Part 6

“I’m so sorry, son,” said Tom.

“That nightmare is my illness. The nightmare waits for me each night, the dark figure raises a tire iron over a beast, and the beast screams like a man, and then the dark figure tells me to do evil things. Then I scream in my dream until I wake up.”

“Son,” said Tom, filled with hesitation. “I don’t know whether telling you this is the right thing, but…That was no dream.”

“How do you mean?” Duncan asked sedately.

“You were in the car, when I hit…a deer. I had to take the animal out of its misery. I’m the dark figure. You did hear the deer scream.”

Duncan giggled. “No. No it can’t be. This deer screamed like a man. I can hear the words…”

“I know,” said Tom and his shoulders dropped. “I had to protect you.”

Duncan giggled.

“Do you remember how you used to like fishing?” asked Tom.

“Hmm. I like the water. I like our boat. Crappie is my favourite eating.”

“How about we go out on the boat again like we used to? Back to Stella Maris?”

“I would like that.”

“It’s settled then, son. When you return, we go get fishin’ for some of that crappie.”

“Yes, crappie,” said Duncan and fell asleep.

***

Tom and Helen stood on the porch and watched the ambulance lights turn and disappear at the bottom of the Stone Hill.

“We did the right thing for the boy,” said Helen.

“Yes,” said Tom with an absent look.

“You are a good man, Tom. You did all you could to take care of us.”

“Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough,” Tom looked at Helen with hesitation, and Helen gave him a puzzled look.

“How do you mean?”

“There is news from the city. They are coming to take what we’ve built.”

“That’s ok. We’ve been here before.”

“Not like this.” Tom shook his head. “Duncan owes them big money. We don’t have what they are coming for. They are coming for him and for us. Blood will come to light.”

“So, we fight.”

“Between the city and Duncan, I don’t think we can. The boy is going to die one way or another.”

“I know.” Helen’s eyes filled with tears when Tom stated what they both thought.

“He is ill, Helen. He’s hurting Luna, he’s hurting us. Luna can be saved, he cannot.”

Helen dropped to the floor and cried in agony.

“Please, Tom. Please, don’t.”

“I know.” Tom’s eyes filled with tears, and he knelt next to her. He held her in his arms.

***

That day, Luna sat at the window and watched a delivery truck drive across the pasture toward the house. She watched a uniformed man bring out a small parcel and leave it at the door. As soon as he drove off, and before Gran could corral her, she ran to the door and opened the parcel. A small black wooden box fell out, and its contents spilled on the hardwood floor. Gran got a hold of Luna and dragged her away. Luna saw a syringe and a bullet roll out from the box.

“Is someone sick?” Luna asked.

“No. It’s medicine. Go to your room and do your homework.”

“Bullet is a medicine?”

“Sometimes. Now git!” She gently slapped her bottom.

Later that day, Tom Stone put that bullet into the barrel of his gun.

***

Some hundred cows lay dead along the edge of the forest. Tom Stone and the veterinarian watched a bulldozer excavate a long, deep trench, and then pull the animals into the hole one by one.

“It’s a damn shame, Tom,” said the veterinarian. “It’s almost impossible to get foot-and-mouth disease like this out of nowhere. It must have been deer.”

“Yeah, must’ve.” Tom spat into the soil, and corrected his hat.

“I know this is the last thing you need – how is your boy, anyway?”

“He’s coming home in a day or so. He is planning a fishing trip, going down to Stella Maris.”

“Sounds good. I think you both need it after all this.” The man pointed into the trench filled with dead beasts, and watched the bulldozer tracks and dead hooves leave marks in the soft soil.

“I won’t be going. Duncan says he needs some solitude.”

“I see. Well, I hope he’s back to his old self when he gets back.”

“Me, too.”