Page 126 of The Corruption of Hollis Brown

We lived in that house there.

Walt pointed down the main street at a place five houses down from where Jorge had nearly died.

It looks like the edge of town now, but it wasn’t. It was near the middle. If I told you how much of this place was carved away. If you could have shown me on a map where the line was. Where they cut this town to quarantine what was safe from what wasn’t, Hollis, I would have already known this was on me.

Walt pointed farther down the street.

You go a ways that way, you’ll hit the place I used to fight. It was a dance hall on the first floor and matches were in the basement. Way down nearer to the factory is where the Callaghans liked to gather. But the Rossis’ territory is field and farmland now.

Wonder if they relocated, or sold . . .

Anyhow, some guys, low-down guys who worked the line with me during the day were all right. They weren’t all bad, not the Rossis or the Callaghans on the bottom level. They were just hungry, like me. From families just a bit worse off.

I don’t know, Hollis. I wanted a minute to just take it in before we came here to do what needs to be done. I didn’t want my first shot back in town to be my last.

I get that.

Hmm. Lie down with me.

Walt let him carry them down, arm behind their head to cushion them from the frozen grass. They looked up at the sky.

I’m glad you came here. I’m glad we ran into each other that night. I’m glad I stopped and gave you my coat.

Walt laughed soft and private into the night.

Best, worst decision you ever made. If anything happens, I’ll miss you. I miss you right now.

Hollis slid off their mitten and kissed their fingertips.

You know, I think even if this place wasn’t full of ghosts things would be the same.

What’s that?

There are so many places like this out there, towns like ours. We’re not special. Just because Rose Town is full of angry spirits doesn’t make this more or less of a haunting than any other town with an empty shut-down factory and a bunch of poor people.

There’s land all over the place that’s so ruined no one can step foot on it. Signs around it talking about toxic poison and danger, parents worried their kids will sneak over to have fun and get hurt.

It’s not the same.

It is the same thing, Walt. It’s the same. We just have the luxury of calling it a haunting. We’re lucky enough to have nothing but ghosts in our way, not like . . . the brute force of environmental exploitation. But materially speaking, it’s the same. The American nightmare or whatever.

Big words.

Hollis grinned.

Shut up. I’m being serious. We all kind of know it too. That’s why no one really complains about it. Having ghosts is not so different from having nothing at all.

But, what if—

Yeah, Walt. What if. I’m sure there’s half a million people around this country with the same question. At least we might have a way out. At least you came back to help.

I didn’t come back to help, I came back to die.

Hollis closed their eyes.

You can’t make me hate you for that. Stop trying.

Diadem