was a bad idea, but instead he blinked his eyes, unsure if he
was seeing what he thought he was seeing. Sticking out of the pile of junk was
a hand. It was outstretched towards him, as though it was holding something. It
looked pale white and he couldn’t see anybody attached to it. He thought it
might be part of a dead body. He felt the hair on his neck rise.
“Shh,” he said to Garth. “Be quiet
for a second.”
Garth quieted his crying and Sean
pushed himself back up into a seated position. The new viewing angle confirmed
it was indeed a hand. Its palm was open as though it was offering him
something, but he couldn’t see what it was.
“Garth, come over here,” Sean
said. “Be quiet.”
Garth crawled along the garage
floor to where Sean sat. When he reached him, he sat next to him, mimicking Sean’s
pose.
“Do you see it?” Sean asked.
“What?” Garth asked.
“Look!” Sean said, nodding towards
the back of the garage. Garth raised his head and wiped his eyes.
“Yeah,” Garth said. “What is it?”
“It’s a hand,” Sean said.
“Whose hand?” Garth asked.
“Let’s find out,” Sean said,
crawling forward towards the back of the garage. The hand remained motionless,
extended and cupped as though it was holding something. Sean couldn’t see
anything it was holding, but Garth reached forward to touch it.
“There’s something in its hand,”
Garth said. “I could feel it.”
“I don’t see anything,” Sean said.
“Try yourself,” Garth said.
Sean reached forward. As he
pressed a finger into the space above the hand’s palm, he felt resistance
against something soft.
Garth grabbed Sean’s arm. “Look,
Sean!” he said, pointing to a space in the junk pile. A small white face stared
out at them. It looked like a baby’s face, but after a moment it looked more
like a child their age.
“Try it,” the face said.
Sean looked at Garth. His cheeks
had been red from crying, but now the color drained from his face. They both
tensed, feeling the need to bolt from the garage.
“It’s food,” the face said.
Sean stared back at the face,
which seemed to look older now. He looked back at the hand. “I don’t see
anything,” Sean said.
“Take it anyway,” the face said.
“You’re hungry.”
As though the words themselves
caused his stomach to growl, Sean felt the stab of hunger hit his stomach and
he knew he’d eat anything to make the pain go away. He reached towards the
hand and wrapped his fingers around whatever it was holding. As he pulled his
hand back, his fingers were spread apart as though he was holding a baseball.
“Wow,” Garth said. “It’s invisible!”
“Eat it,” the face said again.
“What is it?” Sean asked, looking
back at the face. Now it looked like the face of a toddler.
“Does it matter?” the face
replied.
Sean thought about this and
decided it didn’t. He moved the invisible thing to his mouth. Once he felt it
press against his lips, he opened his mouth and took a bite. He felt it enter
his mouth, and he chewed it. It didn’t taste like anything, but once it was in
his mouth and he could feel it inside, he relaxed and felt better. He swallowed
and felt it go down his throat. As it hit his stomach, he felt a warmth radiate
out from his chest. He felt the pain in his stomach subside and the pain in his
ribs lighten.
“Go on,” the face said.
He took another bite, and then
another. Garth watched him. It looked to Garth as though he was fake eating.
“Can I have a bite?” Garth asked. He felt guilty for asking having already
downed the bread, but he was fascinated by what he saw Sean doing, and wanted
to know if it was real.
“Sure,” Sean said, handing him what
was left after several bites. Garth extended his hand and Sean moved his palm
next to Garth’s, turning over his hand and dumping what remained into Garth’s
palm. Sean felt full.
Garth took a bite and after
swallowing, smiled. He immediately felt better.
“He
was seeing what he thought he was seeing. Sticking out of the pile of junk was
a hand. It was outstretched towards him, as though it was holding something. It
looked pale white and he couldn’t see anybody attached to it. He thought it
might be part of a dead body. He felt the hair on his neck rise.
“Shh,” he said to Garth. “Be quiet
for a second.”
Garth quieted his crying and Sean
pushed himself back up into a seated position. The new viewing angle confirmed
it was indeed a hand. Its palm was open as though it was offering him
something, but he couldn’t see what it was.
“Garth, come over here,” Sean
said. “Be quiet.”
Garth crawled along the garage
floor to where Sean sat. When he reached him, he sat next to him, mimicking Sean’s
pose.
“Do you see it?” Sean asked.
“What?” Garth asked.
“Look!” Sean said, nodding towards
the back of the garage. Garth raised his head and wiped his eyes.
“Yeah,” Garth said. “What is it?”
“It’s a hand,” Sean said.
“Whose hand?” Garth asked.
“Let’s find out,” Sean said,
crawling forward towards the back of the garage. The hand remained motionless,
extended and cupped as though it was holding something. Sean couldn’t see
anything it was holding, but Garth reached forward to touch it.
“There’s something in its hand,”
Garth said. “I could feel it.”
“I don’t see anything,” Sean said.
“Try yourself,” Garth said.
Sean reached forward. As he
pressed a finger into the space above the hand’s palm, he felt resistance
against something soft.
Garth grabbed Sean’s arm. “Look,
Sean!” he said, pointing to a space in the junk pile. A small white face stared
out at them. It looked like a baby’s face, but after a moment it looked more
like a child their age.
“Try it,” the face said.
Sean looked at Garth. His cheeks
had been red from crying, but now the color drained from his face. They both
tensed, feeling the need to bolt from the garage.
“It’s food,” the face said.
Sean stared back at the face,
which seemed to look older now. He looked back at the hand. “I don’t see
anything,” Sean said.
“Take it anyway,” the face said.
“You’re hungry.”
As though the words themselves
caused his stomach to growl, Sean felt the stab of hunger hit his stomach and
he knew he’d eat anything to make the pain go away. He reached towards the
hand and wrapped his fingers around whatever it was holding. As he pulled his
hand back, his fingers were spread apart as though he was holding a baseball.
“Wow,” Garth said. “It’s invisible!”
“Eat it,” the face said again.
“What is it?” Sean asked, looking
back at the face. Now it looked like the face of a toddler.
“Does it matter?” the face
replied.
Sean thought about this and
decided it didn’t. He moved the invisible thing to his mouth. Once he felt it
press against his lips, he opened his mouth and took a bite. He felt it enter
his mouth, and he chewed it. It didn’t taste like anything, but once it was in
his mouth and he could feel it inside, he relaxed and felt better. He swallowed
and felt it go down his throat. As it hit his stomach, he felt a warmth radiate
out from his chest. He felt the pain in his stomach subside and the pain in his
ribs lighten.
“Go on,” the face said.
He took another bite, and then
another. Garth watched him. It looked to Garth as though he was fake eating.
“Can I have a bite?” Garth asked. He felt guilty for asking having already
downed the bread, but he was fascinated by what he saw Sean doing, and wanted
to know if it was real.
“Sure,” Sean said, handing him what
was left after several bites. Garth extended his hand and Sean moved his palm
next to Garth’s, turning over his hand and dumping what remained into Garth’s
palm. Sean felt full.
Garth took a bite and after
swallowing, smiled. He immediately felt better.
“He
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