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“Get down!” Cody said.
Oliver ducked his head and felt the breeze of first one then the other poker pass by above him. He turned his head in time to see white wisps of the dissipated ghost that had apparently been approaching him from behind.
“What the hell?” Oliver shivered as he realized what a close call he’d just experienced.
“Let’s get this done.” Cody strode to the body, snatching up the gas can on the way. “Ollie, come here and hold this poker.” Cody smirked and gave him a wink. “And that’s not a come on, just so you know.”
“Jesus Christ,” Oliver said as he pushed to his feet with a groan. “How are you still able to make dick jokes?”
“It’s an ingrained skill,” Cody said, handing off the poker. “Keep sharp. She’s plenty pissed.”
“Just burn it,” Katherine said.
She had adopted a defensive stance at the other end of the body from Oliver. He could see exhaustion and fear in her expression and the tremble of her arms, and wondered if he looked the same. He turned his back to Cody and copied Katherine’s stance in time to see the ghost streaking across the clearing toward him, arms extended and expression a twisted snarl of rage. He shouted in surprise and fear and blindly swung the poker. The ghost shrieked and vanished in a swirl of mist.
“Fuck me,” Oliver whispered.
“That’s what I’ve been going through this whole time,” Katherine said.
The smell of gasoline clouded the air, and Oliver looked over his shoulder. Cody had upended the container above the body, drenching the bones. The skeleton lurched and sat up, extending the arm that was still attached to grab the bottom of Cody’s t-shirt.
“Fuck! She’s alive!” Cody took a step back in an effort to free himself but only succeeding in dragging the skeleton away from the well along with him. “Kill it!”
Katherine grabbed the final container of salt and emptied it over the skeleton. White wisps rose into the humid air off the bones like steam, and the body collapsed on the ground, fingers still curled in Cody’s t-shirt, tearing it all the way up the front to the collar, exposing his torso.
Oliver rolled his eyes. Cody was an attractive man, not his type by any means, but he was attractive. At six foot five, with years of muscle slowly starting to soften now that he had settled down with Demetrius, he was the picture of masculinity. And apparently he’d been strutting around with his shirt off during the early heat of spring because his skin was tan beneath the patch of dark chest hair between his pecs.
“Goddammit, I loved this shirt.” Cody yanked the material free of the bony fingers then pulled the box of matches from his back pocket. “This bitch has got to burn.” He struck a match and held it over the bones. “Rest in peace, Rebecca Hawkins, you crazy man killer.”
Movement on the ground caught Oliver’s attention. Dave had wormed his way up close to Cody. Before Oliver could shout a warning, Dave rolled to his side and crashed into Cody’s leg, knocking him off-balance. Cody stumbled and dropped the match to the mud where it went out with a sizzle.
“Someone hold him down,” Cody said as he regained his balance and pulled another match from the box.
Oliver headed toward Dave but was suddenly yanked backward, a cold pressure against his throat cutting off his air. He grabbed at his throat, trying to get a grip on what was choking him, but nothing was available. He attempted to dig his heels into the ground, but the mud made it impossible.
“Burn it!” he shouted, his voice a choked growl. “Burn it!”
Everything slowed down.
As he was dragged back toward the woods and what he assumed would be a terrible fate, he was able to view the entire scene as a dramatic tableau. Cody struck another match and held it over the bones, the flame dancing. Dave and Demetrius writhed on the ground, both trying desperately to get to Cody. Katherine leaned on the poker, eyes wide and mouth open as she stared at the struck match.
Cody dropped the match.
The flame left a yellow streak in Oliver’s blurring vision as it fell.
It bounced off a rib, touching the gas that had pooled there, and flames burst into life. They raced along the body, following the gas and digging into the bones. Cody shouted in triumph and looked toward Oliver, but nothing had changed for him. He couldn’t breathe, and he was still being dragged backward even though he struggled to escape.
Something caught Oliver’s eye as he felt the first brush of ferns against his legs. Going against every survival instinct, he stopped trying to grab what was choking him and extended a hand to point toward the bottom of the well and the arm that had separated from the body. When Cody had tried to free himself from the skeleton’s grip and dragged the body away from the well, the arm must have fallen off into the mud.
He saw Cody’s eyes track to where he’d pointed just before the trees swallowed him up. As he was dragged through the woods, his vision began to darken at the edges. He made harsh choking sounds as he struggled to take in air, but it was no use. This was how it was going to end for him. And he wouldn’t get the chance to let Dave know how much he really, truly loved him. He wouldn’t get to hold him again, or laugh with him, or kiss him goodnight, or make love with him. Tears flooded his eyes as he realized he would really, truly miss Dave, even though he would be dead. He just hoped Dave would manage to have a happy life without him.
A high-pitched shriek suddenly pierced the humid air around him, making him wince even as he fought to breathe. The cold pressure around his throat vanished, and he fell to the ground flat on his back, gulping in air. Drops fell on his face from the leaves overhead, and he thought it was the best thing he’d ever felt in his life.
“Ollie?” Someone was crashing through the underbrush, sounding like the most graceless creature to ever lumber all over the face of the Earth.
“Here,” Oliver croaked, raising a hand to give a feeble wave.
Cody tromped up and knelt beside him. From what Oliver could tell through his streaked and dirty glasses, Cody’s forehead was furrowed with concern that also showed in his dark brown eyes. He helped Oliver sit up and supported him with a hand on his back.
