bite of pizza. “So what’s our strategy going to be?”
“Lots of prayer,” Shorty said. When he saw Jason and Brains frown, he said, “Okay, okay, we can do more than pray. Why don’t we get a weapon?”
“What kind of weapon?” Jason said.
“A knife,” Shorty said. “I have a blade we can use, a real longass one. It has a sheath that you can clip to your belt, too. It’s not the greatest thing, but it’s something. How’s that sound, fellas?”
“How’s a knife going to hurt a spirit?” Jason said. “A spirit is like a ghost, right? You can’t stab a ghost.”
“We think the Stranger might be a spirit,” Brains said. “We don’t know for sure. He could be a man who’s able to move objects with his mind. I’ve heard about people who can supposedly do that. It’s called telekinesis.”
“Tele-ki-what?” Shorty said.
“Telekinesis,” Brains said. “Have you seen those people on TV who can bend spoons and stuff? Obviously, whoever the Stranger is, he’s a lot more powerful than the average spoon-bender, but my point is, he could be human. And if he’s human, a knife could hurt him. It’s better than nothing.”
“Well, okay,” Jason said. ‘We arm ourselves with the knife. I just hope we don’t have to use it.”
“Then we have the weapon stuff settled,” Shorty said. “Now, how about action? What’re we gonna do?”
“Before we get into that, I need to tell you guys something,” Jason said. “About another weird problem I’ve been having.”
“Another one?” Brains said. He looked at Jason incredulously. “That shocks even me.”
“This one isn’t like the word-on-the-mirror thing,” Jason said. “It’s different. I’ve been having a nightmare.”
‘What’s it about?” Shorty said.
Jason told them everything about his recurring dream. He was relieved finally to be able to relate it to someone; the details poured out of him. In light of what had happened that day, the nightmare, while disturbing, was not nearly as terrifying. Reality had become more frightening than his darkest dreams.
‘What do you think?” Jason said. “Is the stalker in my nightmare the Stranger in real life?”
“I’d bet on it, Jason,” Brains said. “It has to be him. I’m glad you told us about that dream. I think I know what we should do.”
‘What?” Jason said.
“We stay at my house tonight. And we sleep in shifts. Remember how the Ouija said the Stranger is coming for you? It seems logical to me that when the Stranger comes for you, he’ll come at night, like he does in your nightmare. By sleeping in shifts, one of us will be awake when the Stranger appears, and maybe we’ll be able to stop him. Or maybe we won’t. But until we’ve solved this, it’d be foolish for you to sleep alone, like a sitting duck. Agree?”
“Yeah,” Jason said. “For now, I think we’ve got our plan. Arm ourselves with that blade, and sleep in shifts. Seems good to me. Is that alright with you, Shorty?”
“Yeah, man. It’s cool.”
“Great,” Jason said. “When can you get your knife?”
“I’ll get it now,” Shorty said. “I have to drop by the crib and pack some stuff for tonight anyway.”
“Same here.” Jason finished his last slice of pizza and stood. His memory of what had happened in the bedroom weighed heavily on his mind, and the fact that they were up against someone who did not appear to be an ordinary man evoked shivers of sheer dread. But with a plan of action to protect themselves, maybe he and the fellas had a chance. Whoever he was, whatever he was, the Stranger would not win without a fight. Not with anything less than a full-scale war, Jason vowed silently.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Like father, like son.
Standing at the window of his girlfriend’s North Chicago apartment, holding a cigarette and gazing into the night, Thomas pondered his father’s cruel words. Since he had left the nursing home earlier that day, Big George’s words had followed
“Lots of prayer,” Shorty said. When he saw Jason and Brains frown, he said, “Okay, okay, we can do more than pray. Why don’t we get a weapon?”
“What kind of weapon?” Jason said.
“A knife,” Shorty said. “I have a blade we can use, a real longass one. It has a sheath that you can clip to your belt, too. It’s not the greatest thing, but it’s something. How’s that sound, fellas?”
“How’s a knife going to hurt a spirit?” Jason said. “A spirit is like a ghost, right? You can’t stab a ghost.”
“We think the Stranger might be a spirit,” Brains said. “We don’t know for sure. He could be a man who’s able to move objects with his mind. I’ve heard about people who can supposedly do that. It’s called telekinesis.”
“Tele-ki-what?” Shorty said.
“Telekinesis,” Brains said. “Have you seen those people on TV who can bend spoons and stuff? Obviously, whoever the Stranger is, he’s a lot more powerful than the average spoon-bender, but my point is, he could be human. And if he’s human, a knife could hurt him. It’s better than nothing.”
“Well, okay,” Jason said. ‘We arm ourselves with the knife. I just hope we don’t have to use it.”
“Then we have the weapon stuff settled,” Shorty said. “Now, how about action? What’re we gonna do?”
“Before we get into that, I need to tell you guys something,” Jason said. “About another weird problem I’ve been having.”
“Another one?” Brains said. He looked at Jason incredulously. “That shocks even me.”
“This one isn’t like the word-on-the-mirror thing,” Jason said. “It’s different. I’ve been having a nightmare.”
‘What’s it about?” Shorty said.
Jason told them everything about his recurring dream. He was relieved finally to be able to relate it to someone; the details poured out of him. In light of what had happened that day, the nightmare, while disturbing, was not nearly as terrifying. Reality had become more frightening than his darkest dreams.
‘What do you think?” Jason said. “Is the stalker in my nightmare the Stranger in real life?”
“I’d bet on it, Jason,” Brains said. “It has to be him. I’m glad you told us about that dream. I think I know what we should do.”
‘What?” Jason said.
“We stay at my house tonight. And we sleep in shifts. Remember how the Ouija said the Stranger is coming for you? It seems logical to me that when the Stranger comes for you, he’ll come at night, like he does in your nightmare. By sleeping in shifts, one of us will be awake when the Stranger appears, and maybe we’ll be able to stop him. Or maybe we won’t. But until we’ve solved this, it’d be foolish for you to sleep alone, like a sitting duck. Agree?”
“Yeah,” Jason said. “For now, I think we’ve got our plan. Arm ourselves with that blade, and sleep in shifts. Seems good to me. Is that alright with you, Shorty?”
“Yeah, man. It’s cool.”
“Great,” Jason said. “When can you get your knife?”
“I’ll get it now,” Shorty said. “I have to drop by the crib and pack some stuff for tonight anyway.”
“Same here.” Jason finished his last slice of pizza and stood. His memory of what had happened in the bedroom weighed heavily on his mind, and the fact that they were up against someone who did not appear to be an ordinary man evoked shivers of sheer dread. But with a plan of action to protect themselves, maybe he and the fellas had a chance. Whoever he was, whatever he was, the Stranger would not win without a fight. Not with anything less than a full-scale war, Jason vowed silently.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Like father, like son.
Standing at the window of his girlfriend’s North Chicago apartment, holding a cigarette and gazing into the night, Thomas pondered his father’s cruel words. Since he had left the nursing home earlier that day, Big George’s words had followed
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