The Other Side of Elsewhere

by Brett McKay

  Dumbfounded, Packard remained silent as he sorted his thoughts. I hoped the facts about the Stockholms and the house gave my story credibility.

  “Well, you know your history, but I still can’t buy the ghost story. What happened next?”

  I told him everything and pulled no punches.

  When I finished, he nodded. “Okay, you’ve been through a lot. I’m going to have the medics check you out. It’s standard procedure, and I want to be sure you’re all right.”

  “Okay, but there’s one more thing. The man we left back in the barn. It’s Todd Harrison.”

  Packard stared at me expressionlessly, as if not knowing how to react. “Todd Harrison? We just buried his body. You must be mistaken. Trauma can cause that.”

  “You’ll find out soon enough.” I shrugged.

  “You’ll need to come into the station and fill out an official statement. I’ll be in touch with your parents.”

  “Are you going to arrest Beaumont and Lester?”

  “There’s a lot we have to do. They’ll be brought in, they’ll be questioned, and God willing, we’ll have enough evidence to make them fry. But I’m a steward of the law. I can’t do anything without evidence.”

  “What about everything I just told you?”

  “It does have merit. Believe me, it helps. I’d have nothing else to go on if I didn’t have your testimony. But your word is not enough all by itself. Andrea is not inside that house. They deny any involvement. I’m going to do my best to get every piece of evidence I can find and present it to the district attorney. It’s up to him to decide if there’s enough to prosecute.”

  “How long is that going to take?” I asked.

  “Let’s just say we have a long road ahead of us. I’m going to hold them as long as I can. It’s my job to protect this city.” He turned and gave me an earnest look. “I need your help, Ret. You need to come to me before you do anything like this again. Is that understood?”

  “Yes.” I nodded.

  “I’m serious. You are in no position to take this on. You just kicked a hornet’s nest, and I need to keep you safe. You come to me next time. I am on your side.” His eyes held sincerity and caring. I was no lie detector like him, but I could recognize the truth.

  A photograph on his dashboard caught my eye. It was Packard and his family. His wife stood on one side, with two children—a boy and a girl—between them.

  “Is that your family?” I pointed.

  “Yes,” he said hesitantly.

  I looked at his hands. He was twisting his wedding ring back and forth between his forefinger and thumb nervously.

  “You guys look happy together.”

  “We were.” His eyes turned glassy. “We surprised our kids one day by taking them to the zoo. That picture was taken on that day. It was a good day.”

  “They look really nice. How come I haven’t seen them?”

  “My kids live with their mother. We divorced, and she moved back to Massachusetts and took my kids with her. I don’t see them much.” He forced a quick, brave smile and rubbed his eyes. I remembered our conversation at the park on the Fourth of July, when I’d asked him about his family. He said they were “fine” and walked off. I knew I’d struck a nerve then, and I suddenly understood why.

  “My mom and dad fight a lot.” I didn’t know why I’d shared that. Perhaps I thought if I shared a similar pain in my life, he wouldn’t feel alone. “They don’t seem happy anymore.”

  He rested a hand on my knee and smiled. “It may not mean anything, and it may mean something. Whatever happens, just know your parents love you, and it’s not you they fight about. Life happens, and it doesn’t always go the way you want it to go. Bad things happen to good people, like Andrea and her family, and they don’t make sense, but we go on because we have to. If something does happen with your parents and they separate, just know it’s done because it’s the best thing to do. Staying together hurts more than it helps. Life will change. Just embrace it the best you can and roll with the punches. Okay?”

  I nodded. “Thanks.”

  He eyeballed my Black Widow shirt. “I thought the Black Widows retired.”

  “They came out of retirement for one last mission.”

  “Let’s keep it their last.”

  “You got it.”

  “And for hell’s sake, call me before you do anything stupid like this again. I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you.”

  I felt a tingle of warmth in my chest.

  “I’m getting kinda used to you being around.” He grinned and gave me a friendly wink.

  Once I left the sheriff’s car, I headed through the crowd to my family. Officers were guiding Beaumont to a squad car, hands cuffed behind him, his head down. The crowd parted for a moment, and there was a clear line of sight between us. He was fifteen feet away.

  Beaumont lifted his head, and his eyes burned a glare into me like sunlight through a magnifying glass. His lips peeled back from his teeth, and his face shook. If he could have willed harm to me with mere thought, I would’ve been dead on the spot.

  My breath caught in my throat, and my heart skipped a beat. I’d never felt so much hatred from someone. I remembered what he’d said in the basement about the Tormentor—he was running out of time to save his friends he’d escaped from prison with. He needed more bodies to pull his friends into our world, and I had just thrown a wrench into his whole plan. It was no wonder he hated me.

  The cops opened the back door to the squad car, pushed his head down, and directed him into the back seat. Once inside, he resumed his burning stare.

  “Ret?” My mom approached me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Ready to go home?”

  I nodded and followed her to our car.

  “GROUP OF LOCAL CHILDREN Claim to Have Found Missing Teen’s Body in Neighbor’s Home” was the headline next morning, and we were the top story on the local TV news. However, my parents didn’t allow me to be interviewed on TV because they were concerned about the trauma I’d already been through.

  I lay in bed most of the day, and at irregular intervals, my body trembled and convulsed in shock. I was silent, and my family left me alone, except for my mom, who brought me food, warmed up a blanket for my shivers, placed an extra pillow under my head, and treated me to a shake later.

  We watched the local evening news together. It was all surreal, like a nightmare come true. My brothers asked me questions after it aired, and I told them how the news got some things wrong. Even though only Jax had gone to call the police, the reporter had said we’d all run from the house and gone straight to a neighbor to call the police. They didn’t talk about the barn incident at all.

  I filled in my family on all the actual details, including the grisly ones and supernatural elements. On each of their faces, I could see the inner debate as to whether to believe my story wholly or not. I felt my mom’s stare, and I knew what questions were behind her eyes.

  Later, my mom asked everyone to leave and get ready for bed, except for me. Scott said mockingly, “Oooh, Ret’s in trouble.”

  “Scott!” Mom snapped at him, and he stopped then raced down the hall to his room. Mom stepped over to the couch and sat next to me. “Ret, I can’t believe all of this has been going on. All this time?”

  “I know.” I looked at the floor.

  “I’m just... in shock.” She shook her head. “I didn’t know you guys snuck into that house for a sleepover. On a dare? I have always warned you to stay away from there. It’s dangerous. And all this Nancy Drew mystery act you’ve been doing, researching at the library, following and spying on Mr. Beaumont and Lester, finding Mrs. Beaumont’s body! And then you break into his house! Did you really see Andrea in the basement?”

  I nodded.

  “That’s awful. How could I not know all of this was going on?” Guilt filled her moist eyes. “I know it’s been an adjustment since I started working full time during the days. I’ve had to in order to afford this hou
se, but it’s not worth it. Not if these things are happening to my kids.”

  “No, Mom. It wouldn’t make a difference if you were here or not. This whole thing was my idea. I haven’t told anyone. I didn’t even tell my friends until the other day. There’s not anything wrong with me. It’s just that terrible things are happening to people in this town, and someone had to do something. I saw things while working for Beaumont and felt it was my responsibility to follow through.”

  “But I need to know about these things. You do understand that, don’t you? I’m your mother, and it’s my job to protect you. A big part of that is knowing what you’re doing.” She started to sob and rested her forehead in her hand. “I should be here.”

  I put my arms on her shoulders, and she cradled my head into her. “It’s not your fault, Mom.”

  She wiped her nose with a Kleenex, hugged me, then pulled back to look at me again. “You could have been hurt—or even killed—last night, Ret. Did they really send a man after you? And he chased you into that barn?”

  “Yes,” I said.

  “I talked to Sheriff Packard earlier, and they detained Mr. Beaumont and Lester for questioning, but he found no sign of the man in the barn. If it’s true, then that man is still out there, and I’m scared.”

  “I know.”

  “I’m going to have to ground you.”

  “What? Why?”

  “For your own protection. At least until this blows over. There are too many unanswered questions. Children are being stolen and killed. From now on, nothing outside this house.”

  “For how long?”

  “At least a week. Let’s see where things are at in a week.” She took my face in her hands and looked at me. “Okay?” She gave me a warm smile and hugged me tightly. I knew she was thankful I was still alive.

  I went to bed, and an hour later, my dad arrived home. I woke up to the front door slamming shut. Not long after that, I heard my parents arguing. I sandwiched my head in my pillow, attempting to muffle the sounds, and fell back to sleep twenty minutes later.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Public Enemy Number One

  The next few days were hell. I was imprisoned in my own home, and it was driving me insane. They told my parents how Beaumont and Lester were released after questioning because there was no evidence to hold them. They were free to kill and steal bodies, and no one could do anything about it, least of all me.

  Jeff came in to the front room, where I was spread out on the couch, reading Louis L’Amour’s Milo Talon, and Tadd sat in a chair chatting on the phone to his latest girlfriend, curled cord stretched around the wall and into the kitchen to the wall jack.

  “Ret, I think you might be right.” Jeff swallowed hard, and I saw in his eyes he knew something.

  “What is it?” I sat up and put the book down.

  “News is all over the town. People have seen Todd Harrison walking around.”

  “You’re shitting me.” I perked up.

  “I overheard Mrs. Crawford, over at the gas station, telling the attendant how her son saw Todd and another guy digging up bodies at the cemetery. The attendant asked her, ‘Did they call the cops?’ and she didn’t know what to say.” Jeff chuckled.

  “What do you mean? Did the cops come or not?”

  “No. You know her son, Chase. He’s a pothead. He was at the graveyard, smokin’ dope with his buddies. He’s not going to call the cops. She knows it too but doesn’t want to tell the attendant that. She just said, ‘No, they were too scared, so they ran.’” He rolled his eyes and waved it off with his hand.

  “I didn’t think much of it at first, until I went down to Pederson’s with my friends, and there was Joey Rascone, talking to a whole bunch of people. You should have seen his face. If you did, you’d know he wasn’t lyin’.”

  “What did Joey see?”

  “He said he woke up to girls screaming next door. You know he lives next door to the Harrisons, right?”

  I nodded agreement.

  “He grabbed his shotgun and ran outside, and that’s when he saw Todd Harrison in the front yard, tugging on his daughter, trying to pull her out of Angie’s arms. Joey cocked the shotgun, pointed it, and told him to stop. Fortunately, he did, and this is the creepiest part.

  “Todd Harrison turned his head slowly and spread a crazy smile across his face, and he said, ‘That’s my girl!’ He pointed at Cheyenne in her arms. Joey said his voice didn’t sound right. Said it sounded like he had marbles in his mouth, and thick black liquid dripped from his lips. ‘They got to come with me,’ Todd said. ‘No one’s goin’ with you, mister,’ Joey told him, and threatened to call the cops. Then Todd started to laugh, and not in a funny way. Then he took off.”

  Jeff’s hands were trembling. The fear was in his eyes too.

  “That night you told us the whole story of what happened, I wasn’t sure if I could believe it all. But now...”

  “Geez,” I exclaimed. “So, did Joey call the police?”

  “Yes, and Sheriff Packard came. They told him everything. Of course, he thinks it was someone else who happened to look like Todd Harrison, and he said something like ‘In light of his recent death and the traumatic grieving, it’s not unusual to see a stranger look like your loved one.’ Basically, he’s chalking it up that they’re crazy. But Angie was frantic and couldn’t be consoled. She demanded they exhume her husband’s body for proof.”

  “What does ‘exhume’ mean?” I asked.

  “That’s when they dig someone up from their grave.”

  “Really?” I gasped.

  “Yes.” He nodded. “She kept fighting Packard on it so much that they’re exhuming the body later today.”

  “Wow,” I exclaimed.

  I got a twinge of excitement. Things were happening. More witnesses were popping up, and once they exhumed Todd’s body and found out he was missing, Sheriff Packard would have to start believing me. I can only hope.

  “Anyway.” Jeff slapped my thigh. “Looks like you’re not crazy.” He grinned.

  He stood up to walk away, and I stopped him.

  “Did you think I was?”

  He paused and turned his eyes to the ceiling as if in thought. “I didn’t know what to think. I know you wouldn’t lie or make up shit.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Just be careful. Don’t do anything stupid like sneaking into that house again.”

  I agreed, and he walked into the kitchen to get a drink. I turned to look at Tadd, who was leaned far back in the recliner, flirting with a girl on the phone.

  “Bring her with you, and I’ll bring Steadman. We’ll make it a double date.” He grinned and glanced at me. I was staring at him and mouthing the words, “Are you finished yet?” He scowled and returned to his conversation. “Steadman’s not a jerk, I promise. We’ll both be on our best behavior.” He paused as she talked. “Yes, tonight. We’ll see you around seven. Okay, you bet. See you then.” He pressed the button on the phone to hang up and glared at me.

  “I just need it for a few seconds.”

  He held the phone out for me to grab it, but I gestured with a stop motion. “I’ll take the phone in Mom and Dad’s room.”

  “Whatever,” he grumbled, and I walked into my parents’ bedroom to use their phone in privacy. I had to call Gary.

  “You’re public enemy number one,” Gary said to me over the phone. “My mom and dad grounded me from you forever.”

  “Not a surprise. I guess I’d do the same.”

  “You’re not the enemy. I chose to go with you. You didn’t force me. I think it’s just easier for them to blame it all on you than to think I’d do anything wrong.”

  “So, are you grounded too?”

  “No. Just from playing with you, and no more sleepovers this summer. Geeze!”

  “I’m sorry I pulled you into this.”

  “You didn’t pull me into this. You needed help, and I’m your friend. That’s what friends do. I made the choice to go with you.”


  “Thanks.” I was itching to share the news about the Harrisons with Gary, but I was hesitant it would force him to make another choice that could put him in hot water.

  “So, what’s up?” Gary asked, and I couldn’t hold back.

  “Did you hear about the Harrisons?”

  “No. What about them?” His voice cracked anxiously.

  “The police are digging up Todd Harrison’s grave today. Apparently, he’s been seen around town. Mrs. Harrison demanded they open his coffin for proof.”

  “Holy shit!” His voice was barely a whisper, and I heard a deep breath taken in and blown out.

  I needed to see my friends. I was still grounded, but I had to find a way at any cost. “We gotta find out what’s going on. Do you think you could break away? Meet me at the cave?”

  “I can go out. I just can’t go with you. If my parents catch me with you, I’m dead.”

  “It won’t be for long. I’ve been cooped up in this house for three days, and I can’t stand it anymore. I’m going to call Jax and Rosco too.”

  “I know Jax won’t be able to. He’s on a strict lockdown. His mother is home all day and watches everything. He’s not going anywhere. I don’t know about Rosco.”

  “I called Dawn,” I said. “Her little brother answered. He said she’s grounded from the phone and going outside at all.”

  “How are you getting out?”

  “Tadd is supposed to watch me.” I lowered my voice so no one outside the room could hear me. “He’s busy talking to his girlfriends on the phone and watching TV. It was all I could do to pull the phone away from him for a few minutes to call you. He’ll be easy. I’ll sneak out the back while he’s on the phone.”

  “I guess if I get caught, I’ll say I just ran into you.”

  “That’ll work. See you in about fifteen?”

  “Yeah.”

  FOR OVER TWENTY MINUTES, I stood next to Cueva, watching and waiting for Gary to show. The sun was hot and baking my scalp. Sweat ran down my temples. Finally, a cloud crept in front of the sun and gave me some relief. I concluded Gary wasn’t coming and that his parents had probably found out.