“But that’s impossible! You’re shitting me, right?”
“No,” I whispered into the phone, glancing over my shoulder even though my bedroom door was closed. I’d opened the windows to let the cool air in, but the room still smelled. I was getting used to it, though. “He’s definitely back.”
“B-but how?” Sean’s voice cracked, and I could tell he was scared.
“Michael must have followed us. He must have seen what we did, and then dug Edgar up after we left.”
“That’s impossible,” Sean said again. “We lost him, remember? He wasn’t following us. There’s no way he could have turned around in time to see where we went.”
“Then maybe he guessed. In a car, he could have caught up to us easy.”
I shuddered at the thought of Michael waiting in the trees, watching everything we did.
“How would he have known we were going to the dump? It doesn’t make sense.”
“It’s the only thing that makes sense,” I insisted, and Sean must have understood, because he stopped arguing with me. The idea of Michael spying on us was creepy, but neither one of us wanted to consider the alternative.
“Where is he?” Now Sean was whispering too.
“Who, Michael?”
“The bear, you idiot. Where is that butt-sucking bear?”
“In the washing machine. He was all covered with crap.” I wrinkled my nose at the memory. Mom had been all too happy to see that I was finally doing some laundry. Thankfully she hadn’t seen what I was washing. She would not have been impressed by Edgar’s current state.
“He didn’t bite you or anything?”
“I didn’t give him a chance.” I’d thrown a sheet over the bear, much like I’d throw a butterfly net over a frog. What if he struggled? What if I saw him struggle? Seeing something like that would make me lose my mind. But Edgar hadn’t stirred. He’d acted like any other dumb teddy bear, even when I threw the laundry soap in his face.
“Good. Maybe the little piss-arse will drown.”
“I don’t think so,” I said, but I hoped the same. Every time I thought of Edgar down there in the basement, going through the spin cycle, I pictured that terrible sneer. Edgar was still alive, all right. Alive and planning his revenge.
“So we’ll drown him. You’re not grounded anymore, right? Your room is clean now, right?”
The smell of garbage had been so strong that I doubted it would go away. I’d borrowed some of Mom’s lavender potpourri, but that had only made it worse. Now my room stunk of rot and flowers. In spite of the stench, it was as clean as it had ever been. My clothes and toys were picked up, and the floor sparkled. “Yeah.”
“Meet me tomorrow at the lake. And bring Edgar. Be prepared to say goodbye to that bastard bear.”
I couldn’t help hoping that my friend’s plan would work. But even then, I had my doubts.
Edgar more than survived his laundry room experience—he thrived. With his fur all fluffy and clean, he seemed new again. If it weren’t for the snarl that twisted his snout, he would have been almost cute. He still stunk, though.
I was tempted to throw him in the closet where Michael kept all of his things, but if Sean’s plan was going to work, I’d need the bear first thing tomorrow morning. However, that wasn’t the only reason I kept Edgar with me. I didn’t want him anywhere near my mother.
Still, I wasn’t taking any chances. The entire time Edgar had been in the wash, I’d been plotting. Now that he was back in my room, I worked fast. I wrapped a skipping rope around the teddy bear, pinning its arms to its sides. I wound duct tape around his snout, feeling a little guilty. I knew it was silly, but what if Edgar needed to breathe? What if I was killing him? I saw fear in the teddy bear’s eyes and almost released him before I remembered the tacks in my feet. I had to be strong. When it came to Edgar, it was definitely a case of kill or be killed. Besides, he was just a teddy bear. It wasn’t like he was alive or anything. No living creature could survive over an hour in the washing machine and dryer.
Once everything that could hurt me was either tied down or covered, I threw the teddy bear into a pillowcase, which I knotted at the top. Then I grabbed my dad’s big metal toolbox, which was so heavy I could barely lift it. I’d emptied the tools into a drawer in the garage while Edgar was having his bath. The toolbox was perfect, because it had a lock.
I stuffed Edgar into the bottom, squeezing and pushing his repulsively soft body until it fit. Sliding the two metal trays into place over him, I slammed the toolbox shut and locked it. I put the key on a piece of twine and tied the twine around my neck like a necklace, tucking the key under my shirt. I wasn’t taking any chances. Even if Michael knew where to look, there was no way he’d be able to rescue Edgar without my noticing.
I was safe. For that night at least.
I woke up gasping for air. The room flooded with light. I rolled over on my side, coughing and choking. My throat burned.
“Josh, are you all right? What’s wrong?”
I could feel my mother’s hands on my shoulders and hear the fear in her voice. I couldn’t stop coughing, and I couldn’t get enough air.
“I can’t breathe,” I managed to wheeze. All I knew was that I’d woken up feeling like something was strangling me. I’d tried to inhale, but nothing happened. My hands had flown up to my throat, where they scrabbled at the plastic cord that was embedded deep in my skin, but I couldn’t get it loose. Pinpricks of light exploded in the darkness in front of my eyes, and I knew I was going to die. With my last bit of strength, I punched and kicked as hard as I could, and suddenly the pressure on my throat eased. That’s when I screamed.
“Oh my God—what happened to your neck? What on earth?” Mom lifted something from my bed. Now that I was somewhat accustomed to the light, I could see what she was holding.
My blood ran cold.
It was my skipping rope, the rope I’d tied around Edgar.
Edgar, who was now resting on my pillow, grinning, his snout slightly sticky from the duct tape.
I spent the rest of the night on the couch.
Sean’s eyes were as big as baseballs when he saw my neck. “What in the bloody blazes of ass happened to you?”
I wanted to tell him, but Mom was nearby. I couldn’t see her, but I could feel her presence. She’d been hovering over me since last night. She too wanted to know what had happened, but I couldn’t tell her the truth—she’d think I was crazy. The last time I was honest with her, she’d made me see Dr. Harvey.
I shook my head slightly to let him know I couldn’t talk. Sean understood immediately, and after scanning the living room to make sure the coast was clear, he mouthed, “The bear?”
I tilted my head toward the duffel bag that rested on the couch. It had been my dad’s, an old bag that he’d used to carry camping gear. I didn’t think anyone would miss it, but I was running out of bags. Hopefully this would be the last one I’d waste on Edgar.
“Mom! We’re leaving now,” I yelled, trying to make it seem like I actually believed she wasn’t around the corner, listening. Sure enough, she was instantly in the room with us.
“I’m not sure it’s such a good idea to go out today, Josh. You’re hurt.”
“I’m fine, Mom,” I said, putting on a big show of acting embarrassed in front of Sean. Don’t baby me, my eyes pleaded. My throat was a bit sore, and my voice sounded funny, but otherwise it was like nothing had happened. As long as you ignored the ugly purple marks on my neck.
“Where are you planning to go?” Her eyes flicked from my face to Sean’s. Sean widened his eyes and tried his best to appear innocent, as always.
“The lake,” I said, as if it were obvious.
“The lake again? Weren’t you just there?”
“We like the lake, Mrs. Leary,” Sean said.
“Yeah, we like the lake, Mom.”
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Are you sure you’re going to the lake? Michael said he saw you near the Industrial Park, and that’s nowhere near it.”
For a moment, my mind went blank. I had absolutely no idea what to tell her, but thankfully Sean piped up. “It was the storm, Mrs. Leary. When it started raining, we decided to go to my friend’s place instead.”
Mom’s forehead creased in confusion. “What storm? There was no storm that day.”
Sean and I stared at each other in surprise. “You didn’t hear it? All the thunder and lightning?” I asked.
“It was pouring, Mrs. Leary,” Sean added.
“Well, it wasn’t raining here,” Mom said, crossing her arms. I could tell by her expression that she was having a hard time believing us, but why would we lie about a storm? “You know I don’t like you riding in the rain, Josh. If this storm was so bad, why didn’t you come straight home?”
“My friend’s place was closer,” Sean said.
The three of us were silent a minute while Mom studied our faces for signs of deception. Finally, she sighed. “All right, you can go to the lake. But I want you to actually go to the lake—nowhere else. And I want you home by dinner, no excuses. Okay?”
Sean broke into a huge, reassuring grin. “I’ll make sure of it, Mrs. Leary,” he promised, and my mother couldn’t help but smile in return. Sean had that effect on parents, especially mothers.
A great wave of relief washed over me. If Sean felt confident enough to promise my mother that we’d be back by dinner, that meant his plan wouldn’t take very long. Before the day was over, I’d be rid of Edgar again.
I hoped.