The Star Group

  The stream ran with blood.

  I found Jimmy a hundred yards upstream, around a bend. He lay facedown in the water, the back of his skull split wide open. The wound was caused by multiple blows – the gore was splattered, not crisp. I had never seen a friend's brains before, never even stopped to imagine what they looked like. But as I turned away and vomited, I couldn't help thinking that all I had known and loved of Jimmy had been stored in that messy gray matter. Now, exposed to the air, scattered on the current, it was as if Jimmy had never been. Smash his brains, obliterate his existence. I choked on my vomit as I choked on my grief.

  “Oh God,” I wept.

  I didn't know how long I stood there puking out my guts. It might have been ten minutes or an hour, I only knew that when I looked up, the sun had darkened in the sky. Everywhere I looked was black, even when I stared up into the blue sky and wept to Mentor and screamed why. The stars would never look the same to me from then on. I knew I would see only the void between them, never the pinpoints of light, the rays of hope. At the sight of Jimmy's mutilated body, I felt as if the very purpose of humanity had vanished.

  I didn't know what to do. To leave him seemed a sin, yet I knew I could not carry him back to the cabin. I had a sense of where I was now, and I was at least two miles from Crystal Lake. Trying not to look at his head, I flipped him over and dragged him by his feet out of the water. His pale washed face caught my eye, and I was relieved to see his expression appeared to be peaceful. The terror that had been inflicted on the back of his head did not register on his face. He could have been sleeping, I told myself. Yeah, right, sleeping with the worms. I couldn't imagine that we would have to bury him eventually, like any other corpse. He was my friend, he was supposed to be my friend all my life.

  “Oh Jimmy,” I moaned. “What did we do to you?”

  Pulling off my shirt, I covered his head.

  My walk back to the cabin was a funeral procession. I felt as if I carried his soul over my broken heart. That it swore at me from the spiritual dimension. The idea that he was once more happy on Ortee refused to stay in my mind. Right then, I felt Ortee had been the instrument of his death.

  But I wondered who had killed him.

  So many blows. So sadistic.

  [ ran into Gale at the halfway point.

  “Oh no,” she gasped when she saw my face. Falling into her arms, I felt sobs as heavy as thunder shake my body. I could not stop crying, I could not stop remembering. Not only his gory skull but all the good times as well. The brilliant memories were as painful as a river of red. It would have been far better, I thought, just to pretend I had never loved him. Love to me right then felt like the most insidious poison. Mentor was right about one thing: everything in the universe changed. Everything that could be loved would one day die. How useless a feeling, that it had been cursed by God from the beginning.

  Gale shook me by my shoulders.

  I forgot, she did not know.

  “What happened?” she begged.

  I tried to breathe. “Jimmy…he's dead. His head... his head is split open.”

  Gale shook her head. “No. Daniel? No.”

  I nodded miserably. “It's true. He's dead.”

  She collapsed in my arms and wept. “But it's not possible. He was just with us. He was just alive.”

  I couldn't comfort her. “We have to tell the others.”

  Gale pulled back. “No. Not yet.”

  I was comprehending so little. “Why not? They have to be told.”

  Gale bit her lower lip. “No. We have to think. We have to figure out what happened.”

  My brain was not working. “You think one of them killed him? No.”

  “It had to have been one of them.”

  I did not want to hear. “You're crazy, we're all friends. We're all friends!”

  “Shh,” she said. “This is serious. You know it had to be one of them.”

  I spoke like a wounded child. “Why does it have to be?”

  “Because the chances of a stranger stumbling across Jimmy and killing him on this day of all days is next to zero.”

  She had a point. “But none of them would kill our Jimmy.”

  Gale frowned. “You're sure he's dead?”

  “Oh yeah. Someone pounded his skull.”

  “Someone strong?”

  “What are you getting at? No!”

  “Daniel! You have to stay with me right now. We're in trouble. We might be killed next. Sal is the strongest one in the group. You're the one who told us he's developed supernatural strength. He has to be considered a suspect.”

  “But Sal loves Jimmy. Sal loves everyone.”

  Gale shook her head. “Sal has been acting weird all day.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I don't know. Our whole group has been acting weird. Ever since that session.”

  “That’s not true,” I protested.

  Gale was annoyed. “Yeah? Then why is Jimmy dead? Remember, he's the one who found the gold.”

  “Sal would not have killed his friend for money. No matter how shook up he was.”

  “Then why don't you come out and say it?”

  “What?”

  “That you think Shena killed him.”

  Her remark stunned me, not because it was incomprehensible, bur because it was logical. After all, Shena had cursed Jimmy before disappearing. And where had I found Jimmy's body but in the only direction she could have taken.

  Yet I shook my head once more.

  “Shena could not do such a thing,” I said.

  “Then Teri did it. Then I did it. Are you satisfied with us as suspects? Daniel, you're the one with inner strength. I have not known you long, but I know that strength. Please, be strong now. Look at this situation objectively.”

  I had to hold my head. I felt it would explode.

  “We need to sit,” I mumbled. “We need to talk to Mentor.”

  “No,” Gale said firmly. “I warned you not to have another session this afternoon and look what happened. From now on we're dealing with things in a practical matter. We have to figure out who killed Jimmy, and we have to go to the police with the culprit. If we can’t decide, then we tell the police to arrest them all.”

  “But the police will never believe what has been happening here,” I said.

  Gale started to shout at me but stopped. She sighed.

  “You're right,” she said. “But we will still have to tell them about Jimmy. We can't go to jail over this. I don't mean to sound cold.”

  “You're not being cold. You're being strong. All right, let's look at the facts. Who was out of sight when Jimmy died?”

  Gale groaned. “All of us. Teri stayed back at the cabin in case Shena returned. Jimmy went chasing Shena, I went chasing you, and I don't know who Sal went after. But as far as I know we've been scattered all over the forest for the last three hours.” She paused. “Could you tell how long Jimmy’d been dead?”

  “I don't think it was for long.” I shuddered. “Blood was still seeping from his head.”

  She grimaced. “Poor guy. This will break his parents' hearts. He's an only child.”

  “How well do you know his parents?”

  “Well enough. Why?”

  “No reason.” I paused. “I honestly don't think it was Sal.”

  “You’re not being objective. Sal is the only one of us who would have the strength to overpower Jimmy.”

  “Power is not the main issue. Motive is more important. Shena had her life ruined by Jimmy. The last we saw her she was screaming at him. If it was one of us, it was probably her.”

  “Probably is not good enough. We have to know.”

  My brain was in knots. “We’re not going to know by standing here and talking. We need facts. We need to get back to the others.”

  Gale's eyes glazed over as she stared back the way I’d come.

  “You left him out there?” she whispered.

  “Yes. I covered him as best I could.?
??

  “With your shirt?”

  “Yes.”

  A tear ran over her cheek. “I really cared for him. He was a wild guy.”

  “Did you love him?” The question just came out.

  She stared at me strangely. “No, Daniel. I didn't know him that well. What are you asking me?”

  Her red eyes held mine, but I didn't have the strength to probe deeply.

  “Nothing,” I said.

  We hiked back to the cabin in silence.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  TERI AND SAL WERE WAITING FOR US ON the porch. Sal was panting hard; he did not look calm. Teri was sewing on a blouse; I couldn't imagine anyone sewing after she had just committed murder. They both stood as we approached. Sal literally had rivers of sweat running down his body.

  “Did you find her?” Sal asked.

  “No,” I said.

  “Where's Jimmy?” Teri asked.

  Gale and I looked at each other.

  “He's dead,” I said in a flat voice.

  Teri coughed. “What?”

  “Someone beat him over the head back by a stream,” Gale explained. “They split open his skull. His body's still there.”

  Teri staggered and sat down. Sal did not jump to her side. He would not take his eyes off me.

  He swore quietly. “This is a bad joke.”

  “No joke.” I stepped on the porch. “Where have you been the last few hours?”

  He was bitter. “Jimmy can't be dead!”

  “Where have you been?” I repeated.

  There was pain and fury in his face, an unpleasant brew.

  “How dare you ask me that!” he snapped. “I've been out searching for Shena, like you and Gale.”

  “Did you get back right now?” I asked.

  Teri was crying but I could not help her.

  Sal glanced at his girlfriend. “A few minutes ago.”

  “Why were you running?” I asked.

  “To hell with you!” Sal yelled. “If Jimmy’s dead, I want to see his body. Gale, did you see his body?”

  “No,” she replied. She put an arm around Teri's shoulder.

  “Believe me, he's dead,” I said. “Why did you run all the way back?”

  Sal was breathing hard. “I didn't run all the way. Are you saying I killed him?”

  “Did you?” I asked.

  He did not snap. He lowered his head. “No.”

  “All right,” I said. “Maybe Shena killed him. It’s possible. Until we're sure, can I hold on to your revolver?”

  Sal took a step back. “Over my dead body.”

  “I don't want the gun in order to execute you,” I said.

  Sal reached behind him to his belt. So he had been carrying the gun with him.

  “You're not raking my gun,” he said.

  “Why not?” I asked.

  “Because you think I killed Jimmy! Christ, maybe you killed him! You're the one who's been talking to aliens! Who the hell knows what's gotten into your brain.”

  “I didn't kill him,” I said.

  “Are you sure?”

  Turning, I was surprised to see that Teri had asked the question. She was still teary, but she had mastered herself. She was a strong young woman.

  And she was accusing me.

  “My mind is clear,” I said calmly. “I didn't kill anybody.”

  Teri held my eye. “But you're the only one who saw the body.”

  “Teri,” Gale interrupted. “Daniel could not hurt a fly.”

  Teri nodded tightly. “I know that. But what about this Mentor dude? Sal is right, he's been taking over Daniel's brain. Maybe Daniel killed Jimmy and doesn't even realize it.”

  The idea should have been unsettling. But I refused to let it penetrate. I told myself that I had to hold on to the facts. And nothing could be set down in stone in my head if my mind was leaking fluids. Like Jimmy’s head, the horror of his smashed brain almost engulfed me right then. I would have vomited had I anything left inside me. I met Teri's gaze.

  “I didn't kill my friend,” I said. “I would never have hurt Jimmy under any circumstances. You know that.”

  Teri nodded. “And you know Sal wouldn't have, either. So stop accusing him. We have to find the real killer.”

  Sal shook his head. “We already know who the killer was. Shena has hated Jimmy since the night he accidentally fried her face. That hate has never gone away. We've all seen it. She sneaked up behind him and whacked him on the head – it's the only explanation.” He drew out his revolver. “We have to find her.”

  Teri stood. “A crime has been committed. We have to go to the police. That's all we have to do. Let them take it from there.”

  “Ordinarily I would agree,” Gale said. “But Daniel brought up an important point. No one is going to believe our explanation of what has gone on here. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't been here.”

  “What are you suggesting?” Teri asked her.

  “That we find Shena ourselves,” Gale said. “Sal has the only gun. She won't be able to sneak up on us the way she did with Jimmy. We'll stay together and watch each other's backs.”

  “I agree,” I said, “That's crucial. We stay together.”

  Teri shook her head. “I don't like this. Where are we going to look for Shena? She could be anywhere.”

  “We know she must have fled into the woods, probably in that direction.” Gale pointed. “Daniel found Jimmy's body in that direction. Now, it's getting late, but if Shena stays in the woods tonight she'll have to seek shelter. Other than these cabins, where is there shelter around here?”

  Sal gasped. “The caves we saw!”

  I nodded. “She would probably head that way, it's logical. But I don't like the idea of going after her in the dark. We only have two flashlights.”

  Sal fingered his revolver. “I don't care if it's pitch black. If she killed Jimmy, I want her brought in. Dead or alive.”

  “Hush that kind of talk!” Teri snapped. “We're going to find her. We're not going to shoot her. For God's sakes, we don't even know if she's guilty.”

  “Sal, I would prefer you didn't bring your gun,” I said.

  “Are you crazy?” he asked. “My gun is the only protection we have from her. I'm not going to stumble around in the dark without it.”

  “Daniel,” Gale said softly. “Sal might be right. We might be better off having a gun with us.”

  “So you trust him now?” I asked, thinking of the old man’s comments.

  Gale did not flinch. “I don't know who to trust anymore.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  THE SUN WAS SETTING BEHIND THE horizon when we started on our hunt. Not for the first time did I feel like circumstances were spinning out of control. More than anything I wanted to close my eyes and be with Mentor, to know what was the perfect thing to do. But Gale's remarks made sense. It was Mentor’s sessions that had triggered the tragedy. Chasing through the trees after Shena did not feel like the wisest course of action, but I could not decide what else to do. My intuition was a joke. My brain felt full of mud.

  Yet I refused to consider that I was crazy.

  There was no blood on my hands.

  There was none on my clothes.

  Of course, I had left my shirt to be soaked in blood.

  We reached the stream and Jimmy's body, and there was a fresh round of tears. I tried to remain stoic, but Sal was in a rage. He screamed at the moon and I thought if Shena was within twenty miles she certainly heard him. His insanity seemed to be an equal mixture of grief and hatred. He had his gun out again, and he was talking about how the bitch was going to pay. Good old Teri, what guts, she slapped him in the face and told him to get a grip.

  “You're not going to bring Jimmy back behaving like a damn fool,” she swore. “Daniel's right, you should hand over that gun to one of us right now. You're in no condition to be walking around armed.”

  Sal was adamant. “I'm not giving up my gun, no way.”

  “Then calm down and
act like a man.” Teri gestured to Jimmy's body, and she could not hide the shudder that went through her. “I wish there was more we could do for him right now.”

  “The best thing we can do is avenge his death,” Sal said.

  “Stop that!” Teri yelled at him.

  Sal yelled back. “If she wasn't guilty why didn't she return to the cabin? Answer me that!”

  “Let's stop fighting and find her,” Gale said, “The police will come for Jimmy's body. Better we leave the scene of the crime untouched.”

  We started out once more. Sal fell behind with Gale. It sounded like she was trying to calm him down. Teri walked up front with me. I had one flashlight, Sal the other. Even with our battery-powered aid, and the moon rising into the sky, it was difficult hiking through woods at night. Each odd-shaped shadow seemed to lunge at us. Several times we halted because one of us thought we saw something that wasn't there. Our nerves were not merely on edge, they were on fire. Teri fretted as she strode beside me.

  “Do you know where you're going?” she demanded.

  “I have a pretty good idea where the caves are,” I said.

  “This is insane.”

  “You won't get any argument from me,” I said.

  “Why don't we just go straight to the police?”

  “We've been over that. How can we explain what's been going on here?”

  “Why do we need to explain?”

  I sighed. “We couldn't even begin to tell them the things that led up to Jimmy's death.” I paused. “That reminds me, where's the bag of gold dust.”

  “Back at the cabin.”

  “Where exactly at the cabin?”

  “I don't know, you'd have to ask Sal. He hid it somewhere.”

  “He hid it? Why didn't Jimmy hide it?”

  “Jimmy went chasing after Shena, remember? And you ran after them. Jimmy didn't have a chance to put it away.”

  “But Sal did,” I muttered.

  “Would you stop that kind of talk?” She glanced over her shoulder. Gale and Sal were fifty feet back, so they couldn't hear us. Nevertheless Teri spoke in a hushed tone. “You cannot honestly believe Sal would hurt his friend over a bag of gold?”