“Are you going to school tomorrow?”
“I guess so. Why, ain’t you?”
“I haven’t made up my mind yet.”
“I sure hope you don’t have any bad dreams about the ghost kids tonight.”
“Why’d you have to bring that up? Now I probably won’t sleep all night for fear I might.”
“I sure had the hell scared outta me earlier.”
“Why, what happened?”
“I was in the bathroom getting out of the shower when the lights went out. I started freaking out. I couldn’t seem to stop screaming. Now dad thinks I’ve been doing drugs.”
“Shit, Butch, that ain’t good. I guess we better stay away from that house from now on, huh?”
“I still want to know what’s in the rest of those jars. Don’t you?”
“Yeah, but I don’t want to go back in that bus to find out. Whatever’s in that house could be waiting for us to come back. I sure don’t want to get trapped.”
“We don’t both have to go in the bus. You could stay outside as a lookout.”
“Yeah, that could work. But I gotta tell ya. Just the thought of going back there gives me the creeps.”
“Willie, I gotta go.” He turned away as his sister held out her hand. “Donna needs to use the phone.”
“Okay, I’ll see ya tomorrow at school then.”
“Yeah, I’ll be there.”
“I thought you would. Otherwise, with Aunt Rita and Uncle Bill at work and Donna at school, you’d be all by yourself. I sure wouldn’t want to be alone knowing that just up the road is that house.”
Butch didn’t even bother to answer. He just hung up the phone.
“Sounds like you and Willie were someplace you shouldn’t have been,” Donna said, smiling over at him.
“What were you doing, listening in on our conversation?”
“Couldn’t help it. So, where were you, in the old Prescott Mansion?”
“What if we were?”
“If I were you, I wouldn’t be messing around over there. I hear it’s haunted.”
“Where’d you hear that?” The chills started to crawl over him again.
“Everybody knows about that house being haunted.” She could see she was making Butch feel uneasy, so she kept it up. “Not only is it haunted, rumor has it there’s an old witch who lives there.”
“You’re making that up, Donna. There’s no such thing as a witch.”
“Kids at the high school say she’s there. Some of them have actually seen her.”
“Have you been in the house?” He watched her to see if she was going to lie to him.
“Not inside—no. I’ve been out on the lawn though.”
“Who were you with?”
“My friends, dumb ass!” She turned away to dial the phone.
“Do Mom and Dad know you were there?”
Donna hung up the phone. “Where I go is none of your business, Butch. You little creep!”
“Why’s it all right for you to go there, but not me?”
“Uh…because I’m sixteen, and you’re fourteen, which means, I would have enough sense to get away from there if something bad started happening.”
“Just because you’re older don’t make you smarter, Donna. Besides, I’ve heard that a lot of your friends smoke dope. Bet Mom and Dad would like to know about that.” He started to walk away.
Donna grabbed his arm. “You better not nark on me, Butch.”
“I think that goes both ways, Donna. You don’t tell Mom and Dad about our being in the Prescott Mansion and I won’t tell them that you run around with kids who smoke weed.”
She drew back her hand, but with all she had to lose, dropped it back to her side.
“Do we have a deal?”
“Go ahead and get yourself killed. No skin off my back. You’ll just be one less mouth.”
“Yeah, I love you too, Donna,” he whispered walking away.
“Butch,” she called out, “I didn’t mean that. But all jokes aside, you really do need to stay away from that house. Strange things happen there and I don’t want you mixed up in it.”
“What kind of strange things?” She had his interest now.
Donna peeked over the banister, then, motioned Butch down the hall.
She sat down on his bed, patted the space beside her. “I know you’re only fourteen and a boy so you may not understand all I am about to tell you.” Her voice took on an air of sophistication.
“I’m not a baby, Donna.” He wondered what she was getting at and wasn’t sure he even wanted to hear it, if it had to do with girl stuff.
“Sometimes when girls start dating they do things they shouldn’t and they get into trouble. Do you know what I’m talkin’ about, Butch?”
“Yeah, they get pregnant. We’ve already had the class on sex, Donna.”
“Okay, well, probably what they didn’t teach you in that class is what some girls do if they don’t want to be pregnant.”
“You’re talkin’ about abortion. I know all about that.”
“Where did you learn about something like that?” She turned, looking at him.
“I have friends too. They talk. They have older brothers and sisters.”
“All right then. There’s been talk that illegal abortions are done at the Prescott Mansion. Some girls who have dropped out of school went there to get rid of their baby.”
“What does this have to do with me and Willie going there just to look around?” He tried to stay calm, to let what Donna was saying slide off his back without a thought or a care, but he could feel it crawling on his skin. He wanted to scream.
“I don’t want you and Willie around there because I am sure the ones doing abortions at the Prescott Mansion don’t have a medical license—it could be dangerous messing with them. They probably make a good deal of money doing what they’re doing, and they ain’t about to let two kids screw it up. They’ll come after you if they catch you snooping.”
“Donna, you need to stop watching cop shows you’re starting to believe them.”
“Butch, look at me.” She turned him around to face her. “If I hear of you and Willie being anywhere near that house again, I will tell Mom and Dad. I’d rather get in trouble myself than have something happen to the two of you.”
“I guess since you put it that way, I’ll tell Willie we better stay away.”
Donna placed a quick kiss on his cheek then hopped to her feet. “Good then. I feel better knowing I don’t have to worry about you two getting your heads knocked off by being somewhere you shouldn’t be.”
Butch thought about the misshapen blob in the sink at school and his stomach started to heave. That was a poor little baby that some girl had had cut out of her body.
Knowing he had no choice, he got dressed to go downstairs. If he didn’t show up for dinner he would be hearing another talk from his dad about the pitfalls of drugs and alcohol.
Even though talk of unethical abortions and unlicensed doctors made him squeamish, he knew that as soon as he had a chance, he would be returning to that school bus for more jars.
Chapter Four
The next morning, Butch woke with a sore throat and an aching stomach. He lay back down in his bed as his mom came into the room.
“Why aren’t you up and getting dressed? You don’t want to be late for school.”
“I don’t feel good. I think I’m coming down with somethin’.”
“Probably! You were out in that storm yesterday, so you most likely caught a chill.”
“I guess so, cause I feel awful….” his words came to an abrupt end as he bounded out of bed and to the bathroom, making it just in time to empty out the contents of his aching stomach.
“Yes, you’re sick, all right. I’ll tell Donna she is going to have to stay home with you. I would, but we are checking the inventory at the shop today and I need to be there.”
Butch got to his feet to take the warm washrag his mom handed to him. “I don’t need
a babysitter. I’m fourteen-years-old; plenty old enough to take care of myself.”
“Yes, you are, but you’ve been throwing up. I won’t leave you alone when you’re vomiting; that’s a good way to choke.”
“Donna’s gonna be glad when she hears she has to stay home with her puking brother.”
“You would do the same for her if she was sick.”
Butch staggered back to his room and bed. His head was spinning and although there was nothing left to get rid of, he could already feel his stomach gearing up for another gushing attack.
Donna came into his room without bothering to knock. “Mom said I have to stay home with you today. What you got going at school, Butch? A test?”
“Not pretending. I’m really sick.”
She placed a cool hand on his forehead, then nodded. “That’s what you get for playing in the rain. I bet Willie ain’t going to school today, either.” She started to walk out of the room when she turned. “Butch, if I didn’t know you were really sick, I’d think you were faking this just so you and Wllie can go back to that house!”
“Willie said he’s going to school today when I talked to him last night on the phone.”
“Yeah, well, so did you, remember?”
“Will you just go away and let me die in peace?”
Without a word, Donna walked out of the room. Unfortunately, he only enjoyed several short moments of peace before she returned. “You sneaky little shit!” she accused, yanking the covers off the bed.
“Have you gone nuts? I’m sick, Donna! Now get the hell outta here and leave me alone before I puke on you!” He pulled the covers back over him.
“Okay, smart ass! If you’re so sick, then why did Mom just tell me that Aunt Julie’s bringing Willie over here to stay, because he’s throwing up too?”
“Good, then we can die together and have a shared funeral.”
“I’m telling you right now, Butch, the first one of you who pukes on the floor, I’m rubbing your nose in it!” She flounced out of the room.
Butch dozed off, too sick to even care about having Willie there to share in his misery. The next thing he knew, someone was shaking him awake. He pulled the covers away from his face to see Willie staring at him. “Hey.”
“I think we stayed out in the rain a little too long.” His voice sounded raspy.
“Yeah,” Butch agreed, pulling the covers back over his face, in no mood to visit.
“Good thing you got twin beds in here.” He exchanged his shirt and jeans for pajamas before settling himself into the bed across the room.
Donna walked into the room carrying two pails and a glass of water. “I only brought one glass of water. I figure since you both have the same thing, it won’t matter if you drink out of the same glass.” She set a pail down by each bed then uncapped a bottle filled with a pink liquid and a smaller bottle of pills. “Got something for your headache and fever and something to quiet your nausea.”
“Thanks, Donna,” Willie said, positioning the pail within easy reach.
“Sounds like you’re feeling better.” She gave him a piercing glance. “You sure you weren’t faking all this?” She didn’t wait for a response. She flounced out, slamming the door behind her.
“Finally!” Willie threw off his covers to get to his feet. “So why didn’t you let me in on what you had planned?”
“What the hell you talking about?”
“Faking being sick so we can go check out the house again. If I hadn’t heard my mom talking to Aunt Rita about you being sick and having to stay home from school, I would have missed out.”
Butch felt his stomach pitch as Willie flopped down on the side of the bed. “Damn it, Willie! I ain’t fakin’! And if you don’t stop moving around, I’ll prove it to ya!”
Willie looked at him, noting the pallor of his skin. “Well damn, Butch, I thought you had a plan. Are you saying I made myself throw up my breakfast for nothing?!”
“No one’s stopping you from going, but I ain’t going anywhere but right here in this bed.” He flopped over on his stomach and immediately regretted it. “Ah shit!” He shoved Willie off the bed to hang his head over the pail; his stomach convulsing as it tried to rid itself of the roiling spasms.
Willie rolled to his feet, trying to get as far from the pail as possible. “I’ll go get you something to wash your face.” He headed to the bathroom, trying not to let the sounds of Butch’s retching get his own stomach started. Turning on the faucet, he held a washrag beneath the warm water. When he walked back into the room, he saw Butch sitting up in the bed. “Here ya go.”
Butch slowly washed his face then took the glass of water Willie held out to him. He rinsed his mouth; spit the water into the pail.
“Thanks, Willie. I feel a little better now that I got rid of that bile.”
Willie held up his hands. “I…don’t want to hear about it.”
“I hate to ask you to do this for me, but could you go run some water in the pail and dump it? Use the faucet in the tub it’ll be easier. I don’t want to hear Donna bitching that I made her get sick.”
Willie took a deep breath and lifted the pail. “I would only do this for you.” He hurried to the bathroom; keeping his eyes turned away from the thick mucus rolling around in the bottom of the pail.
Donna stopped him on his way back to the bedroom. “What are you doing out of bed, Willie?”
“Dumping Butch’s pail. He threw up again.”
“I could have done that, but since you did, thanks.”
“I’m feeling a lot better since I threw up earlier. Guess I ain’t as sick as Butch.”
“Don’t look like it, but just to be on the safe side, you might want to stay in bed today so you don’t get to feeling bad again.”
“I was going to suggest that since I ain’t sick no more, I could take care of Butch and you could take off if you want.”
Donna reached out her hand to lay it across Willie’s forehead. “You don’t have a fever. And, you don’t look pale. If you’re sure you don’t need me, I do have some things I need to get done.”
“No, go ahead. I’ll just kick back and watch some TV.
She stuck her head in the room. “Willie said, since he’s feelin’ better, he can stay with you while I run a few errands.”
“I couldn’t care less if you both leave as long as I can go to sleep.”
“Okay.” She turned, and after giving Willie a quick peck on the cheek, raced down the hall to her room to get ready.
Willie was flipping through the channels when he heard her car back out of the drive.
For a few hours he entertained himself by fixing something to eat, watching some TV and enjoying being alone. Then, late in the afternoon, he got to his feet. “Guess it’s time for me to run an errand too,” he laughed
Creeping into Butch’s room, he grabbed up his clothes. As he pulled off his pajamas, he glanced across the room to see Butch sleeping peacefully.
He decided to leave the TV on to give the appearance of someone awake and alert in the house while he was gone.
Walking outside, he welcomed the feel of the afternoon sun warming his back as he made his way down the graveled road and away from the house.
***
Later, when Butch woke, he could hear the blare of the TV as it filtered up to him from downstairs.
“What the hell! Is Willie deaf? Why does he have the volume up so loud?” He swung his legs off the bed to get to his feet. As a sudden spell of dizziness swept over him he sat back down.
“Willie, turn the TV down!” He yelled into the air. When the TV continued to blare, he called out again. “Willie, I swear if you don’t turn that TV down, I’m coming downstairs to kick your ass!”
As silence continued to greet him, he stood up, trying to ignore the pounding in his head.
“Willie,” he murmured into the empty room, “when I get well I’m going to kick the fuck out of you.”
Holding onto the banister, he made his w
ay downstairs. When he reached the last step, he looked around, then shuffled the rest of the way into the den. Grabbing the remote off the end table, beside his dad’s chair, he quickly clicked off the TV.
“Willie,” he called out, “where the hell are you?” He stood still, waiting for a reply, and then walked down the hall and into the kitchen.
He was surprised to find that room empty. “You dumb shit! You went back to that house, didn’t you?”
Glancing at the clock hanging over the archway, he knew he only had about an hour to find Willie before his parents came home.
Chapter Five
Willie was inside the bus now. He had stayed in the hay fort longer than he should have. But he wanted to be sure there was no movement around the house before attempting to go inside the bus.
After wrapping three jars in a plastic bag, he carefully placed them inside the paper bag he had pulled from his pocket. He refused to allow himself to dwell on what might be inside the jars, even though he could see the same gray blob in each jar.
He crouched down and carefully peeked out the window of the old bus.
He could see the big house in the distance. He did a complete sweep of the surrounding area, glad to see no cars anywhere near the house.
“Time for me to take myself and my treasures out of here and head back to the house.”
Without warning, the door he had left slightly ajar swung all the way open, and then slammed with a bang.
Willie shrank back against the bus wall. He could feel his heart racing so hard it echoed in his ears. He strained to hear over the frantic pounding as he listened for any movement that would warn him of danger.
Something pummeled the side of the bus loudly, startling him. This was followed by a light scratching that grew more intense as the seconds ticked by. What was out there?
Someone jerked open the door and jumped inside.
***
Butch stomped down the road toward the mansion, each step sharpening the agony screaming inside his head.
“Willie, you skinny little fuck, if whatever’s in that house hasn’t killed you yet, you’re still gonna die because I’m next in line for the job!”
The Hay Fort Page 3