“God, I hate it when those damn things show up!” Aviak bellowed. “Get outta here!” she screamed one more time. “Don’t you just hate it when the bad spirits come along and get in the way?” she asked Kunak. “They’re just bothersome sometimes.”

Kunak grinned and wrapped his arms around her shoulders to steady her. “Aviak, we’ll just go for a small walk and get some rest.”

Aviak shrugged his hand off her shoulder. “Don’t you talk down your nose to me, buddy! You’re one of my own! You know what I’m talking about.”

“Calm down, woman,” Kunak said gently. “Here now. Just settle down for a bit. See, we’re gonna take a small walk.” Aviak stopped and stood as straight as she could.

“Can’t you see her? That dark shadowy thing that keeps following me? Can’t you see her?” Aviak was pleading. Pleading for someone else to see what she could see. Pleading for Kunak to tell her he could see it too. If he could, then she wasn’t crazy.

“Aviak, don’t worry. Let’s get walking along.”

“Tell me yes! Tell me yeeeeessssss!” Aviak screamed like a woman in labour. Kunak gave in. He sighed and squatted down to Aviak’s eye level. “YES!” he screamed back.

“Good! There. Now we’re even. Even Steven. Your name is Steven.” She poked Kunak in the chest.

Kunak leaned down and grabbed the blanket by the edges. All the carvings and drawings slid into the middle. He held Aviak up as she moved her legs like Pinocchio, her knees bouncing off one another as they crossed 101 Ave and made their way to the tiny park hidden behind the pine trees.

Kunak leaned down and kissed the top of Aviak’s oily forehead. “My sweet one,” he whispered, “I will take care of you.”

“But don’t you hate it when they just keep bugging you? You know, the Evil Ones. The way they whisper inside your ears all night and tell you that you must do bad things. The way they talk to each other across the sky. The way they bug and bug and bug you until finally you just give in and say, ‘Yeah. Go ahead. Do it!’ Doesn’t that just drive you?”

“You’re talkin’ old time, woman, old time. Don’t even start up that stuff with me,” Kunak said as he held Aviak close to his right side. He took the bottle of Southern Comfort and held it up high. “This stuff here is your Evil One and the one who talks inside your ears!”

“Listen, Steven.”

“Name’s Kunak.”

“Oh. Listen, Kunak. I see you still got the old name. Then you understand what I’m talking about.” Aviak had steadied herself enough now to stroll next to him.

“Let’s just keep walking, nuliaq.”

Kunak tucked the mickey into his back pocket. He could feel the small weight of Aviak leaning onto his shoulder. She must be passing out, he thought.