Chapter 11

Luke stared up at the dark ceiling above his bed. His mind was spinning like a whirlpool. Luke closed his eyes tight and tried to push out the thoughts and sleep.

 

"Luke, help us," a voice whispered into his ear.

 

Luke's eyes sprang open as he bolted from beneath the sheets and out into the hall, his feet hardly touching the floor. He stood, wide-eyed staring into the dark room, holding his breath, listening for the voice to speak again. Nothing.

 

Luke let out his breath, his racing heart starting to slow to normal. He saw the kitchen light was on downstairs and heard Uncle Ed clear his throat and shuffle across the tile in his house slippers.

 

"Uncle Ed?" Luke said quietly, padding lightly down the stairs.

 

"Geez! You startled me!" Uncle Ed hissed, with a light chuckle. "Can't sleep, huh?" Luke shook his head and sat on a stool at the kitchen counter. Ed sipped warm milk from a mug that said "#1 Dad" on the side.

 

"I feel like I should tell you some things," Luke murmured, glancing up into his uncle's eyes. "But..."

 

"Go ahead, kiddo. Spill it."

 

Luke bit his lip and hesitated.

 

"It sounds crazy though... I don't know if you'll believe me..."

 

Ed sighed and sipped his milk. "After tonight, I'd believe anything."

 

Luke drew a deep breath and started talking. He told his uncle about the time he was there before, and the girl with the ball, and being pulled into the pond. He told him about the dream he had in the car on the way to the Crawford farmhouse, and about the girl in the bathroom, and the three boys in the woods.

 

"...and just now, before I came downstairs. I heard a voice say, 'Luke, help us.' It was right in my ear!" Luke felt a lump form in his throat and his eyes stung with tears. "You believe me, don't you, Uncle Ed?"

 

Ed nodded and stared out the kitchen window silently watching the sun rise and the sky flood with pink and orange. He wrapped an arm around Luke's shoulders.

 

"We'll figure this out, buddy. We'll figure it out."

 

Luke drifted in and out of sleep, lying on the couch in the family room right off the kitchen. The TV talked in the background of his bits and pieces of restless dreams. Ed snored occasionally in his recliner.

 

"So... am I on my own for breakfast or what?" Danny quipped, seeing his brother and uncle passed out in front of the TV. Uncle Ed tipped his recliner upright and shook off his grogginess.

 

"Let's get dressed and go into town. We'll get breakfast at the diner," he said, tossling Danny's hair on his way up the stairs.

 

Luke sat up on the couch and yawned, his eyes still closed. Danny plopped down next to him and started flipping through TV channels.

 

"I told Uncle Ed everything last night," Luke said, peering at his brother. Danny gave him the side-eye.

 

"And?"

 

"I don't know," Luke said with a shrug. "He said we'll figure it out, whatever that means."

 

Danny turned toward Luke, slightly startled by the fear in his eyes.

 

"You're really serious about all this stuff, aren't you? You really believe in all of it?" Danny asked. Luke nodded and shrugged, then covered his face with his hands as the tears started to flow down his cheeks. Danny squeezed his shoulder. "Hey, I'll do whatever I can to help you. You know that."

 

Luke looked up at his brother's concerned face. "You mean it?"

 

Danny nodded. "Whatever it is, I'm all in."