Seasons in Change (Chester Hoffman and the Search for Grey Jackson)

The cool cat was named ‘Jimmy Blue’, partly because his name was Jimmy, and partly because he was still a fan of ‘Blue’s Clues’ at the primeval age of thirteen. After a break in a couple years back, Jimmy’s parents invested in a home security system, which is just what Chester needed if he wanted to find Jackson. The only problem was: Chester had egged the Wilson’s house last Halloween, not knowing at the time that they had cameras at the ready. Chester was dragged by his mother the next morning to apologize, as well as offer his services in cleaning up the mess. Mr. Wilson had accepted the apology, but declined Chester’s offer of help. Chester always felt that this was a sign that Chester wasn’t fully forgiven, so often much as he could, he would avoid Mr. and Mrs. Miller.

Jimmy owed Chester a favor, though. Through hard work like mowing lawns during summer, helping Mr. Cromwell move his furniture out when he relocated to Oregon, hairs white and face wrinkled, wishing to spend his twilight years with his son, Chester had accumulated the funds to finally get his hands on a Xbox 360 Slim. After begging for nearly a month, Chester finally relented and let Jimmy borrow it for three days. After five days, Chester interrogated Jimmy about the whereabouts of his system, a few stutters and incoherent sentences later Jimmy finally saying he had spilled coke on it accidentally. Jimmy had offered to repay for it, or rather ask his parents, but Chester declined, partly because he was smart and realized this could benefit him later, and partly because he still dreaded having any interaction with Mr. Miller again.

Regardless, it was September fifth, 2010, and Chester had spent most of the weekend looking for his lost dog, a oldish grey husky named Jackson. His best friend, Andrew, accompanied him for most of the search. In the meantime, Chester’s mom had posted missing flyers to every pole in Blue Hill Maine.

“Don’t worry,” Rebecca said that morning. “He’ll turn up eventually. They always do.”

Chester didn’t believe that, and he doubted that his mother did either. That entire afternoon, and early evening, Chester and Andrew peeked into alleyways and strange street corners. They shouted the name-

“Jackson!”

But no response. Not even a whimper.

Around evening, Chester had decided to cash in on his favor. Jimmy’s parents had departed for some conference a couple days ago, and deemed Jimmy mature enough to rule the house by himself. Earlier in the afternoon, Chester and Andrew coming back to Chester’s house for a short break consisting of chips and soda as they played Wow, Chester saw that Jimmy was online and decided to shoot him a message asking if it’s cool he and Andrew stop by later. After several minutes, Jimmy replied.

“Sure.”

***

The walk to Jimmy’s house was a long one, though he only lived three houses down, the summer Maine air blew by with a vengeance, and Chester had foolishly decided to don only his yellow raincoat.

“Why’d you wear that?” Andrew asked after shooting a few glances towards Chester.

“I don’t know, just shut up.”

Three knocks, a doorbell ring, several thuds and a “hold on” later, the door swung open, revealing the rotund frame of Jimmy. Jimmy’s fingertips were dusted in red powder, the color of which wasn’t unlike his hair.

“Yo.”

In the living room, a bacchanal display. Torn open, like at the hands of a beast, bags and wrappers lay scattered. Empty soda cans lay on the table, next to them a box of half-eaten Hawaiian pizza. On the TV screen, Evil Dead.

“Jesus Jimmy” Andrew said.

“Ha, not when my parents are gone. I told my mom I would still go to church today, but the only time I’ve knelt down today is when the remote fell under the couch.”

Jimmy pushed some of the debris off the couch.

“So, you guys just wanna like, play some games or something? We could maybe do a movie or something, I was just finishing this up.”

“Oh,” Chester said, glancing at Andrew, who suddenly turned around to observe the framed photos. “We’re actually just here to maybe take a peek at your security cameras. You know Jackson went missing a few days ago and all…”

Jimmy’s eyes darted back and forth between Chester and Andrew (or Andrew’s back) for a moment, before a crack appeared along his lips and a coughing chuckle departed.

“Yeah, I know. I was just saying, if you guys wanted to crash for a bit or something, you know? But yeah, I do got a lot going on.”

Jimmy proceeded across the living room.

“C’mon, my dad keeps all that stuff in his study.”

***

The study was lined by four, kaitoke green walls, at the center a large oak desk which held a monitor. Also lining the room was framed photos; mountains, creeks and ponds. Also present were almost nude posing women, usually half-donned in 60s fashion. Jimmy looked back, seeing Chester and Andrew’s (mostly Andrew’s) gaping eyes.

“My dad used to do photography back in college,’ Jimmy explained. “My mom told him to get rid of a lot of the more explicit stuff, but said he can keep these.”

Jimmy sat down at the desk, swiveling around once before landing face forward at the monitor.

“Alrighty, let’s see here. What day did Jackson go missing?”

“Thursday. Thursday morning.”

“Hmm,” Jimmy said.

After a moment-

“Okay, here’s something.”

Chester and Andrew came up behind Jimmy, who dragged the footage back.

“Look.”

On the screen, a grayish dog could be seen running across the lawn, a moment later a college aged boy following.

“That’s him!” Chester exclaimed, pointing his finger at the screen.

“Yeah, yeah,” Jimmy said, lowering Chester’s finger away from the screen. “That’s all well and good, just keep your grubby fingers away from the screen. My dad has the eyes of a hawk.”

“Who’s the guy chasing him?” Andrew inquired.

“Mmm…don’t know,” Jimmy replied. “I think I’ve seen a dude like that leave the house up the street a few times. That kinda cream house with the maroon chimney. That hot girl from George Stevens Academy lives there I think. The cheerleader.”

“Thanks, Jimmy,” Chester said. “I’ll hit you up later or something, maybe we’ll watch some movies.”

“See ya,” Andrew said.

Jimmy sat alone in the room, raising a Cheeto-dust covered finger to his mouth and licking it.

“Alright.”

***

It was a quarter past six, and Hiru knew he had to be at his dad’s by seven, but Emily’s breasts beckoned at him like the eyes of God.

“Em,” Hiru said. “I gotta get to my dad’s soon. I-”

Emily leaned in, kissing him.

“You always say that. Your dad will be fine.”

“You don’t know that.”

Emily sighed, falling back against the mattress.

“Listen,” Emily begun, before being interrupted by a thud against her bedroom window. Emily and Hiru looked over, Chester and Andrew outside perched on a thick branch. Andrew waved.

***

“How the fuck-why the fuck are you up here?” Hiru questioned as he paced, Chester inside and Emily helping Andrew through. Chester turned to Emily.

“Well, actually we’re here to ask you some questions. About my dog.”

“Rude”, Hiru said.

“Thursday morning, a guy-” Chester pointed at Hiru. “-about his age, left your house.”

“What?” Hiru said.

Emily put her face in her palm and sighed.

“David,” Emily said, face still in palm.

“You’re cheating on me?” Hiru said.

Emily looked at Hiru.

“Please, as if you’re not.”

Hiru opened his mouth, the only thing departing a few stammers.

“Okay, but what does David have to do with your dog?” Emily inquired.

“Well, we saw him on a neighbor’s security camera chasing after Jackson. Right before he went missing.”

“Well, I wouldn’t know anything about that,” Emily said as she opened the bedroom door. “But you guys need to go. All of you.”

Chester opened his mouth, before sighing and motioning for Andrew to follow him to the door.

“David usually stays at the Alpha Tau frat house, on the corner of Walkin street,” Hiru said.

Emily scoffed.

“What?” Hiru said. “Mad I ratted out your boyfriend?”

“We’re going now, thanks for the help” Chester said, quickly dragging Andrew outside into the hall and closing the door.

***

After sneaking down the stairs and out the front door (Chester and Andrew being spotted and sniffed by a brown Labrador) they embarked for Walkin Street. “You had pizza last night?” Chester inquired to Andrew, both pushing against the wind.

“Yeah,” Andrew responded. “Why?”

“You think we could stop by your place for some slices? You have like four bikes right? Maybe we could also get two.”

Andrew shook his head.

“Nah…let’s just walk. Plus, the pizzas pretty much gone, except maybe a slice.”

Chester looked at Andrew, only nodding. After a moment-

“You never invite me over,” Chester said.

Andrew looked at Chester, something like shock and anger on his face. But mostly pain.

“…you want to come over? You’ve never asked.”

“Of course I want to come over, you’re like..I don’t know. You’re like my best friend.”

They continued in silence, fighting against the wind and unfortunate droplets of rain which had just started up.

“I do. Want you over I mean. It’s just…things are weird right now.”

Chester shrugged.

“That’s fine with me, things are weird at my place. I think everyone’s family is weird, in their own way you know.”

They continued in silence.

“That’s true,” Andrew said. “It’s just…well, my dad, he isn’t himself. Not anymore. It’s like an alien took over his body.”

“What do you mean?” Chester asked.

Andrew only shook his head.

“A few months ago, he just…I don’t know. Something went wrong. I just…I don’t want to be in my house right now.”

Chester looked at Andrew.

“Okay, we don’t have to. Swing by my place for scooters though?”

Andrew nodded.

“Okay.”

***

After stopping by Chester’s for scooters (as well as some gummy worms and beef jerky) they resumed their now wheel powered pilgrimage to the frat den on Walkin Street.

“It’s getting pretty dark,” Andrew said. “What do we do when we get there? How do we know if Jacksons even there?”

“We’ll just…knock and ask. If he doesn’t know anything, we’ll leave.”

After several more minutes of scootering, they arrived at a two story house at the end of Walkin Street. Emptied beer cans decorated the unwatered lawn like flowers, a soaked and stained banner reading Aloha tau. Chester proceeded for the door and knocked twice. Shuffling footsteps and hushed talk seeped through the door, eventually a groggy voice responding.

“Just a minute.”

The door opened, a bloodshot eyed man behind it.

“Um, we don’t want cookies. And we don’t have any money if this is a charity thing.”

“Wait!” an unseen voice rang out. “If they’re peppermint get some.”

“Oh yeah that sounds good” responded another unseen voice.

The man sighed.

“I-no, we don’t want any cookies. W-who are you guys? What do you want?”

“My husky, Jackson, went missing Thursday, and we have a guy on camera, David, chasing him down the sidewalk. Is he here?”

The man sighed, opening the door.

“You can ask a few questions but hurry up, we’re busy.”

Chester and Andrew proceeded into the dimly lit den, haze omnipresent.

“Do you think this will make us high? Like second hand smoke?” Andrew inquired to Chester in a whisper, coughing as he waved the air in front of him. “My mom told me my uncle became a drug addict that way. Getting addicted just by hanging around dudes that were always smoking. She says that’s why he’s homeless now.”

“I don’t think that’s how that works” responded Chester.

“Yo David, you have visitors.”

A sandy haired boy inhaling from a bong on a beanbag looked up, eyes like the devil.

“…who the fuck are you? Are these the kids selling cookies? I just want peppermint.”

“No, um, we’re actually here about my dog. Jackson, he’s a grey husky.”

David raised an eyebrow. “Okay? Are you offering him up for adoption or something?”

“No, h-he went missing Thursday morning. We saw on security footage that you were chasing him down the sidewalk.”

The boy on the sofa broke into a fit of laughter.

“Scottie! The bastard got Scottie!”

The room erupted in laughter.

“Fuck you guys.”

“Who’s Scottie?” Chester inquired. The boy on the couch answered.

“David’s sister’s cat. He got gutted by a wolf.”

“I-” David begun, rising from the beanbag. “This things all ash, where’s the flower bag at?”

“On top of the microwave” a boy said.

Chester and Andrew looked at each other, following David into the kitchen.

“Listen,” David started. “Jacky or whatever the fuck your dog’s name is, that wasn’t him. That was a goddamn wolf.”

“I know what I saw, and it was Jackson.”

“Yeah, and I saw my dad getting sucked by his best bud when I was twelve, but according to all the therapists and my mom that wasn’t the case.”

David emptied the ash from the bowl, feeling it with fresh herb.

“I don’t know what else to tell you, kid. Sorry. That wolf hangs around the hill on the edge of the forest down near Creek Place. Unless someone’s helped him, you’ll recognize him.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m anti-violence, you know. Family philosophy. When I caught the bastard, I just put a mask on his head.”

David stepped towards Chester and Andrew.

“Here.”

David lit the bowl, inhaling before exhaling in their faces.

“For your journey. Now fuck off.”

***

After leaving the frat house, and now possibly somewhat high, Chester and Andrew grabbed their scooters and proceeded for Creek Place.

“I feel…floaty” Andrew said, the pair rushing down wet streets, wind and rain now in full assault.

“My brother would do the same thing to me, you’ll be fine in no time,” Chester responded.

“You have a brother?” Andrew asked.

“Yeah, I mean…I guess I do.”

Andrew studied Chester a moment.

“I never knew that.”

Chester shrugged.

They proceeded through winding, twin suburban streets, for what seemed like forever. Finally-

“I see it!” Chester shouted over the wind.

A small hill stood near the edge of a forest, when they neared Chester seeing something he couldn’t believe. “I-there’s a…there’s a dog on top of the hill! I think that’s Jackson!” They dropped their scooters, running up the hill. Atop it, stood a thin wolf, on his head a sheep mask. Visible through the two holes were his eyes, lethargic, but behind that something primal and malevolent. It turned for them, and stared. Chester felt, perhaps for the first time his in life, true, almost numinous terror. Lighting struck, when it touched the ground, somewhere out beyond the woods, the wolf looked up at ashen clouds and departed down the hill, limping.

“Chester,” Andrew said. “I want to go.”

***

After returning home, now midnight, both Chester and Andrew received a scolding that could only be described as biblical. Afterwards, Rebecca ordered a ruddy faced Andrew to go home, Andrew asking if he could instead stay the night. Rebecca looked at Andrew a moment.

“Okay.”

When in Chester’s room, under strict commands to go immediately to bed, Andrew scrolled through the tv, eventually landing on-

“Holy shit,” Andrew said from the bottom of the bed, Chester at the top, wrapped in a cover and facing the alarm clock. “Chester…look at this.”

“Not now,” Chester responded. “Also, turn that down.”

“Bruh…they’re bouncing all over the place.” Chester’s brows furrowed, and he leaned up. On the screen, courtesy of max after dark, a soft core scene of a nude woman riding a man.

“Holy shit,” Chester said.

And so, the rest of the night, they sat at the edge of the bed, eyes glued to the wonder of the screen.

***

Around afternoon, Chester half leaned out the bed and Andrew fully on the floor, they awoke. Andrew to the smell of bacon which snuck in from the downstairs kitchen, and Chester to the sound of a bark.

“-and with how things went with Benjamin…it’s just been difficult. No words or anything, but I can always tell.”

“I understand,” Chester heard a man reply as he crept down the stairs. “My sister growing up…you know, it’s not the same but we had a lot of problems. I-”

A creak, a moment later Rebeca turning the corner to see Chester (and Andrew lurking behind him).

“Chester! Andrew! I was just about to come get you guys. I made bagels and bacon, but more importantly-”

A man, the man that had been speaking, emerged from behind the corner. He had black hair, large glasses and donned khaki pants and a sweater. Chester immediately disliked him. In his hand, a leash that led to a gray husky.

“Jackson!” Chester shouted.

“I found him out near the old abandoned warehouses on third street,” the man said. “Just as lost and confused as could be.”

“Oh,” Chester said, looking up at the man. “Thanks.”

The man smiled, outstretching his hand.

“Absolutely no problem. Rudy.”

Chester looked at his hand a moment before shaking it.

“Chester.”

“Chester,” the man said. “I remember that name.”

Chester turned for Rebecca.

“Rudy’s a friend from work. I told him about Jackson and he said he’d look for him. Lo and behold.”

Chester nodded.

“Well…thanks.”

Andrew came out from behind Chester.

“Hi, I’m Andrew, nice to meet you. Ms. Hoffman, can I go get some bagels and bacon?”

As Rebeca showed Andrew the way to his feast, Chester couldn’t help but notice that Jackson kept turning his head away from him.

“Jackson. Jackson. Jackson.”

And on the third utterance, Jackson turned his head and licked Chester.