wanted to talk about it.”
But there was more, and even though he didn’t want to share it, he had to.
“I was so mad at her when she hit me that I hit her back. Hard. I punched her in the face.” Max forced himself to look into Jessie’s eyes. “Broke her nose. She went down right there on the kitchen floor, blood gushing all over, and I just stood there. I couldn’t believe I’d hit her. And then she got up and went for a kitchen knife.”
In Jessie’s face, Max saw no judgment. Only silent encouragement. He went on.
“She was so much smaller than me, there’s no way she could’ve really hurt me. But she had a knife, and I just...reacted. I hit her again. When she ran away upstairs, I followed her. I swear, Jessie, I was just going after her to make sure she wasn’t going to hurt herself. There was already so much blood. I couldn’t tell if she was hurt worse than it seemed. I followed her up the stairs, and she attacked me again. We struggled. She managed to hit me in the face, this time with some piece of junk she grabbed from a pile on the stairs. I was woozy, couldn’t tell what was going on. I pushed her away and she fell...on the knife. Then down the stairs.”
Jessie’s eyes went wide, her mouth slightly open. “Oh. God. She died?”
“When I managed to get myself together, I looked for her, but she was gone.”
“The monster never dies the first time,” Jessie said.
Max shook his head. “She wasn’t...if I’d been a little nicer, if I’d helped her...”
“Hey—” Jessie took his face in her hands and centered his gaze on her “—you didn’t know what would happen. You’re not responsible for her issues. What happened to her?”
“The police found her wandering a few blocks away. She was detained for psychiatric evaluation. She got put on meds. We, um...we dropped the charges against her,” Max said. “And she never raised any against me. The last time I saw her, she seemed much better. She’d put on some weight, looked healthier. She was with some guy in a diner. She didn’t see me, and I didn’t say anything to her.”
“So what makes you think she’s here now?”
It was a legitimate question, one unfortunately he had an answer for. “Because every year since we split up, she’s sent me a birthday card. The same one. She must’ve bought a box of them or something. They all have a giant number one on the front.”
“Like for a first birthday?”
“Like she’s the only one for me,” Max explained. “It’s what she always used to say to me. ‘I’m the only one you’ll ever really love.’ But I didn’t love her, Jessie. I never even came close.”
Jessie shuddered. “Creepy. Wow.”
“You’re the first girl I’ve dated since Patty. I thought enough time had passed. Last year, she didn’t send a card. I figured maybe she was over it, but I guess not.”
“You think she followed us all the way out here? Slashed our tires? You think she killed Carrie? You think she’s the thing in the woods?”
He didn’t want to think so, but... “Yeah. I think maybe.”
Jessie shook her head. “Honey, there’s no way. First of all, how would she even know about this trip? You kept it such a secret. Even Kelly didn’t know. And you saw that thing. Whatever it was, it’s not a person.”
Something knocked on the front door.
Chapter 5
The sharp rap of knuckles on the front door startled Max so much that his hand jerked, knocking the mug of cooling cocoa to the floor, where it smashed. Jessie yelped, but he was already out of his seat and heading for the front door. Max yanked it open to the night outside. The rain had stopped, but chilly air swirled in, making Jessie shiver.
“Who is it?” she cried. It had to be a person, her rational mind insisted. A creature, a thing, a monster or even an inbred, freakish animal wouldn’t knock like that. It had to be a person. “Is it Freddy?”
“Son of a bitch!”
Jessie, avoiding the shattered porcelain,
But there was more, and even though he didn’t want to share it, he had to.
“I was so mad at her when she hit me that I hit her back. Hard. I punched her in the face.” Max forced himself to look into Jessie’s eyes. “Broke her nose. She went down right there on the kitchen floor, blood gushing all over, and I just stood there. I couldn’t believe I’d hit her. And then she got up and went for a kitchen knife.”
In Jessie’s face, Max saw no judgment. Only silent encouragement. He went on.
“She was so much smaller than me, there’s no way she could’ve really hurt me. But she had a knife, and I just...reacted. I hit her again. When she ran away upstairs, I followed her. I swear, Jessie, I was just going after her to make sure she wasn’t going to hurt herself. There was already so much blood. I couldn’t tell if she was hurt worse than it seemed. I followed her up the stairs, and she attacked me again. We struggled. She managed to hit me in the face, this time with some piece of junk she grabbed from a pile on the stairs. I was woozy, couldn’t tell what was going on. I pushed her away and she fell...on the knife. Then down the stairs.”
Jessie’s eyes went wide, her mouth slightly open. “Oh. God. She died?”
“When I managed to get myself together, I looked for her, but she was gone.”
“The monster never dies the first time,” Jessie said.
Max shook his head. “She wasn’t...if I’d been a little nicer, if I’d helped her...”
“Hey—” Jessie took his face in her hands and centered his gaze on her “—you didn’t know what would happen. You’re not responsible for her issues. What happened to her?”
“The police found her wandering a few blocks away. She was detained for psychiatric evaluation. She got put on meds. We, um...we dropped the charges against her,” Max said. “And she never raised any against me. The last time I saw her, she seemed much better. She’d put on some weight, looked healthier. She was with some guy in a diner. She didn’t see me, and I didn’t say anything to her.”
“So what makes you think she’s here now?”
It was a legitimate question, one unfortunately he had an answer for. “Because every year since we split up, she’s sent me a birthday card. The same one. She must’ve bought a box of them or something. They all have a giant number one on the front.”
“Like for a first birthday?”
“Like she’s the only one for me,” Max explained. “It’s what she always used to say to me. ‘I’m the only one you’ll ever really love.’ But I didn’t love her, Jessie. I never even came close.”
Jessie shuddered. “Creepy. Wow.”
“You’re the first girl I’ve dated since Patty. I thought enough time had passed. Last year, she didn’t send a card. I figured maybe she was over it, but I guess not.”
“You think she followed us all the way out here? Slashed our tires? You think she killed Carrie? You think she’s the thing in the woods?”
He didn’t want to think so, but... “Yeah. I think maybe.”
Jessie shook her head. “Honey, there’s no way. First of all, how would she even know about this trip? You kept it such a secret. Even Kelly didn’t know. And you saw that thing. Whatever it was, it’s not a person.”
Something knocked on the front door.
Chapter 5
The sharp rap of knuckles on the front door startled Max so much that his hand jerked, knocking the mug of cooling cocoa to the floor, where it smashed. Jessie yelped, but he was already out of his seat and heading for the front door. Max yanked it open to the night outside. The rain had stopped, but chilly air swirled in, making Jessie shiver.
“Who is it?” she cried. It had to be a person, her rational mind insisted. A creature, a thing, a monster or even an inbred, freakish animal wouldn’t knock like that. It had to be a person. “Is it Freddy?”
“Son of a bitch!”
Jessie, avoiding the shattered porcelain,
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