Page 91 of The Corruption of Hollis Brown

Yulia said two things as she closed the door behind them.

“We still love you” and “You can’t stay like this forever.”

Hollis didn’t expect the anger he felt at that, but he kept his mouth shut.

They went down Yulia’s stairs and stood in the dark on the sidewalk. The light from her windows was dim with the shadows of his friends watching him walk away.

And you, he whispered into the dark where Walt lived.

Hollis.

Yulia’s house was far from the hollow, and the buses had stopped running, so Hollis took them on foot. Walt stayed quiet, curled in his chest, or warm in his stomach, as they traveled. Didn’t even have the decency to carry Hollis this distance, but Hollis already knew Walt was a coward.

He knew that.

They passed through the living houses filled with people to the abandoned dead ones. Walked down the street they met and down the street where Walt had taken him. Where the dust of Sam’s body was still frozen in between pieces of pavement.

Went from buildings to gravel to trees dark and tall. And Hollis wasn’t afraid in this forest any more than Walt was. When it got too dark to see, Walt took their legs and guided them to where the ground was warm and soft and wanting.

Caught

Hollis dragged their fingertips around the side of the hill until they dipped into the hollow, then Walt crawled inside.

The trees stopped at the edge, clearing space for the wild Michigan sky. The moon was too new for light, there was nothing but stars.

Hollis put their arms into their coat so he could tuck one hand around his side and rest the other heavy over their throat.

Tell me.

I don’t want to.

Tell me, Walt, stop hiding from me. I can’t hide from you; it isn’t fair.

You’re going to be angry with me.

Probably.

He could feel Walt’s anxiety like a stomach full of snakes, and there was probably a good reason for it.

What do you think is going to happen? Yeah, I’ll be angry at you, but what then? Will we yell at each other a bit? Maybe I’ll give you the silent treatment? I’m struggling to imagine what is so much more horrible than what’s already happened. I think even if you told me you killed people, I’m already kind of prepared for that, seeing as though you jumped out of a dead guy and then made me hide the evidence. You don’t leave much to the imagination.

That situation was different.

Not for me it wasn’t. I had nightmares about it, I’m still sort of worried about it.

I don’t want you to hate me. I’m afraid that you’re going to hate me, and I don’t think I can handle that. Not now.

Hollis sighed and looked up at the trees.

You’re scared of me getting so angry I turn into another Sam, he said simply.

Walt didn’t answer.

I won’t, Walt. I promise.

This is Home

Walt was right, he was fucking furious.