Evie shrieks:
“Now we can’t call Dad,
and Austin will get away.
Or be caught by the ghost.”
peering through the binoculars
tiny Austin rocks on the raft
caught in the middle of my nightmare
Evie digs through the bushes
scratching her arms:
“I’ll look for the phone. Look for the battery.”
mist trails from the house
across the weeds
rolling on the water
heading toward Austin:
“Lucy, what do you want?”
Evie’s face blanks
her eyes roll upward in her head
mist curls from her mouth
thick and coiled
she speaks like a horse fly
or Mr. Crunch if he could speak:
“Happy kids don’t run away.
No matter how old they are.”
wave my hands in her face:
“What’s happening to you?”
“Protect him and protect yourself,”
the voice rasps
shake her arm:
“Evie, what are you saying?”
“Save the boy. He’s not like his mother.”
“What’s wrong with Austin’s mother?”
Evie coughs:
“Don’t stand there, Jayce. Do something.”
she dives into the bushes.