“I don’t know if this is a good idea,” I said.

“Shut up,” JP hissed. “What is that?” He pointed with his crooked stick.

Under the blue moon, small trees in the distance parted and a black outline of a body tumbled through. Tyson turned to run and JP grabbed him by the neck.

“I’ll smash this stick over your fucking head if you ruin this,” JP whispered.

“It’s coming at us,” I said. The dark body tripped and tripped over the earth. It grunted and then cried out into the sky. Tyson broke loose from JP’s grip and ran the opposite direction. JP didn’t stop him.

From behind the boulder, JP and I watched this thing trip and stumble. Every broken branch and twig snapped under its feet and the pops echoed into the night.

“That’s no pugwagee,” JP said. “It’s too big.”

“What is it?” I asked, but it was too late. The thing picked up speed and pushed thin trees out of its way. As it screamed the body burst through thick brush and landed facedown in front of JP and me. It looked up at us. It was her.

“Fuck you,” Paige slurred and laughed. “Give me a cigarette.”

I stood and wiped my pant legs off. I lit a cigarette and headed for the road.

JP dropped the stick and followed after me.

“Give me a cigarette!” she yelled.

The orange streetlamp floated above us on the road.

“Shouldn’t you help her home?” JP asked.

I wanted to say no, but I couldn’t.

“You’re just going to leave her there?”

No, I wasn’t. In the path she was sprawled out on the ground. I stayed back from her. “Go home,” I told her.

She raised her head. “Who are you?” she said. “You got a cigarette?”

“No, go home. It’s up there.” I pointed to our house through the woods. An inside light shone through the kitchen window and it reached for Paige and me.

She got to her feet and wobbled in place. “Please,” she begged. “One cigarette.”

I didn’t want her to know it was me. I lit another cigarette and handed it to JP, who brought it to her.

“Now go home,” I said.

“You’re the fucking best.” She stumbled away from us and tripped again and again up the path to our house.

“Fuck!” She dropped her cigarette but found it. Its bright red dot made all kinds of dying patterns in the air as she kept her balance, swearing and saying loudly, “That motherfucking pig.” Finally, she made it out of the woods and fell to her knees. She crawled into our shed.

“Close enough,” I said. I needed to get away from there, from the woods, my house, that place.

“Where are you going?” JP hurried behind me.