10

“ So you likE cartoons, huh?”

“Uh-huh.”

“My cousin Jake and I used to watch a show called Mr. Peabody and Sherman. You heard of it?”

“It’s on Cartoon Network. Me and Kimmie watch it every time.”

“Then you know about Mr. Peabody’s Wayback Machine.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well, what I want you to do now is pretend that you’ve got a Wayback Machine. But instead of a big one like Mr. Peabody’s, yours looks just like a TV remote and you’re holding it in your hand. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Take a look at it and pay close attention to the buttons. The red one takes you back a hundred years, the green one goes back about ten, but the big blue one is the one that takes you back to yesterday. You see it?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Go ahead and give the blue button a push.”

“Okay.”

“Now the room is starting to spin-spinning around and around and making your stomach tickle-but in a good way, like the merry-go-round at the playground. Can you feel it?”

A laugh. “It feels funny.”

“I’ll bet it does. But don’t worry, it’s not going to spin very long, because you don’t have far to go. And now it’s slowing down, and when it stops completely, you’ll be back at home, yesterday afternoon, right after school, and you’ll feel relaxed and comfortable.” A pause. “Has it stopped yet?”

“Uh-huh.”

“And where are you now?”

“In the kitchen. Mommy made frosted grams.”

“Is your mom there with you?”

“Un-unh. She’s getting ready for work. She told me to put some on a plate and get glasses of milk for me and Kimmie and Tammy. We’re playing Donkey Kong Barrel Blast.”

“I know Kimmie’s your sister, but who’s Tammy?”

“She watches us while Mommy’s at work. She’s in high school.”

“I see. Is it just the four of you in the house? Or is anyone else there?”

“Just me and Kimmie and Tammy.”

“Okay. What time does your mom usually go to work?”

“Right before Batman and Friends. But we’re not gonna watch, ’cuz Tammy wants to play Donkey Kong instead.”

“Then let’s go forward a little. Look down at your remote again and find the yellow button. The yellow one takes you forward in time, but not too far, just a little skip. You see it?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Go ahead and press it once.”

“Okay.”

“Now after a quick spin, just a few hours have passed and Batman and Friends has been over for a while. It’s around dinnertime and your mom is at work. Where are you now?”

A pause. “In my room.”

“And what are you doing there?”

“Talking to Tammy.”

“What about?”

“She says she’s got a secret she doesn’t want Kimmie to hear.”

“What kind of secret?”

“I dunno. She won’t tell me. She says it’s a surprise. But she’s gonna have to break the rules and she doesn’t want Kimmie to cry.”

“What rules?”

“When Mommy’s at work, we’re not supposed to leave the house. But Tammy says we have to.”

“Why? Where does she want to go?”

“To the rec center. She says there’s somebody there she wants us to meet.”

“Who?”

“I dunno. But we’re not supposed to leave and Kimmie’s gonna cry, so Tammy says we have to pretend we’re gonna meet Mommy. We’re not supposed to lie, either, but Tammy says it’s okay if it’s for something good.”

“How far away is the rec center?”

“Far. It’s over by Kmart. But Tammy’s gonna drive us. She’s got her license and everything.”

“Okay. You’re doing great, Evan. Now I want you to look down at your remote again, give the yellow button a press, and take another little jump forward until you’re at the rec center. Can you do that for me?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Good. So where are you now?”

“In the gym, watching the big kids play basketball. Tammy bought us Slurpees.”

“Is she there?”

“No. She went to find her friend. She says he’s late.”

“Do you know her friend’s name?”

“She called him Rick.”

“Is he one of the high school boys?”

“No. Tammy say he’s older.”

“Older, huh? How much older?”

“I dunno. But I wish they’d hurry up because Kimmie’s almost finished with her Slurpee and she wants to know where Mommy is.”

“Okay, let’s go forward again. Push the yellow button and jump ahead a little.”

“Okay.”

“Where are you now?”

“At McDonald’s. Rick took us there in his Mustang.”

“He drives a Mustang, huh? What color is it?”

“Black. With an orange flame on the side. It’s really cool.”

“Are you inside McDonald’s or out in the car?”

“In the car.”

“Are Kimmie and Tammy there, too?”

“No, they went to get burgers and fries.”

“So it’s just you and Rick, then, huh? What does he look like?”

“Tall. Really tall. With black hair and a ring in his eyebrow and a tattoo of a dragon on his neck. Him and Tammy were holding hands and kissing and stuff, but he looks like he should be her uncle or something.”

“Is he Tammy’s boyfriend?”

“I dunno; I guess so.”

“Okay. So what are you and Rick doing right now?”

“Talking.”

“What about?”

“All kinds of stuff. Baseball, video games…”

“Anything else?”

“He says he’s been wanting to see me and Kimmie for a really long time.”

“Oh? Has he told you why?”

“Yeah, but I think he might be playing a joke or something. Like April fools.”

“Why do you think that?”

“I dunno. I just do.”

“You must have a reason.”

A pause.

“It’s okay, Evan. Just stay relaxed. Nobody’s going to hurt you.”

“If it was true, he’d be kissing Mommy, not Tammy.”

“If what was true? What did Rick tell you?”

A longer pause.

“Evan?”

“He says he’s… He says…”

Another pause.

“Evan?”


It came on without warning.

Evan uttered a small cry of distress; then suddenly his entire body went rigid.

“Oh, shit,” Pope said.

Then the boy began to convulse, bucking violently on the bed, chest heaving, legs kicking.

McBride moved toward them, face full of alarm.

“-what’s happening?”

“Grand mal seizure. He must be epileptic.”

His breathing uneven and labored, Evan sucked in air, then stopped breathing altogether as foam began to gather at the corners of his mouth, his face darkening.

Pope reached down and grabbed the boy’s jeans, working to unfasten the button, loosening the waistband as Evan continued to buck and kick, making the task more difficult than it should have been.

“He’s turning blue,” McBride said.

“He’ll be fine. We just have to let it run its course.”

“What about his tongue? Shouldn’t we stick something in his-”

“No. That’s TV bullshit. Just let him be.”

Evan let out a loud, shaky breath-some of his color returning-then suddenly sucked in another, uttering short animal-like grunts as his body continued to convulse.

“We have to do something.”

“There’s nothing to do,” Pope said. “Trust me. My grandfather was epileptic; I’ve seen this a hundred times.”

Eyes still shut, mouth foaming, Evan bucked and kicked, his small body violently shaking the bed, reminding Pope of Linda Blair in full possession mode — then, finally, thankfully, the convulsions began to subside until the boy was still.

Pope quickly turned him on his side, letting the fluids drain from his mouth onto the bedspread. Sweat had formed on Evan’s forehead and McBride crouched next to him and carefully wiped it away with her hand, smoothing his hair back.

He opened his eyes then and blinked up at them, his voice high and thin and shaky.

“I want my mommy,” he said, and burst into tears.

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