Appearance was an odd thing. The idea that people preferred to be perceived to be good rather than be good was something Fletcher could never wrap his mind around. Although Fletcher didn’t understand it, he cared for appearances more than he liked to admit. Currently, he hated the perception he was giving. Four well dressed teenagers trying to break into a shed on a pitch-black night wasn’t a good look for anyone. The darkness was his only saving grace; at the very least no one could see him.

The shed was old, probably outdating all of them. The wood was splintering in a way that made Fletcher very cautious not to touch it. Spiders took over the entire space with massive cobwebs in all the corners. The child size life jackets reminded Fletcher that Roman’s family hadn’t been there for a while. He couldn’t understand why they didn’t clean it out instead of letting it rot but manual labor wasn’t a Davenport thing.

Only a few yards away from the shed was the docks. They looked exactly as Fletcher remembered them save for the stain fading a bit leaving a more washed out sandy brown then the sharp mahogany. Surprisingly, there wasn’t all that much water damage or rot.

After his speech he really didn’t want to do anything, especially not dig a boat out of a decaying shed with the world's least cooperative people. He let the other boys work at getting the boat out and on the water so he could figure out how he ruined his speech. It was embarrassing the way he totally froze in front of the audience and the rambling was so childlike he couldn’t get over it. The moment replayed over and over again and he pin down the exact moment he started to slip. There was a voice behind him that was so jarring that he couldn’t keep his focus. He could almost recognize it but that wasn’t possible.

There was no way in hell he could hear Davis Astor’s voice.

He half considered telling the other boys but that wasn’t worth his time. Ellis would say it wasn’t possible, Roman would mock him and Sam would more than likely be supportive but that was just his nature. Nerves, it was my nerves, Fletcher repeated to himself as more of a prayer than a fact

Staring out at the docks, Fletcher tuned into the conversation the other boys were having. Roman’s words were laced with ill-intent and aggression contrary to Ellis' eloquent attacks. Sam tried to mediate but he wasn’t really helping. With a long drawn out sigh, Fletcher started to speak.

“Guys.” His voice was thin and airy. Shoulder's drooping, he tried to formulate something that would make them all happy or at the very least ten percent less angry. “Let’s talk this out.”

“Ellis, you are literally useless so why don’t you back up instead of standing in the goddamn doorway.” Roman completely ignored Fletcher. He had one arm wrapped around the wooden fishing boat, keeping the other free to flip off Ellis.

“Can we hurry up?” Sam asked, actually holding the boat up.

“Well Roman,” The way Ellis said his name was almost as if it was a threat. “I think-”

“Ellis, whatever you are going to say, I can guarantee you Roman is just going to say something and you’ll end up being the one who is upset. Roman, stop trying to pick a fight and instead pick up your side of the boat!” Sam’s breath was becoming heavier.

Ellis stepped out of the way and checked his watch as if he had somewhere else to be. He seemed to love looking busy. Roman and Sam managed to get the boat out but not without it taking a massive scrap against the side. Once the boat was out Fletcher hooked onto Sam’s end and helped bring it down to the docks. Slowly he walked backwards towards the water, keeping his eyes focused on Roman who was walking a bit like an awkward cowboy. Putting the boat in the water was easy enough, all they had to do was drop it in carefully and make sure it didn’t drift off when they were about to get in. However, with Roman around, things could rarely be simple.

“We only really need two people in the boat. Should be me and Fletcher considering we are the ones who did dump it” It wasn’t an unreasonable request, but Roman’s tone made most things he said seem unreasonable.

“You know how to work the camera?” Sam shook the long pole the camera was attached to.

“I don’t but-”

“So, it’s settled, I’m coming.” Sam said happily sliding into the very end of the boat.

“Well, I’m not going to be left alone.” Using Sam’s shoulder as a brace, Ellis elegantly took the spot across from Sam.

Based on how tightly Roman had clenched his jaw, Fletcher guessed things were going the way he wanted but he made no objections. Instead, Roman kept one hand on the dock while he lowered himself into the boat leaving only a small space for Fletcher between him and Ellis. After Fletcher got in, Roman prepared to row. Technically speaking, it would have been easier for Ellis to row rather than Fletcher, but Ellis utterly refused to risk ruining his suit.

Pulling the oar in and out of the water, Fletcher noticed just how deep it really was. Funny, he hadn’t noticed how deep it was in the day. The wind began to howl, sending a shiver down his spine. It might have been fear, but everything seemed off. From the moment the boat was just out of reach of the dock, the water became reactive. Swirling and bobbing in waves that shouldn’t have been as strong as they were.

Fletcher pondered it for a second, considering if perhaps it was an omen or a warning to tell them to run back but the other boys didn’t seem to notice. Even when the boat began to rock from side to side, they kept pushing on. A lump formed in Fletcher's throat, so desperately he wanted to turn back. He stopped rowing for a moment when the dread fully washed over him.

He wasn’t ready to face what he had done.

“Visibility is shit.” Sam said half hanging over the edge of the boat, guiding the camera through the water. “Ooo! I see fish.”

Sam was endearingly cheerful considering the circumstances. Fletcher couldn’t decide if it was his childish nature or his inability to grasp the situation at hand that made Sam so chipper. Maybe he was just pretending but what Fletcher would have given to see Sam be somber for just a moment.

Turning his wrist, Fletcher checked his watch. Nearly an hour had passed since they began what was starting to feel like a wild goose chase. Ellis’s rigid posture and deep breathing was indicating he was getting cranky which was not something Fletcher was going to deal with. Fletcher's arms were burning from all the rowing.

“I think we should just turn back. It’s pointle-” Fletcher started before Sam cut him off.

“Found it.”

Strange how a simple phrase could dismantle Fletcher so quickly. Pushing his feelings away, he took one sharp breath and turned to Roman waiting to see what he would do. Slowly, Roman drew his oar from the water and tucked it in beside him. Fletcher mirrored Roman but with more hesitation.

“So, what is your brilliant plan, Roman? How exactly are we going to get the footlocker out without getting in?” It was a condensing yet genuine question from Ellis. His arms were crossed so tightly, Fletcher half though he might rip his jacket.

“Glad you asked Ellis.” Roman’s voice was laced with sweetness. The same tone he took with teachers after he would do something wrong. “Swim Captain, would you be so kind as to get in the water.”

It was October, the coldest October Fletcher had seen in years. The wind was already cutting through his suit, giving him goosebumps. There was no way in hell Fletcher was about to risk hypothermia just because Roman couldn’t be bothered to come up with a better plan.

“I’d really prefer not to.” Fletcher hated how weak he sounded but he really didn’t want to start a fight. On the other hand, he didn’t want to get in the water more. “Why don’t you do it?”

“Well, you are swim captain, aren’t you? You’re the better swimmer.” Roman’s sickeningly sweet voice only raised Fletcher’s blood pressure.

Roman must have noticed how tense Fletcher was because the nice boy façade faded, replaced with the version of Roman that he had heard so much about over the past few years. A boy that should have been wrapped in caution tape just to warn bystanders of the risks he brought. If looks could kill, Fletcher would have been dead and buried.

“No, Roman.” Fletcher said slightly more confidently before. “Are you insane?”

“Be reasonable, Fletcher.” Roman replied as if he was asking something reasonable.

“It's just above freezing; I am in a three-piece suit and there is no way in hell I am getting in that water because you decided it was easier than coming up with a feasible plan.”

“Roman.” Ellis interjected in his let me handle it voice. He may as well have been Roman’s handler. “He’s not doing it.” Roman seemed to take Ellis's words in slowly. Nodding his head, he drew his lips into a thin line before he jerked forward.

Fletcher didn’t remember exactly how it happened, but he was surrounded by ice cold water. Instincts kicked in and he took in a deep breath, the water stinging in his lungs. His dress pants drag him down deeper into the water. Focus, Fletcher, He thought to himself. Struggling, he started pushing through the water. His dress shoes made every kick a laborious effort. Reaching his hand up, he gripped onto the side of the boat. With one large gasp, he was on the surface again.

“You’re an asshole.” His teeth chatter as he spoke.

With one hand, Fletcher tried to undo his belt which was an unsurprisingly difficult task. He wiggled his pants loose and slipped them off before he tossed them at Roman who seemed to only laugh at the whole ordeal. The laughing quickly stopped when Fletcher started throwing his shoes.

“This is a terrible idea.” Ellis stated the obvious.

“Maybe.” Roman shrugged in an entirely Roman way. The kind of nonchalant shrug that teetered on the line of condescending yet aggressive. “Here.” He held a flashlight out for Fletcher as it was some kind of favor.

He snatched the flashlight out of his hand and grabbed the rope before Roman could even try to hand it to him. Diving under the water, Fletcher pushed away his feelings, focusing solely on finding the footlocker.

Swimming was like second nature to Fletcher. He had probably spent more time in the water rather than out of it. It was a comfort to him in a way. Swimming was easy, sink or swim, no thoughts needed and certainly no feelings needed. That was what made it so easy for him, once he was in the water, he only had to focus on moving, nothing else mattered. Keep moving, don’t sink. Tonight was different though, the water seemed heavier, almost thicker. Shaking his head, he pushed on, swimming deeper into the water. Shining the light across the lakebed, he spotted it.

The footlocker held up surprisingly well. For the most part it was intact, a little rusted but it still held together. The lock had particularly rusted quite badly. He worried it was going to snap open if he tried to move it. With great care, he looped the rope through the thick handles and tied it tightly. Pushing off the lakebed, Fletcher headed back to the surface. Emerging from the water, he took a deep breath and flung the rope at Roman.

“Roman.” Sam said, sounding half angry, half concerned. “His lips are purple.” It wasn’t a jab at Roman or even an insult, but the expression Sam wore said more than his words ever could. With his nose in the air and tight-lipped pout, he looked absolutely disgusted.

Fletcher touched his lips with the tips of his fingers. He was so distracted by getting the locker out he had forgotten how cold it was. Once he was aware, he noticed how numb his fingers felt. His entire body felt slow and rigid. Sam pulled Fletcher up into the boat, completely unconcerned with how wet he was getting. Ellis slipped off his dress coat and tossed it on Fletcher’s lap.

“You know he probably has hypothermia now, right?” Ellis pointed out as he took the rope.

Roman didn’t respond and that bothered Fletcher more than a justification would have. Taking part of the rope, Roman looked at Ellis with very little expression. It was impossible to know what he was thinking. The two slowly dragged the footlocker up with a surprising lack of effort. Each grabbing a handle, they hauled the footlocker onto the boat.

Silently, Ellis and Roman began to row to shore. The only sound was the chatter of Fletcher's teeth. None of the boys could look at the footlocker for too long. Only brief glances and occasional glares were used to keep an eye on it. It didn’t take nearly as long to get back to the docks. Time flies when you dread the future.

Once they reached the docks, Roman instantly hopped out of the boat and headed to Sam’s truck. The other boys drug the footlocker onto the grass. Lighter than Fletcher expected but he didn’t really know what to expect. Ellis bent over and inspected the rusted lock. Gagging, he fumbled backwards.

“That smells…” In a rare turn of events, Ellis was lost for words.

Dropping to his knees he began to dry heave. Uncurling his arms from his chest, Fletcher rubbed Ellis back in a way he hoped came across as comforting and not bizarre. He was certain if Ellis could have, he would have slapped his hand away.

Roman returned from the truck toting a Holloway Academy gym bag. He was rummaging around in it before finding a pair of sweatpants and a sweater. Tossing the clothes at Fletcher, he smiled as if he was being helpful. Begrudgingly, Fletcher stripped off his shirt and began to get changed. The only thought in his mind at that moment was how he would explain this to his mother. Mrs. Yates was an understanding woman but coming home soaking wet in the middle of October in a football tracksuit warranted a few questions. Questions Fletcher didn’t have answers to.

“Holloway, quit the melodrama. It smells like a waterlogged box.” Roman said, kicking the lock to no avail.

Despite the rust, the lock stayed strong. Sam grabbed a fair-sized rock off the lake shore and began to beat the lock, but not once did it even slightly move. Perfect, I get humiliated in front of a crowd of people, pushed into a lake, nearly get hypothermia and all just to sit here and watch them struggle to open a stupid box. Fletcher resented his negative thoughts, but the tiredness had started to come over him in crashing waves. If he could just lay down everything would have been fine.

Cosmic justice wasn’t something Fletcher bought into but as the rain began to pour down on them it was hard to deny that karma was after them.

“It won’t open.” Sam spoke.

“Really?” Roman replied caustically and kicked the lock again with all his might.

“Move.” Fletcher elbowed Roman before kneeling down.

At face level with the lock, it didn’t look like anything special. Taking the rock in his hands, Fletcher bashed it against the lock once. It let out a howled crack before giving way. Suddenly, he didn’t want to be the one standing in front of the box. If he was in front of it, he would have to open it.

“Open it?” Roman sounded less sure of himself than before. He even took a step back in the least characteristic way possible.

Roman was afraid. They all were. Fletcher realized how insane it all was. They were just kids, scared kids who had no business doing what they were doing but they had to. Safety and secrets went hand and hand, and they needed to assure their secret would stay safe. Yet, staring down at the waterlogged box, Fletcher didn’t much care for the secret anymore. He'd sooner have left it at the bottom of the lake to be discovered. Perhaps it would have relieved his guilt.

Edging backwards, Sam and Ellis started to speak at the same time. Fletcher could only catch a couple of words, but he established they didn’t want to see the inside of the box. Fletcher couldn’t imagine what the inside looked like now. Would the blood stains have faded, or would the water have washed it away? Tensing his body, he pushed down his flight response and flipped the lid open.

It was empty. Absolutely nothing inside.

Everything Fletcher knew didn’t make sense anymore. Desperately, he tried to calculate what could have happened that ended with the box being empty but the lock still being locked. His breathing got thinner as if he was breathing through a straw. Empty, empty, empty…but what happened.

The image of Roman’s foot jamming a boy into the footlocker was burned into his mind. The sound of cracked ribs echoing in the dead of night was a sound he couldn’t clear from his mind. There was no way that box should have been empty. Roman had to sit on top of it just to be able to lock it. Nothing could have gotten in or out.

He should have been staring at a skeleton. He should have been forced to face what they did but instead he was faced with total confusion. Quickly, he surveyed the box in an attempt to find any evidence that something had been there. Crammed in the corner was a perfectly polished sapphire grad ring.

“How bad is it?” Sam preemptively winced.

Without answering, Fletcher turned to him holding the grad ring between his fingers. Sam’s face twisted in disgust. Roman shouted something but Fletcher didn’t listen and kept his attention totally fixated on the ring.

“Dude, that’s sick. Don’t touch…” Sam blurted out practically gagging. “That was on a body. A dead one.”

“No body.” A short simple sentence that completely dismantled them.

“What do you mean?” Roman didn’t really ask so much as demanded to know and Fletcher only gestured back to the empty box.

“What happened?” Ellis said softly.

“Decomposition?” Sam suggested as if bones decomposed as quickly as any other part of the body.

“No body, No problem.” Roman shared what he would refer to as wisdom. “If we can’t find it, I highly doubt anyone else can”

Fletcher wasn’t sure if it was the way he referred to the boy as ‘it’ or the wildfire grin that was growing across Roman’s face but it was unsettling.

“We should figure it out. I mean the footlocker was locked. Who would lift the box out of the lake, remove the body, then put it back in the same spot? It sounds insane but a body just doesn’t disappear.”

“How the hell did we lose the only evidence that we murdered a man?” Roman scoffed as if it was like losing car keys. Inconvenient but not life shattering.

“It was an accident.” Sam stepped up to Roman with clenched fists. Very rarely was Sam ever ready to fight but the sharp glare he directed towards Roman was just enough that Fletcher was certain he would swing a left hook if Roman so much as moved the wrong way.

To ease the tension, Roman just quietly nodded, muttering a weak agreement and an even weaker apology. Shifting his expression, Sam returned to his cool collected persona and whipped open the truck door.

“Am I droppin y’all off at your houses?”

“You guys can stay at the cabin with me if you want. Fletcher is going to be hard pressed to explain the soaking wet bit so it might be easier.” Roman said.

Of the entire population, Roman was probably the best at getting under Fletcher’s skin. Offering him to stay in the cabin as if he wasn’t the one who pushed him in the lake was just the tip of the iceberg of Roman’s careless behavior.

“Yeah, sure.” Ellis spoke for all of them. “We should get Fletcher warmed up before it gets any colder. Plus, it's a little easier to explain than showing up at home in the middle of the night.”

Chapter 6: The Davenport’s Cabin

The Davenport’s cabin was exactly how Sam remembered it. The log siding was still painted cherry red, the front step was still broken from where Fletcher fell years before. It was like a time capsule opening when they headed inside. The old checker couch, the wooden round table and the overwhelming smell of firewood brought back memories of better times. The four boys had spent the better half of a decade there and being there again left Sam nostalgic but nauseous.

Fletcher had flopped down on the couch, ring still in hand. He twirled it around and slowly moved his lips as if he was talking to it. None of them understood it, but he seemed the most captivated by the ring. Overall, he looked entirely ridiculous. Fletcher was a bit taller and broader than Roman resulting in an awkwardly tight and short sweatshirt and sweatpants that rode up his legs. When Fletcher's hair dried, he was left with a whirlwind hairstyle that Sam wasn’t entirely sure obeyed the laws of physics.

“I just don’t understand.” Fletcher said to no one in particular. Focused solely on the ring, he furrowed his brows before breaking his concentration. “You know, you could have brought any other clothes? I’m not super keen on the design.”

Fletcher gestured to the Property of Holloway Academy Football graphic. In typical fashion, Roman didn’t reply. Standing by the stove, he was cooking pancakes from some mix he’d brought with him. A surprisingly mundane task for him. Ellis eyed him carefully for reasons Sam could not decipher. Probably his disdain but it wasn’t a typical judgmental glare.

“How do you like football?” Ellis broke the silence as he traced his fingers across the bookshelf.

“I’ve only been to one practice, but I sure do love pushing people around.” Roman replied with a smile.

“We know.” Fletcher said with more aggression than Sam thought he was capable of. “Coach is weird though, right?”

It was classic Fletcher to show a sign of confrontation then backpaddle. Part of Sam hated that about him. It would have been better for Fletcher just to be mad but then again, he couldn’t say he was any better.

“Yeah, the whole team is actually. Super different from competitive swim.” Roman flipped a pancake as he spoke. “Like the whole team mentality is crazy. You never see that in swimming.”

“I don’t think I’ve even thought about swim since we dropped it.” Sam added.

Swim was how the boys had actually met. Just barely eight years old and they all instantly clicked. Sam found it hard to believe now that he was looking at the same kids almost grown. Nostalgia was dangerous, it tricked Sam into thinking things were better than they were. Fights, bickering, and all times he was given the cold shoulder was washed away, replaced only by memories of gut laughs and late nights. Without a second thought, Sam would have gone back. They dropped swimming just like they dropped each other. Except for Fletcher who decided swimming was the only thing that mattered.

Casually, Roman brought over a plate of golden-brown pancakes. Surprisingly, he was a decent cook. Folding up a pancake, Sam gobbled it down in one go. If Roman was always so mundane, life would have been easier for him. If he listened to anyone else, life would have been easier for him. There were hundreds of things that Sam could have come up with that would have changed Roman’s life but it would never matter.

Roman Davenport was stupid, reckless, selfish and above all else, self-sabotaging. Pushing Fletcher in the lake was only the tip of the iceberg of Roman’s wrong doings. He simply didn’t care for anyone but himself and one day it would get someone killed. Sam only hoped it wasn’t him. If I was a better person, I’d say something. The thought rattled around in his head, but he let it die as a passing thought. No amount of confrontation with Roman was ever worth it.

He shifted his focus back to Ellis, who had begun to drag his finger across the old book spines. With the expectation of his hand, he was perfectly still.

“So, what does this mean for us?” He asked.

“We go back to normal. No talking or associating with each other.” Fletcher replied. Unusually, Ellis's lips dropped into a thin pout, but Fletcher didn’t seem to notice.

“I can’t be the only one who thinks this is like- I don’t know…Impossible? Insane?” As Sam finished speaking, a book dropped from behind Ellis.

It was an old book by the look of the yellowing pages. It was covered in a thin scrawl, the sort of writing that made it appear as if it was maybe a diary. Ellis, as always, picked up the book and inspected it. Pushing his glasses down to the tip of his nose, he squinted. His eyes darted around the page before his head shot up with a quizzical look.

“Why do you have a book in Latin?”

“Uh.” Roman held his hand out for the book to which Ellis obliged. In much the same way, Roman inspected it. “No clue, dad collects a lot of trash though, so I’m not surprised…I think it says something about the rope and ties.”

“I thought you only did intro language credits?” Sam knew the haphazard translation was just to make Ellis feel inadequate but there was no way Roman should have been able to read Latin.

One of the most popular features of Holloway Academy was its varied language programs. Most students would choose one and follow it through to graduation usually ending with the student being fluent in the language. Then there were kids like Roman, who bounced from language credit to language credit to avoid learning anything more than yes, no and can I go to the bathroom?

“Yeah, but I had an intro to Latin from sixth grade, so they put me in the second level class for it.” Leaning his hip against the couch he continued reading. “The ties that bind…something...something…come undone? It’s a rough translation but the wording is odd. It talks about water.”

The phrasing tugged at Sam’s mind, almost like he had heard it before. Closing his eyes, he thought back to any point he could have possibly heard the phrase. There was a small book in his father’s office. He had only opened it a handful of times as it was usually locked away in a drawer but like most kids, that didn’t stop Sam. It wasn’t even an interesting book, just poetry in eloquent handwriting.

“Ties that bind, come and unwind. Bring back what once was mine.” Lighting struck just as he finished speaking and Sam couldn’t help but laugh. “Ah, just the extra drama I was looking for.”

A small buzzing noise started coming from Roman’s pocket. Scooping his phone up like a baby bird, he stepped away to answer it. His meek voice gave Sam the impression he must have been speaking to his mother. After waiting for Roman to be out of ear shot, Sam began to speak in a tone more serious than he was used to.

“I know this is insane but there has to be something more to this. The gun, the fairy circle, the ring…It is all too much to just be coincidence.”

“I’m superstitious, sure but I’m not crazy.” Ellis flopped down on the couch beside Fletcher and flipped through the book as if he could read it. “Most teenagers don’t accidently kill someone so I’m going to say we don’t know enough to know what’s normal in this situation.”

“Stranger things have happened.” Fletcher sounded like a fortune cookie come to life.

“What? Name one stranger thing that has happened.” In truth, Sam could think of a handful of strange things that happened in Emmerson, but nothing quite topped what the last few weeks had revealed to them.

“I don’t mean to be accusatory-” Ellis absolutely meant to be accusatory. “But Roman could have something to do with this”

Although Ellis was usually a very rational person, Sam couldn’t take him seriously. Motive drives everyone’s actions. It’s how people decided what actions to take and there was no way in hell Roman would willingly do anything that would put him in the same room as Ellis.

Ellis tried to continue speaking in a hushed voice but Roman returned with slouched shoulders and a cocky grin plastered on his face.

“So, no body,” he declared, “That means we can all go back to normal.”

Doubtful, Sam thought. He would have been thankful if life could go back to normal, but he knew deep down that you can’t unring a bell and they had just rung several. Like the storm whirling around them, something was coming. Something much worse. He could feel it in his bones.

***

The rest of the evening was rather uneventful. Ellis accused Roman of cheating at cards and Roman was obviously offended even though he was cheating. It was the sort of turmoil Sam had come to expect from his siblings fights but not his friends. Pausing for a moment, were they... his friends? Could he still say that? Did he want that? He didn’t know the answers, nor did he know if he cared. He was just simply relieved to leave.

Animosity wasn’t something he felt towards the other boys, it was more the compilation they all carried with them. Each time they were together, he was practically begging to be burned, to have everything fall apart and yet he never said no to the meetings.

Leaving the cabin, Sam noticed that the sun had just begun to rise, a painful reminder of how terribly early it was. The sky was painted a milky red, bleeding into orange then yellow. There was a saying Sam’s mother often repeated to him though he couldn’t remember it anymore. Something to do with sailors and the weather on days where the sky is red. Taking a deep breath in, he took in the cool autumn air. The gentle breeze stirred within the trees.

He was the last to get in the truck. Apparently, the rest of the boys felt the same itch to leave, save for Roman. Looking back in the rear-view mirror, he could see him sleeping away half leaned on a tight-lipped Ellis. Turning the key, Sam heard the truck spit and sputter for the second time in a month. Gotta get this thing to a garage, Sam thought to himself trying the key again. The truck slowly awoke with a soft and unfamiliar hum.

“Atta’ girl,” Sam whispered to himself and turned up the radio.

The grassy lawn turned into a dirt road. Ideally, he would have driven Roman home first seeing as he would be significantly less pleasant when awake but Ellis insisted, he went home first as it was the closest to the cabin. Being closer didn’t say much though because of how tucked away the cabin was. The privacy of it made it seem so mystical when they were kids but now it was empty and desolate. In a shameful way, Sam could relate to the little log cabin.

Emotions weren’t something he dealt with, but rather would leave stuck on a shelf somewhere. He turned his emotions into something to be cataloged and filed away for later review rather than experience. It was better that way. He hadn’t destroyed himself like Roman or burned himself out like Fletcher but most importantly he hadn’t done anything like Ellis.

“So, we don’t talk after this right?” Fletcher asked, turning down the radio.

“Yes.” Ellis replied as physically removed Roman from his shoulder.

“What about the project?”

“Just let me do it.” A very Ellis answer but Sam was more than happy to take a free A on an assignment.

The dirt road morphed into asphalt as they approached the outskirts of Emmerson. Inconveniently, Sam took Suicide Seven just to speed up the trip. The sooner he could be alone with his thoughts again the better. His eyes darted around for any potential dangers and nothing stuck out with the expectation of Roman waking up, but he was more annoying than dangerous. His eyes were unfocused, his breathing labored.

“You doing alright, Roman?” Sam eyed him in the mirror unsure of what to do.

The only answer Sam received was Roman slowly raising his arms up as if to defend himself. Without hesitation, Ellis drove the palm of his hand into Roman’s side in what Sam assumed was either an attempt to calm him down or just an excuse to hit him. Either way, it didn’t work seeing as Roman’s breath became thinner. He spoke in choppy incoherent sentences.

“St….st…. stop.” Roman’s voice cracked the same way a scratched CD skipped.

“Cut it out.” Ellis replied with the little empathy he could muster.

Turning slightly, Sam gawked at Roman. He was pawing at the door so desperate to get out. His cracked voice switched to a desperate plea then a shout. Sam didn’t even have time to pull over before Roman had unbuckled himself. With open palms, he beat against the window. Cars whizzed by and the only thing that was stopping Roman from rolling out of the truck was child safety locks.

“Let. Me. Out.” Roman’s voice was back with a sick and sharp twist to it.

“Give me a second to pull ov-” Sam hissed, taking his eyes off the road to look back at Roman. “Do something, Ellis!”

“Sam!” Fletcher grabbed the wheel and turned it towards himself. “Stop!”

Putting all his force down, Sam braked. The truck came to a screeching stop just short of the guard rail that followed beside the road. Anger wasn’t something Sam felt, but he was ready to toss Roman out and leave him stranded. Yelling seemed like a good option until he saw just how pale Roman’s skin was; it was almost translucent. He was scared in a way Sam had never seen.

Sam unlocked the doors and Roman practically fell out onto the road. Out of the side mirror, Sam could see him on his hands and knees practically dry heaving. There was nothing Sam could possibly say that would fix what happened, so he decided to stay silent in hopes Fletcher would do his normal good person routine.

Fletcher didn’t move. He didn’t even look at Roman. With glazed over eyes, he was lost in his own world. Turning, Sam looked at Ellis as if to say Should I do something? Ellis’s clenched jaw and ice-cold stare replied with Your funeral. Swinging the door behind him, Sam walked in front of the truck towards Roman. Parking in the middle of the road wasn’t idealistic, but if Sam had to wager, a car would see the truck before they saw the way Roman was crumbled up on the road.

“Warren says he’s been having claustrophobic episodes.” Ellis called out despite the episode being blatantly obvious. It was strange though; he wasn’t bothered by the truck before but now it was tearing him apart. “I would assume this is one of those…things.”

Standing over him, Sam offered a hand to Roman. He accepted. Hauling him to his feet, Sam didn’t wait for an answer or explanation; Perfectly content to let the conversation die right there but Roman started to speak sheepishly.

“Living in the woods kind of messed me up.”

Completely embarrassed, Roman’s face had become a cherry red. For the first time in their entire friendship, Sam had seen Roman come undone. The sharp exterior he wore as a safety blanket had fallen away leaving a scared kid in its place. Sam instinctively lifted his hand to touch him but pulled away at the last second. Without a sound, Roman returned to the truck. Fear consumed him but what was he so afraid of?

The rest of the drive was filled with the cheery pop music that blasted from the radio. Not really Sam’s preference but anything else was bound to drag the mood down even further. There was no conversation to be had, not even Fletcher asked if Roman was okay. Whether that was because of the budding hostility between the two or Fletcher’s respect for Roman’s privacy was anybody's guess. Sam silently hoped it was the hostility. The only interaction that occurred was occasional curious glances at Roman who decided the floor of the truck was more interesting than anything else. By the time he dropped off Ellis and Roman, Sam had almost forgotten the eerie feeling that had plagued his past few weeks. That was until Fletcher spoke.

“Can I tell you something?” Sam wanted so desperately to say no but the puppy dog eyes Fletcher was giving him was hard to deny.

“Sure.”

“When I did my speech…” He trailed off for a moment. “I heard a voice.”

“There were a lot of people there. Could have been someone backstage-”

“Davis’s voice. I don’t know if it is guilt or something else, but nothing makes sense anymore. Even what happened with Roman, it is just so bizarre.”

“Probably just guilt. I mean your anxiety is probably getting worse due to all this stuff.” Even though he said it, Sam wasn’t sure if he believed it. The gun, the fairy circle, the distinct lack of body and now Fletcher was hearing voices. Nothing was normal anymore, and Sam didn’t expect it to return to the old ways anytime soon.

“I suppose…I mean it was kind of nice to hang out again though. Didn’t remember Roman being so pushy.” Fletcher laughed dryly. “Suppose I should have expected that. It’s a very Roman like thing but at least you know what to expect with him. Ellis is far more of a wild card. I still can’t tell if he hates me or not.” Fletcher's insecurity bled through his words.

“How’s Beck?” He shifted the topic to something more comfortable. Sam wasn’t good with feelings, especially not insecurity.

“She’s a tad bit upset about the boy’s weekend, but she’ll get over it.” Sam doubted that.

As if by some cosmic joke, Sam saw Beck as he pulled into Fletcher’s driveway. She sat twirling her blonde hair with a small pout promptly displayed. The moment Fletcher stepped out of the vehicle, Sam put the truck in reverse and whipped back out onto the street. He’d rather not have to sit through an uncomfortable conversation with Beck and Fletcher. He liked Beck, just not when she was obsessing over Fletcher.

Driving home, Sam reflected on himself for a moment. When he was alone everything felt normal again. It was natural. He considered for a moment if perhaps he had imagined the whole thing or perhaps his desire for something more in life was causing him to draw connections that just simply weren’t there.