Stan Morris - Surviving the Fog

“Uh…yeah,” answered Mike.

Eric looked at the prisoner who was still ranting at them. “I don’t know. Maybe if he was black, I wouldn’t be. But maybe I would. But anyway, he’s not black so it doesn’t matter to me. Yeah, I’m okay. And if he was black, I think I would still be okay because I was there. I saw what he did to Jackie, and what he almost did to Maria. You know, Chief, we were almost too late for Maria.”

Mike shuddered. He didn’t want to think about that. “Yeah, I know.”

Reluctantly, Mike went to talk to the prisoner. “What’s your name?” he asked.

“Screw you, kid,” the man smirked. “You better let me go if you know what’s good for you.” He struggled in his bonds.

Mike wanted to ask him many other things, about where he was from, what he knew about the Fog, why he had killed Jackie and Pete, but the boy simply couldn’t stand to be near him, so Mike walked away.

Howard came back with the rope and the barrel. Almost all of the girls and boys from the camp came with him. Mike was hoisted awkwardly onto the barrel.

“All right, come close and listen,” he shouted. The kids gathered around him.

“Now, anyone who saw Pete get shot, raise your hand,” Mike commanded. A host of hands went up. Mike saw a boy holding up his hand who Mike knew wasn’t down in the girl’s camp when Pete was shot.

Mike asked him, “Where were you when you heard the shot?”

“Uh…well…”

“Didn’t you have KP duty yesterday?”

“Well, I came out right after I heard the shot.”

“So you didn’t actually see Pete get shot?”

“Well, no. But I know who did it!” he burst out angrily. There was a loud bitter murmur of agreement from the crowd.

“Listen to me,” shouted Mike. “The next person who lies to me about what they saw is going to clean the toilets for a week.” A lot of hands were quickly lowered, and the crowd grew quiet.

“I saw what happened, Chief,” said a girl who still had her hand up. “I was standing right next to Jackie’s cabin when she came out. I saw her run over to that guy.” She pointed to the prisoner. “I saw him hit Jackie with a gun. Then Pete ran right by me. I saw that man shoot him, and I saw Pete’s head fly back. I’m never going to forget that.”

“I saw it, too, Chief,” said another girl. “I was brushing my hair in my cabin. I heard Jackie say ‘Hi, Hi,’ like she was real happy. When I came out of my cabin, Jackie was lying on the ground, and that man was picking her up. Then he put her on his motorcycle. Then I saw Pete running to them, and then that man shot Pete. I saw the blood come flying out of Pete’s face.”

“Is that the man who shot Pete?” Mike asked, pointing to the prisoner.

“Yes, that’s him.”

“Are you really sure it’s him. Maybe, it was one of the others.”

“I’m sure that it was him, Chief. I screamed when he killed Pete, and that man looked right at me. He smiled at me. That’s him, alright.”

One by one, Mike questioned the kids who saw the shooting. Mike found five who definitely knew that the prisoner was the man who had shot and killed Pete. Then Mike asked Jacob to tell the assembled kids what he had seen when he first went to the clearing. Then Mike let Yuie, Ahmad, Rasul, Eric, and John tell the kids what they had seen. When Ralph returned, Mike asked Ralph to tell them what he had seen. As the witnesses spoke, the kids grew quieter and quieter. Some walked far away, so they couldn’t hear any more.

Then Mike asked the man, “Did you kill the guy at our camp?”

The man laughed. “Maybe so, maybe no,” he answered. “So call the police, and let me go, and I’ll wait for them. I promise.”

Mike was silent for a moment, and then he asked, “What about the fog?”

The man scowled. “So maybe the police can’t get here for awhile. You can’t keep me like this. I know my rights. You got those spears, and I got no gun, so let me go.”

Then he smiled a very strange smile, and he said in a soft voice, “Sooner or later I’m going to get loose. Then I’m going to find you, and I’m going to have some fun with you.” There was such a vicious evil threat in his voice that all of the kids except for Mike, Maria, and Eric, flinched and drew back.

Mike jumped down and tipped over the barrel. “Help me,” he said to the Spears.

The boys helped Mike roll the barrel down the road to the tree. They put the barrel on the higher side of the tree root, so that the sharp drop was on the other side. The rest of the puzzled kids followed Mike to the tree.

Mike grabbed the tug-of-war rope. “Does anyone know how to make a noose?” he asked.

There were some murmurs of shock and the man, prodded to the tree by some of the Spears, exclaimed, “Hey!”

A boy stepped forward. “I know how to make one,” he offered in a very tense voice. Mike handed him the rope, and with trembling hands the teenager managed to make a noose.

Mike looked at the prisoner. “Bring him,” he said.

The man began to yell and rant and he threatened the children. He told them in graphic detail what he would do to them if they did not immediately release him. Some of the kids were so frightened of the man, that they begged Mike to let him go if he promised never to bother them again.

The man struggled, but Ralph, John, and Howard held him firmly, and with some help, they pushed him to the barrel. Mike called for some kids to hold the barrel steady at the ends. Some of the Spears, and some of the other kids rushed to help, and shortly there were three or four kids at each end of the barrel.

Mike climbed onto the barrel. Carefully he balanced himself, and then he took the rope, and with some difficulty he worked it over the head of the struggling cursing man. Mike had to toss the other end of the rope several times before he managed to get it over the right tree limb. Then he jumped down.

Other kids had seized the loose end of the rope, and now they drew it taut so that the killer’s head was lifted. The man continued to curse and threaten them. Mike thought about gagging him, but he didn’t just in case the man decided to pray or to repent at the last moment. The stronger boys lifted the man onto the barrel. They helped him steady himself, and then they stepped back. The man wavered, and then he caught his balance. The rope was tightened a final time, and then they tied the rope to the tree.

“Do you have any last words?” Mike asked the man.

The man stared down at Mike, perhaps at last realizing that he was dealing with someone different. This kid, this small kid, this implacable kid was going to hang him. Finally, he was frightened.

“I’m sorry about your friend,” he muttered, hoping that this might save his life.

Mike stepped behind the man, and he stood next to the barrel. Howard stepped forward. “I’ll help,” he said. “I didn’t go with you when you fought, so I’ll do this.” Mike nodded.

“Let me do it,” Ralph demanded.

“No, not you,” Mike said, shaking his head.

“Why not,” Ralph asked. “I want revenge for Jackie.”

“That’s why you can’t do it,” said Mike firmly.

“I’ll do it,” said Desi, coming forward. When she saw Mike about to protest, she said fiercely, “One of us should be a girl.”

She stepped behind the barrel. Some of the kids hid their faces. Most of them were scared, but they still watched. A few were just curious. Several still did not believe that Mike was going to do this.

The three teenagers placed a foot against the barrel, so that it was held firm against the tree root. They agreed to go on the count of three. Someone counted. On three, they pushed hard against the barrel. It lifted onto the tree root, and then it fell over and rolled down the slope. The man dropped. It sounded like something happened in his neck. He twitched for many seconds, and then he was still. His neck was bent over at an awkward angle. His body released its waste. Some of the kids turned away and were sick. Others began crying. Others just stared up at the body.