Chapter 6

He wakes with a start, surprised to find he’s

fallen asleep on the sofa. The half-empty carton once full of ice

cream now leaks a brown, soupy mess into his lap. Quickly he sits

up, sets the ice cream aside, and starts to brush ineffectively at

the damp spots staining the front of his jeans. With detached

amusement, he realizes it looks like he’s come in his sleep.

There’s a hollow ache deep in his groin, sympathy pains, a

lingering Ghost from Christmas Past that tugs at his balls and

almost makes him wish he’d let Jake visit. At least then he

wouldn’t be dozing in front of the TV…

But the television is off, and the clock on

the VCR blinks 12:00 with a stupid stutter. Now Ned notices the

wind outside—what he’d thought was a dream is real, shrieking

around the edges of the house like a banshee seeking entry. He

takes the melting ice cream into the kitchen and leaves it in the

sink as he peers out the window. The still night is filled with a