land on your feet,” Aodhan turned his attention to the leaping Knight, “and I hope I’m there to see it happen.”

“Well, that’s not going to happen if you don’t get off your mama’s tit already.”

Aodhan attempted to lunge at Kyler but was stopped by Cayden and a couple of Aodhan’s cronies.

“Guys, can we for once remind ourselves that we’re supposed to be on the same team here? None of you acted this way when we were kids!”

“Just keep him away from our work, Donnolly. Or you’re going to have a lot more to worry about besides your headaches.”

Cayden scowled at the tall brute than looked at a puzzled Maeve.

“So, who’s this?” Aodhan pointed towards Maeve who stood securely next to Quinn once Cayden had to assume the role of mediator.

“A friend that needed our help. That’s all you need to know,” Quinn answered. Aodhan came within two feet of Maeve.

“Jeez, I thought the all mighty Sleepless Knights knew they had to rescue the damsels in distress not rough them up,” he pointed at the bruises on her face and her cut lip.

“They didn’t do this to me. The creeps they saved me from did this.” She realized it was the first time she acknowledged Cayden and the Knights as her rescuers.

“Aww, you mean the great Cayden Donnelly couldn’t save you before you got beat up?”

“Go to hell, Aodhan,” Cayden’s fury grew.

“Hey, I’m just pointing out the obvious here. Seemed to be a semi-successful mission if you ask me. But what do I know? I’m just a lowly carnie, right?”

“If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck,” Cayden moved into the space between Aodhan and Maeve.

“You’re pushing it, Donnelly.”

Maeve felt compelled to interject before things got uglier. “For your information, if it wasn’t for these guys, I would have been beaten, raped, dead, or all of the above. I would say that’s a win. May I ask you what you were doing on Friday night besides dick measuring with your disciples.” She couldn’t believe her own reaction, which earned her some laughs from the small crowd watching the conflict unfold. She knew a bully when she saw one, and that guy had no right to question how indebted she was to the Knights.

“I hear you, sweetheart. I hear you. Just let me know when you’re ready for some real protection, okay.” With that, Aodhan earned himself a hard shove from Cayden.

“Come on, pretty boy, show me what you got!” Aodhan took a fighting stance which Cayden refused to reciprocate.

“Enough!” A booming voice emerged from the house before Quinn and Kyler could grab the obnoxious carnie. “If I want to see 3rd grader behavior, I’d go to a Chuckie Cheese! But I know I helped raise sensible and cooperative men and women here, so act like it. What a display of nonsense in front of a guest. Aodhan, go back to the rocks and cool off. Cayden and Maeve you stay where you are, please. The rest of you, as you were.” ‘Yes sirs’ rose from the crowd before everyone walked away to carry on with their activities.

“I’m sorry, sir. It appears your Knights have come to the mountains with the goal of starting trouble.”

“Aodhan, now is not the time to channel William Zabka. We have a guest, and I’m sure you have plenty of teenagers waiting for your excellent guidance,” Corbin gestured for him to leave.

“Yes sir,” Aodhan replied flatly before scowling at Cayden and walking away.

“This has been quite the introduction to Fian’s Hallow hasn’t it, my dear?” Corbin smiled warmly at Maeve.

“I guess so. What’s that guy’s problem anyway?”

“Oh, he’s truly a fine young man underneath the Napoleon complex. Don’t take anything he says to heart. More importantly you are well enough now to be up and about. This is wonderful to see.”

“Yeah, I mean, I guess I’m feeling a bit better, but I can’t say I feel any less certifiable. This is all just hard to process.”

“Well then, why don’t you join me and Cayden in my study, and we can tell you the whole story. Perhaps not the whole story. I am sure you’re going to want to get home some time this year,” Corbin chuckled.

Corbin led Cayden and his bewildered guest into the house towards a wide spiral staircase with brass railings. On the way, they were stopped by more curious Fianna looking for an introduction to the mysterious young woman. Silently they climbed to the second level where a green carpeted hallway stretched before them, both sides lined with ornately carved wooden doors. Corbin pulled a brass skeleton key out of his pocket once they stopped at the eighth door on the left.

“Ms. Wicklow, welcome to my domain. It’s really an open space for all, but I’m as much a fixture in this room as the bookshelves.”

Corbin unlocked the door, and for a moment, Maeve questioned why the hell she agreed to enter this man’s room despite having Cayden right behind her. But once Corbin opened the door, the sight before her shattered that thought entirely.

The walls were lined with floor to ceiling, redwood bookshelves. The color patterns suggested the newer hardcovers occupied most of the reachable spaces, whereas the earth-toned and sun bleached older books required a rolling ladder to reach. The top shelves served as homes to books so old they needed tan strips of heavy duty tape to keep them together. Wall space that wasn’t covered by shelving held paintings in gilded frames that Maeve would expect to see in a museum. Portraits of mighty and intimidating warriors, both male and female, seemed to peer at her. A massive marble table with green and gold upholstered chairs sat in the center of the room. Scattered about on the smooth surface were open books, various papers, photos, and vases full of eucalyptus, mint leaves, and aloe. Bright flames flickered in the tall fireplace, and leather chairs sat invitingly in front of the fire. The space overwhelmed Maeve, and she couldn’t imagine a warmer and more tranquil room outside of her own in that little garden apartment in Jersey.

“Wow, just when I think I have seen it all. This is incredible.”

“Thank you Maeve. I had a feeling you’d like it. Cayden tells me that aside from the artwork, you’re quite the reader and writer.”

“Well, I know I do a lot of it. There’s no better way to wander and lose yourself without having to go anywhere. I could literally stay in this room until I died. How long has this house been here?”

“Longer than any of us have been alive,” Cayden handed her an obsidian palm stone he had been rolling around in his hand. “What would you say, Corbin? At least five generations back maybe?”

“Perhaps in this home, but Fianna have brigades and home bases all over the world that date back centuries.”

“Right, the Fianna. Now who are you guys exactly? Personally, I keep waiting for Tom Cruise to pop out of a closet with a little gnome or a fairy.”

“Hahaha, isn’t that a delightful film? I’m glad to see that after all you’ve been through, you’re reputed humor is still in tact.” Corbin earned a warm smile from his guest. “But you’re right. I promised you answers and a Fian never breaks his or her word.” He motioned toward the chairs in front of the fireplace. He and Maeve relaxed into the two leather chairs as Cayden made himself at home on the chaise lounge. Even though he sensed Maeve had become more relaxed, Cayden wouldn’t take his eyes off of her. Every one of her looks of wonder made him feel like flying, but every look of distress felt like a kick to the gut.

“Simon, bring us some tea, please,” Corbin called over to his assistant sitting at a small desk by one of the windows.

“Certainly sir. Would you like milk and sugar, miss?”

“That would be great. Thank you.” She watched as the hunched over old man left the room. Maeve never put milk in her tea. Her grandmother did, so for the longest time she assumed it was something that older and more mature adults did.

“I would never be able to find my cuff links without Simon. Good man, he is. Now, how much do you know about what the rest of the world calls Celtic legend and lore?”

Maeve wasn’t a bit surprised by that question.

“Not much, I guess. Maybe a few fairy stories my grandmother used to tell me when I was little. She knew my favorite was Tir Na Nog.”

“Ah yes, it’s all of our favorites, dear. But what if I were to tell you that what you and the rest of the world believe to be fairy stories or folklore is mostly true. And there is quite a bit the story books don’t tell you.”

Maeve twirled pieces of her hair between her fingers as she thought about her answer.

“I guess I would have to say that makes sense, maybe. I don’t know. A couple of days ago everything in front of me was so black and white. Now I barely know what to believe anymore.”

“Well, believe me,” chuckled Corbin. “You are still very much on Earth. You are still the same Maeve you were before you arrived here, and to tell you the truth, we’re not all that different from everybody else.”

“You shapeshift and Kyler can basically fly. I think that might be something a little more Disney’s Fantasia, don’t you think?”

“True, but just because we’re demigods, doesn’t mean we don’t go through the same rhythms of the human experience. We eat, sleep, laugh, cry..love, hate, and bleed just like everyone else. It’s our lineage that sets us apart and makes us have to hide in plain sight.”

“Your lineage?”

“Yes dear. Everyone here is a descendant of the original Fianna. Some are even the descendents of many different deities. But as the generations filter down, most lose their immortality. Some don’t reach their full potential. However, we all carry at least one unique ability that has to manifest at the right time, in the right place, and that’s why we are here. We use our powers to defend those who cannot defend themselves, the ones who suffer from the wrong doings of a select few.”

“We only wish there were a few evil-doers,” Cayden added. “Then again we wouldn’t have much of a purpose if there were only a few.”

“And who were the original Fianna exactly?”

“The greatest band of brother and sister warriors the world will never know, miss.” Simon returned with a silver tray of steaming tea cups and finger slices of warm bread swirled with raisins and spices. Maeve wasted no time devouring some of the bread, remembering how hungry she was.

“Oh Simon, always flattering us in front of guests, huh old friend,” Corbin took a sip of his tea. “Fianna have been around since the early Middle Ages. At that time they were bands of wandering hunters and warriors, not rootless per se, but they had not yet inherited land nor gained the skill set necessary to be deemed part of old Irish society, known as the Tuath. However, a young Fian’s goal was to be recognized as part of the Tuatha De Danaan – the folk of the goddess Danu – supernatural men and women serving as kings, queens, poets, storytellers, healers, warriors, musicians, and heroes.”

“So you’re all from Ireland.”

“Not all. The Knights are from Massachusetts. I’m from New York originally. Simon over there comes from the UK. We’re all over the world.”

“For a while we had pretty normal lives, like you saw in our photo albums on the bus,” Cayden added. “Once they thought our parents were ready to accept having children with..unusual abilities, guys like Corbin, Ethan, and other Fian leaders began training us to use our powers in the best ways possible. Plus, we learned fighting moves that would make Chuck Norris look like Mary Poppins.”

“Now Cayden, you know the most important part of what we do is help people in need of our assistance. The fighting is only a fraction of what goes into Fianna’s missions.”

“So how many other rock stars are actually supernatural warriors?” Maeve asked.

“Not many with the popularity The Knights have been gaining. But Fianna take on many different identities. We have athletes, artists, traveling theater actors, carnies, circus performers, musicians – anything that requires a great deal of travel. We want to be able to spread out and help as many people as we can. Come look at these scrapbooks.” Corbin rose from his spot in front of the fire and motioned for her to follow him to the table.

“Here you’ll get a bigger picture of how we’ve circulated over the years.”

Maeve took a seat and flipped through the distressed pages of the leather bound book. Photos, newspaper clippings, letters, journal pages, and other ephemera painted a picture of the warriors’ long history. Vaudeville performers, magicians, soldiers, singers, acrobats – some recognizable, some not – filled every page. Everything intrigued Maeve, but she knew there was much more to learn and understand. The scrapbooks provided more proof of how real the Fianna were. But she wondered how much she’d be willing to accept, and what did Cayden mean when he said there was a purpose to her presence in this bizarre world.

“You still haven’t told me your abilities, James.”

“James?” Corbin’s brow furrowed.

“It’s a nickname I gave him when we first met, and in a way, aren’t you all rebels without causes? Or I guess you do have a cause, huh?”

“Nothing specific, Agatha,” Cayden winked at her. “We just want to do what’s right. Like Corbin said, we’re still pretty human despite the whole demi-god thing. Who better to help humans than semi-humans who seemed to have leapt out of a comic? And we have to stay incognito, just like a Batman and Superman.”

“Yes, absolutely,” Corbin interjected. “The world certainly isn’t ready to know who we really are, and it most likely never will be.”

“So wait, you guys are like half gods, half humans, right? Does that mean you’ll live forever?”

“We’ll age and weaken like any other mortal, but the likelihood of dying from natural causes is slim. But it has happened. Our bodies have frailties just like everyone else’s. We can be killed by external threats. Immortality weakens as we move from generation to generation.” Cayden handed her another scrapbook to peruse.

“And that’s where our biggest mission of all comes into play, my dear.” Corbin retrieved Maeve’s tea from the end table and placed it in front of her. “A prophesier, with abilities our people haven’t seen in centuries, is the one who can help us, not only regain our immortality and strengthen us, but weaken the power the Moridhans have over this world.”

“The Moridhans?”

“Yeah, you can kind of think of them as rogue Fianna,” answered Cayden. “They’re just like us but they get off on using their power to wreak havoc and perpetuate fear and hardship. Some are worse than others, but they’re all pretty much douche bags.”

“Cayden, that is unfair.” Corbin lightly scolded. “Many of the Moridhans are simply misguided or grossly immature. Then many others are under Andreas’ manipulation.” Corbin handed her an old sketch of a burly, intimidating man with ratty shoulder length hair, wearing a combination of cracked leather and chainmail, cradling a crossbow as if it were a child.

“Well, I guess you’d never want to call him a sissy,” Maeve replied.

“He is our most substantial threat. He has powers I’m sure we are yet to see, and he’s after the same thing we are. They have even more to gain from finding The Prophesier.”

“Yes, who is The Prophesier again?”

“No one really knows for sure-”

“She is the one who can change what we know of the light and the darkness, Maeve.” Corbin swiftly interrupted the eldest Knight. Mauve noticed Cayden looking away defeated and slightly annoyed. “Not only can The Prophesier draw and document future travesties with more quickness and accuracy than any Fian with clairvoyant abilities, she’s also the one who can lead us to The Book of Tara. A text, if found and read aloud by the demigoddess, can give us back our immortality and forever weaken Andreas and his peons.”

“Like I was saying,” Cayden interjected, “No one is one hundred percent sure of her existence or how much power she has. She would be a descendent of hundreds of generations of seers. Even if she is found again, becoming The Prophesier is a huge demand,” he stared stoically at Corbin.

“Yes, son, you are right about that,” Corbin added. “If a seer is found once again, she will have to make the decision of her own free will to become part of Fianna. Her head and her heart would have to be focused on learning how to use her abilities. It takes strength, confidence, and faith to achieve prophetic power.”

“Okay, this may sound like a stupid question, but is there still, like, a God and Jesus and all that? All this makes is seem like you guys and the Moridhans are the only higher powers at play here.”

“Not a stupid question at all, dear,” Corbin moved to sit in the chair next to hers. “Like I said, everything you knew of the world before you were brought here is the same. We are certainly not the highest powers of the universe. There are many above us. The God and Jesus you’ve known are two of many, and we can’t see or hear them any better than you can. But we know they are there. We are merely..what would be the best comparison? We are the Jedi Knights to the Force.”

Maeve couldn’t help but laugh as Cayden face palmed and shook his head. She felt less doubtful but more confused at the same time. It helped that Corbin turned out to be less of an intimidating figure, not too dissimilar to Cayden. Though he was older and a bit more serious, there was a softness in Corbin’s voice and demeanor – like a Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, she thought. Darcy was her grandmother’s life long imaginary husband and Maeve smiled sadly at the memory.

“So what’s going to happen if you never find this Prophesier, or if the Moridhans get to her first?” Maeve continued to flip through the scrapbook, each page unraveled the mystery of this new world that existed before anyone created time.

“We don’t have to worry about that. She’s sitting right here in this room.”

“Corbin, come on!” Cayden got up from his seat.

“Wait, what?” Maeve rose from her chair and looked back and forth at the two men. “What’s going on? And what the hell have you been smoking? You can’t possibly think I am anywhere close to being this Prophesier. I can’t even help my Mom balance her checkbook.”

“This is not the time, Corbin, and it’s certainly not the way. At least give her time to heal and process everything a little bit more,” Cayden pleaded.

“There is no easy way or hard way to reveal to a lost soul what they’re truly capable of. You are a man of truth and action, as am I. You’re either going to lay it out on the table or stay silent.”

“Look, I think you guys have read your tarot cards wrong because I’m not your girl. Now if you’ll excuse me gentlemen, I’m going back to the bus. Whenever you’re ready to get me home, please let me know.” Maeve headed towards the door.

“Wait, I’ll walk you,” Cayden followed.

“Your grandmother was a descendent of one of the Muses. That’s why she was able to remember everything she read, not just Pride and Prejudice, and she wrote so beautifully. Brilliant woman, she was.”

Though her hand was on the brass knob, Maeve didn’t open the door once she stopped dead in her tracks. She turned to face Corbin, completely spellbound.

“How did you know that? How did you know my grandmother?”

“I didn’t exactly know her, but we do have record of her and her lineage. Yes, Abigail Wicklow. She helped Fianna from time to time, but she was never truly part of the society. There were Fian that tried to convince her, but her place was with her grandchildren. She could not be swayed. Brilliant but also stubborn. I’m not surprised her granddaughter is just like her.” Corbin smiled warmly and approached her.

“I can’t believe this,” she whispered and let tears fall down her cheeks. Cayden wrapped his arm around her, a simple act of comfort that sprung a twinge of uneasiness in Corbin, no matter how badly he tried to push it away.

“I did not tell you this to upset you or further confuse you, my dear. I’m simply asking for a chance to prove to you that the world may be the same world as it was yesterday, but your purpose within it is far different from what you thought it was.”

Maeve stood with her feet bolted to the floor. After several moments of silence, she slowly returned to her seat at the table.

“Okay, so what do you have to show me?”

Novel snippet #3 – The Sleepless Knights. *the Muse has been on fire lately. :)

February 22, 2022 Tara A. Lesko - Writer

“Alright, where are we heading first, kids?” Kyler asked once each of us threw out our garbage.

“I say we let the lady choose,” Quinn threw his arm over my shoulders.

“Oh no, it’s totally up to you guys.”

“But we want this to be your night, Maeve,” Cayden affirmed. “What did you usually do first when you would come here as a kid? If we leave the night up to Quinn we’ll end up in the middle of the Atlantic.”

“Well, after we chowed down on sausage sandwiches, we’d play some games. My grandmother had this knack for winning the spinning wheel games.”

“Oh, you’ve seen nothing yet, sister,” proclaimed Rian which earned him a slap upside the head from Kyler.

The six of us walked the boardwalk for a bit until we spotted lines of games that seemed to be calling to us. Quinn, Donovan, and Kyler made their way to the strong man game while Cayden and I followed Rian to a Frog Bog stand. We watched him pay the operator for two buckets of frogs.

“That giant Pac Man is as good as mine.”

“Re, just take it easy okay. Don’t go nuts,” Cayden threw him a slightly stern look.

“Yeah yeah, KD, don’t worry about me,” winked Rian. He loaded his metal launch pad with his first frog. I patted him on the shoulder and wished him luck before Cayden and I found an empty spot on the opposite side of Rian. I couldn’t help but notice a big teddy bear wearing a Yankees jersey hanging amongst the menagerie of stuffed prizes. Instantly I thought about how much my brother would have loved it, especially when he was younger. After a few moments of staring dazedly at the bear, I snapped myself out of it.

“Have you ever played?” I asked Cayden, handing him a rubber mallet.

“No, I can’t say I have. Us New Englanders are deprived.”

“Well then, let me show you how it’s done.”

Before I could get my money out of my jeans pocket to pay the man for my bucket of floppy rubber frogs, Cayden insisted he’d pay and we’d split the bucket of ten.

“Always fold the frog with his head facing you, and always go for the lilypad in the middle that’s not moving. That way if it bounces off the middle it has a chance of landing in one that’s spinning.”

“You make it sound like a science,” he teased but smiled sweetly.

“Oh, I have done extensive research and experimentation. I come from a family of boardwalk game Mr. Wizards after all.” Unfortunately, I was all talk because out of the five fervent shots I took, allowing the rhythmic sound of mallets hitting metal around me to fuel the fire, I only got one on a lilypad.

“Okay, so I’m a little rusty.” I stepped aside so he could take his turn.

“Well, why don’t you go ahead and take the next five. I’m going to save my energy for the game where you have to throw baseballs at glass bottles.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive. I much rather see you enjoying yourself.” He put his mallet down and gestured for me to continue.

I set another frog onto the launch pad, aimed, then tried to judge how much force I had to use. Hard rubber hit metal and off it went directly into the middle pad. I thought I saw Cayden wave his hand right when I hit the launch pad but I wasn’t totally sure.

“I did it!”

“Nice! Keep going.”

I took my time with each shot. Every single one landed on top of the other in the center lilypad. I was in awe, mostly by my sudden surge of accuracy, but I was also puzzled. Each time I launched a frog, I caught Cayden from the corner of my eye, waving his two right fingers forward as if guiding each frog into its spot.

“What are you doing? Willing the frogs to their home,” I laughed.

“Something like that,” he rubbed the back of his neck. Something I already noticed he did a lot when he was nervous.

“Annnnd, it looks like we have a big winner here. Alright miss, what will it be. You can choose any of these guys that are hanging up.” The game operator pointed to the line of humongous stuffed animals swaying in the breeze from the overhang.

“Oh, wow! In all my years of playing this I never won the jumbo prize. That’s okay, I have no where to put any of these monsters anyway.”

“Well, the medium ones aren’t so bad. Come on, you can’t walk away with nothing.” Cayden playfully nudged me with his elbow.

“So which one would you pick for me?”

He scanned the row of animals hanging in between the jumbo prizes. I watched as he rubbed his chin and gazed at the toys as if examining an abstract painting. He squinted his right eye. Clearly he was exaggerating, but I couldn’t help but notice how cute he looked. Knock it off, Wicklow. He’s no where near your league.

“That one.” He pointed to the bear with the Yankees jersey.

“No way, that’s the one I had my eye on before.”

“I guess I know you better than you think I do.”

“Here you go miss, enjoy,” the operator swung the large bed pillow-sized bear into my arms and I immediately squeezed it into my chest and rested my cheek on its head. I thanked Cayden for letting me empty our bucket of frogs.

“My pleasure. Though I would be lying if I said I didn’t admire that bear right now.” Cayden rubbed the back of his neck. I could tell he was mentally kicking himself for making such a bold statement to a girl he’s known for a few short hours.

“Let’s go see how Rian is doing.” I turned and hoped he didn’t see the red in my face.

A light crowd had gathered around Rian on his side of the large booth. They watched in awe as he landed a frog in every lilypad he aimed for. He already had the big PacMan, along with a Scooby Doo and a Batman lying beside his launchpad.

“Alright folks, now who wants to see me bounce this thing to the other side of the pond?” Rian posed like a circus ringmaster.

“Actually, little brother,” Cayden grabbed the mallet before Rian had a chance to raise it over his head. “I think you may have had enough of this game. Let’s try one of those mechanical crane games that you love, huh?”

“Oh come on KD, I want to get the R2-D2 for Donovan!” Rian had to be at least 17 but he sounded like an eight year old at Disney begging to ride Space Mountain for the fifth time.

“Yeah, listen to the man, kid. You gonna take all my prizes!” The other game operator complained.

“What are you talking about? You guys rake in the dough. Everyone knows these games are rigged.”

“Listen you little twerp, you callin me a cheat!”

“No, he’s not. Not at all, sir. Rian, get your stuff and let’s go. Now.”

“Fine,” he defeatedly grabbed his winnings and followed Cayden and I like an angry puppy down the boardwalk to meet up with the other guys.

“Now that’s something you don’t see when you come here.”

“What’s that?” Cayden grabbed my bear for a moment so I could zip my jacket.

“A Frog Bog sniper.” Out the corner of my eye, I could have sworn I saw Rian, who was trailing several feet behind us, throw something back the other direction.

“Oh, that. Well, he knows a lot about physics and all that stuff. With Gus’s tutoring, he’s getting a better education than I ever did.”

Suddenly we heard a commotion back at the Frog Bog booth. It was hard to see from where we stood, but it looked like the angry jerk game operator was trying to punch some spiky-haired skater kid in the face as bystanders intervened.

“Man, that dude’s pissing everyone off tonight, huh?” Rian laughed with a triumphant grin.

“Rian, do we have to get Gus to come put your ass back on the bus?”

“Nooo, I didn’t do anything.”

“How could he, we’re like 50 feet away at this point?” I came to the defense of the little bugger.

“Exactly, listen to the lady.” Rian held out his Batman to me. “May he always remind you of me and defend your honor, my enchantress.”

“Aww, thanks Rian.”

“Dude, really?”

“Hey, don’t get made at me you weren’t able to win something for the lady.” Rian put his arm around my shoulders.

“Actually, Cayden was nice enough to let me take his turns so I could win this guy here.” I patted Yankees bear in the head.

“Awww, how sweet. Look who decided to use his skills to his advantage.”

“What do you mean?” I asked confused.

“Nothing, absolutely nothing. Come on little bro, let’s go explain to Donovan why I wouldn’t let you win him a R2.” Cayden playfully put Rian in a headlock and gave him a noogie. Come to think of it, he might not have been playing around that much.

“NO! No, no, no!” Rian pleaded. “I’ll be good the rest of the night, I swear.”

With Rian’s head still locked in his bicep, Cayden headed in the direction of the other guys who were standing at a spinning wheel game, and I followed closely behind.

They never struck me as typical guys from the moment I met them. It didn’t take a genius to figure out these guys weren’t your run-of-the-mill teenagers you’d find in arcades or skateparks. These were grown men in a band – still young, but definitely no longer boys. Yet there was something puzzling about them that went beyond rock star eccentricity. I couldn’t put my finger on it. I knew there’d be little more they would share with me being so close to public figure status, so I tried to go with the flow. Still, something inside me felt that Cayden was being the most secretive, and he was the one that dragged me along with them in the first place. Okay..okay, he didn’t exactly need to drag me to Seaside with him and the boys. I could have easily got in my mother’s car, drove out of that mall parking lot, and never think twice about it. Despite my wonderment, I was ecstatic I took the road less traveled. Rhiannon would he so proud of me, and enormously pissed I didn’t have Gus come pick her up on the way.

“Hey there you two! Look what I won.” Kyler held up a giant box of Sugar Daddys with the excitement of a lottery winner.

“That’s awesome, Kyler! Pace yourself there, buddy. You’re not going to want to sing after three hours of root canal.” He chuckled at my little joke.

“Yeah, but check this out,” Quinn pulled a framed mirror out of a paper grocery bag and held it in front of Cayden and I. Our reflection was partially blocked by a big, printed emblem in the center. “Our name is on a boardwalk prize. We have arrived.”

“The Sleepless Knights..That is so great, you guys. Congratulations! That puts you all up there with Motley Crue.”

“Ha, I wouldn’t go that far just yet, but thanks for the vote of confidence.” Cayden draped his arm over my shoulder.

“Hey, listen to the woman,” Quinn asserted. “If this boardwalk was busier right now, we’d be swimming in chicks. Don’t get me wrong. I love that it’s just the six of us. But there’s really no hormonal balance right now.”

“Man, start thinking with the head on top for a change,” quipped Donovan as he poked his fearless leader in the top head.

“Oh, before I forget,” Kyler handed me a stuffed Care Bear, “This is for you.” I struggled to carry three rather large stuffed animals.

“And this is for you,” Quinn slung the strap of a brand new pink boombox radio over my shoulder.

“Oh my God, guys. This is too much! Are you all winning every game you play?”

“Yeah”

“No”

Donovan and Kyler answered at the same time.

“Oh yeah, this for you too,” With his head down, Donovan placed a shiny purple lock and key diary in my somewhat free hand.

“Thank you so much, Donovan. It’s beautiful.”

“Nice, man,” added Cayden.

“Yeah, well, I didn’t win what I wanted from that dart and balloon game, so..”

“Are you kidding. You just wanted to clear that wall of balloons and watch the dude’s jaw drop. You were going to walk away with nothing until you saw that book,” Kyler dodged a swat from an annoyed Donovan.

“Well either way. Thank you. All of you, so much. This has already been an interesting night,” I laughed and continued to struggle holding all of my loot until Cayden took some of it off my hands. We managed to squeeze the diary, the boombox, and at least the bottom half of one of the stuffed toys into my backpack. Batman’s head stuck out of my Jansport like a baby strapped to my back.

“Ok, what do you say we hit some rides, huh? Last one to the bumper cars buys ice cream!” Rian exclaimed then ran towards the ride pier. Kyler and Donovan took off behind him.

“Dude, you know you gotta be able to see over the steering wheel!” Quinn jogged to catch up.

Cayden and I looked at each other and shook our heads, making a silent agreement that we weren’t going to run. We walked in silence for a few moments. The further we walked into the heart of the boardwalk, I watched him take it all in – the music of the nearby carousel, the bells ringing from the water racing game, the sweet smell of hot funnel cake. It was as if he was looking at everything for the first time because he was. He was definitely more relaxed than he was at the mall.

“I’m glad you came with us, really.”

“I am too.”

“You know I was thinking more about your artwork and your stories and stuff. You should share your work more often. You may not believe it, but your art can save..I mean help..a lot of people in a big way.”

“Really, you think I’m that good?”

“I know you’re that good.”

I looked down at my feet, unsure of how to respond. “Thank you..but I don’t know about saving the world or anything. I simply put down on paper everything this mind conjures up, sometimes whether I like it or not.”

“Trust me, everything you create will be important to somebody. That’s the great thing about art, knowing that a part of you is going to be needed by at least one total stranger. And for that stranger, you change their world.” Silence fell upon us for a few moments. If the ocean wind wasn’t constantly blowing in my face, I probably wouldn’t have been able to breathe.

“That’s kind of easy for you to say. Everybody loves a rock band of five hot guys. Art lovers and short story readers are few and far between.”

“Ahhh, I see how it is. Five hot guys, huh?” he teased. “I knew you were only hanging out with us for our looks.”

“And don’t forget the prizes!” I held up my Yankees bear and grinned.

“That’s a low blow, Wicklow. Now you got to make it up to me. I’m outraged.” He slapped his hand to his chest to exaggerate a broken heart. We entered the ride pier and spotted Rian and Kyler waiting to get on the bumper cars, and Quinn and Donovan were next to get on the pier’s only looping roller coaster, The Viper.

“And how should I make amends? You guys are much better at beating these games than I am.”

“Oh, I don’t need a stuffed animal or a mirror with my band’s name on it, Agatha. What I do want is for you to ride The Viper with me.” He flashed a mischievous grin.

“Ha, no way James! I do not get on anything that goes upside down. You’ll be wearing the sausage sandwich I just ate.”

“You mean you’ve practically grown up on this boardwalk, and you’ve never been on that coaster.”

“No, I happen to value my sanity and my life to some extent.”

“What do you think is going to happen? You’re strapped in by metal bars, and you have centripetal force on your side.”

“Thank you, Sir Isaac Newton, but I’m still not getting on that thing.”

“Okay, well I guess I’m going on by myself. The boys just got on, so I’ll have to wait for the next run.” He slowly walked away from me, turning his head a couple of times to show me his sad, puppy dog eyes. He must’ve mastered that look a long time ago. It definitely screwed with my resolve.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m not doing it.” I squeezed my teddy bear to me for protection. He continued to baby step his way to the Viper line, using that face for all it was worth, even going so far as to kick an imaginary can or stone.

“These things are always so much better with someone to ride with.” He continued to pout. The few riders ahead of him in line were either couples or parent/child combos, so he would definitely end up riding next to an empty seat. Despite being on the verge of a panic attack, I didn’t want Cayden or any of the guys to think I was a coward. I didn’t have a wealth of prior knowledge about them going into the evening, but I did know they had a reputation for being bold and adventurous. I could only guess they wanted to see the same sense of adventure in anyone they hung out with. I didn’t want yet another reason to feel out of place in their circle.

“Fine!” I asserted after several moments of terrified silence. I joined him in the line which was starting to move up the steps to the ride’s platform.

“I just want you to know I’m not going to enjoy this for a second, and don’t expect me to open my eyes.”

“I promise you,” he placed a reassuring hand on the small of my back. “You won’t need to have your eyes open.”

We inched our way closer to the rides platform, my eyes transfixed on the coaster coming to a stop. Wind blown faces smiled and laughed which did nothing to ease my worries. Once the current riders climbed out of their seats, it would be our turn. Ever since I was little, I adamantly refused to go on any looping roller coaster. The reality of hanging upside down 80 feet above the Earth below, regardless if it’s for mere seconds, shatters all rational thought. My regular day-to-day thoughts were typically enough to thrust me into a state of mania. I didn’t need to put my life in the hands of engineers. The cars emptied, and then every relaxed or excited soul in front of us in line handed the ride operator their tickets.

“Yeah!! Go for it, Cayd! That was awesome!” Quinn yelled from the ground below. Cayden gave him a thumbs up, but all I could do was scowl.

“Okay, Ms. Wicklow. You ready for the ride of your life?”

“You mean..the ride to..the afterlife.” I didn’t realize how short of breath I was until I spoke.

“Hey, hey, hey, Maeve. It’s alright. I promise you are going to love this. You won’t want it to end.”

Cayden handed the operator our tickets. I had to think of an escape fast, without looking like a wuss.

“Oh, darn! I can’t go on with all the stuff you guys gave me. Guess I’ll just have to sit this one out.”

“You can leave you stuff right here, miss.” The ride operator pointed to the floor of the steel platform, near the controls.

“There you go! Problem solved,” Cayden rubbed his hands together.

“Thank you! Sir. I am forever grateful for your help!” I reluctantly placed my backpack and stuffed animals near the control panel.

“Come on,” Cayden took my hand and squeezed lightly, the warmth and softness offered me a few seconds of ease. “You have nothing to worry about. I swear to you I will break your fall – if our restraints happen to fail us.”

“Not helpful Cayden!”

“Sorry, bad choice of words.”

My heart beat out of my chest, and my palm sweated onto his. As we approached our seats, my vision blurred. Cayden climbed into the car and reached his hand out to me.

“I’ll have sex with you on the beach instead.” Apparently I had no control of what came out of my mouth either. I never had sex before, and there was no way it was happening that night. He blushed and laughed nervously. The couple in the seats behind us laughed. I’m pretty sure the guy said, “Damn, I wish it was that easy,” which then earned him a backhanded slap to the gut from his girlfriend.

“Tempting, but that’s not going to get you out of this ride. Let’s go, Wicklow.”

Every muscle in my body tightened and I held my breath as we got strapped into our seats. There were over-the-shoulder straps as well as a cushioned bar that locked us into place. Despite the security, I couldn’t get my mind to stop racing with images of a catastrophic, bloody derailment or my body being whipped out of its seat and into the Atlantic Ocean. I gripped the metal handle bars until my knuckles were white and stared blankly at the seat in front of mine.

“Want to hold my hand?” He tried to unlock my grip from the cold steel.

“No”

“Why not?”

“Because I want to hold on. What do you mean, “why not?”

“Nothing. Is. Going. To. Happen. Don’t you trust me at least a little bit by now?” His tone had its typical light-heartedness, but I could sense his seriousness too.

“It’s not that I don’t trust you. I don’t trust machines.”

“Human beings are machines in one way or another, Maeve. Just as unpredictable too. At least we used to be.”

“What do you mean, “used to be?” I looked over at him for the first time since we got into our seats. He looked almost somber for someone who was about to ride a rollercoaster he couldn’t wait to get on. I decided to shut up and at least try not to look terrified.

That didn’t last. The cars jolted forward and began their slow and steep ascent. I flashed my eyes open occasionally to take in the view the higher we crept, but then squeezed them shut once I got a glimpse of the ride’s approaching summit. I studied every sound beneath me, the clanking of the massive chain that pulled us up, the occasional squeaky wheel. I wanted to hold my breath until I passed out, but then I remembered no one can really do that. Cayden pulled at my hand once again, and this time I felt powerless to stop him. Opening one eye, I caught a glimpse of him, his head back against the seat, eyes softly closed, a relaxed smile on that perfect mouth. I looked down to see his fingers intwine with mine, his thumb drawing circles on my skin. Miraculously, my body relaxed and I locked both eyes on him. At that moment, I felt like I could stare at him forever. But then we reached the top and came to a two second halt.

“Close your eyes.” It was a whisper I shouldn’t have been able to hear. As soon as the coaster started its near 90 degree angled plummet, I complied. He squeezed my hand.

I felt the force of the drop at first. Then a glow of soft yellow light filled my vision. I knew the wind hit my face, and my long curls flew wildly. But suddenly, I was no longer there. The roar of the machine, the sounds of the boardwalk, the screams of joy from the other riders somehow quieted like a radio being turned down to minimum. I figured my terror somehow blocked out the noise, but I didn’t feel an ounce of tension or fear. But nothing was more overwhelming than what I saw.

There I was looking out at the ocean as I walked slowly, the waves crashing against the rocks, the lengths of my grayish lavender chiffon dress and black shawl waving violently in the wind, thick locks of hair blowing in my face. The sky finished a late afternoon storm, and the jagged rocks looked menacing, inviting, and quelling all at once. The lush green beneath my feet, which stretched out for miles, was familiar though it was a place I knew I’d never see.

How did I end up walking the highest point of the Cliffs of Moher? I felt everything – the sea spray, the grass under my bare feet, the warmth of the sun reemerging from the dissipating clouds fused perfectly with the slight chill of the breeze. For several moments, I was alone. Not a living thing, not even a seagull, could be heard or seen. Until a strong pair of arms wrapped around me, and I froze. His breath trailed from behind my ear, down my neck, then lips touched my exposed shoulder.

I shuddered and attempted to turn to see who it was, but before I could catch the slightest glimpse, his hand gently grabbed my face. He pressed my back against him with his other hand and buried his face in my hair. Right when I tried to speak, a flash of light and a jerking motion pulled me away. The ride had come to an abrupt stop, and began it’s slow roll back to the platform. I looked around windblown and dazed, but I wasn’t sure from which experience. My hand was still wrapped with his, and I looked over to see his beautiful smile.

“See that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“What even happened? Did this thing even move?” I was breathless and confused and there was no point in hiding it.

“Yeah it did. That was awesome.”

“I’m glad you had fun. I…I..I don’t know what the hell happened. But I wasn’t here.”

“Really, where were you?” He asked like he already knew the answer.

“Nevermind. It was nothing. I guess my imagination is better than I think it is sometimes.”

He helped me climb out of the car once the coaster finally reached the exit and entrance ramps. I took three steps and my knees felt like they turned to dust. As promised, he stopped me from falling.

“Whoa, careful there, Agatha,” he held my waist and I grabbed the lapels of his jacket. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah..yeah I think so. It’s just I saw something…something so real it was as if…,” I started to regain my bearings, “Oh, nothing, don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Better than I’ve been in a long time actually.” I released my grasp on his jacket and went to grab my bag and prizes. He insisted I hold his arm as we made our way down the ramp where the guys were waiting for us.

“Hey there, Mork and Mindy! How was The Viper?” Kyler asked.

“She did great, you guys. I’m proud of her.” Cayden draped his arm over my shoulders.

“Oh come on, it’s not like I climbed Everest or something,” I nudged him with my elbow.

“Well, I embarrassed the hell out of this dork on the bumper cars,” Rian boasted as he jumped on Kyler’s back.

“Only because that’s how you actually drive, ya dickhead.” Kyler shrugged Rian off of him then put the younging into a playful head lock.

“So what do you say guys? Haunted house time?” asked Quinn.

“Man, that’s lame. I want to ride The Viper again,” complained Donovan.

“I’ll go on with you, Don!” Rian jumped in.

“You better not, dude. We didn’t bring the diapers with us,” teased Kyler.

“Eat shit and die, numbnuts.” Rian attempted to flick Kyler in the ear.

“The haunted house has always been a family favorite.” But honestly, I wasn’t in the mood to ride anything else. My head was still reeling from the coaster, and I felt the urge to draw and write before I forgot a single moment of it.

“Well, let’s go, my lady. Lead the way. Re and Donovan, meet us back at the Scrambler,” Quinn patted Donovan on the back before he and Rian ran back to the growing Viper line. The rest of us made our way to the haunted house. I wanted to go in the haunt, but at the same time, I didn’t – too many good memories of a time lost that ultimately drained every fiber of my existence.

Cayden sensed my feigned happiness as the cart rolled and twisted its way through the horror themed rooms. I pretty much knew where every mechanical creature was going to pop out at us. I knew where every loud bang and crash was going to sound. Every time a supposed scare happened, he reached over to tickle my side and let out a girly scream, and for several moments, I was a kid again – giggling like an eight year old and not having a care in the world.

The boys and I went on a few more rides before they decided on an arcade. I wasn’t interested in playing arcade games at that point, and my feet were killing me. I told them to go have fun while I grabbed an Orange Julius and relaxed on a bench.

“You guys go ahead. I’m going to stick with Maeve.” Cayden took a seat next to me.

“Okay, but you two crazy kids stay out of trouble now, you here.” Quinn winked then followed the rest of them to the beeping melodies of the arcade games.

“He’s not much for subtlety is he?”

“Never has been. Never will be. Still, I don’t know what I’d do without him though.”

“They’re all such great brothers to have. You’re very lucky, Cayden.”

“Well, Kyler is the only one who is my biological brother. The others I’ve known since we were in diapers.”

“Oh, I would have never had guessed. Now that you mention it, I guess I do see the resemblance a little. You definitely have prett…I mean..bigger, more expressive eyes.” I looked down at my lap, hoping he didn’t catch on to my near slip. I really need to learn how to shut my pie hole sometimes.

“Thank you. And you…you have the wildest head of hair I’ve ever seen on a woman.”

“Thanks, I guess,” I ran my fingers through my curls that were definitely unruly thanks to the wind and sea mist. He turned to look out into the ocean.

“Hey, what do you say we walk the beach a little while those buttheads blow all their cash on Donkey Kong.”

“This isn’t going to be the part where you kill me and throw me in the ocean, right?” I asked mischievously.

“No, but I wouldn’t mind trying that sex on the beach thing you were talking about earlier.”

I laughed nervously and looked the other way. I knew he wasn’t serious, for the most part, but I couldn’t help but feel my face start to burn.

“You know I’m kidding, right? My hands will not leave my pockets, I swear.”

“Alright, alright. But remember what I said about those fountain pens. I’m not afraid to use them.”

We walked close enough to the water where there was nothing but wet sand beneath our feet. Occasionally, I used the glow of the boardwalk to look back at our footprints in the sand. We talked about music, art, which Godfather was the best out of the three, and life in general. Well, I did most of the talking and he asked the questions, which was fine with me since I’m not an initiator – especially in that situation. What do you ask a man that appeared to have it all – growing fame and fortune, family and friends, travel and luxuries?

Still, all of my questions were given vague answers or complete reversals. In such a short amount of time, I never knew how much one person could be a friend and a total stranger at the same time. We found a dry, sandy spot to sit and simply stare out into the vastness of the ocean. The waves were gentle and rhythmic, and only a few stars could be seen through the scattered clouds. All of the boat lights in the distance put on more of a light show. Cayden lie back, propped up on his elbows while I stayed sitting upright. Suddenly, I felt the urge to crack the walls he seemed to build around himself. I needed him to know that I would never be some nutjob groupie who would sell his story to the highest bidder.

“Tell me something that no one will ever know – no matter how famous you guys get and for how long.”

“Ohhh, so you are putting us in fad status already, huh? I see bow it is?” He winked.

“No,” I playfully slapped his leg, “Don’t put words in my mouth. I’m serious. Something no one else will ever know. Don’t you trust me? It’s not like I’m going to run and talk to some tabloid. I don’t talk to anyone.”

“Believe it or not..I live a pretty simple life despite being in a band. I’m just a guy from Maine trying to live a dream, I guess.”

“There is nothing about any of you that’s simple, Cayden. People like me who live in towns like Eatontown, New Jersey, who hang out in skating rinks, and make $4.50 an hour live simple lives.” I packed the sand in front of me to build a little mountain.

“Okay, let me think here,” he sat up straight. “Something no one else will ever know. Hmmm..when I was a kid, going through a car wash used to terrify me.”

“Really,” I laughed.

“Yes really. Those big flaps that would swish around and cover the whole car, I thought we were being eaten by a giant squid!”

“You are impossible. I feel like you know my whole life by now, and I barely know anything about you. Yet here I am with you in the dark, totally alone, How do I know you’re not a serial killer.”

“Don’t you think I would have done it by now?”

“I guess you have a point.” A few moments of silence fell as I let some sand fall through my fingers.

“Okay, three truths. Are you ready?” He turned to face me, his brilliant, hazel orbs still visible in the minimal light.

“Okay,” I breathed.

“I’m a big grudge holder. I would give up the band if I could and fix up a dilapidated house in the middle of nowhere. And you have an remarkable talent that shouldn’t just sit there in a backpack, not being put to good use.”

“That’s not fair. That last one was about me.”

“I said three truths. None of them had to be about me.”

“Okay, so what would be a lie then?”

“Every self-deprecating thing you say about yourself, Maeve Wicklow. You have so many gifts..I wish I can tell you what they are..but…” He raked his hand through his hair and sighed in frustration.

“But what, Cayden?” I whispered.

“Nothing, nevermind. All I’m saying is, don’t let your talent go to waste. You deserve more than just selling dog biscuits in a shopping mall.”

“The world isn’t necessarily my oyster, James. I have my parents to take care of, and I’m kind of on my own.”

“I know.”

“What do you mean, you know?”

“No, I remember you saying something like that on the bus on the way here, that’s all. Hey, you know what,” desperate to change the subject, “I know it’s probably freezing cold but let’s dip our toes in the water!” He quickly removed his boots and socks.

“Are you crazy? It’s only April. It’s going to feel like daggers to your feet!”

“Oh come on, you survived The Viper. I don’t think a little cold water is going to do anything to you.” He yanked off my one sneaker and then the other before rolling my socks off. I hoped the tremor that raced through my body when his warm hands touched my feet wasn’t too obvious.

“Come on, it will be fun.” He reached his hands to me to lift me up.

“Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. This water doesn’t get to a tolerable level until July.”

He took my hand as we crept closer to where the waves were breaking. As soon as the water hit our skin, we laugh screamed and did a dance as if we were walking on nails.

“Oh. My. God. Alright, have you gotten this out of your system now?” I attempted to pull him back with me.

“No wait, come on,” he pulled me back closer to him. He stood behind me and wrapped me in an embrace. “It’s nicer the closer we are to the water, like the rest of the world has disappeared.” He realized how tightly he had me pressed against him and slightly relinquished his hold. But I could feel his hands, the right one callused from so many years of playing guitar, under my jacket and resting on the skin uncovered by my crop top. At first, I froze in place, trying not to hold my breath or tremble but then soon relaxed.

“Never take this night from me

God, don’t let me just be.

Don’t make me choose,

I got everything to lose…”

He oddly waved his hand in front of us as he softly sang the lyrics to one of The Sleepless Knights’ songs. My hair blew in his face, and he didn’t seem to care. As nervous as I was, I felt like I couldn’t be anywhere else at that moment. Then the greenish, blue lights appeared. Rising to the surface of the water, forming nebulas, as if the ocean could still mirror what the sky couldn’t show us.

“Oh my God.”

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Look at that. Do you know what that is?”

“Oh, some shiny stuff in the water I guess.”

“Cayden, that’s..that’s bioluminescence. Our waters are too green and murky usually. You never see that here, ever. That is amazing.”

“Oh yeah, I’ve heard about that. That’s cool. Not something you see every day, right?”

“It’s been on my list of things I need to do before I die for a long time now.” I continued to stare at the mesmerizing glow I thought I’d never see.

“You have a list like that?”

“Yeah, I think everybody does at some point.”

“May I ask what’s at the top of your list?”

“Well, as a matter of fact. I was somehow fully transported to Ireland during the Viper ride, and that is my dream.”

“Really, was that why you were so out-of-it? You looked like you saw a ghost.”

“That’s just it. I felt like..I wasn’t in my body. But I know I was. It was my crazy hair whipping around, I felt the grass beneath my feet. It was just so weird. I’ve had plenty of out-of-body experiences, but this…this was different. And I wasn’t alone.”

“Maybe you’re never really alone, Maeve.”

He looked at me with an intensity I had yet to experience. “I mean, you have your art work, your writing, your friend Rhiannon you mentioned, school, work.”

“You have no idea what it means to be alone, Cayden. You have your brother and your three best friends who love you. You’ll travel the world and create awesome music. I’ve got Black Friday sales and community college, if I’m lucky.”

“Why do you have to bring yourself down like that?” He pulled me closer to him again until our faces were inches apart.

“I speak as I find, Mr. Donnelly.”

“You’ll make it to the Cliffs of Moher one day. I promise.”

“How did you know I saw the Cliffs of Moher?”

“What? Oh, just a wild guess.” We locked eyes for what seemed like full minutes but was mere seconds.

“This night has been..so strange and confusing, but..I don’t want it to end.” He brushed a curl out of my face.

“Listen to me now, Maeve. Things may..only get stranger and even more confusing, but..” He struggled to find the words. “Just know that I will always, always tell you nothing but truths.”

All I could do was nod as we continued to lock eyes. His face was so close to mine I felt his breath on my lips. I didn’t know what to do. Move in closer? Part my lips a little? My great-grandmother always said it was bad etiquette for a woman to stand with her lips apart for no reason. But then how were you supposed to let a guy know it was okay to kiss you? Was it really okay, or did the fact I would never see him again make it hurt too much? So I just froze. Suddenly, I couldn’t feel the cold water at my feet.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

We were scared out of our wits by fireworks, and the bioluminescence had disappeared.

“We should get back before the guys send out a search party.”

“Yeah, of course. It is getting late, isn’t it? And I don’t want my Mom’s car to get towed out of the mall lot.”

We put our shoes back on, gathered my things, and trudged through the sand back to the boardwalk. We hardly spoke the whole way back, but he always looked like he had something on the tip of his tongue. It didn’t take long for me to regret not getting a chance to taste it.

The Sleepless Knights – novel excerpt II – an 80’s/90’s Jersey based supernatural fantasy.

January 19, 2022 Tara A. Lesko - Writer

“Ha, no. I just..um..wanted to see if you’d reconsider.”

“Well..I..uh..I don’t know,” she fiddled with the charm necklace she was wearing. “My mom always told me not to take rides from strange boys,” she exaggerated a shy demeanor, fluttering her eyes.

“You know, you’re insecure act isn’t going to work on me, Agatha,” I winked.

“I guess I have to try harder, James. So where’s the ‘49 Mercury?”

“In the shop. Right now it’s that big bastard over there.” When I glanced over my shoulder, I spotted Quinn, Kyler, and Rian making their way towards us. “And here comes the rest of the crew. If you’re going to make a run for it, do it now.” But she didn’t move.

“My apologies, my lady,” Quinn bowed, “if I my big mouth frightened you, but our brother Cayden here told us all about you, and we couldn’t let you drive away before introducing ourselves. I am Quinn, lead guitar in our little brigade. This fine young specimen is Kyler, lead vocals, and this little spitfire is Rian, our keyboardist.” Kyler waved and smiled at Maeve, but Rian, being the wannabe crooner, kissed her hand and said, “I’m enchanted.”

“Dude, you just took that from The Temple of Doom,” Kyler lightly swatted Rian in the back of the head.

“What? I did not! What are you talking about?”

“You know, the scene when they make it to Pankot Palace, and the head dude told Willie Scott, “I’m enchanted,” Kyler finished in a bad English accent.

“Whatever man, it’s not my fault you’re jealous of my skills even though I’m the youngest.”

“Guys, please. Can we maybe not act like we were raised by wolves?” I interrupted, even though Maeve was quietly laughing at their antics.

“It’s nice meeting you guys, and congratulations on all the success you’re achieving so quickly. I hear you put on a really good show.”

“Thank you, but our shows are not just shows, my dear. They are life experiences.”

“Quinn,” I gave him a stern look.

“Hey, all I am saying is you may walk away with..a new outlook on life.”

“I am sure of it.” I could tell she wasn’t impressed.

“So are we going to stand around in a mall parking lot all night or are we going to party?” Kyler complained.

“Only if Maeve agrees to join us,” Quinn smiled. “Otherwise, we’re stuck with Kung Fu Master battles and McDLT’s while Gus cruises the parkway.”

“Yeah, come out with us. I promise we’re not as scary as we may look.” I think I failed at not sounding like a 5 year old in Toys R’ Us.

“Oh..um..well, I would really love to, but I..made other plans.”

“Watching Nick at Nite until you pass out? Those are plans?” She shot me a fake dirty look.

“Ooh, what’s your favorite show on Nick at Nite?” Kyler, the movie and TV buff, asked excitedly.

“The Bad News Bears.”

“Mine is Dennis the Menace.”

“Mr. Ed for me,” added Rian.

“Did you know they used peanut butter on the horse’s gums to get his mouth to move?” Kyler asked.

“No, I didn’t. That’s crazy,” Maeve giggled as she made another attempt to search for her keys in her backpack. Sensing we were losing her, I looked over at Quinn for help.

“Maeve, you are more than welcome to join us on the bus tonight for some good old black and white TV and junk food, but we were thinking more along the lines of wreaking havoc at Seaside Heights. But we would need guidance from a Jersey boardwalk veteran. Are you the Frog Bog queen we need?”

“Are you kidding? My family and I practically lived on that boardwalk. Haven’t been there in a while though,” she finished sadly.

“Then that settles it. Let’s roll! I’m dying for some soft serve.” Rian ran back towards the bus.

“Yeah, come on, Maeve. It’ll be fun. Somebody besides me has to beat this numbnuts in Skeeball.” Kyler pointed to Quinn.

“Ky, it’s not our place to push the matter. Let’s leave these two be. Maeve, it was a pleasure meeting you,” Quinn bowed then patted Kyler on the shoulder, urging his friend to follow him back towards the bus.

“Hope to see you around, Maeve,” Kyler strode backwards to catch up with Quinn. “And don’t worry about my brother there. He won’t bite unless you ask him to.”

“Kyler, piss off!” I yelled and shook my head. “Sorry about that, we’re trying to figure out whether he needs an exorcism or a shrink.”

“That’s okay,” she laughed. “They seem like really great guys.”

“Yeah, sometimes better in small doses,” I wisecracked. “But we’ve known each other since we were in diapers so…”

“You must have a great time together then – traveling all over, playing your music, running from teenage girls in heat through shopping malls.”

“You’re glamorizing it, Agatha.”

“Once again, I speak as I find. James.”

“If you got to know us, you might find more to us than what you see in Teen Beat magazine.”

“Well, I already know one of you doesn’t like being mobbed, willing to dive into clothing racks to escape certain death by Loves Baby Soft perfume.”

“Are you sure you won’t come to the boardwalk with us? We’ll bring you right back here to your car whenever you’re ready.” The horn on the bus sounded. It had to have been Rian, and Gus undoubtedly smacked his hand away. No one ever touched the wheel but Gus.

“I don’t know, Cayden. I..I -”

“Look, I’m sorry. Quinn is right. I shouldn’t be pressuring you. I’m just..I’m really glad I got to meet you, Maeve Wicklow.” Despite my better judgment, I took her hand and kissed it before backing away to jog towards the bus. Its engine hummed in the otherwise quiet night. I felt like a complete fool. I wanted to keep running down the road until I finally hit the beach. Once I found an overturned lifeguard boat, I could hide underneath until I was forgotten. I never thought it would be hard for most people to do.

“Wait!”

Music to my ears.

“Wait up,” Maeve caught up to me, out of breath. “Okay, I’ll go. Just know I have fountain pens in this bag that I’m not afraid to use as weapons, so if any of you guys value your testicles, I suggest you don’t try anything.”

“Noted,” a raised my hands in surrender. “Come on, let me give you the tour of our humble abode on wheels.”

All the guys except for Donovan were standing around outside of the bus when I reached them with Maeve at my heels.

“Well now, the skeptical Jersey girl has changed her mind,” Quinn grinned.

“I can’t have a bunch of out-of-towners leave without showing you where to get the best sausage sandwiches.”

“Awesome, let’s book!” Quinn knocked on the door and seconds later it swung open. Before any of us could react, Ezekiel leapt into Maeve’s arms, startling her. She still managed to safely catch him despite the shock. He immediately started licking her cheek.

“Damn! He usually hates every living thing on Earth besides us!” Kyler looked over at me in amazement.

“I know. I mean, it’s not like he’s ever viscous, but he definitely doesn’t care to be around others.” I scratched Ezekiel’s head as he continued to sniff at Maeve’s face and ear which made her giggle and smile. I liked watching how her eyes fluoresced even under the pale yellow glow of the light post.

“Well, sometimes animals can surprise you,” she rocked him. “He’s adorable. What kind of dog is he?”

“He’s some sort of Pug mix. We’re not sure. But anyway, may I introduce Ezekiel. My apologies if he came on a little too strong there.”

“Aww, no worries. He’s being a perfect gentleman if you ask me. Let’s just hope his friends do the same,” she winked.

“Come on, you too. The rides and games aren’t open 24 hours,” yelled Quinn from inside the bus. I motioned to her as if to say “ladies first” to which she gave me a playful little eye roll. Suddenly, I remembered the bus looked like a college dorm room. I didn’t get a chance to clean it and I certainly wasn’t expecting company. She said hello to Gus while still holding Ezekiel and our enigmatic driver politely smiled and nodded. Following right behind her, I watched as she scanned our living area. Clothes, bags of snacks, soda cans, books, magazines, and papers littered almost every space that wasn’t used for sitting or sleeping.

“Wow, talk about Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, huh?” Her signature sarcasm never waned. Ezekiel began to whine and squirm in her arms, so she kissed him then let him down near his water bowl. The guys relaxed at the table or on the couches and bickered about what to watch on TV.

“Admittedly, this place could use a woman’s touch, but when you’re living the confirmed bachelor road life, a Pinto can feel like home,” Quinn shoved a stack of Dorito chips in his mouth.

“Come here, let me introduce you to Gus,” I took her hand, which she tried to pull away from mine for a mere second or two, and led her back to the front of the bus.

“Gus, this is Maeve. Maeve, meet the driver of our chariot and the world’s most reliable walking encyclopedia, Gus.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” she extended her hand to Gus. He clasped her fingers gently and gave her a light shake.

“It isn’t what we say or think that defines us, but what we do. Ja–”

“Jane Austen,” she replied before giving Gus a chance to cite the speaker. Gus smiled and nodded in appreciation.

“How did you know that?”

“My grandmother brought me up on Jane Austen. Among many other geniuses.”

All I could do was lock eyes with her. At that moment, I knew she would only continue to show us how remarkable she was. She would prove to the others that she was the one we needed.

“Hey, are we getting the hell out of this parking lot and doing something or should I just go back to bed?” Donovan stormed out from behind the curtain that separated our living area from our bunks. He grabbed a T-shirt and threw it on as soon as he saw Maeve but made no attempt to introduce himself.

“Who pissed in your Ovaltine, ya meat head? We have a visitor,” reprimanded Kyler.

“I see.”

“Don,” I walked Maeve over to our grossly muscular drummer. “This is Maeve. Maeve meet Donovan. He may look scary but he’s really a gentle giant.”

“Hi, nice to meet you.”

“How ya doing?” He made no attempt to shake hands, and he barely looked at her. It was a nice enough greeting, I figured, for him anyway. Donovan walked passed us and sat in the seat closest to the front as Gus maneuvered his way out of the parking lot.

“Don’t worry about him,” I whispered to her. “He has a hard time..warming up to new people.”

“He seems shy, for such a big guy. He looks like he could have been in the movie, Predator.”

“Yeah, Jesse Ventura robbed him of that role.” She jokingly elbowed me. “Come on, let’s take a load off.”

I cleared a space for her to sit on the couch, and she placed her treasured backpack on the floor by her feet. I got her a soda, and we passed the time telling jokes and childhood stories as we watched Nick at Nite. It was a good 25 minute drive down the parkway to get to Seaside, and in that time, she seemed to become more relaxed, not so quick to turn to the jokes or sarcasm as a shield. When she put her journal on the table and flipped through some pages, the silent, slack-jawed astonishment amongst the guys didn’t go unnoticed. Even Donovan moved closer to us for a look at her work. By the time I could get the guys to snap out of it and return to Earth, the lights of the boardwalk shown through the enormous windshield.

“Last one to the Frog Bog is buying dinner!” Like an 8 year old on his first trip to Disney World, Rian ran off the bus as soon as it stopped.

“Shall we, Ms. Wicklow.”

“With pleasure, Mr. Donnelly.”

That smile would be the one thing that could kill me. And I might have been totally okay with that.

Let the Games Begin

“Okay, okay, Maeve’s turn. Two truths and a lie,” Kyler took a big bite out of his second sausage sandwich.

“Umm..okay, let me think..hmmm..I broke two fingers falling off a swing when I was eight. I eat the cookie part of an Oreo before the filling, and I squirted what was left of a Ssips iced tea drink box into a bully’s ear.”

“I’m going to go with the Oreo. That’s a lie. Nobody does that,” Quinn insisted.

“I say the juice box in the bully’s ear,” Rian feverishly shook and squeezed what was left in the ketchup bottle onto his basket of crinkle cut fries.

Donovan read a comic book he won at the first game he played when we arrived. I knew he didn’t like me which I couldn’t figure out. Cayden said it took awhile for him to warm up to strangers, but this cold shoulder seemed to be bigger than just hesitation. It was as if he didn’t trust me. I knew they had a lot of run-ins with psycho fan girls, but I wasn’t acting like one at all. Maybe that was why he didn’t care for me? It was puzzling to say the least.

“What about you, Cayden? You haven’t tried to guess one yet.”

“Oh, Cayden isn’t allowed to play. He’s too good at this game. Too much of an advantage,” Quinn quickly chimed in.

“Yeah, I know everything about these guys already.”

“You don’t know everything about me.”

“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t.”

“What are you, telepathic?” I jested. Kyler spit out his soda followed by a stifled laugh from Quinn.

“No, just a really good guesser that’s all,” he glared at his friends.

“So who got it right?” Rian asked impatiently.

“Well, you were both wrong. I haven’t broken a single bone in my body. Knock on wood.”

“Who the hell eats the cookie before the cream?” Quinn shook his head.

“I do. Ever hear of saving the best for last?”

“You squirted juice in some asshole’s ear? Why did you waste it? You never get enough in one juice box as it is.” Cayden nudged me with his elbow.

“Hey, the kid stole my favorite colored pencils and he snapped my training bra in the middle of class. He had it coming.”

And there we were. Scarfing down some boardwalk staples and having a few laughs at a picnic table as the sounds of games and rides filled the salty air. It was unusually warm for an April evening. Spring always seemed to take its old sweet time in the northeast. But that night seemed to be perfect, on many levels, and that scared the hell out of me.

As we finished up our meals and continued to shoot the breeze, my mind kept wandering back to the same question. How did I get here? Under normal circumstances, I had little to offer what would ordinarily intrigue the opposite sex. Hell, I had never been on a real date. I wasn’t sure if anybody really went on official dates anymore. I didn’t think of that situation as being a date. There were five of them and one of me. That’s quite gross actually, even for the Jersey shore.

But I still would have never imagined hanging out in a place that held boatloads of treasured memories for me with five guys in a fairly famous band. No one knew where I was and with whom, but there was no way anyone would be coming to look. For once I wasn’t Maeve anymore, erased from my usual existence. I kind of liked that. I tried not to like it too much.

Teacher Writer Life

September 3, 2020 Tara A. Lesko - Writer

I’m scribbling away on a chapter and all of a sudden this comes out. And it’s only the first week of September 🙂

I want to be on the Emerald Isle, with a Starbucks, a notebook and pens, my camera, and nowhere else to be. ☘️☘️☘️❤️❤️❤️