Chapter 5

“Look at my hand,” I could feel the warm redness running down my wrist, heard it hitting my shoe.

“There’s nothing there. What am I looking at?”

“Look at my fucking hand,” I shouted and shook my hand wildly in his face.

“Don’t you see it?”

“Anson!” I heard Barrett shout then felt him grab me. I blinked and saw his eyes were brown again; the tree was just a tree, split and ugly but still frightening.

“What?” I managed to say, feeling saliva spray from my mouth.

“There’s nothing on your hand.” Barrett said.

I looked down quickly, there had been something. I looked from him to the tree and saw not only the red insides of the wood, but beetles crawling all over it, big, fat, black beetles. I was reminded of the beetle crawling across my window only the night before. I shook my head and when I looked again, they were gone.

“I need to see the car Barrett.” I said slowly, my eyes still glued to the tree.