Part 39

"You see it, too?" Derris gave a relived sigh. "For a minute, I thought- well, you know."

"But.. how?" Oscar stared open-mouthed at the farmhouse. "We... we-"

"I know full well what we did," Lowell growled. "Yet there she stands."

"But HOW!?"

"I don't give a damn about how. All I wanna know is who and why. Let's go."

Lowell started forward. It was Fenton Barney that stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Are we sure that's a good idea?"

"We? I don't know nothing about any 'we'... But what I do know is that there's at least one stranger in town. I know the far side of the hill has been dug up. I know the Tribute is missing and I know we're standin' here staring straight at a house I burned down with my own hands. Now I want answers and I want that boy. Seems to me that if both of those things ain't right there in that house, we'd at least find somethin' that'll point us in the right direction. Now I'm goin' to take a closer look. Any of 'we' that don't think that's a good idea can stay their ass right here."

"All I'm sayin' is that maybe we should fetch the others."

"Then get ta' fetchin!" Lowell snatched his shoulder away and eyed Oscar. "What you got to say?"

Oscar nodded.

"Good, then let's-"

"DOWN!" Oscar hissed suddenly as he dropped to his knees in the grass. Lowell was a split second behind him without knowing why. "Shhhhh....." Oscar slid lower, and pointed at the farmhouse with sharp jabs of his finger.

They had been approaching the front of the building. Lowell saw the curtain obscuring the single window stir. There was enough light inside to see a figure approach, move to one side, and peer out just as Fenton and Derris slipped out of site.

...Although Derris may have been passing out, it was hard to tell.

Lowell squinted at the thin sliver of face staring out.

"It's him."

"It can't b-"

"It's his house, ain't it. Why wouldn't it be him? I bet they're all in there. All of 'em."

"This is crazy," said Fenton. Behind him, Derris made a snoring sound.

"If he's there," said Oscar. "...if they're all there... then what happens now? We do it all over again?"

"I don't think we'll have to. Look, there!" Lowell pointed at three shapes darting toward the house. They'd appeared from nowhere; spawned seemingly from the darkness itself. It took several seconds for the watchers to recognized the twisted shapes as men.

And several more for them to recognize the figures as themselves.

"It's us."

"The hell it is-"

"It's us!"

"That aint' me," said Fenton. "I don't know what that is, but it ain't me!"

"We'll see in a second then. Because if it IS us, then Oscar and me are about to kick that door in."

It happened just as Lowell said it. The monstrous versions of himself and Oscar threw themselves at the door. The door gave way, and Lowell... the younger, uglier one... stormed into the house as Lowell... the older one... stood up in the overgrown fields.

"Get bac-" Oscar reached.

"This ain't real." said Lowell. "And if it ain't real, then they can't see us. Quit hidin' and stand up!"

The others stood... making themselves visible to a set of young eyes peering out at them through the open doorway.

"Le'ts go," said Lowell. He started toward the house.