Come Get Me (20 page)

Jim kept telling himself that but looking at
the facts he couldn’t believe it. He had to come to grips with the
fact that the Goatman was very real and was quite possibly coming
for them. All because of being stupid little kids looking for fun.
He told himself he still had to make one more try at convincing
Pete that he was imagining everything. Maybe if he could do that he
might also convince himself. It was probably too late but what the
hell he would try.

“The Goatman isn’t real!” he yelled at Pete.
“We called him that night sure as shit but he never came. He isn’t
frickin’ real and he’s not frickin’ coming for us!”

“What! You really believe that? You think I
did all this shit myself?” Pete yelled back. “You think I came out
here to the middle of nowhere because I like it? I may have a few
loose screws here and there but trust me I didn’t come out here by
choice. I came out here so everyone in town would be safe. As long
as I’m not there it has no reason to go bothering them. It’s after
us not them.” Jim was caught off guard. He hadn’t thought of that.
If the thing was real and it was after them then the farther they
stayed from people the better. He had nothing to say that would
convince Pete his delusion. He wanted to say something but Pete
beat him to it.

“There’s another reason I came out here too,”
Jim waited. He had no choice. There was nothing to say. Pete knew
Jim was convinced but he was still explaining his reasons for his
belief.

“I couldn’t start the fires in town,” he
said. “So I came out here where it was at least sorta safe. This
way that thing will be kept away from them too.” Even though
everything he said would sound crazy to someone else, to Jim it
made perfect sense. He didn’t know if that was good or bad. If the
creature was after him and Pete and no one else maybe it could be
kept at bay out here where it was safe.

“If the creature isn’t real, as you say, then
someone needs to explain why Tommy and now probably Rob are dead,”
he continued. “They also need to explain to me why someone has been
throwing these heads at my house every night for at least the last
three weeks. If that stuff ain’t real then I don’t know what
is.”

Pete was only done talking for a few seconds
when something suddenly flew from the woods through the firelight
and slammed into the back of the house. It hit with a wet splatter,
slid down the wall and rolled to a stop between the two of them.
Jim looked down and found himself staring into the eyes of a
raccoon or at least what used to be the eyes of a raccoon. The head
was there but nothing else. It looked like it had been hacked off
or something. The blood was still draining from what used to be its
neck. It was very fresh and very grizzly.

Pete yelled something about telling him so
and ran for his fires. Once he reached them he started throwing
more wood on each of them making them bigger. Jim just stood
looking back and forth between the Pete and the bloody mess in
front of him. This latest turn of events really tilted things in
Pete’s favor. Why else would a head be flung at them? Better yet,
who would do it if it wasn’t the Goatman? Before he could think of
a reasonable answer Pete came walking up. He’d apparently gotten
the fires built back up to an acceptable height and wanted to talk
some more. Jim was glad he was coming back. Pete had said his piece
now it was his turn.

“So you know something happened to Rob. You
must’ve been out here playing with your fires when it happened.
Hell, you might’ve even heard what it was or maybe even saw it,” he
said harshly. He was getting mad just thinking about it. Heaven
help him if he found out Pete did see everything and did nothing to
stop it. He felt he was handling everything pretty well but the
pressure was building. Pete just might have to bear the brunt of
the explosion. “Why didn’t you go help him?”

Pete stared at him, pain etched on his face,
“I heard him screaming,” he moaned, “but I couldn’t go to him. He
was in the dark. It would’ve gotten me too. I couldn’t leave my
fires; if I had it would’ve gotten me. My fires are all that keep
me safe. If I’d went then I’d be dead too. I couldn’t go help him.”
Pete was going back to his make believe world where the monsters
were out to get him. Jim wished for all he was worth that he could
be mad at Pete but he couldn’t. He believed the Goatman was back to
get them now too. He wasn’t even sure if he would’ve run out even
to save a friend, in the dark knowing the creature was out there
somewhere waiting for him. Jim wanted to hate him for letting their
friend die but he couldn’t. Pete was all he had left. Everyone else
was dead.., he wanted to walk over to him and start beating him
until he was sane again but he couldn’t.

“It’s ok Pete. I understand…” Jim said before
being cut off.

“Alright I’ve heard enough of this bullshit!”
the Sheriff yelled as he came storming around the corner of the
house. “I’m sick of hearing you spouting this shit you crazy little
freak. You’ve been going on and on about this frickin’ Goatman
thing and I’ve had just about enough,” he said as he grabbed Pete.
“You’re coming to the station with me and you’re going to answer
some questions. I’ve got an officer dead and from what I’ve heard
it sounds like you know more than you’re telling your friend here.
You can be damn sure I’ll find out what it is.”

“What happened with Rob?” Jim asked
interrupting the Sheriff’s tirade.

He slowly turned to Jim and looked as if he
was about to start yelling at him before he caught himself. “The
state boys are going to be taking over. I sent Johnny home about a
half an hour ago. He wasn’t doing much damn good up where he was
anyways.” Jim hoped Johnny hadn’t gotten in trouble for letting him
in but he had a feeling he had. “If I were you, Jim Collins,” the
Sheriff continued, “I’d get my butt home to my mama pretty quick
before I take your sorry ass in as well.”

“But Pete didn’t do anything,” Jim said
ignoring the suggestion. “Sure he’s a bit crazy but he didn’t do
it.”

“How the hell do you know that you idgit?
Were you here with him the whole time? Were you two out here
roasting marsh mellows and cooking weenies over the fire?” The
Sheriff asked sarcastically. “Besides I’m not taking him in because
I think he did it I’m taking him in as a witness. A hostile one at
that. And another thing, look at this place, it looks like the
Devil’s playground. Pete could pass as one of his children the way
he looks. This whole area is an accident waiting to happen. I’ll
have to call the damn fire department to come put these fires out
when I leave. I could arrest him for that if I wanted to. But like
I said I’m not arresting him. Yet.”

Pete looked uncomfortable at the mention of
the fires being put out but he wisely didn’t say anything. He’d
lapsed back to his mumbling routine again. Jim looked in his eyes
and saw that there was nobody home. Pete was in his own little
world. The Sheriff could ask him all the questions he wanted but
probably wouldn’t get any answers.

“Yeah I guess you’re right,” Jim admitted
reluctantly. “But he’s not hostile. The only thing hostile around
here is whatever’s in the woods.”

“What the hell are you talking about now?”
the Sheriff asked.

“Well, we were standing here talking and one
of those heads sailed out of the woods like it had wings and hit
the house. If you want to arrest someone maybe you should go see
who’s out there. Then you can arrest them.” Jim thought he might’ve
gone too far with his last statement judging from the look on the
Sheriff’s face. Then he smiled. That was even scarier than what he
looked like before.

“Look you little shit,” he yelled, “I’ve let
you get away with quite a bit more tonight than I should’ve and now
you’re going to start telling me how to do my job? Boy, I was doing
this job while you were still just a stain on your daddy’s sheets.
I don’t want no snot nosed, wet behind the ear punk telling me how
to do my job but just so you’ll shut up I’ll go take a look out in
the woods and see if there’s anything out there that you need to
worry about. Don’t piss yourself while I’m gone cupcake.” He drew
his gun from one side of his belt and grabbed his flashlight from
the other. “Oh yeah, you two stay here while I go make sure the
boogeyman isn’t coming. Don’t make me have to come find you when I
get back. You won’t like it if I have to.” With that said he
stormed off in the direction of the woods before Jim could even
think of a smart comeback. Jim looked at Pete and saw that he was
giggling to himself.

“What’s so funny?” He asked.

“You,” was all he said.

“Screw you,” Jim snapped.

After their brief exchange Pete quickly
retreated back into his own little world. His hands were in front
of him constantly moving, never still, in a way that reminded Jim
of the evil villains from the cartoons of his childhood. Just
watching gave Jim chills. His nerves were damn near shot. Beneath
the noises the sheriff was making he could hear Pete mumbling about
the purple dinosaur again. Jim had had enough of the purple
dinosaur for one night.

“Would you please shut up about the fucking
purple dinosaur! That’s enough!” he yelled and immediately felt bad
about it. Pete stayed in his world and ignored him. Not having
anything else to do Jim turned towards the woods watching for the
Sheriff’s return.

After what seemed like an eternity but was
probably only about ten minutes he came stumbling out of the bushes
near the other end of the house. There were a few braches stuck in
his hat and one coming out of his shoe making him look somewhat
comical. Jim was too worn out to laugh so he just watched instead
as he walked up cursing a blue streak.

“There’s not a damn thing back there!” he
yelled as he yanked the branch out of his shoe.

“Nothing?” Jim asked. “There had to be
something. Maybe you scared it off with all the noise you were
making. There was definitely something in there before you go
there. I mean, come on, something threw that damned head at us.”
Jim didn’t believe that he’d found nothing. There had to be
something. Blood from the raccoon, the body, something. It
couldn’t’ve just disappeared.

“All I saw were some animal tracks and not
much else. Waste of my damn time. They looked like deer or
something close to it. Had hooves, whatever it was,” he said
straightening his clothes. “But now this shit is over. I looked in
the woods like you wanted and didn’t find anything. That’s it. I’m
taking Pete for a ride down to the station and I don’t want to hear
no more about no damn Goatman.”

He grabbed Pete by the collar and started
walking to the front of the house where his car waited. Jim almost
wished one of those heads would come flying right now and smack the
Sheriff in the back of the head. Maybe then he would believe them.
Then again he would probably just blame Jim and take him in too. It
didn’t seem like anything was going to happen so he quickly
followed the two of them to the front. He watched Pete get shoved
into the back of the car and the Sheriff make his way to his door.
A chill ran down his spine again causing him to look around. The
feeling of being watched was back. Studying the night he saw
nothing that might cause his feeling so he wrote it off to nerves
being tired.

The sheriff climbed in the car and drove off
leaving Jim in a cloud of dust. He didn’t even ask if he needed a
ride. Looking at the retreating tail lights, Jim was half tempted
to stay the night in Pete’s place but since the outside looked so
bad he figured the inside would be worse. Plus the thought of all
the dead animal head made his stomach do flip flops so he decided
against it. He saw the police car reach the end of the road and
decided it was time for him to leave. The dark wasn’t getting any
lighter with him wasting time standing around. It was a long way
back to the main road and the safety of light but he figured it was
safer running then walking. The Sheriff’s idea of going home
sounded like a real good idea.

9

Jim’s muscles were screaming at him when he
woke the next morning as they remembered the previous nights’
adventures. All the running around was taking its toll on him now.
Muscle that had been unused now played holy hell with him as he
rolled out of bed. Thinking about it now in the light of day
everything seemed like some kind of bad nightmare but he knew that
wasn’t the case. He dressed gingerly and walked down to the kitchen
already able to smell the bacon his mother had made for
breakfast.

Taking a seat at the table his mother asked
about his evening and he told her what had happened. He left out
the parts about the heads but told her of the fires and how bad
Pete had seemed to him. She was horrified to find out about Rob.
Jim guessed she hadn’t read the morning paper. He figured something
like that was sure to be front page news. After taking a few
minutes to collect herself she asked how he was taking it. He gave
the only answer he could. Two of his childhood friends were gone.
He would never see them again and there was nothing that he could
do about it. So all in all he was handling it but that was about
it.

The last thing he told her, almost as an
afterthought, was about Pete being in jail. When she asked why he
told her it was just for questioning. He hadn’t done anything wrong
but the Sheriff finally decided to bring him in for the fires if
nothing else. The good part was that he wasn’t a suspect in Rob’s
murder. Even the Sheriff was able to see Pete was a barely
functioning person. He sure wouldn’t be able to kill anyone like
Rob. They just wanted too ask him a few questions since he’d been
nearby when it had all happened. Jim told her he didn’t think
they’d get too much out of him though since all he seemed to do
when confronted with any kind of stress was mumble. Maybe if they
figured out what it was about a purple dinosaur that ticked him off
so much he would tell them what they wanted to know but he doubted
it.