Hide and Seek

was wrong. All of us were wrong. It was no idiot standing there. He

was far more dangerous than that.

On the axe handle his grip had turned the knuckles white.

I filled each hand with a stone. Puny things to use against him. My

strength had not returned to me. I waited.

He looked at Casey.

Then at the dog.

Then at Mary. He looked at her for a long time.

And then his eyes returned to me.

As I say, my mind was not quite working right just then.

And I'm not sure it is at all possible to see your own face reflected

in the face of another. I've already told you that there was a feeling

of being drugged by then. But that's what I seemed to see there. My

own face. Me in him. The same loss. The same fear and frustration

and anger. And finally, the same mute empty resignation.

My stomach rolled, my head tumbled. I closed my eyes for a moment.

When I opened them, he was gone.