Page 136 of Them Bones

“Did you say Kim?” came a voice from behind a doorway.

Kim froze at the sound, her skin prickling, and then Cary stepped into the hall covered head to toe in blood.

“Cary…” she squeaked. The stretcher clattered to the floor as Susan dropped the back end in shock.

“He’s in here,” Cary said, his voice strangely calm, gesturing to the bedroom as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“Cary, what did you do…”

“See for yourself,” he said, stepping out of the way.

There was another man who looked like a Pastor standing in the room, watching her anxiously. There was a young boy holding a phone, a blood stain on his shirt. On the bed was a terrified looking girl and a boy, as good looking as Cary – she noted, oddly – attempting to shield the girl from view, his coat covering her lower body.

And on the floor was a beaten, mangled corpse.

“I need to get out of here,” the Pastor said, looking panicked.

“I can’t let you leave the scene, sir,” came Susan’s voice. It was shaking. “Police will be on-site momentarily and will want to speak with you. With all of you.”

“Oh, SCREW THIS!” he roared, launching himself towards the basement window and heaving himself up and out before anyone could even react.

“Jerry,” Cary was saying, “you need to get Dustin out of here. Now. Shane, take Laney and go. Follow Jerry to his place.”

“I’m sorry,” Susan said, “but nobody else can leave!”

Cary turned around and shoved Susan into the wall. “I'd be happy to pick up that shovel andbeat your ass too. Your fucking choice!”

Susan whimpered, raising her hands and trying to slide away from him.

Strangely, Kim found herself thinking about how Cary was supposed to be coming to breakfast, tomorrow. She’d pictured him sitting around the kitchen table with her family, drinking eggnog, and wearing the stupid t-shirt she’d bought him.

There’s something wrong with him.

She could feel it in him sometimes, bubbling beneath the surface, leaking out of him like sweat despite his best efforts, bruising her skin and her bones. But like a dark rain, the blood had washed away his beauty. For the first time, she let herself see his real face.

SHANE

“Jerry! Get Dustin out of here. Right now,” Cary said.

Jerry nodded, grabbed Dustin by the scruff of the neck, and heaved him into the hall.

“Cary…” Laney whimpered. “Cary, what did I do… what did you do…”

“You,” Cary turned to Shane. “Take her.”

Shane nodded, understanding flowing between them, and he tried to pull her up but she shrank from him, shaking with shock.

“For God's sake Cary, can’t you see she’straumatized?!”the paramedic yelled. “She needs to talk to the damned police!”

“Youshut your fucking mouth,”Cary hissed, the woman shrinking away from him. He was staring at her like he wanted to backhand her, and she was staring at him like she was expecting it.

Shane had a funny feeling that this woman had something to do with why Sarita had shown up out of the blue, out of her mind.

“Laney,” Shane murmured to her, “we need to leave. Now.”

She just whimpered. Shane scrubbed his face with his hands and stood up, his stomach churning at the squelchingsound under his boots, and he tried to pick her up but she fought him like a tomcat. He dropped her by accident, panic and frustration overloading his mind.

“Jesus Laney!I’m trying to help!”

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