Page 38 of Solivagant

I sighed. “Well, better stay out of the woods then, Dad. Seeing as you got them all figured out.”

His face seemed to pale a couple of shades, and when he spoke again he lowered his voice. “There’s a new guy in town. Wearing a pink sweater, Jo. Timing’s awfully suspicious.”

“Do aliens wear pink sweaters?”

“They dress real nice. Real nice, Jo. Too nice for a place like this. And they’re real pretty. That’s how you know.”

I nodded. “Well, I’ll be extra careful of nicely dressed, pretty strangers.”

“Good,” he agreed, clearly choosing to believe my words were sincere. But often, going along with his theories was simpler than trying to talk sense into him.

“Right, I’m going to go warn the others. You put that poster up in your window. Okay?”

“Okay, Dad.”

“Good.”

With that, he continued on his mission, taking his stack of missing posters with him.

It didn’t take long for Tash to emerge again. I slid the paper over the bench toward her as she approached.

“Know anything about that?” I asked.

She picked it up, scanning over the details as a smile pulled on her lips. “Nope. Do you know anything about that?”

I shook my head.

The smile faded. “Wait, really?”

“First I heard about it.”

“Huh.” She read the paper again. “So, he’s actually missing, then?”

“Seems so.”

“Hmmm. Maybe the aliens really got him.” Tash beamed, clearly finding herself hilarious.

I wasn’t laughing. I didn’t like Jim any more than I liked Dale. But one missing person could be explained away every so often. Two in such a short period would get far more attention. That incompetent sheriff wouldn’t be able to ignore it. And god forbid a body actually turned up, he might even be forced to call in reinforcements.

Bunch of people searching those woods… Well, there were things I’d really rather not be found.

This could be a very big problem.

18

JOSIAH

The last of the afternoon sun dimmed between the trees. Everything was exactly as I’d left it, the unmarked grave still covered by dirt and dying leaves. There were no signs of anyone or anything having disturbed this place since I left it last.

I probably shouldn’t have been here. But I shouldn’t have done a lot of things I’d done recently. So here I was, trying to figure out just what the fuck was wrong with me.

Dale was a piece of shit. He was homophobic, sexist, and just an all-round asshole. But I still wasn’t sure he deserved what he’d got. What I’d done to him.

I hadn’t meant to do it.

As much as I’d wanted to punch him square in the mouth for some of the shit he said, I hadn’t actually planned on hurting him.

He’d come into the shop two weeks ago to pick up a cabinet he’d ordered. He was already drunk, I could smell it on him as he walked through the door.