“What! You really believe that? You think I did all this shit myself?” Pete yelled back. “You think I came out here to the middle of nowhere because I like it? I may have a few loose screws here and there but trust me I didn’t come out here by choice. I came out here so everyone in town would be safe. As long as I’m not there it has no reason to go bothering them. It’s after us not them.” Jim was caught off guard. He hadn’t thought of that. If the thing was real and it was after them then the farther they stayed from people the better. He had nothing to say that would convince Pete his delusion. He wanted to say something but Pete beat him to it.
“There’s another reason I came out here too,” Jim waited. He had no choice. There was nothing to say. Pete knew Jim was convinced but he was still explaining his reasons for his belief.
“I couldn’t start the fires in town,” he said. “So I came out here where it was at least sorta safe. This way that thing will be kept away from them too.” Even though everything he said would sound crazy to someone else, to Jim it made perfect sense. He didn’t know if that was good or bad. If the creature was after him and Pete and no one else maybe it could be kept at bay out here where it was safe.
“If the creature isn’t real, as you say, then someone needs to explain why Tommy and now probably Rob are dead,” he continued. “They also need to explain to me why someone has been throwing these heads at my house every night for at least the last three weeks. If that stuff ain’t real then I don’t know what is.”
Pete was only done talking for a few seconds when something suddenly flew from the woods through the firelight and slammed into the back of the house. It hit with a wet splatter, slid down the wall and rolled to a stop between the two of them. Jim looked down and found himself staring into the eyes of a raccoon or at least what used to be the eyes of a raccoon. The head was there but nothing else. It looked like it had been hacked off or something. The blood was still draining from what used to be its neck. It was very fresh and very grizzly.
Pete yelled something about telling him so and ran for his fires. Once he reached them he started throwing more wood on each of them making them bigger. Jim just stood looking back and forth between the Pete and the bloody mess in front of him. This latest turn of events really tilted things in Pete’s favor. Why else would a head be flung at them? Better yet, who would do it if it wasn’t the Goatman? Before he could think of a reasonable answer Pete came walking up. He’d apparently gotten the fires built back up to an acceptable height and wanted to talk some more. Jim was glad he was coming back. Pete had said his piece now it was his turn.
“So you know something happened to Rob. You must’ve been out here playing with your fires when it happened. Hell, you might’ve even heard what it was or maybe even saw it,” he said harshly. He was getting mad just thinking about it. Heaven help him if he found out Pete did see everything and did nothing to stop it. He felt he was handling everything pretty well but the pressure was building. Pete just might have to bear the brunt of the explosion. “Why didn’t you go help him?”
Pete stared at him, pain etched on his face, “I heard him screaming,” he moaned, “but I couldn’t go to him. He was in the dark. It would’ve gotten me too. I couldn’t leave my fires; if I had it would’ve gotten me. My fires are all that keep me safe. If I’d went then I’d be dead too. I couldn’t go help him.” Pete was going back to his make believe world where the monsters were out to get him. Jim wished for all he was worth that he could be mad at Pete but he couldn’t. He believed the Goatman was back to get them now too. He wasn’t even sure if he would’ve run out even to save a friend, in the dark knowing the creature was out there somewhere waiting for him. Jim wanted to hate him for letting their friend die but he couldn’t. Pete was all he had left. Everyone else was dead.., he wanted to walk over to him and start beating him until he was sane again but he couldn’t.
“It’s ok Pete. I understand…” Jim said before being cut off.
“Alright I’ve heard enough of this bullshit!” the Sheriff yelled as he came storming around the corner of the house. “I’m sick of hearing you spouting this shit you crazy little freak. You’ve been going on and on about this frickin’ Goatman thing and I’ve had just about enough,” he said as he grabbed Pete. “You’re coming to the station with me and you’re going to answer some questions. I’ve got an officer dead and from what I’ve heard it sounds like you know more than you’re telling your friend here. You can be damn sure I’ll find out what it is.”
“What happened with Rob?” Jim asked interrupting the Sheriff’s tirade.
He slowly turned to Jim and looked as if he was about to start yelling at him before he caught himself. “The state boys are going to be taking over. I sent Johnny home about a half an hour ago. He wasn’t doing much damn good up where he was anyways.” Jim hoped Johnny hadn’t gotten in trouble for letting him in but he had a feeling he had. “If I were you, Jim Collins,” the Sheriff continued, “I’d get my butt home to my mama pretty quick before I take your sorry ass in as well.”
“But Pete didn’t do anything,” Jim said ignoring the suggestion. “Sure he’s a bit crazy but he didn’t do it.”
“How the hell do you know that you idgit? Were you here with him the whole time? Were you two out here roasting marsh mellows and cooking weenies over the fire?” The Sheriff asked sarcastically. “Besides I’m not taking him in because I think he did it I’m taking him in as a witness. A hostile one at that. And another thing, look at this place, it looks like the Devil’s playground. Pete could pass as one of his children the way he looks. This whole area is an accident waiting to happen. I’ll have to call the damn fire department to come put these fires out when I leave. I could arrest him for that if I wanted to. But like I said I’m not arresting him. Yet.”
Pete looked uncomfortable at the mention of the fires being put out but he wisely didn’t say anything. He’d lapsed back to his mumbling routine again. Jim looked in his eyes and saw that there was nobody home. Pete was in his own little world. The Sheriff could ask him all the questions he wanted but probably wouldn’t get any answers.
“Yeah I guess you’re right,” Jim admitted reluctantly. “But he’s not hostile. The only thing hostile around here is whatever’s in the woods.”
“What the hell are you talking about now?” the Sheriff asked.
“Well, we were standing here talking and one of those heads sailed out of the woods like it had wings and hit the house. If you want to arrest someone maybe you should go see who’s out there. Then you can arrest them.” Jim thought he might’ve gone too far with his last statement judging from the look on the Sheriff’s face. Then he smiled. That was even scarier than what he looked like before.
“Look you little shit,” he yelled, “I’ve let you get away with quite a bit more tonight than I should’ve and now you’re going to start telling me how to do my job? Boy, I was doing this job while you were still just a stain on your daddy’s sheets. I don’t want no snot nosed, wet behind the ear punk telling me how to do my job but just so you’ll shut up I’ll go take a look out in the woods and see if there’s anything out there that you need to worry about. Don’t piss yourself while I’m gone cupcake.” He drew his gun from one side of his belt and grabbed his flashlight from the other. “Oh yeah, you two stay here while I go make sure the boogeyman isn’t coming. Don’t make me have to come find you when I get back. You won’t like it if I have to.” With that said he stormed off in the direction of the woods before Jim could even think of a smart comeback. Jim looked at Pete and saw that he was giggling to himself.
“What’s so funny?” He asked.
“You,” was all he said.
“Screw you,” Jim snapped.
After their brief exchange Pete quickly retreated back into his own little world. His hands were in front of him constantly moving, never still, in a way that reminded Jim of the evil villains from the cartoons of his childhood. Just watching gave Jim chills. His nerves were damn near shot. Beneath the noises the sheriff was making he could hear Pete mumbling about the purple dinosaur again. Jim had had enough of the purple dinosaur for one night.