and smiled when she pictured it disappearing into her stepbrother’s skin. Then, she walked down the hall to her stepbrother’s room and opened the door without knocking. He was on the computer, unzipping his pants.
“Scott?” she said. “Scott?”
“What the fuck do you want?” he barked, startled.
“I’m going to the woods. Wanna come?”
“Why the fuck would I go to the woods with you?” he said.
“Because I’ll give you anything you want.”
Her stepbrother immediately shut down his computer. Jenny walked up to Scott and took his hand. She moved the itch down her arm and into his skin. Just as she had every night while he was sleeping. For days, she breathed through her mouth, so she wouldn’t have to bear the sour smell in his room. His socks and B.O. and acne medicine. For days, she touched that miserable sweaty hand. Preparing for this night. The war was here, and her mom told her that they needed soldiers. But her mom promised that as soon as the good guys won the war, Jenny would be allowed to cut off Scott’s face and feed it to him. She could finally take her stepbrother’s blood and drown him and the rest of the fucking world in Floods.
it’s tiMe.
Ms. Lasko’s face was in the toilet when she heard the whisper, sweet and wet on the back of her neck. She was in the women’s bathroom at the bar, making herself throw up. Not because she felt sick. No. Because she still felt sober. She thought that if she emptied her stomach and filled it with a whole bottle of Jack Daniel’s, she might at least get a little buzz. But it didn’t work. So, she began to weep. It had been so long since Ms. Lasko felt drunk that she couldn’t even remember the feeling. It’s not that she hadn’t had alcohol. On the contrary, she drowned herself in floods every night. But that God damn itch wouldn’t let her feel it. And now she felt everything else. Life had become a merciless, dry drunk that made her remember every terrible thing that she had ever done. And every terrible thing that had ever been done to her. It got so bad that she got on her knees in front of the toilet and prayed to God to let her feel drunk again. And suddenly, to her delight and great relief, her prayer was finally answered. A little voice told her that she would finally be able to feel drunk again. All she had to do was go to a “little after-hours place” in the Mission Street Woods.
it’s tiMe.
It went on like that for an hour or so. All through town, people stopped whatever they were doing and started walking to the Mission Street Woods. Doug was in the middle of Christmas Eve dinner when his phone buzzed.
She’s cheating on you, Doug. She wouldn’t let you go all the way, but she let everyone else do whatever they wanted. She loved it, Doug. She’s pregnant, Doug. With another man’s baby. But the woods will fix your broken heart. It’s time.
Debbie Dunham was fucking the security guard in the parking lot of the Giant Eagle after all the supplies had finally been sold.
Stop fucking that man, Debbie. The woods will make the pain stop. It’s time.
The old woman sat in the attic, rocking in her chair.
We know you swam in the Ohio River together. He was such a beautiful boy. And he’s here in the woods. He wants to see you, Gladyssss. It’s time.
Mike and Matt sat at the dinner table with their mothers. The Gabrielson-Scott Christmas tradition of Chinese food and a movie started one day early. When the feast was done, the boys cracked open their fortune cookies.
Mike, if they take the tree house, she’s going to kill your brother.
Matt, please help me. Christopher is trapped. It’s time.
Father Tom was in the middle of preparing midnight mass when Mrs. Radcliffe had the strange idea of holding mass in the Mission Street Woods. Father Tom didn’t like that idea at all. He said it was an abomination. So, the choir jumped on him and bit him and stabbed him and left him on the altar bleeding as they started to sing. The song was one they had never rehearsed before, but somehow, they all knew the melody.
it’s tiMe.
it’s tiMe.
it’s tiMe.
But perhaps the strangest of all thoughts occurred to Nurse Tammy while taking a much-needed smoke break after making her rounds in the ICU. The