Free Dead Reflections by Carol Weekes Page B

cast out from his body like bent bicycle spokes, guts soaking into the rough wood floor. He saw nothing other than a sunbeam filtering dust through the air. Then, just as suddenly, he was overtaken by the sensation that he was about to be shoved, hard, from behind. He whirled. Again, nothing. Almost weeping, Cory curled one leg over the edge and found the top rung of the ladder. He hung on, but hurried down and jumped the last two feet to the barn floor. He ran, forgetting his candy and comic book in the bicycle basket. Only when he reached the front porch and door of the house did he glance back. He saw the dead man watching him from just inside the barn’s open door. The man’s willowy body, his front coated in gore, slipped back into the shadow of the interior.
    Cory, lips shaking, let himself inside and shut the door behind him, Gina’s words following him like skeletal fingers prying for a grip.
     
    * * *
     
    They saw him walking by the kitchen.
    “Hey sport!” Robbie called to Cory. “How’d your outing go?”
    “Fine,” Cory said and kept walking. They heard him patter up the stairs towards his room. Tanya looked at Robbie.
    “Go and see what’s up,” she said. “He still seems out of it. When the boys come back, I’m going to ask them to spend some time with him.”
    “Yeah,” Robbie said. “That’s a good idea.”
    He found Cory lying on his bed, his face turned to the wall. “What’s the matter, bud?”
    Cory shrugged but didn’t look at him. “Nothing. I’m tired. I’m going to have a nap.”
    “In the middle of the day? Did you get yourself some treats?”
    Cory turned to look at him. His face looked part hopeful, part resentful at Robbie’s presence. “I got a comic book and some candy.”
    “Where are they?”
    “I left them in my bike basket. I forgot them there.”
    Robbie sat on the edge of Cory’s bed. “Why don’t you turn around so that I can see you while I chat with you?”
    Cory shrugged and rolled onto his back, to stare at his ceiling.
    “Did something happen that upset you while you were out? You seem bothered.”
    Robbie thought he saw that kind of vacuous expression in his son’s eyes that was filled with everything and nothing at once.
    “I don’t know if I like it here,” Cory said. “I miss our old house.”
    Robbie let out a chuckle. “Ah, sweetie, it can take a while to get used to being in a new place. I’m a little homesick too, but Mom and I are working hard to make this feel like our home. We did a lot of work in the kitchen today. We’ll start on your room soon. Maybe you’d like to tell us how you’d like to decorate it and we can start looking at paint colors and other things later this week.”
    Cory shook his head. “I don’t care about the room.”
    “Well, it is your room, and it’s bigger than the one you had in the old house.”
    “I’d rather have my old room back.”
    Robbie sighed and stood up. “Don’t be bummed about the move, Cory. I’m pretty sure you’ll meet at least one or two good friends before the summer’s over. We’re going to have a barbecue out back tonight. I’ll make a bonfire pit and we can roast some marshmallows. What do you think?”
    Cory shut his eyes. “I suppose.”
    “It’ll get better soon,” Robbie told him, kissing him on the forehead. “I promise you. By the end of the summer, it’ll feel like home.”
    He got up. Cory said something that made him stop.
    “Dad?”
    “Yeah son?”
    “Do you like this house?”
    Robbie looked at him. “We bought it because we liked it. It has more room than the old one, which is pretty important to three growing boys who all enjoy lots of space.”
    “I don’t think I like it.”
    Robbie leaned against the doorframe. “Why do you say that?”
    “It feels weird.”
    “It’s still new. Give it more time. Have your nap, if you’re tired. The Internet company said they’ll be here tomorrow, so you’ll have your computer back up and running