Scared the shit out of us, too.”
Scott continued, “It did. So we figured maybe we could repeat the pleasure if we ever ran into your friend from New York City .”
“And we did.” Joe said, with a huge grin.
“So what did you do?” Stephen asked.
“Well, we decided to come down to the Freighter tonight to see if he showed up.” Scott said.
“Not really going out of our way too much,” Joe added, “since we’re down here about every night, anyway.”
Scott waved for him to shut up. “So anyway, from the picture you showed us, we knew him the minute he walked in. He sat right next us and the asshole even bought us a beer. Then he starts asking questions about how he wants to check out your uncle’s place, but he don’t want anyone to know.”
“Did he say what he was looking for?” Stephen asked Scott.
“He said some guy wanted to buy the place, but we knew that was bullshit. We told him we knew an old logging road that would take him to the back of the place.”
Joe saw the worried look on Stephen’s face. “Don’t worry, Stephen.” Joe interrupted, “It doesn’t go anywhere near your Uncle’s place.”
Scott continued, “When we stopped the car and got out, Joe stayed back and I started walking him down a path in the woods. His name is Paulie, in case you didn’t know. So Paulie and I started walking down the road. It was getting dark and I started walking faster and faster.”
Joe piped in, “I stayed back, told him I had to pee, so I could put on a bearskin rug my old man let me take from the Moose Lodge. I snuck around and came crashing out of the woods right next to him.”
Joe started laughing again. “He screamed like a little baby and ran like hell into the woods.”
“So what happened to him? Where is he?” Stephen asked.
“Who knows? Still crashing around out there, I guess.” Joe laughed.
Scott and Stephen joined in.
Chapter 18
Paulie sat frozen on a stump, afraid to move or make a sound. It was getting darker, and colder. After about half an hour, Paulie noticed a yellow glow appear through the trees. The moon was rising. It was only a quarter moon, but it provided enough illumination to penetrate the blackness of the woods.
As the moon slowly rose above the trees, Paulie could see the ridge of a cabin roof looming only a few hundred feet in front of him. His spirits lifted. A cabin meant safety. Even if it was locked, Paulie knew he could break in. Paulie started walking through the woods towards the structure.
He stopped as he approached a clearing surrounding the cabin. He listened. There was no sound and the cabin was dark.
Paulie took a tentative step out into the clearing. He stopped. Again, no sign that anyone was around. He walked over to the front porch. Old timbers creaked as he mounted the steps. He leaned over to a window and peered into the darkness. He tried the door. Locked.
He walked around to the back, stopping at another window. He tried to open it. It didn’t budge. He approached the back door and wasn’t surprised to find it locked, as well.
Paulie picked up a stick and smashed out the bottom pane of glass in the door. He stopped to listen. Nothing stirred in the cabin. Paulie reached inside, twisted the knob and walked inside.
The cabin was small. There was just an open kitchen to the living room area with one small bedroom. A cast iron stove was sitting in the living room. There was no bathroom, but an outhouse could be seen out back. Two bunk beds were in the tiny bedroom. Cobwebs covered everything and mouse droppings littered the floor. It looked like no one had used the place for years.
As Paulie walked over to the kitchen area, the silence of the woods was
Scott continued, “It did. So we figured maybe we could repeat the pleasure if we ever ran into your friend from New York City .”
“And we did.” Joe said, with a huge grin.
“So what did you do?” Stephen asked.
“Well, we decided to come down to the Freighter tonight to see if he showed up.” Scott said.
“Not really going out of our way too much,” Joe added, “since we’re down here about every night, anyway.”
Scott waved for him to shut up. “So anyway, from the picture you showed us, we knew him the minute he walked in. He sat right next us and the asshole even bought us a beer. Then he starts asking questions about how he wants to check out your uncle’s place, but he don’t want anyone to know.”
“Did he say what he was looking for?” Stephen asked Scott.
“He said some guy wanted to buy the place, but we knew that was bullshit. We told him we knew an old logging road that would take him to the back of the place.”
Joe saw the worried look on Stephen’s face. “Don’t worry, Stephen.” Joe interrupted, “It doesn’t go anywhere near your Uncle’s place.”
Scott continued, “When we stopped the car and got out, Joe stayed back and I started walking him down a path in the woods. His name is Paulie, in case you didn’t know. So Paulie and I started walking down the road. It was getting dark and I started walking faster and faster.”
Joe piped in, “I stayed back, told him I had to pee, so I could put on a bearskin rug my old man let me take from the Moose Lodge. I snuck around and came crashing out of the woods right next to him.”
Joe started laughing again. “He screamed like a little baby and ran like hell into the woods.”
“So what happened to him? Where is he?” Stephen asked.
“Who knows? Still crashing around out there, I guess.” Joe laughed.
Scott and Stephen joined in.
Chapter 18
Paulie sat frozen on a stump, afraid to move or make a sound. It was getting darker, and colder. After about half an hour, Paulie noticed a yellow glow appear through the trees. The moon was rising. It was only a quarter moon, but it provided enough illumination to penetrate the blackness of the woods.
As the moon slowly rose above the trees, Paulie could see the ridge of a cabin roof looming only a few hundred feet in front of him. His spirits lifted. A cabin meant safety. Even if it was locked, Paulie knew he could break in. Paulie started walking through the woods towards the structure.
He stopped as he approached a clearing surrounding the cabin. He listened. There was no sound and the cabin was dark.
Paulie took a tentative step out into the clearing. He stopped. Again, no sign that anyone was around. He walked over to the front porch. Old timbers creaked as he mounted the steps. He leaned over to a window and peered into the darkness. He tried the door. Locked.
He walked around to the back, stopping at another window. He tried to open it. It didn’t budge. He approached the back door and wasn’t surprised to find it locked, as well.
Paulie picked up a stick and smashed out the bottom pane of glass in the door. He stopped to listen. Nothing stirred in the cabin. Paulie reached inside, twisted the knob and walked inside.
The cabin was small. There was just an open kitchen to the living room area with one small bedroom. A cast iron stove was sitting in the living room. There was no bathroom, but an outhouse could be seen out back. Two bunk beds were in the tiny bedroom. Cobwebs covered everything and mouse droppings littered the floor. It looked like no one had used the place for years.
As Paulie walked over to the kitchen area, the silence of the woods was
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