by Nathan Jay
“What happened back there with Michael wasn’t an accident.”
“What do you mean?”
“Remember those kids in the forest that supposedly helped us get rid of those worms inside of Michael?”
“Yeah.”
“Whatever they did, they didn’t get rid of them. I think the kids activated some process inside of Michael that makes those things grow.”
“Are those things trying to eat through his chest?”
“Yeah. It wasn’t Mr. Green. The kids did this to him. Mr. Green just called out to those things.”
“So, what does this mean?”
“It means we have to find a way to get rid of them, or Michael’s going to die.”
Dustin looked back at Julia, tending to his son.
“Well, we can’t let that happen, can we?”
“No.”
“Any thoughts on how we find a way?”
“Yeah, but you won’t like it. I have to go after Mr. Green. Alone.”
“Alone? Are you crazy? Did you see what he did to your brother?”
“We don’t have a choice. Either we go after Mr. Green, or Michael dies here in this old house.”
Dustin shook his head in disagreement.
“No. There has to be another way.”
“There isn’t, and you know it. Don’t worry, Dad. Grandma Noya trained me for this.”
Suddenly, Michael tried to sit up and winced in pain.
“Lay your little ass back down!” snapped Julia.
“It’s okay, mom. I want to sit up for a while.”
Suddenly Julia screamed.
“Oh, my God! What is that?”
Wilson and Dustin came running in from outside.
“What is it, Julia?” Dustin asked. His wife could do nothing but point to the chair in the corner of the room.
Sitting in the chair was the ghost of a child, a small Black boy. He dangled his legs on the edge of the chair and chewed on a piece of sugarcane as he stared out past the porch.
“You’re going to have a visitor later today. He’s coming to help.”
Everyone was afraid, except Wilson. He boldly spoke to the child.
“Who is it?”
The little boy smiled.
“You don’t need to worry. He’s family.”
“Family?”
“Yes. He’s coming to help you find the buffalo.”
“The buffalo? What do you mean?”
The child started laughing.
“You know what I mean. Mr. Green is a bad man. But he is afraid of the buffalo. The visitor will help you find them.”
Suddenly the boy hopped down from the chair.
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll be right there, ma’am!”
The child took off running and disappeared on the porch.
Chapter 32: Coming Clean
The sun was rising, and Wilson sat on the porch thinking about what he had to do. He thought about what the child had told him, and he was curious. Who was this visitor? Wilson’s family kept so many secrets from him that the possibility of having other family members scattered around didn’t seem inconsistent.
Wilson heard footsteps behind him and turned around to see his mother standing in the doorway.
“That floor sure is hard. But we walked to the other room and saw a bed back there. How?”
Wilson smiled.
“Grandma Noya. She put a new bed in here and always traveled here to visit her father.”
“Her father? You mean your Great Grandfather?”
“Yeah. Great Grandfather Wilson.”
Both Wilson and Julia were quiet as they watched the sunrise.
“You know what’s weird? The only time I’ve ever been awake this early was when I had a briefcase in my hand.”
“Yeah, mom. You work a lot.”
“Too much sometimes, I think. There are so many things I missed out on by working so much.”
“So, why did you?”
“Truthfully? I don’t know.”
Wilson turned to his mother.
“I know about your abortion.”
Julia’s eyes widened in surprise. After a few seconds, she dropped her head.
“With everything you and Michael have shown me, I’m not surprised.”
“Why did you do it?”
Julia stood up and walked to the edge of the porch.
“Grandma Noya could always see through me. Do you know what she told me the first time she met me?”
“No. What did she say?”
“She told me that I’m carrying a lot of pain with me, and if I don’t let it go, I could lose my family.”
“Grandma Noya told you that?”
“The first time she met me. Can you believe that? I guess there was something in her that could tell that I was full of shit.”
Wilson wiped some dirt off his shoe.
“I guess.”
“When I got pregnant, I guess I knew deep down it wasn’t your father’s. That terrified me, you know? I mean, we already have a family, and I got knocked up by some random fling? There’s no way I could make you and your brother go through…”
Wilson interrupted her.
“Michael’s not my full blood, is he?”
Julia stared at Wilson for a minute and then sat down beside him.
“Truthfully? I don’t know. I mean, I look at Michael, and I look at Dustin. I see father and son. The resemblance is there. And we never had a medical test to confirm it, but I believe Michael is Dustin’s son in my heart. And yes, I believe Michael’s your full brother. No, I know he’s your full blood. I don’t have any doubt.”
Wilson sighed.
“Your guessing doesn’t change the fact that you messed up.”
“I know. I didn’t plan this, you know? Everything just happened so quickly. There’s no defending what I did.”
“When are you leaving us?”
“Leaving you?”
“That’s what your plan was, right? That’s why you made Dad beg you to come home.”
“Dustin didn’t beg me.”
“He didn’t?”
“No. Your father’s a lot closer to Grandma Noya in his behavior. He says things that make you think about your life and the decisions you’ve made.”
“Then why did you come back?”
“Honestly? I love my family.”
“So you’re not leaving?”
“I never planned to. I did this to get your Dad’s attention. He works so much, and he rarely shows what’s inside. A lot of what I did was to get his attention.”
“Except for the baby.”
“Yeah, except for that. That abortion was the biggest mistake of my life. I think about the baby sometimes.”
“You do?”
“Yeah. I even named the little girl Dalila. That would’ve been her name. I’ve always loved that name.”
“You and Mr. McConnell are finished?”
“Do you want me to give you the “nice mommy answer” or the real one?”
“The real one.”
“Richard was a pussy. He’s not even half the man Dustin is. As I told you, most of what I did was to get your father’s attention. But now? Richard doesn’t stand a chance.”
“Really?”
“Really. Especially after that thing you did with Richard.”
“You knew about that?”
“I thought he was losing his fucking mind when he told me how you ripped off his arms and his legs. It turns out the doctors thought he was nuts too. They committed that fool to a mental hospital. I went to Europe alone.”
Julia chuckled.
“After all of that crazy stuff at the airport, I knew he was telling the truth.”
Suddenly, a flash of light passed in front of them. Wilson watched as the light paused in front of both of them. After a few moments, it moved on and disappeared around the corner of the house. Julia shivered and moved closer to her son.
“I guess I’m not used to seeing all these
spirits walking around.”
“It doesn’t bother me. The spirits are our family.”
Julia hugged Wilson.
“Yeah, our family.”
Chapter 33: Shadows of the Night
Dustin came back to the house, carrying two large metal buckets of water. As soon as he placed them on the porch, everyone immediately drank.
“Can you believe mom fortified this place with food? There’s even a well out back,” exclaimed Dustin.
Wilson’s stomach made a loud, growling sound.
“I only wish she had fortified this place with a working bathroom and not an outhouse.”
Julia laughed.
“I’m with you on that one, Boy. I can’t tell if I’m wiping my butt with paper or poison ivy back there.”
Wilson and Julia started laughing.
“Who knew mom was planning for this all along? Can you believe it?”
“I believe it,” replied Michael while grabbing a pack of beef jerky. “Grandma Noya always saw more than anyone.”
Wilson looked at Michael with suspicion. Although Michael gained most of his strength back, Wilson couldn’t help but wonder about the creatures he had in his body.
“How are you feeling, Little Bro?”
“I’m better. Just hungry.”
“I’d say. That’s your fourth pack of beef jerky.”
Dustin felt Michael’s head and opened his shirt.
“Well, you don’t have a fever, and you don’t have any problems with your chest like before. That’s a good sign.”
Dustin smiled and rubbed Michael’s hair.
“The sun’s going down now. Maybe we should all try to sleep early. We don’t know what tomorrow’s going to look like,” said Dustin.
Michael yawned and laid down on the floor.
“I’m okay with that. I’m exhausted,” Michael said.
“I’ll get those blankets from the back,” replied Dustin.
As his father walked to the back to retrieve the blankets, Wilson walked out on the front porch. He didn’t know why, but something inside of him was restless. Wilson looked out into the dark forest and felt an uneasiness wash over him. He felt nervous, like ants were running up and down his spine. As soon as he sat down on the porch, he understood why.
“You know you’re going to have to leave them,” a voice said from behind him. Wilson looked and saw the ghost of an old man walk out of the cabin and sit in a rocking chair. Wilson wasn’t nervous. He’d seen the spirit before.
“I know.”
“Tough decisions always come in the night. They creep in along with the quiet of the morning dew.”
“You’re my Great Grandfather, aren’t you?”
The old man didn’t look at Wilson. Instead, he stared out into the forest, ignoring Wilson’s direct line of questioning.
“When the Evil One comes for you, accept the invitation. He won’t expect it.”
“The Evil One? Isn’t that Mr. Green?”
“You will need to shed blood to gain the trust of the buffalo.”
Suddenly the man stood up and pointed into the forest.
“Look. There! Out past the trees is where they wait.”
“Who?”
“Don’t be afraid of what he gives you. Focus more on what you can give him. If you do that, you will survive.”
“Give him? Like what? A sacrifice?”
The old man finally turned and looked at Wilson.
“Don’t worry. Your parents are safe on these grounds. Nothing can penetrate.”
The old man walked down off the porch and disappeared. Wilson sat thinking about what he said, not sure of what to make of it. Finally, he stood and went into the house to go to sleep.
Chapter 34: The Winds Move
Michael woke up in the dark house and looked around.
“Wilson. Do you feel that?” he whispered. No one responded. Michael laid down on the floor and closed his eyes. Suddenly, the whole house shook.
“What’s that?” Michael screamed out. He looked around for his family, but he couldn’t find them in the darkness. Michael stumbled to the door and looked out into the moonlit yard. Dozens of ghostly spirits were staring at the boy as he tried to gain his balance.
“Help!” Michael cried out to them. “I can’t find my family.”
The spirits didn’t speak. Instead, they all stood motionless, staring at Michael as the house continued to shake. Soon, Michael heard a deep pulsating sound that was like a heartbeat.
“What is that?”
The young boy began to panic. He ran back into the trembling house to search for his family.
“Wilson! Mom! Dad!”
No one answered.
The throbbing sound became louder. The walls of the house began to crack and tilt inward. Michael ran to the porch again.
“What’s happening?” he yelled to the spirits. They had all turned their backs to him and stood looking out into the forest.
Suddenly Michael began choking. As he coughed, he could taste a slimy metallic taste in his mouth. He fell down the steps into the yard. The coughing became more intense. Blood oozed from the corners of his mouth as he struggled to catch his breath.
“Wilson, help me,” he called out. Suddenly his arm straightened and locked as if he had a metal bar inserted into it. With his free hand, Michael slapped at his wrist, trying to loosen it up. Suddenly, a large worm burst from the palm of his hand. With its long white teeth snapping, the beast twisted its body awkwardly and bit into Michael’s chest.
“Ahhhhhh!” Michael screamed. “Mom!”
But no one was around. Michael pulled the worm’s mouth from his chest and tossed it into the field. Suddenly, another worm burst from his stomach and twisted itself to bite Michael’s chin. Blood sprayed everywhere as Michael fought through the pain and grabbed the animal. He pulled the beast from his face, but not before the animal took a big chunk of his chin with it. Michael fell to the ground and began dragging himself along the weeds towards the forest.
“No. Please stop,” Michael begged. The spirits moved out of the way as the child continued crawling towards the forest.
Suddenly, he saw the man standing at the edge of the property. His hand was outstretched as if he were waiting for Michael.
“No!” Michael yelled. He dug his fingernails into the soil and attempted to turn around to go back to the house. But he couldn’t move. It felt like something was pulling his body along the ground against his will. Suddenly Michael stood up. He tore off his shirt and screamed. The mouths of hundreds of worms pressed against the inside of his chest and back. All of the creatures were trying to eat their way out of his body. Two long worms burst from his chest and burrowed into the dirt. Michael fell, and the serpents pulled him along the soil towards the forest. Unable to resist anymore, the child blacked out.
Chapter 35: Michael
“Waaaake up!”
Wilson sat up immediately and looked at the front door. The spirit of the little Cherokee girl he’d seen when he first came to visit his Great Grandfather was standing in the doorway screaming at him.
“Heee leaves! Gooooo!”
Wilson looked around the room and saw his mother and father sleeping in the corner.
“Where’s Michael?” he whispered.
The spirit became louder and more vocal.
“Gooooo!” the little girl screamed.
Michael took off, running out the front door. Just as he ran down the stairs, he saw his brother at the edge of the yard.
“Michael!” he yelled. “Stop!”
His brother stopped walking and turned around to look back at the house. That’s when Wilson saw him: Mr. Green. The man’s eyes glowed red, and his arm extended in the direction of Michael. Blood was pouring from Michael’s eyes, and two large serpents hung from his chest into the soil.
“Let go of him!” yelled Wilson, his mother and father running behind him. There was a flash of light, and both Mr. Green and Michael were gone.
Chapter 36: Going After Michael
“No! You can’t go!” yelled Julia as she pushed Wilson away from the door.
“I don’t have a choice!” Wilson screamed. “That’s my brother out there, and I’m the only person that can bring him back!”
Wilson grabbed a few packs of beef jerky and shoved them into his pockets. Julia turned to Dustin.
“Dustin, do something! You just can’t let him go out there. You saw what happened to Michael.”
“I agree with Wilson. He’s the only person that can get him back.”
“Am I the only person that saw what that man did to our son? When are the two of you going to get it through your heads that this is a fight Wilson can’t win?”
Wilson paused.
“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, Mom. It’s good to know I have your support.”
“Don’t do that, damn it! Don’t turn this into some show of whether I support you. I just saw our son getting eaten alive by snakes, serpents, or whatever those damned things were. And nobody could do a damn thing about it.”
Wilson walked close to his mom.
“Why don’t you say what you’re thinking?”
“What do you mean?”
“Go ahead, say it.”
Julia remained silent.
“Fine. If you don’t say it, I will. You think that it’s better to lose one son than to lose them both. That’s what you’re thinking, aren’t you, Mom?”
Everyone was silent.
“Yeah. I thought so.”
Wilson walked out of the house and into the yard. As he started to walk to the forest, his father yelled to him.
“Wilson! Wait!”
Wilson turned and waited for his father to arrive.
“I understand the reason you have to leave. I do.”
“Why can’t Mom? She acts like there are other options.”
“I think she understands the reason you have to go, but you need to understand her position as well.”
“What do you mean?”
“She’s a mom that just had her child taken away from her in the worst way imaginable. Try being sympathetic to that. It’s not easy being a parent.”
“And it’s not easy being a son.”
“Nobody is saying it is. But you need to be respectful of a mother’s love for her child. You don’t have a right to tell her how she should love her children.”