by Peter Sacco
“The damn picture! We don’t have one,” cried Billy.
“No shit, Sherlock,” responded Jerry.
“What about the picture in the newspaper clipping?” asked Billy.
“Of the old lady?”
“No. There’s an old picture of a man supposed to be her father,” snapped Billy.
“Oh yeah.”
“Did you bring it?”
“No.” Jerry shook his head.
“We need the father, he’s the one doing it,” said Billy.
“Are you sure?” asked Jerry.
“Positive.”
“That makes sense. I remember hearing that he was possessed by some evil spirit telling him to kill everyone in the house. He must have found out your family moved in,” said Jerry.
“That’s great to know,” said Billy.
“Well, you asked. I heard he was a really possessive guy, or something,” said Jerry.
Billy glanced at his watch. “We have eight minutes. Run to your house and get it.”
“Are you going to be all right alone?” asked Jerry.
Billy offered Jerry a sarcastic nod. Jerry bolted from the house. Billy continued his eight minute vigil glancing from his watch to the picture in the book. He thought it all too crazy. For someone who was not afraid and did not believe in ghosts, he was in the thick of an uncanny situation. Billy snickered to himself when he looked through the book. The book belonged to Jerry’s mother and Billy thought the old lady must be some kind of ghoul to be interested in this crap. What had Jerry told him as he was collecting the book? Oh yes. His mother had Ouija board parties. “Only in California,” sighed Billy under his breath.
His watch now read thirty seconds and counting. “Where the hell is he?” he asked. Just then, Jerry came running into the room. “What took so long?”
“I didn’t know if I should have knocked,” responded Jerry gasping for his breath.
Billy shook his head in disgust, observing the watch now read four o’clock. “It’s time,” moaned Billy.
“Dang,” sighed Jerry.
“Are you sure you want to go through with this?” asked Billy.
“Are you?” asked Jerry slowly.
“Yeah, sure.” answered Billy, trying to keep a tough exterior.
“Let’s do it.” nodded Jerry.
The two boys walked into the closet and stared at the wall. They each offered one another one last glance. Billy nodded and Jerry began the incantation. As frightened as Billy was, he felt the uncontrollable urge to laugh when he heard Jerry mumble the words. He could hardly pronounce them. This was very humorous for Billy. Then, the humor changed. The closet began to grow very cold and the whistling sound of wind began to swirl within. The door slammed shut. The light glistened off the ice starting to form on the brick wall. Jerry, stuttered in his incantation, but continued. The wall was frosted white. Billy felt the cold harsh wind blow in his face.
Snowflakes stung the corners of his eyes as they hit with great ferocity. Billy tried to shield his eyes from the snow but his extended arm fell through the wall. Seeing this, Jerry stopped incanting and watched as Billy put his foot through the wall. Billy glanced over at Jerry and then stuck his head through the wall. Within seconds, Billy’s entire body disappeared through the wall. The rustling wind began to grow quieter. Jerry was frozen solid in his thoughts. He was afraid to go into the wall, but afraid to walk away on his friend. This kid Billy from the East Coast, was the only guy not to have taken advantage of him as the other kids had. He was a true friend and he was not going to leave him. “Oh well, here goes nothing,” he whispered.
Jerry stepped back and took a giant leap through the wall. His body disappeared as there was complete silence in the closet.
***
Billy and Jerry were both seated in a large snow drift at the end of a snowy desert. At the other end of the snowy desert was an old red brick house. The house was identical to the one the Thomas’s lived in. Next to the snow covered house was an old barn, with an old rusted Packard parked out in front.
The wind gusts were really kicking the snow around the boys. The novelty of their awe was beginning to wear off and the boys were becoming cognizant of their freezing bare legs and arms.
“It’s bloody cold out here,” shivered Billy.
“You should be used to this,” responded Jerry.
“We have coats and boots to wear back home.”
Jerry stared at the house and barn and stared off into the desert of snow. “That’s the same house you live in,” shivered Jerry.
“No guff!” answered a bewildered Billy.
“What the hell is this place?” asked Jerry.
“Probably just hell frozen,” answered Billy.
“There’s nothing else around anywhere,” stated Jerry.
“The house is in its own little world,” snorted Billy. Billy stood up and started to walk towards the house.
“Where are you going?” asked Jerry.
“Where do you think?”
“That’s what I was afraid of,” Jerry sighed.
Jerry chased after Billy as they made their way to the house. They were now close to the house. Even though Jerry was freezing, he was somewhat pre-occupied with his footprints in the snow. This was the first time Jerry had ever seen snow. Once the boys were close enough to the house, they heard a loud bang come from the barn, followed by a scream. Billy wasn’t sure if a person had screamed or if it was the wind howling. The boys decided to go and check it out. There was a snow covered window at the side of the barn. The window was too high for Billy to peer into. He motioned for Jerry to get down on all fours so he could stand on his back. As he struggled to get on Jerry’s back, Billy heard a blood curdling scream.
He recognized the scream. He heard a similar scream once when he put a garter snake in Clair’s bed. Clair was in the barn!
Billy dusted the snow away from the window and peered in. The barn was dark, as the sky around the farm was growing dark. Billy was finally able to make out his sister’s silhouette. She was tied down to a half stall, with her head tilted forward over an old tree stump. The tree stump looked like a bloodied chopping block. There was an ax handle sticking up from the block. Billy did not see anyone else in the barn.
Billy jumped down from Jerry’s back and ran to the barn door. “What is it?” asked Jerry.
“Clair is in there!” cried Billy. “He’s going to kill her!”
“Oh damn!” cried Jerry, as he was momentarily catatonic.
Billy arrived at the barn door, but it was locked. Jerry arrived behind him and they almost collided. “What’s the matter?” cried Jerry.
“The damn thing is locked! exclaimed Billy.
Billy tugged at the door, but the steel lock wouldn’t budge. Jerry noticed a hatchet next to the house on another chopping block. He ran over and struggled to pull it out of the stump. The area reeked of stale blood. Just as Jerry pulled the hatchet free, he noticed all of the frozen chicken heads behind the block. He felt like vomiting, but kept his composure. He ran over to Billy and handed him the hatchet. Jerry stepped back as Billy swung the hatchet and connected with the lock. The lock popped off and fell to the ground. Billy slid the barn door open and slithered through the small opening. Damn the door was heavy. That was the loud thud that they heard preceding his sister’s scream.
Once in the barn, Billy ran to his sister who was hysterical. “Get me out of here before he comes back!” cried Clair.
Jerry became frozen once more and was unable to move.
“Help me, Webb!” cried Billy. “Get the hell over here!”
Jerry was finally able to pull himself free from his fear. He ran over to Billy and helped him with the ropes. The ropes were tight, but Billy cut away with the hatchet.
“Hurry, Billy! He’ll be back!” cried Clair.
“Who will?” asked a horrified Jerry.
“The old man with the beard. He’s got an ax! He brought me here!” cried Clair.
“He brought you here?” asked Billy.
“Yeah!” cried Clair. “I was in your closet and he pulled me through the wall. Emerald is also here. I saw him. I want to go home.”
“So do I!” cried Jerry.
“You think I want to stay here?” added Billy.
Billy finally got the ropes loose and set Clair free. She climbed to her feet and pointed to the shelf. “That’s what he does here! He wants to do me!”
Billy and Jerry looked at the shelf and Jerry gagged. There were a collection of decapitated heads on the shelf. Some of them appeared to be recent work. The boys were entranced as they studied the macabre. Suddenly, Clair let out a spine-tingling shriek. A hatchet missed the boy’s heads and struck the shelf, it’s blade buried deep within. Billy turned to see a bearded monster fast approaching. Sarah tried to shake Jerry from his momentary comatose state. She pulled him out of the way as the bearded wonder jumped for Billy’s legs. He tackled Billy to the ground, but Billy was quick to squirm free as he caught a sniff of the man’s putrid breath. The man retreated for the ax.
“Billy, get the hell away from him!” shouted Clair.
“No guff!” screamed Billy.
Jerry, now in touch with reality, made a beeline for the barn door. As she was about to follow, Clair stopped and turned to Billy. Billy tried to catch up to them. Clair noticed the ax in the bearded man’s hands. He was able to pry it free.
“He’s going to throw it again Billy!” she yelled.
Out of the corner of his eye, Billy could see a twinge of light glisten off the sharp blade of the ax. Just like the cartoons he thought to himself. Except this was for real! He knew the ax was going to come flying toward his head, and there was a better than probable chance it was bound to connect sooner or later. With the trophy case this guy had, he was certainly no slouch with his weapons.
Clair was about to let out another scream, but something stopped her. That something was Emerald. What a great time to make an appearance she thought to herself. The cat leaped out from nowhere and right onto the top of the bearded man’s head, as he raised the ax for its toss. They heard him grunt as the cat dug it’s sharp claws in his scalp. He fell forward momentarily, in confusion. It was just enough time for them to get their act together. The cat ran toward Clair and she picked it up. Billy took a look back at the man as he struggled to his knees.
Son of a bitch, Billy thought to himself. He wanted to kill the bastard for doing this to his sister. He wanted to kill the bastard for being in his closet. However, the way things looked, Billy wasn’t the one in the killer’s seat. But the gray bearded old man now crawled toward his fallen ax. It was therefore a matter of run or be killed. The kids bolted out of the barn and made haste. There was no way the old geezer was going to catch them. They had at least a one hundred and fifty meter head start. They had to get to the snow bank. Clair stumbled and fell to the ground almost landing on Emerald, but Billy managed to pull her to her feet.
“You’re a great brother, Billy!” cried Clair as Billy pulled her along.
“He’s getting closer!” shouted Jerry.
“Let’s move it!” yelled Billy. “We’re almost at the snow bank.”
“He’s the guy in the picture? Isn’t he Thomas?” yelled Jerry.
“I would bet my skates on it,” panted Billy.
“What are we going to do?” cried Clair.
“The book!” exclaimed Billy. “Get the book and the picture out.”
Jerry struggled to pull the paper back from his pants, almost stumbling down in the process. They were almost at the snow bank. The old man was closing in.
“Why are we stopping?” shrieked Clair.
“That’s where we get back,” gasped Billy.
Jerry started to read the incantation. Billy grabbed the picture from Jerry. “What am I supposed to do with this?” interrupted Billy.
“Burn it!” yelled Jerry.
“Burn it? With what?” cried Billy.
“Oh damn! No matches!” exclaimed Jerry.
Clair searched through her pants pockets and pulled out a pack of matches. Emerald was tightly wrapped around her neck like a mink. Billy and Jerry sighed in relief. Clair had recently taken up smoking without her brother and mother knowing. Billy, however, now knew but would never tell. As much as he despised smokers, thank heaven his sister had tried it. Jerry recited the incantation loudly now. The man was now within fifty meters of them. Billy struggled to light the matches and burn the picture.
The book stated the picture of the spirit must be burned in the fourth dimension in the domain of the spirit. The spirit need not be present. Unfortunately, in their case, they did not have the luxury of having the spirit absent. As a matter of fact, the spirit was now twenty meters away. The whistling of the wind was drowned out by the loud crunching sound of the snow beneath the man’s large feet. He would be there any second. The matches wouldn’t light! Clair grabbed them from Billy’s hands and tried lighting them. Billy was now staring into the approaching eyes of the old man. He could feel the evil and death in their stare. He had the copper taste of fear in his mouth. Blood was now dripping from his bottom lip that he had bitten. He was afraid. He was going to die. He was terrified for the first time in his life.
She got one lit. The match pack caught fire as Billy handed Clair the picture. He was now just fifteen feet away, with the ax cocked over his head. He was here!
The picture caught a flame and went up quickly. The ax grazed Billy’s ear, as he fell back into the snow bank. His ears rang as his head hit something hard. Billy rubbed his throbbing head. He was afraid to look up. The ax must be in his skull.
As Billy slowly opened his eyes, he started to chuckle, then cry. The three of them were in the closet. They were all lying on the closet floor. They were back! It was all over with. Billy knew this was the end of the old man and the ax.
“What happened?” asked Billy slowly.
“He just disappeared into thin air,” sighed a teary eyed Clair, “and so did Emerald.”
“Emerald disappeared too?” asked Billy, surprised.
“Yes, he saved our lives,” answered Clair.
“Wow, he was a spirit too. I’ll bet he was sent to save us,” said Billy.
“A spirit?” asked Clair.
“I think so,” answered Billy, somewhat confused.
“I’ll miss him,” said Clair.
“So will I,” answered Billy. “Did you see it?” asked Billy tapping Jerry on the shoulder.
“See what?”
“The old man disappear.”
“What old man?” asked a confused Jerry.
“Where’s the book?” asked Billy.
“What book?” asked a dazed Jerry.
“Your old lady’s book?”
Jerry shook his head in confusion. “What the hell are we doing in your closet Thomas. What’s your sister doing in here?”
Clair stared at Jerry and started to laugh. “He really doesn’t know, does he?”
“I guess not,” answered Billy.
The three of them climbed to their feet and walked out of the closet. Jerry noticed the dried blood on Billy’s ear. “Hey Thomas, your ear was bleeding. What happened to it?”
“Some guy tried to cut it off with an ax.”
Jerry shook his head and chuckled to himself. “Yeah, right.”
Just as they were about to leave the bedroom, Jean came walking down the hall towards the room. Billy noticed his watch and saw it was only five minutes past four. The whole thing took only minutes.
“I’m home,”
exclaimed a cheerful Jean. “How was your day?”
No one answered.
“One of those days, I see. Can’t wait for school to start,” smiled Jean.
Jerry shrugged.
“Well, Bill, seeing as you are the man of the house, I have a job for you to do.”
“What do you want, mom?” asked Billy.
Jean took a small ax from behind her back and held it up. Both Clair and Billy flinched. “I was hoping you could chop some of those dead branches up,” smiled Jean.
“Not a problem, mom,” smiled Billy.
Chapter Six
Runaway Train
Sean always dreamed about being the big kid on the high school campus. His last two years on the Canadian campus had been anything but memorable. His family had moved to Toronto from a small town out in the prairies just over two years ago, following his father’s transfer. Sean had excelled in all areas of his school. Sean was highly intelligent and creative. He carried nothing less than A grades throughout his schooling. His success in school did not change much after the move to Toronto. Some of the A+ grades however, had shrunk to just plain A’s.
Out west, Sean had been somewhat of a celebrity. Captain of the debate team, lead saxophone player in the school band, he was quite popular with his schoolmates and some of the girls. But during his last two years at the Toronto high school, Sean was anything but popular. He tried out for the band and made it. The Toronto school had a much larger student population. Given the tremendous increase in numbers, it was not surprising that Sean’s talents no longer stuck out like a sore thumb. Consequently, after having to play second fiddle Sean had enough of the school band and packed it in.
Unlike his lack of success with the school band, Sean’s fortunes with the school debate team flourished. Again, Sean was named captain of the school’s debate team. Since joining the them, they had an unprecedented perfect record. It was a regular occurrence for his name, along with the other members of the school debate team, to be announced over the intercom following a victory.
