Brian Keene - Ghost Walk

“My father was Amos Stoltzfus,” Levi said into the flames. “Do you recognize that name?”

Senft’s stutter had returned. “H-he was one of LeHorn’s p-peers.”

“That is correct. And I am his son. I believe your story, Adam. So does my friend here.”

“Nobody believes me,” Adam sighed, lying back down on the bed. “They don’t understand.”

“We believe you,” Levi insisted. “But it’s not over in LeHorn’s Hollow, and unless you want what happened to you to happen to others, you’ll come with us. We need your help. I can’t do this without you. Now hurry!”

Maria heard the rising panic in Levi’s voice. Then she noticed that the flames were starting to shrink again.

Adam sat up again, staring at them. Then he shrugged.

“I’ve read a bit about lucid dreaming. I guess if I don’t like where this is going, then I can just change it. Wake myself up again. Right?”

“That’s fine,” Levi nearly shouted in exasperation. “Just hurry up. Come through the door.”

The flames continued to die down, now flickering at a level even with their heads.

Adam put on a pair of slippers and got out of bed. He approached the portal with caution, slowly reaching out his hand. He reached through it tentatively. When he wasn’t burned, he stepped inside…

…and walked out into the circle of protection, nearly knocking Maria and Levi over. Adam toppled, losing his balance. Still sitting cross-legged, Levi reached for him. Adam pulled away, heading for the edge of the circle. His foot hovered over the line of salt.

“No,” Levi shouted. “Don’t break the—”

Adam stepped out into the thicket. Immediately, the flames changed color again, burning black against the darkness. The scene inside the fire changed, no longer showing Senft’s room. Instead, it looked like the surface of another planet. Boulders and red sand covered the desolate landscape. The rocks looked like they were rotting , as if they were organic. Something beyond their view roared. The noise wasn’t audible. Maria heard it in her mind.

“What the hell is that?” she screamed. “Is that what we’re fighting? The thing with no name?”

“No!” Levi shouted. “That’s something else. Hold on!”

She stared, transfixed, terrified but unable to look away as the doorway widened. The roar ceased. She felt the air around them rush past her as it was sucked into the rift. Her hair fluttered and her thin gold necklace began to writhe around her neck, slowly defying the law of gravity. The candles wobbled, the flames flickering but not going out, despite the strong wind. The alien landscape grew clearer. A dark mountain range towered over the red desert. Some of the cliff faces looked carved. She studied them closer, and was suddenly dizzy. Like some otherworldly Mount Rushmore, one of the mountainsides had been turned into statues. But instead of four famous presidents, these figures represented something monstrous and obscene. Tearing her gaze away from the creatures, Maria saw a metallic flash on the horizon, just at the foot of the mountains.

“What’s that?” she screamed again, pointing at the silver object.

Gritting his teeth, Levi lashed out with his foot and knocked the copper bowl over.

He shouted, “ Ut nemo in sense tentat, descendere nemo! At precedenti spectaur mantica tergo! Ia Amun traust nodrog! Amun, Amun, Amun! ”

The flames vanished, along with everything else. Levi leaned back on his elbows, breathing heavily.

“What the hell was that metallic thing?” Maria asked again.

“That,” Levi gasped, “was your tax dollars at work—one of the robotic rovers that NASA abandoned on Mars. Judging from its position and the surrounding landscape, I’d guess it was the Mars Pathfinder.”

“Mars? But there were statues! There aren’t any statues on Mars.”

“Well, that’s what it was.” Levi nodded toward Adam. “And this is the man that almost got us killed.”

Adam shrugged. “Like I said—lucid dreaming.”

“Mr. Senft.” Levi slowly got to his feet and extinguished the candles. “What you just did—the damage you caused…Well, let’s just say I’ll be paying for that sooner or later. Hopefully later, at the end of my days.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Consider yourself lucky for that small blessing. Let me assure you that this is no dream. We’re playing with lives here. Yours, hers and mine. That was a Sumerian spell and—”

“I know,” Adam interrupted. “I know. The green fire and the portal—I recognize them from one of LeHorn’s books.”

“So you did have all of his books, then?” Levi asked.

“Not all of them. Just his copy of The Long Lost Friend . And his journal. And parts of another book—just pages, really. Everything else got burned up in the fire.”

He hung his head and shuffled toward them.

“I know this isn’t a dream,” he said, bursting into tears. “And I know I’m not crazy. What I am is fucking scared! I miss my wife and I just want some fucking peace, and I don’t want to go through this shit again. Can you help me? Please?”

“Yes,” Levi whispered. “We can help you. And more importantly, you can help us.”

“How?”

“All in good time.”

“Don’t play that Phantom Stranger bullshit on me, man.”

“First, let’s get you away from here. I’m sure they check on patients throughout the night?”

Adam nodded. “Yeah, they do. Fucking Schmidt—he’s one of the orderlies—peeks in through the door windows all night long. Shines his flashlight in and wakes us up. He thinks it’s funny.”

“Is he on duty now?”

“Yeah. He’s one of the overnighters. A real jackass. Messes with us all the time.”

“Well, let’s get you out of here before he notices you’re missing.” Levi studied Adam’s cotton drawstring pants and short-sleeved, pullover shirt. Both were a bland shade of green. They looked like pajamas, and the institution’s name was stenciled across the back in big, black letters. “And I suppose we’ll need to find you some clothes.”

“Are we taking my car?” Maria asked. It was the first time she’d spoken since the fire had gone out. She’d been unable to find her voice—afraid that if she opened her mouth, she might start screaming, or worse yet, crying. She’d never been more terrified in her life. This was real. No more doubts. No more questions. Levi had ripped a hole in the fucking air. A hole made of fire. And Adam Senft had stepped through it. It was magic, plain and simple. The proof was standing directly in front of her. She felt dizzy and nauseous and her arms and legs tingled as if asleep. She’d just been confronted by something she didn’t believe in, and her convictions had been found wanting. She was afraid to breathe, afraid to blink, worried that if she did, something else might happen.

“Yes,” Levi said, retrieving the rest of his items and putting them back in the basket. “Can we reach it without attracting attention, or do you think you should go get it while I hide Mr. Senft here?”

“Wait a second.” Adam held up his hands. “Look, don’t think I’m not grateful. You got me out of there, and I appreciate it. You’ve got no idea just how much. But I’m not going anywhere with you until I know exactly who you both are. You said you were Amos Stoltzfus’s son?”

Levi picked up the wicker basket. “That’s right. You may call me Levi.”

“And you do powwow, just like your old man and Nelson LeHorn did.”

Levi nodded. “Yes, among other disciplines.”

“No fucking kidding. I’m pretty sure what you just did wasn’t powwow.” Adam turned to Maria. “And who are you?”

“Maria Nasr.” She held out her hand. “I’m a freelance writer, currently putting together a book proposal on the hollow and the LeHorn murders.”