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.It seemed like a miracle.He didn t think he d ever been so happy to see anything in his life.Who cared if it was torn?He hurried upward, strode through the door and fell over a tripwire.The door slammed shut behind him. | | | Paul didn t like driving fast.He didn t like doing anything in a hurry.Ifthe boy made it to the attic, then he made it to the attic.If he didn t, wellit didn t matter.There was always another day.Paul didn t really need to go to the 7-Eleven in Torwood.He d beenthere this morning.But he knew it was a Saturday, and that Mary wasworking, so as long as there was no one at the pumps or in the lot, itwouldn t matter.He could get something.Could get himself a Pepsi,perhaps, and even some corn chips.Actually, the boy would probably like that sort of thing.Food like that.He should buy it for the boy.And then, even if the boy wasn t home and couldn t eat it, he d be ableto eat it himself. You re splurging, Mary said.Paul nodded, keeping his head angled forward.He had looked at herin high school, but he didn t look at her now.He didn t much like theUULdays when he did catch her eyes, when he saw her expression.Thoughwith Mary it was easier than most.He had been 14 when it happened, had been going out with Mary,though it was Campbell Boyd he had kissed.A simple kiss, he thought.Akiss on the cheek.Paul hadn t thought it meant anything.He liked Campbell Boyd.Thatwas what it meant.They played football together.And he had kissedCampbell in the locker room.He hadn t ever heard the word faggot before.He d been home-schooled in Texas, where they d run cattle before Grandpa died and leftthem the house in the woods, where they d moved, his mother and fatherand Mark, though his mother had died soon afterwards. You re gonna cop it from Pa, Mark said on the way home on thebus. What? What for? Paul said.He d been pushed around in the locker room, had had the boyschanting over him, chanting, Faggot! Faggot! And Campbell Boyd hadspat in his face.Paul brushed his hands across his cheeks, wiping the tears away. Why don t you just quit crying? Mark said. | | | Leigh s chest heaved against the floorboards.He had heard theresounding clap of the door, and knew what it meant, but he didn t wantto turn and see it. Please, no, he said.But he could feel the place on his ankle where the tripwire had cuthim, and he supposed it would be bleeding.The music drilled into his head.He pushed himself off the floor and onto his hands and knees.Beyondhis hip he could see the door, and it took only a moment to stumble to hisfeet and try it.He rattled the handle, but it was useless.The door was dark andheavy, a solid piece of wood, and a bright new lock something thatshould have sat on the outside of any door was glinting silver in theafternoon sunlight.A lock that required a key. Hell, Leigh said.He backed toward the bed and sat on it.He put hishead in his hands and watched his shadow waver over the floorboards.His hair hung loosely around his face, golden in the sunshine, and hisskin, coated in a film of dried mud, was suddenly a fascinating, amiraculous thing. Oh, shit, he said, and he began to shake.Goosebumps prickled histhighs.A jet of pee jerked out of his penis, but Leigh didn t see anythingfunny in it now.He felt sick, felt as though someone had got him by the throat and waschoking him. | | | Don t tell Pa, Paul said, as they were walking down the drive to thehouse.He lunged for Mark s arm and turned him.Mark jerked his wrist away from Paul.He stared at him angrily, hissandy hair as purple as a bruise in the shadowy green of the woods.Beyond Mark s head, Paul could see the house, looming silent in theforest, dark and tall and twisted.A light was on in the washroom. Please don t, he said.Mark sighed.He glanced into the treetops.An owl hooted and liftedinto the air, its wings heavy on the twilight. I might not, Mark said. Please don t.Mark nodded. What you gonna do for me? Do for you? Yeah.Paul shrugged. Reckon you could kiss me. Kiss you? Yeah. But you re my brother. So?Paul glanced at Mark s feet.His brother s sneakers were stained withorange mud. Reckon I ll tell Pa then, Mark said, starting off. No. Paul swallowed. Mark. He ran after him and gripped him bythe wrist.They stared at one another in the quickly deepening night. | | | UULLeigh cried hopelessly, hysterically, his body trembling and convulsing.He drew his shaking hands across his eyes and tried to stand, but hisknees buckled.He collapsed onto the floor and sat awkwardly on hisheels, propped against the bed
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