They aren’t real. But who else would do
this? Who else could do this? Kirsty? This
was her first year. The trouble started
when she came to school. But why? She
doesn’t even know me. Not really. Why
would she do this? People are dead.
David is smart. He could have found
something in a book. He had that book.
That occult history book. He said it was
for a class, but what if…David saved
me before. When the Specials had me
cornered at Coffee. He showed up and
got me out of there. David would try to
help me. Wouldn’t he see killing these
bullies as helping me? What about
Emma, though? She never hurt me.
Maybe it was just an accident. This is all
crazy. David wouldn’t kill anybody. He’s
my best friend. He’s not psycho. I’d totally
know if he was psycho.
I have to figure this out.
Jonathan turned the sheet over. He shook out his hand. He needed all of these thoughts out of his head. He needed to make sense of things or else he’d never be able to stop it.
Magic. Witchcraft. These things aren’t just
appearing on their own. They have a
purpose. If it were random, I’d be dead.
They’d have killed me in the lake. What
are they? Ghosts? Demons? Something
else? They wrap around a person. They
hold them until the person suffocates.
They must be strong. Strong enough to
hold Ox. Strong enough to lift him
twenty feet off the ground. They tried to
get Cade, but he locked himself in his
truck. They couldn’t get to him, couldn’t
magically pass through the glass or the
door. They are solid…I think. Is Cade
still alive? Did he go to the police? Would
the police believe anything he said?
Would he blame me? Jesus, he’d probably
blame me. The cops would know I couldn’t
do that to Ox. I’m not strong enough.
They’d know that, wouldn’t they?
What if I am doing this?
Maybe I have some power I don’t even
know about. Is that possible? Is it me?
No. It can’t be. It’s about me but I’m not
doing this. Am I?
No. No. NO!
It’s David. Or it’s Kirsty.
It has to be.
Jonathan flipped the paper over and read it from the beginning. He let the words sink in, and they helped untangle his thoughts.
David.
Kirsty.
He stood from his desk and took the paper with him. In the kitchen, he lit the edge with one of his mother’s matches and watched the sheet burn. He dropped it in the sink and kept his eye on the paper as it blackened and curled. Once it was reduced to ash against the metal basin, he turned on the water and doused the char. With a paper towel, he scooped the mess out of the sink and threw it in the trash.
“Where are you?” David asked.
Jonathan sat in the living room, ears peeled in case his mother returned.
“Something happened last night,” Jonathan said. “Can you talk?”
“Yeah. I’m hiding in the poetry section. It’s totally empty. So what happened?”
“I can’t really get into it right now, not over the phone.”
“Then calling me about it seems kind of pointless,” David said, humored.
“It’s not about that. Well, it is, but not exactly. We need to talk. Can I come by your place when you get off work?”
“Can’t,” David said. “I’m on stud duty. The woman and I are seeing a movie.”
“Kirsty?” Jonathan asked.
“She’s the only one for now.”
“David, we have to talk before you guys go out.”
“I already know the facts of life, Jonny Boy, but thanks for offering.”
“David, I’m serious. Damn serious.”
There was a long silence. Jonathan thought David had hung up on him, but a deep breath, like a sigh scratched through the speaker at his ear.
“Hey? You there?” Jonathan asked.
“Yeah, I’m here,” David said. “Look, I figured something like this would happen.”
“What are you talking about?”
“TAJ, man,” David said, as if it was obvious. “Total ass-faced jealousy. You figure that now that Kirsty and I are together, you’re going to get frozen out. Like we won’t hang anymore or something. It’s totally not like that. I mean, we can’t be kids for…”
“Ox was murdered last night,” Jonathan said to shut his friend up. “Okay? I saw it. He and Cade dragged me down to the lake. They decided to memorialize Toby by throwing me in. Then…” He didn’t know how much he could say without sounding completely nuts, but he had to convince David. “These things came out of the woods. I couldn’t see them real well. They just showed up. They chased Cade off, but they killed Ox. They left his body in the bushes by the lake.”
“No way,” David said. “You saw it?”
“Yeah,” Jonathan said. He struggled against the memory of Ox being engulfed and yanked into the air by a black sheet. “I saw it.”
“Did you call the cops?”
“I couldn’t. I don’t know how to explain it to them. It’s all really screwed up.”
“You said ‘things’ came out of the woods?”
“I can’t explain it,” Jonathan repeated. “Not over the phone.”
“So, what does this have to do with Kirsty?”
“It’s just a feeling I’ve got. It all started happening this year, after she started school.”
“You don’t even know her,” David said, suddenly on the defensive.
“I know. But she’s like always there. She saw what these guys were doing. I can’t think of anyone else,” Jonathan said. Unless it’s you.
“Apparently Special K isn’t just for breakfast anymore.”
“I’m not high, David.”
“You have to be. Think about it, Jonathan. A girl you don’t even know is going around and killing people because they pick on you? Does that sound balanced? Does that sound even remotely two plus two? I mean…Jesus…it’s not like she’s dating you!”
“David, listen…”
“I can’t believe you’re being such a dick about this. Look, man, it’s not my fault you don’t have other friends. Okay? It sucks, but it isn’t my fault. Kirsty and I are having a good time, and you feel left out. Well, tough. I can’t believe you’d make up this kind of crap just to get in the middle of it.”
“I’m not making anything up.”
“Then you’re nuts. You’re paranoid and deluded, and you need to get yourself some meds. And Jonathan, don’t you dare try to implicate Kirsty in any of your paranoid crap. Okay? I’m warning you. Just keep your mouth shut, or you’re asking for a whole lot of trouble.”