Crush by Stefan Petrucha

computer. Jonathan didn’t know if this was true. It sounded impossible, but his fear and paranoia were so great, he wasn’t going to take the chance. What if the police questioned Cade, and he told them about Jonathan being there? They might come to question him, might take his computer. They could misinterpret something. They could blame him for Ox and Toby and Mr. Weaver. It was nuts, but it was possible.
    He pushed the computer keyboard out of his way. On a plain sheet of copy paper, Jonathan began to write.
    Can’t go to the police. What would I tell
    them? They wouldn’t believe a thing I
    said. Reapers? Crap. Cade could tell
    them, but they’d think we both killed Ox
    and made up some crazy story. Mr.
    Weaver. Toby. Ox. What about Emma? Did
    those things attack her? Knock her down
    the stairs? She had no permanent damage,
    so why did Mrs. Vierra have to perform
    CPR? Why wasn’t Emma breathing?
    This is about me. It’s totally mental, but
    I know it’s about me. But who? It can’t
    be David. Yeah, he digs horror movies
    and supernatural video games, but so
    do a billion kids. They’re just games.
    They aren’t real. But who else would do
    this? Who else could do this? Kirsty? This
    was her first year. The trouble started
    when she came to school. But why? She
    doesn’t even know me. Not really. Why
    would she do this? People are dead.
    David is smart. He could have found
    something in a book. He had that book.
    That occult history book. He said it was
    for a class, but what if…David saved
    me before. When the Specials had me
    cornered at Coffee. He showed up and
    got me out of there. David would try to
    help me. Wouldn’t he see killing these
    bullies as helping me? What about
    Emma, though? She never hurt me.
    Maybe it was just an accident. This is all
    crazy. David wouldn’t kill anybody. He’s
    my best friend. He’s not psycho. I’d totally
    know if he was psycho.
    I have to figure this out.
    Jonathan turned the sheet over. He shook out his hand. He needed all of these thoughts out of his head. He needed to make sense of things or else he’d never be able to stop it.
    Magic. Witchcraft. These things aren’t just
    appearing on their own. They have a
    purpose. If it were random, I’d be dead.
    They’d have killed me in the lake. What
    are they? Ghosts? Demons? Something
    else? They wrap around a person. They
    hold them until the person suffocates.
    They must be strong. Strong enough to
    hold Ox. Strong enough to lift him
    twenty feet off the ground. They tried to
    get Cade, but he locked himself in his
    truck. They couldn’t get to him, couldn’t
    magically pass through the glass or the
    door. They are solid…I think. Is Cade
    still alive? Did he go to the police? Would
    the police believe anything he said?
    Would he blame me? Jesus, he’d probably
    blame me. The cops would know I couldn’t
    do that to Ox. I’m not strong enough.
    They’d know that, wouldn’t they?
    What if I am doing this?
    Maybe I have some power I don’t even
    know about. Is that possible? Is it me?
    No. It can’t be. It’s about me but I’m not
    doing this. Am I?
    No. No. NO!
    It’s David. Or it’s Kirsty.
    It has to be.
    Jonathan flipped the paper over and read it from the beginning. He let the words sink in, and they helped untangle his thoughts.
    David.
    Kirsty.
    He stood from his desk and took the paper with him. In the kitchen, he lit the edge with one of his mother’s matches and watched the sheet burn. He dropped it in the sink and kept his eye on the paper as it blackened and curled. Once itwas reduced to ash against the metal basin, he turned on the water and doused the char. With a paper towel, he scooped the mess out of the sink and threw it in the trash.
    Â 
    â€œWhere are you?” David asked.
    Jonathan sat in the living room, ears peeled in case his mother returned.
    â€œSomething