Jackal Snow

Jackal Snow

The violence of the night before rang in her ears and her cheeks still stung with his smacks. Although Casey managed a few hours of sleep between the violence and the morning light, the physical reminders woke her. Pushing herself up from the wrinkled and reeking sheets she pledged to burn them later, there was a lot to do first, her days were always busy.

She turned her head, noticing that the light coming through the dark red curtains seemed brighter than normal for the beginning of December. She dragged yesterday's jeans over her bruised legs and staggered towards the window. Flinging the cloth aside she noted with childish glee that it had snowed through the night. Dark hazel eyes scanned the small yard, seeing the trash bags and old Chevy covered in pure white. They’d been a constant complaint amongst the neighbours, now they were Christmas decorations.

She finished dressing and pulled her long dark blonde hair into a high tail before heading down the hallway of the double-wide. She didn’t want to see what she knew she’d find but it couldn’t be avoided. In the living room was the mess she’d left before going to bed, lamps knocked over, glasses that had held vodka leaking onto the area rug and the body of her husband amidst the chaos with a knife in his heart, right down to the hilt.

She stood and looked at him, eyes scanning from the top of his dark curly-haired scalp, down to his blue eyes and rugged face that she’d once considered handsome before the scowl became permanent. Skipping the chest and its new silverware she continued to his groin which sent her into ecstasy years before, and down to his feet, still clad in biker boots, last used to ‘teach her a lesson’.

“Who’s learned the lesson now, Dean?” She whispered to the corpse. She felt absurd talking to him but wanted to keep speaking and tell him what she thought of him and his lifestyle. She needed to argue and spit out all the accusations of cheating and crime that had remained inside for safety while he was alive. Her life as a battered wife was technically over with his death, but she didn’t know how to proceed from that abused mindset. She was aware that she’d have to move his body, and fast before the neighbours woke up. It was a Saturday and they’d likely sleep in after the party at the bar last night, but who knew how long this would all take.

She threw on a coat and shoved her feet into the boots she’d worn home the night before then headed back down the hallway to the linen closet for a large blanket. The night before, after she’d ended a decade of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse with a kitchen knife, she’d sat on the couch and considered all the options for getting the body out of the house, where to bury him and if she’d need any help. The last question went unanswered then but now she wondered if she should call Lexie after all. Waving the idea away she strode back down the hallway and unfolded the quilt over him before cleaning up the surrounding mess, it seemed illogical to tidy the glassware and wipe the spills but she’d always been houseproud, just because there was a body where she’d need to vacuum, didn’t halt the ashtray emptying.

She knew she was stalling for time and quite possibly losing her mind but it all had to be cleaned before any next steps. After the dishes had been rinsed and put in the dishwasher she took a deep breath. He needed to be buried somewhere and fast, if the snow kept piling up she wouldn’t be able to get the truck out of the driveway. It was just gone half past seven she noted on the stove clock, still time.

Grabbing the keys from the hook she opened the front door quietly and took the three rickety stairs down to the driveway. Crossing her fingers she got into the truck and tried to start it. She didn’t have Dean’s gift with engines and such and coupled with her nervousness that starting the truck would wake up Jerry and Liz, she almost flooded it. The truck turned over and her breath was released into a cold mist inside the Ford, he’d bought it from a guy just three months before when the Chevy had finally quit on him.

She reversed the truck slowly so that its box was next to the front porch, she thought she could just drag him onto the deck, then tip him over the side panel into the box. The steps after that were to be determined still. She shook her head in disbelief that this was her reality. She closed the door of the cab and carefully made her way back up the stairs. She’d been nagging him for six months to fix the damn things, a couple of times earning a rib-bruising for it, but he never did get around to it. He always had time to help other women with projects and assorted buddies with borderline criminal enterprises, but when it came to their place, it was last on the list and only when he thought of it first.

Re-entering the living room she took a shallow breath, the air was fetid in the trailer, especially after being in the cold crisp air outside. She stood at the doorway, then turned to look around the neighbourhood, such as it was. They were on a half acre, a three-minute drive from Jerry’s place if you went around the long way. They’d often just cross the back lawn and climb over the fence if visiting. They were an okay couple to drink with until Dean started flirting with Liz or arguing with Jerry. The curtains were still closed over there, no signs of life yet, of course, there wasn’t much sign of life here either, she almost laughed out loud but managed to stifle it. She went into the trailer and was about to grab his hands with hers to pull him to the front door when the phone sounded from the kitchen table.

She dropped his hands with a thud and strode to the kitchen, taking a deep restoring and hopefully normalizing breath she answered.

“Hello?”

“Case are you ok, I called a couple of minutes ago, no answer. I was worried when I saw you and Dean leave the Jackal last night.”

“Yeah, we carried the fight on here, but I’m alright, he’s still laying in the living room, didn’t come to bed so I got some sleep. What are you up to Lex?”

“Nothing much, I just wanted to check on you, do you wanna go for coffee at Nana’s later? I could pick you up.”

“Nah, we’ll meet there, does 8:30 work? I’ve got some tidying to do this morning. I was going to take Dean’s truck out later and maybe find some greenery for decoration, you know that section of woods you told about before? You could maybe give me a ride home though.”

“OK, hon, see you then.” Lexie hung up and Casey lowered the phone to its cradle before turning again to look at her hubby. It would have been their anniversary on Christmas Day, almost eleven years. He had been a real gentleman the first twelve months but then when she’d crisped the turkey skin on their first anniversary he’d hauled off and smacked her. The black eye had caused quite a few jokes with their friends when Dean explained with a laugh how she’d managed to hit herself in the eye with the corner of the oven door. The excuses and explanations continued right up until just six hours ago she realized while bending down to grab those same hurting hands to pull him towards the front door.

Once she had tipped him over into the box and covered him again with the quilt, she stood and looked up at the brightening sky. The sun was trying its hardest to shine through the white sky and it seemed like a bit of a message to her, things would be ok. Running back into the house for her purse she nearly slipped and had to force herself to slow down, it wouldn’t serve her if she knocked herself unconscious with a body in the truck two feet away. Once she had what she needed from inside, she locked the door and hoisted herself up into the cab, her cargo a wrapped parcel rapidly being covered in soft flakes.

She entered the coffee shop a little after 9. She unwound her scarf but kept her gloves on for a few more minutes. It had been a cold morning out in the woods, first finding a place, followed by digging and covering, finding branches to partially cover the truck after stripping it of its plates and paperwork.  

Nana Mary, who ran the café came by with the coffee pot and warm smile, she’d been serving the two women since they were in their teens. Lexie was stocky with dark curly hair and blue eyes just like her brother, while Casey was tall and blonde. Total opposites in looks but two peas in a pod personality-wise.

“Hello girls, how are you doing this morning? Did y’all go to the Jackal for Dean’s birthday party last night? I heard the band was great!”

“Hi Nana, it was fun for the most part, Dean got a bit snickered so I got him home about 1 am, he’s having a lie-down today I’ll tell ya.” Casey giggled and Lexie joined her.

“Yep, I think he’ll be regretting last night for the rest of his life, Nana. Two full breakfasts with bacon today, we’re both famished for some reason!” They smiled at each other as Nana moved on to the next table without writing their order down. They lifted full coffee cups and without a word necessary, clinked porcelain to a liberated future.